Before the sniper could respond, a grenade landed dangerously close to Hera's position. One of the squad captains spotted it just in time. "Get down!" he shouted.
Hera dove to the side and rolled hard, heart pounding as debris and shrapnel exploded nearby. She scrambled behind cover, breaths ragged, trying to steady herself while bullets ripped through the foliage around her.
One of them grazed her arm—enough to sting through the body suit. It didn't break skin, but the impact would definitely leave a bruise.
And while her name trended online for rumors and speculation, Hera was out here fighting to survive.
"Have you found him?!" Hera almost shouted into the comms, her voice tinged with anxiety. Her team was doing everything they could to locate their extraction target, but it was clear they could no longer avoid a direct confrontation.
