Lisa approached the elevator, rifle at the ready, her eyes locked onto the digital display above the doors. It showed the elevator car making a descent before beginning its climb back to her floor. She couldn't be sure who—or what—was inside. It could be an office worker, but it could just as easily be something far more dangerous.

"Hey, A, can you hack into the elevator's camera feed?" Lisa inquired.

"On it," A replied, pulling a tablet from the backpack slung over his shoulders. After a few taps, his face tightened. "Well, we've got a situation. Those aren't your average security guards in there; they're armed mercenaries. Looks like we've stirred up a hornet's nest."

"Hand me a grenade," Lisa requested.

"Coming right up," A said, lobbing her a hand grenade.

Carefully, Lisa gripped the grenade, her fingers pulling the pin free. She had to time this just right. The objective was clear: ensure that the grenade exploded inside the elevator, eliminating any chance for the mercenaries to kick it back out. Her heart pounded in her chest as she watched the numbers climb on the digital display: 55th floor, 56th floor, and finally, 57th. The moment the elevator doors slid open, she hurled the grenade inside.

Diving for cover, Lisa pressed herself flat against the floor just a few yards away from the elevator. The explosion rocked the air, sending shards of shrapnel flying out through the elevator's narrow opening. When the dust settled and the echoes died away, she cautiously lifted her head to assess the damage.

The scene inside the elevator was grim: what could best be described as a pulpy mess met her gaze. While the remains weren't scattered everywhere, it was evident that most of the shrapnel had found its targets, delivering fatal blows. Blood spatter painted the interior of the elevator, marking the walls like some gruesome mural.

Approaching the elevator, Lisa attempted to press the control panel buttons, but found them unresponsive. The explosion had clearly knocked out the panel's functionality.

"Well, there goes our exit. Can you hack this elevator?" Lisa inquired, eyeing the non-functioning control panel and the elevator door stuck halfway open—a space she could barely squeeze through. "The panel might be dead, but I doubt the motor's shot."

"Here's the issue: the system reports a mechanical breakdown for this elevator. Time for Plan B," A said, tucking his tablet back into his backpack.

"Hold on a sec," Lisa interjected. She quickly gathered the mercenaries' rifles and submachine guns, stashing them in her own inventory. "Okay, I'm done. Let's use the emergency stairs."

"Smart thinking," A replied, giving her a thumbs-up, his smile hidden behind his balaclava. "But I have a better idea. We can try the elevator on the 52nd floor."

"That's fine, as long as we're not running into another battalion of mercenaries from that direction. If we do, we're taking the stairs all the way down to your escape route," Lisa countered.

"Don't worry, there are more elevators in this building than you might think. It just so happens that the 57th floor is only served by this one," A explained.

"Alright, lead the way, A," Lisa said, ready to move.

The emergency stairwell was conveniently located right next to the dysfunctional elevator. Lisa pushed open the heavy emergency door, allowing A to take the lead. He was better armored than she was, and it made sense for him to go first. She flipped down the ballistic visor on her helmet and followed him into the stairwell, her senses heightened.

As they made their way down, the muffled sounds of voices and heavy bootsteps grew increasingly audible. They were nearing the 52nd floor, and the noises suggested a group of mercenaries was waiting for them. A slowed his descent, raising a hand to signal Lisa to halt. They had almost reached the door leading to the 52nd floor. A cautiously peered through the door's narrow window slit. The room beyond was dim, the low light casting the silhouettes of several figures who stood waiting near an elevator.

A leaned in, whispering, "Well, that option's off the table."

Lisa took a quick glance through the window herself. She counted at least a dozen mercenaries, their equipment barely discernible in the dim light. A couple of them seemed to be fumbling with their radios, probably struggling to establish contact due to the communications jammer that was in place.

"Security team Alpha, come in," one mercenary attempted.

"No response," another reported.

"Sweep the upper floors. Find out what happened to security team Alpha," the first one ordered.

Given the circumstances—a shitton of dead security guards and a compromised elevator—it wouldn't take a genius to connect the dots. Lisa assessed their gear. They were more than adequately armed, and one mercenary even had what she identified as an SVD-M sniper rifle—a weapon certainly capable of taking her down.

"Yeah, that's a no-go for me," she whispered back to A. "If they're here, there are likely more waiting for us downstairs."

Resuming their descent, Lisa and A aimed for an alternative exit on the 48th floor. As they moved, Lisa couldn't help but ponder the extreme security measures. What kind of office building employed what seemed like a paramilitary force for security? Sure, the building could potentially house sensitive information like a list of war criminals from the USRC, but deploying a private army for a single document? It was hard to fathom.

Finally reaching the 48th floor, Lisa cautiously peered through the green emergency door that led onto the floor. The area was still well-lit, and surprisingly, the soft clicks of a keyboard reached her ears from a distant office cubicle. It baffled her: who in their right mind would stay at their desk after hearing gunfire? But then it struck her—some corporate worker might actually fear losing their job more than taking a bullet.“Coast seems clear,” Lisa opened the emergency door.

"Seems clear?" A inquired softly.

"Just an office worker, who shouldn't be a threat," Lisa reassured him.

"I'm not so sure we should go onto this floor at all," A cautioned.

"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn't do anything reckless. Killing him would serve no purpose and only escalate things," Lisa responded, pushing open the green emergency door. "Besides, he's probably so consumed by his work that he values it more than his own life."

"Exactly my point, L," A said, following her through the door.

Stepping onto the floor, they wove their way through the maze of cubicles, Lisa keeping her weapon trained on the lone office worker at the single lit cubicle. It would be a simple matter to pull the trigger, but was there any justification for such an act? In her judgment, there was not. Meanwhile, A reached the elevator and pressed the button to summon it. Both of them watched the digital display above the elevator doors, waiting for their floor number to appear.

As they stood there, Lisa found herself wondering about A's escape plan. She hoped it wouldn't involve a shootout with SWAT teams. Surprisingly, the absence of police or SWAT teams storming the building was already a minor miracle. Could it be that the mercenary presence was considered sufficient? Lisa shrugged inwardly. She didn't have the information to answer that question; only A did.

The elevator arrived with a soft ping, and almost immediately, a shout of "CONTACT!" erupted from within the opening doors. A wasted no time, firing his PKP in the direction of the shout. Lisa quickly followed, unloading her MDR into the elevator as well. Trapped in the confined space of the elevator with nowhere to dodge, the incoming mercenaries were gunned down before they had a chance to respond.

"They're dressed like spec-ops but certainly didn't act the part," Lisa observed, ejecting her empty magazine and slamming in a fresh one.

"Time to move," A said, stepping into the elevator. "We've had enough of stairs. Stay behind me, L—I'll take the brunt of any incoming fire."

"On it," Lisa agreed, following A into the elevator. A pressed the button for the basement, and the doors closed, preparing them for whatever awaited below.

The elevator seemed to move at a snail's pace, each passing floor feeling like an eternity. Lisa's eyes remained fixed on the digital display, as if willing the elevator to descend faster. A stood by the control panel, one hand resting on the grip of his PKP, prepared for whatever awaited them at the bottom.

As the elevator passed the 20th floor, A's tablet buzzed in his backpack. He pulled it out and quickly scanned a new message, his eyes widening.

"Change of plans, L. We can't go to the basement. New extraction point: the rooftop," he announced abruptly, redirecting the elevator to the 45th floor.

"What's going on?" Lisa inquired, a note of concern entering her voice.

"They've barricaded all ground-level exits, and the basement is compromised. Looks like I underestimated the police response to this level of corporate espionage. Don't worry, I'm calling in backup. Our only way out now is up," he explained, slipping the tablet back into his bag.

Just then, Lisa received another radio report in her earpiece. "Attention all units. We have reports of code 12 and code 11. All tactical officers are ordered to the scene. A patrol helicopter has been dispatched to pursue the suspects."

[⋆⋆⋆ | 3-Star Threat Level]

A three-star threat level flashed on her HUD, ramping up the tension. Their exit strategy had just become far more complicated.