Chapter Nine: Escape Under Fire

Anya sprinted down the sterile corridors, the data storage device clutched tightly in her hand. The echoing footsteps of the approaching Volkov guards filled the air, their heavy boots sounding like thunder in the confined space. Each turn of a corner felt like a desperate gamble, each shadow a potential hiding place that was quickly dismissed.

Behind her, Kai's agonized cry echoed, a grim reminder of the sacrifice she had made to buy Anya precious seconds. Guilt and determination warred within Anya. She couldn't afford to dwell on the situation – her mission was to get the stolen data out, and with it, a chance for New Shanghai.

Reaching a dead end, Anya spun around, her breath ragged. The guards, clad in their menacing black uniforms, emerged from the intersecting corridor, their faces obscured by mirrored helmets. There was nowhere to run, no hope of hiding.

Anya's hand instinctively reached for the stolen blade at her side. Fear was a cold dread coursing through her veins, b