Ryan sat there for a second, catching his breath. His body ached from multiple contusions, cuts, and the impact from the blast that had thrown him across the street.
His chest rose and fell hard, each inhale tight, each exhale controlled as he forced himself to steady it.
Small debris continued to fall around him, ticking softly against the pavement and the crumpled car beside him.
He wiped his face with the back of his hand.
Blood.
Not all of it his.
"Ryan, talk to me," Adrian said over comms.
He pushed one hand against the ground and forced himself upright, shifting into a seated position first, then bracing a knee under him.
"I'm up," he said finally. His voice came out rough but stable. "Still here."
Inside the command center, Adrian exhaled quietly.
"Copy," he said. "Hunter is confirmed neutralized. No additional movement in your immediate area."
"I hope that's true this time…" Ryan chuckled. "When is the extraction coming?"
