When the moving vehicle finally stopped, a team of agents was already on its way. Scarlett frowned as she reviewed the mission details. “The coordinates are so precise. But didn’t all the informants we planted die?”
The First Captain, a woman with a crisp, commanding voice, replied calmly. “It was the intelligence analyst. He blended in and risked everything to transmit the signal.”
Her voice softened, laced with emotion. “Today’s mission isn’t just about crushing the enemy. It’s also about bringing him back safely. That’s not just the Administrator’s order—it’s my personal plea.”
Scarlett let out a small laugh, her tone casual. “Seems like you and this analyst have a special bond, Captain.”
The First Captain smiled faintly. “I’ve admired him for years. You’re a woman, Scarlett—you understand what it’s like to worry about someone you care about, don’t you?”
Scarlett’s response came swiftly, her tone light but pointed. “I suppose I’m luckier than you, Captain. I’ve been married to the person I love for five years now.”
Carter, who had been listening in silence, snorted derisively. “That analyst? The one who usually hides behind the front lines? Let me guess—he showed up this time because the prize money was too good to resist.”
The First Captain’s demeanor shifted instantly, her temper flaring. “Shut up, Carter! Without him, none of your missions would have succeeded. You wouldn’t even be alive to sit here and spout nonsense!”
Chastened, Carter fell silent, muttering under his breath. The team pressed forward, moving under the cover of darkness toward their target.
***
The initial attack on the enemy’s outer defenses went smoothly. When Scarlett and Carter’s group stormed the warehouse, they found the enemy leader slumped against the second-floor railing, his breath shallow. Beside him, tied up in five separate ways, was a man whose face was obscured by shadows. Even in the dim light, something about him stirred a sense of familiarity in Scarlett. Her thoughts were interrupted when Carter, walking ahead of her, suddenly collapsed to the ground.
“It hurts! My leg—it's pierced by a bullet!” Through the rain of gunfire, I saw Scarlett cradling Carter in her arms, her expression tight with panic. Her voice cracked, laced with sobs. “I can see the bone! The injury is severe—there’s no time to waste.”