The team was on high alert as they moved toward Calder's supposed hideout. The intel was clean, the preparations perfect. Blair, Jax, and Maya were all prepared for whatever might come, and the adrenaline coursed through their veins like a living thing.
Maya tapped the earpiece. “I’m getting close, the cabin should be just ahead. I can see movement, too—looks like we’re not the only ones who know about this place.”
Blair motioned for the team to stay low. “Stay sharp. If Calder’s here, we make sure it’s done right.”
They advanced cautiously, moving through the trees toward the cabin. The cold air made their breath fog as they kept their eyes peeled for any sign of Calder’s men. The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife.
But when they reached the cabin, they found it abandoned. Not a soul in sight.
“Something’s off,” Blair muttered, her voice low but steady. “It’s too quiet.”
Maya checked her tablet again. “This is the right place. But I don’t think Calder was ever here.”
Blair’s eyes narrowed. “False lead. Someone tipped us off.”
Before she could give the order to fall back, a shot rang out, striking the nearby tree just inches from Blair. She ducked, instinctively pulling Maya behind a rock for cover as Jax returned fire.
“Ambush!” Jax shouted, his voice fierce as he took out one of the assailants with a precise shot.
“We need to move—now!” Blair yelled, pushing them all into motion.
As the team began to retreat, the sound of gunfire filled the air, punctuated by the thud of bullets slamming into the earth around them. The enemy was closing in fast. They sprinted through the trees, but as they made their way toward the escape route, Blair’s earpiece crackled.
“Blair, it’s Maya,” came her voice, urgency threading her words. “Travis is down.”
Blair’s stomach dropped. “What? How?”
“I don’t know. He got hit during the firefight. He’s not getting up.” Maya’s tone was grim. “The bastard had it coming, but we can’t waste time. We need to go, now.”
Blair’s eyes hardened as she pushed herself to run faster. “Leave him. Let’s get out of here.”
The team made it back to the car, bleeding and battered, but alive. Travis’s lifeless body was left behind, a casualty of his own treachery.
There was no regret in Blair’s heart for the man who had so nearly sold them out. He had made his choice the moment he decided to betray them. He was a loose end, and now he was one less problem to worry about.
Still, the silence in the car as they sped away was deafening. They hadn’t expected to lose Travis, but the truth was, they were better off without him.
The team lay low for a few days, licking their wounds and recalibrating. Maya spent hours going through the intel, trying to track Calder’s movements. Jax kept an eye on the streets, ready for any sign that Vincent might be making his next move.
Blair, however, couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched. The aftermath of the failed mission gnawed at her, and her mind kept returning to one nagging thought: If this was a trap, then who was behind it?
But the bigger problem loomed ahead: Vincent. And his next move.
Meanwhile, across town, Vincent was in the midst of his own plans. He’d been lying low for weeks, regrouping, but now he was ready to take a more personal approach to dealing with his enemies.
He sat in a darkened room, his son Leo standing before him, his back rigid, his expression cold.
“You’ve been training for this your whole life, Leo,” Vincent said, his voice soft but dripping with venomous intent. “Your time has come. It’s time to take your place by my side.”
Leo looked down, his fists clenched at his sides. His gaze flickered toward the floor, as if lost in thought.
“I don’t understand, Father,” Leo said, his voice tinged with confusion. “You’re telling me Blair is responsible for everything—she killed Kai, she’s behind all of this.”
Vincent’s eyes flashed with intensity. “Yes, Leo. Blair is no different from the others. She’s a monster—a murderer who would stop at nothing to achieve her goals. She’s even willing to kill you if it means eliminating anyone who stands in her way.”
Leo’s eyes widened, and for a moment, doubt flickered in his gaze. But Vincent saw it, and he pounced.
“Don’t you see? Blair is dangerous. She’s a threat, Leo. A threat to your future. To all of us.” Vincent took a step closer, his voice lowering. “I know you want revenge for Kai. You owe it to him. You owe it to yourself to help me take her down.”
Leo’s face twisted in conflict, but after a long silence, he finally nodded, the weight of his decision settling in his chest. “You’re right, Father. She’s dangerous. I’ll do what needs to be done.”
A dark smile spread across Vincent’s face as he placed a hand on Leo’s shoulder. “You’re not just doing this for me, Leo. You’re doing it for us. Together, we’ll destroy Blair and everything she stands for.”
Back at the safe house, Blair stood with Maya, staring at the latest intel they had gathered.
“Leo’s back,” Maya said, her eyes focused on her tablet. “But there’s something off about him. His behavior’s changed—he’s more serious, more focused. And he’s been meeting with Vincent a lot lately.”
Blair’s heart sank. “You think Vincent’s brainwashed him?”
“It’s possible,” Maya replied. “Vincent has a way with manipulation, especially when it comes to his son. But we can’t afford to ignore the possibility that Leo’s now aligned with him.”
Blair clenched her fists, her jaw tight. “We need to find out what they’re planning. If Leo’s really with him, then things just got a lot more complicated.”
The team’s next mission had just become clearer: they would have to confront Vincent head-on, and Leo, once a potential ally, had now become a formidable new enemy.