“Hold the entrance and get ready to pull him out!” she ordered, eyes locked on the countdown.
She’d calculated the quickest time Ryan would need to get out and knew it had to be now-there wasn’t any time to waste fighting enemies.
No one responded, only the sound of boots rushing toward the entrance echoed around her.
The final wave of gunfire was in full swing, with the rest of their forces already pulling back.
Swish, swish.
The sound of sand shifting broke the tense silence at the entrance.
The steps were quick, deliberate, and full of force, carried by the wind and sheer strength.
Echo didn’t turn around. But the men guarding the entrance stirred with excitement. She could hear them pulling and dragging someone out, even through the deafening roar of explosions.
She knew-if Ryan had even a sliver of a chance, he’d never fail.
This was as dangerous and intense as it got, but Echo had no time to worry about how Ryan made it out, whether the enemies had been dealt with, or if he was injured. The only thing that mattered now was leaving-everything else could wait.
“You’ve got five seconds left-move it!” Echo gripped the steering wheel, one foot already pressing down on the gas, the tires spinning steadily beneath the jeep, ready to go.
At that moment, Ryan emerged at a full sprint, dragging two men with him and throwing them out in one smooth motion.
Without missing a beat, he vaulted into Echo’s jeep, landing next to her just as explosions continued to erupt around them.
Ryan scowled, listening to the chaotic gunfire, and growled, “Tony, what’s the situation-”
“I’ve got it handled. Just sit down,” Echo interrupted sharply.
Ryan shot her a look but didn’t argue. Right behind him, Cobra and Hawk scrambled into Ryan’s vehicle, exchanging surprised glances-this was the first time anyone had dared use that tone of command with Ryan.
Clement, who had been hanging on by a thread, finally let go when he heard Ryan’s voice. His whole body went slack, and he passed out in the seat, completely spent.
Even in the pitch darkness, Ryan glanced at Clement slumped in the front and said nothing. He wasn’t the type to get hung up on someone giving orders, as long as they got the job done.
Once Cobra and Hawk were inside and barely seated, Echo checked the time. The second hand hit exactly two minutes. She slammed the gas pedal, and the jeep began rolling forward without hesitation. Behind them, the rest of the Dark family vehicles followed in perfect silence, one after the other, blending seamlessly into the night.
“Shit, there are people up ahead! What the hell are you doing?” Cobra hissed, taking in the situation.
Even in the starless darkness, the enemy’s gunfire lit up the night, revealing the dire reality-they were completely surrounded. Charging straight ahead like this felt like suicide.
Echo said in a low, steady voice, “Just sit tight.”
At the same time, Hawk grabbed Cobra’s hand and gave it a firm squeeze. Cobra instantly understood the message-if the Boss wasn’t saying anything, he fully trusted Echo’s plan. And if the Boss trusted her, they had no choice but to trust her too. Besides, Echo was with them the entire time-there was no way she’d throw herself into a death trap.
Cobra’s concern wasn’t about her intentions, but her lack of experience with situations like this. He was worried she might not handle it right.
After a moment, Hawk muttered, “Pass me the rifle.”
Tony, the guy stationed at the door and following Echo’s orders, responded just as quietly but quickly, “Out of ammo. Every bit of firepower we brought is stacked up in the northeast corner. It’s got maybe ten seconds left.”
Ryan shot a glance at Echo, noting the direction she was heading-it was the exact opposite of the northeast corner. Back there, the sky was glowing orange from relentless gunfire, the heat of battle unmistakably desperate. That entire part of the night sky was smeared with blood and fire.
Hawk and Cobra fell silent, their expressions grim. No more ammo, no more guns-this was a last-ditch effort to break through.
Without firepower, without weapons, how were they supposed to fight their way out? Both men instinctively looked toward Echo, their brows furrowed. This kind of reckless all-or-nothing gamble was not how the Dark family operated.
Despite the tension, Echo drove steadily toward the northwest. While the speed seemed slow, the jeep was moving quickly across the desert sand. The tires slid across the dunes without the sharp sounds of asphalt-just the soft rustle of sand, hidden beneath the chaos of distant explosions. Under the cover of the battle’s noise, their approach was utterly silent.
They kept the headlights off. The Street family hadn’t turned on their lights either, knowing full well that revealing themselves in the dark would make them easy targets. Neither side wanted to light up the night, but Echo had taken it one step further-leading them straight into enemy territory, head-on.
The sound of tires grinding against sand was unmistakable. Ryan, Hawk, and the others knew right away it wasn’t their own vehicle making the noise-it was the enemy, their jeeps circling them, moving closer. The Street family’s cocky, taunting shouts felt disturbingly close, like they were right beside them.
Echo stayed silent, her gaze fixed ahead. She couldn’t see what was waiting in the dark, but she had to trust Tiger had cleared a path. She had no choice but to believe. If they didn’t escape now, the only thing waiting for the Dark family was annihilation.
The jeep sped forward, tires spinning across the loose sand. No one knew when they’d run straight into the enemy-or when the enemy would spot them. But Echo knew one thing: she had to keep going. Stay calm, stay steady, and push forward without hesitation.
The sound of engines roared all around them, mixed with the booming of distant explosions.
Echo could tell the artillery fire wouldn’t hold much longer. They had only seconds left to get out. The ground beneath them was already starting to shift and sink, the tires struggling for grip. If they didn’t make it out soon, they’d be trapped for good.
Hearing the engines roar nearby and gunfire exploding now and then, Echo scowled hard. She slammed her foot down on the gas, pushing the jeep to its limit. There was no time left-they had to break through. Whatever was in front of them, they’d plow through it.
In the back seat, Cobra and Hawk could feel their hands slick with sweat without even realizing it. Back in the pyramid, they had already seen sand seeping through the cracks as they raced out with Ryan. That fine sand had nearly reached their calves, and the beautifully carved stone walls were crumbling, pieces falling away with every step. They could even hear the foundation below them collapsing-loud and clear.
It was obvious now. Their actions, whether reckless or ignorant, had destroyed the internal structure of the pyramid, setting off a self-destruct sequence. This wasn’t just random decay-it was a pharaoh’s curse, designed to annihilate anyone who dared disturb his tomb. The destruction wasn’t just structural; it was absolute and unforgiving.
They understood the stakes now, especially after seeing the sand shifting beneath them. While the other members of the Dark family might not fully grasp the danger, those who had escaped the pyramid knew what it meant. Being swallowed by a collapsing desert was a nightmare. If they didn’t charge forward, they were dead. If they stayed where they were, they were even deader. Their only choice was to fight their way out.
Even though they understood all this, none of them showed any emotion-not even a flicker. That was the strength of the Dark family: absolute discipline, and steel-hard composure. They remained completely silent, knowing that if they hit the enemy, they’d fight to the last breath. If they even got the chance to fight, that was. They had never been forced into such a desperate position before.
Echo stomped harder on the gas, no longer caring about keeping quiet. The jeep shot forward, tires kicking up sand as they sped ahead. She could feel it-the ground beneath them was shifting more and more, the drag of the sand threatening to pull them under. They had only moments before the collapse began in earnest.
The jeeps behind Echo noticed her speeding up and immediately matched her pace. Their engines roared, wheels spinning at full tilt. In the chaos of the battlefield, the noise didn’t stand out much, but it was enough to get the enemy’s attention.
Ryan, Hawk, Cobra, and the others gripped their weapons tightly. If they crashed into the enemy now, there was no turning back-they’d fight to the end. There were no other options left.