New York City was engulfed in a record-breaking snowstorm, but inside his Manhattan penthouse apartment, the air was even colder. Jack Sterling, a former CIA agent trying to wash his hands of his past life, stared intently at his laptop screen, counting down.

60 seconds. That was all he had before the “Icarus” virus wiped out the data on those behind the Governor’s assassination.

The thick steel door was blown open by a plastic explosive. Smoke billowed. “Sterling! Take your hands off the keyboard!” A shout rang out. It was Agent Miller, the traitor who had once been Jack’s closest associate. Miller entered with a team of Alpha team members, HK416 rifles in hand.

Jack didn’t look up. His fingers still flew across the keyboard. “Too late, Miller. The truth is about to be revealed.”

“Stop, or I’ll turn your head into a piece of wall art!” Miller roared, his finger tightening its grip on the trigger.

2. The Climax
30 seconds. Suddenly, Jack kicked the edge of the table. The table spun, sending the screen flying toward the special forces team. In the ensuing chaos, Jack pulled out the SIG Sauer hidden under the table.

Bang! Bang!

Two accurate shots took down the two soldiers closest to Miller. Jack rolled across the sofa as a hail of bullets rained down. The shattering glass and roar of gunfire shattered the silence of the winter night.

“Chase him!” Miller shouted.

Jack dashed out onto the balcony. The cold wind lashed his face. Below was the abyss from the 40th floor. He had no way out. Miller stepped out, his gun barrel glowing red. “There’s no way out, Jack. Give me the hard drive.”

3. The Last-Minute Turnaround
Jack smiled, a smile of arrogance. He raised his phone. “You forgot one thing, Miller. I’ve never worked alone.”

0 seconds. The phone screen displayed: UPLOAD COMPLETE.

At the same time, the roar of a helicopter came from above the building. Another special forces team – those truly loyal to justice – rappelled down. Miller’s face turned pale. He realized he had fallen into a trap. Jack had used him as bait to lure the entire traitor network into revealing themselves.

“Game over, Miller,” Jack said, his voice as cold as Manhattan ice.

Miller was about to pull the trigger in desperation, but a shot from a sniper on the helicopter disarmed him. Jack walked over, retrieved the hard drive, and didn’t even glance back at his fallen old friend.