The aircraft vibrates violently as Hardison struggles to keep it steady. "I told you I only flew simulators!" he shouts over the roar of the engines. Nate grips the controls beside him, face grim. "Just keep us in the air long enough to deploy Sophie!"

I glance across the small cabin at Parker, who's clutching her backpack so tightly her knuckles are white. Her eyes are fixed on the floor, but I can see she's not really seeing it. She's thinking about Bunny.

Eliot catches my eye and nods toward the back. "We're approaching the drop zone. You ready for this?" he asks, already checking his gear.

The plan is simple enough in theory: Sophie will pose as a high-ranking government official to create a distraction while the rest of us infiltrate from below. But simple plans never survive first contact with reality - especially not when your target is a floating fortress guarded by some of the most advanced security on the planet.

"Remember, once we're inside, stick to the schedule," Nate says, meeting each of our eyes in turn. "Hardison will guide us through the security grid, Parker and (Y/N) will handle the actual retrieval, Eliot will provide muscle if needed."

The red warning light suddenly flashes on the console, accompanied by a shrill alarm. Hardison curses, fingers flying across the keyboard. "They've detected us! We've got two minutes before they scramble fighters!"

Eliot slams open the rear hatch, cold wind instantly filling the cabin. "Time to go!" he yells over the wind.

Parker stands up, suddenly all business, and moves toward the open hatch. I follow, heart pounding in my chest. This is it - the moment of truth. We either pull this off or end up in some top-secret government prison.

As I position myself at the hatch, I hear Parker whisper so quietly I almost miss it: "Bring Bunny back."