The Fears Of A Billionaire

Chapter 116: Endgame II

The plane descended low over the South China Sea, cutting through the thick fog that shrouded the island. Dominic stood in the cockpit, staring out at the hostile territory below. The satellite hub, nestled within a heavily fortified compound, was barely visible, but he could make out the outlines of armed patrols and drones scanning the skies.

"Thirty minutes until the satellite goes live," Alyssa's voice crackled over the comms. She was flying in from Zurich with Laura, arriving just moments after Dominic's team. "We need to take control of the relay station before Volkov locks us out."

Dominic's jaw tightened. They were running out of time, and the odds were stacked against them. "Eleanor, Marcus, ready to breach as soon as we land. We go in fast and hit hard. We've got to disable that satellite, no matter what."

"Copy that," Marcus responded, already checking his gear. His steady demeanor was a rock in the storm of chaos around them. Eleanor sat across from him, focused on her laptop, making last-minute adjustments to the infiltration code she would need to disable the satellite's defenses.

The plane touched down on a narrow strip of land near the coastline, the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks muffling the distant hum of drones. As soon as the wheels hit the ground, the back hatch opened, and Dominic, Marcus, and Eleanor sprinted out, moving swiftly toward the tree line for cover.

Alyssa and Laura arrived moments later in a separate chopper. They joined the others, huddling together in the dense foliage, their eyes locked on the compound ahead.

"This place is a fortress," Laura whispered. "There's no way we're getting in without triggering an alarm."

"We don't have to get in quietly," Dominic said, his voice low but determined. "We just need to get to the main control room and take out that satellite link. Eleanor, you're our best shot at disabling it remotely once we're inside."

Eleanor nodded, her fingers flying across her laptop as she mapped out the building's security protocols. "I'll need at least ten minutes of uninterrupted access once we're in. But there's a secondary firewall if they activate it before I get in, it'll lock me out."

"Then we don't give them the chance," Alyssa said, checking her sidearm. "We hit them hard and fast. No mercy."

Dominic scanned the perimeter one last time, then signaled to Marcus. "We're going in. Now."

They moved with precision, slipping through the gaps in the patrol routes, staying just out of sight of the drones overhead. The compound's main gate was heavily guarded, but Marcus, ever the tactician, had spotted a weakness in the security rotation. Timing it perfectly, they darted through a blind spot in the cameras and made their way to the side of the building.

Marcus planted a small charge on the door, and with a soft explosion, the lock gave way. They were in.

Inside, the team split up, moving through the dark, sterile hallways of the compound. The air was cold, and the tension was suffocating. Dominic led the way, guiding them toward the central control room, where they would have to disable the satellite uplink.

They encountered resistance almost immediately Volkov's guards were highly trained, but Dominic, Marcus, and Alyssa dispatched them with brutal efficiency, each shot precise and lethal. They couldn't afford to waste time.

As they approached the control room, Dominic's earpiece crackled with Eleanor's voice. "I'm in the system. I've disabled the internal cameras, but we've got about five minutes before they catch on and reboot the network. You need to hurry."

They reached the control room door, which was reinforced with heavy steel. Eleanor quickly bypassed the security panel, and the door slid open, revealing the satellite control console a massive array of monitors, blinking lights, and servers. At the center of it all stood Volkov.

He was waiting for them.

"Dominic," Volkov said, his voice smooth and mocking. "I have to admit, I didn't expect you to get this far. But then again, you always were full of surprises."

Dominic stepped forward, his eyes blazing with fury. "It's over, Volkov. You've lost."

Volkov's lips curled into a smile. "Lost? No, Dominic. I've already won. Even if you disable the satellite, the damage is done. The world is on the brink of chaos, and I've set everything in motion."

Alyssa raised her weapon, her finger on the trigger. "You're not walking out of here."

Volkov's gaze flickered to her, then back to Dominic. "Maybe not. But neither are you."

Before anyone could react, Volkov pressed a button on the console. A countdown appeared on the monitors ten minutes until the satellite went live, and the entire system would lock down.

"Good luck stopping it," Volkov sneered. "I'll see you in hell."

Without hesitation, Dominic lunged at Volkov, tackling him to the ground. They struggled, fists flying, as Marcus and Alyssa moved to secure the control room. Eleanor rushed to the console, her fingers moving at lightning speed as she tried to override the system.

"I've got ten minutes to disable this," Eleanor shouted. "But if I don't stop it in time, Volkov's satellite will take control of every major energy grid on the planet."

Dominic fought to keep Volkov pinned, but the man was stronger than he looked. They wrestled for control, the seconds ticking away on the countdown clock.

Marcus took out the last of Volkov's guards, but he could see the desperation on Eleanor's face. "How close are we?"

"Too close," Eleanor muttered, sweat beading on her forehead. "The firewall is stronger than I thought. I need more time."

Volkov, pinned beneath Dominic, laughed through bloodied lips. "Time is the one thing you don't have, my friend."

Dominic's grip tightened on Volkov's throat. "We'll make time."

Alyssa moved to help Eleanor, her eyes scanning the code on the screen. "Can we shut it down manually?"

Eleanor shook her head. "Not without tripping the lockdown. We'd be locked out of the system permanently."

As the final minute ticked down, Eleanor's hands blurred over the keys. Dominic, still holding Volkov, could see the clock ticking toward zero.

"We're running out of time, Eleanor!" Marcus yelled.

"Come on," she whispered to herself. "Come on!"

With seconds to spare, Eleanor slammed her hand down on the enter key. The screen flashed, and the countdown stopped at five seconds.

The satellite was offline.

Dominic released Volkov, standing up as the man gasped for air. "You're done," Dominic said, his voice cold. "It's over."

Volkov coughed, his face twisted in rage. "You think you've won? You've stopped nothing. The world is still on the brink, and I've already made sure it falls over the edge."

Dominic glanced at Eleanor, who nodded in confirmation. "The satellite's disabled. He's bluffing."

But Volkov only smiled. "Am I?"

Before anyone could react, Volkov reached into his jacket, pulling out a detonator. He pressed the button, and alarms began to wail across the compound.

"You've stopped the satellite," Volkov said, his voice full of venom. "But you'll never stop the chaos."

An explosion rocked the building, and Dominic's world turned to fire and smoke.