Find me in your labyrinth (Stella and Jonathan)
Chapter 2032

Estelle took a step back, her gaze piercing into Jonathan's for a moment before she sprinted toward Josiah's helicopter. With the grace of an acrobat, she leaped, her toes brushing against a tree trunk, propelling her upward. She grasped the dangling rope ladder from the helicopter with a swift motion.

Glancing back at Jonathan, the rope ladder began to retract, and as it did, she turned away, her expression morphing into one of steely resolve. The helicopter whisked her away from the forest below. Jonathan, undeterred by hesitation, seized the rope ladder and climbed back into his helicopter. He quickly radioed his crew to rendezvous at Silver Valley to back up Gab!

Once Estelle was back on board, Amiee immediately asked, "You good? Took any hits?"

"Nah, I'm fine!" Estelle shook her head. "What about you guys?"

Josiah, already bandaged up, shouted over the roar of the helicopter's blades, "Estelle, we hit Raiden's hideout. Jonah's helicopter here is loaded with tech that could rival a fighter jet!"

He was itching for a chance to take a crack at Raiden.

Estelle commanded with an authoritative voice, "Don't let anger cloud your judgment. We grab the intel first, got it?"

"Roger that!" Josiah saluted her.

With Jonathan's men providing cover, the helicopter quickly cleared the woodland. Estelle had planned to find a secluded spot to disembark and sneak back into the building's twelfth sublevel, but as they neared Zion, they spotted a group on the rooftop escorting Bernard who was wounded to an awaiting helicopter.

Bernard, clutching his laptop despite a gunshot wound to the chest from Estelle, stumbled along, aided by a guard.

Estelle immediately ordered Josiah, "Take me to the rooftop!"

Spotting Bernard's attempted escape, Josiah insisted, "Estelle, you fly, I'll go down!"

"No, I want that intel myself!" Estelle grasped the rope ladder. "You cover me from above. Let's go!"

Josiah obeyed and maneuvered the helicopter closer to the rooftop.

The rooftop guards spotted Josiah's approaching helicopter and opened fire.

Finally, Josiah had his chance to test the helicopter's impressive arsenal. A gleam of excitement in his eyes, he took aim and fired a missile. The rooftop exploded, the enemy helicopter was obliterated, and several guards were taken out in an instant.

"Bingo!"

Josiah could not help but praise himself.

"Quit showboating and cover Estelle!" Amiee snapped at him.

The helicopter hovered just above the rooftop, and Estelle, secured to the rope ladder, dove down under the cover of Josiah's gunfire.

Midair, Estelle spun and kicked the guard supporting Bernard, sending him hurtling away. Bernard fell to the ground, his eyes wide with terror at the sight of the descending figure.

Estelle landed firmly and approached Bernard who was trembling. Hugging his laptop, Bernard scrambled backward in a futile struggle.

"Don't kill me, please, I beg you!" he pleaded, "I can give you money, more than you could ever spend!"

"Betraying your principles, your comrades, clinging to life so desperately, you've lived long enough," Estelle advanced, lifting her gun to Bernard's forehead.

Bernard shook his head frantically. "Kill me, and you'll never get the microwave weapon and cobalt bomb data."

Estelle narrowed her eyes, noting how Bernard's hands were tightly guarding his laptop, his left hand's fingers involuntarily curling. A smirk crossed her face. "Is that so?" Bang!

A gunshot rang out; Bernard was hit in the left arm, his body recoiling backward. Amiee's voice came through, "Grab his laptop. Use his fingerprint to access it!"