The warehouse smelled of oil, gunpowder, and adrenaline. The team gathered around a metal table littered with blueprints, weapons, and surveillance photos. The fight had been a victory, but Dominic knew better than to celebrate too soon. Volkov would strike back, and when he did, it wouldn't be subtle.
Dominic leaned forward, eyes scanning a satellite image of Volkov's suspected hideouts. "We have his weapons. That means he's coming for us."
Alyssa crossed her arms. "Good. Saves us the trouble of hunting him down."
Marcus smirked. "I like the enthusiasm, but Volkov's got resources we don't. He's not just some crime boss he's got politicians, mercenaries, and half the black market in his pocket."
Eleanor tapped the map. "We need to move fast. Volkov will retaliate, and we don't want to be here when he does."
Julian stretched, cracking his knuckles. "So what's the play? Wait for him to bring the fight to us, or take the war to his front door?"
Dominic glanced at Alyssa. "We take the fight to him."
Alyssa grinned. "That's what I like to hear."
Marcus sighed. "Great. Another suicide mission."
Eleanor shot him a dry look. "Like you'd sit this one out."
He shrugged. "Didn't say I would. Just saying, we should have a backup plan for when things inevitably go to hell."
Dominic pushed a folder toward the center of the table. "Volkov has a safe house in Budapest. Not his main headquarters, but important enough to be heavily guarded. He's planning something big, and whatever it is, we need to shut it down before he gets the upper hand."
Alyssa flipped through the file. "Security details?"
"Armed guards. At least twenty inside, maybe more. Surveillance on every entrance. We'll need a way in that won't trigger alarms."
Julian grinned. "I might have something for that."
Dominic arched a brow. "Do I want to know?"
Julian winked. "Probably not."
Marcus shook his head. "I swear, one of these days, your 'genius' is gonna get us all killed."
Alyssa smirked. "Not today."
The Infiltration
The safe house in Budapest sat on the edge of the Danube River, a fortress disguised as a luxury estate. Dominic, Alyssa, and the team arrived under the cover of night, blending into the shadows as they approached the perimeter.
Alyssa crouched behind a stack of crates, peering through her binoculars. "Looks like we've got guards patrolling every five minutes. Snipers on the rooftops. Main entrance is a no-go."
Julian tapped at his tablet. "Good thing we're not going through the front door."
A moment later, the security cameras flickered and died. The lights around the perimeter dimmed, plunging sections of the estate into darkness.
Marcus let out a low whistle. "I hate how good you are at that."
Julian grinned. "You love it."
Dominic checked his watch. "We've got a five-minute window before they realize something's wrong. Move."
The team slipped inside, moving like ghosts through the halls. Silencers on their weapons ensured quiet takedowns as they eliminated guards one by one.
Alyssa took down two men with swift, precise shots, while Marcus covered their rear. Dominic led the way, his focus locked on the target: Volkov's office.
As they reached the second floor, Eleanor's voice came through their earpieces. "Guys, you've got a problem."
Dominic tensed. "Talk to me."
"There's a shipment being loaded onto trucks in the back. Volkov's moving something, and whatever it is, it's big."
Alyssa exchanged a glance with Dominic. "Could be weapons, could be intel."
"Either way," Marcus muttered, "we can't let it leave."
Dominic nodded. "Julian, Marcus handle the shipment. Alyssa and I will get to Volkov's office."
Alyssa smirked. "Just us? Sounds romantic."
Dominic rolled his eyes. "You're impossible."
She grinned. "And you love it."
With that, they split up.
Dominic and Alyssa moved swiftly through the halls, dispatching the last of the guards as they neared Volkov's office. The door was locked, but a well-placed bullet from Alyssa shattered the handle.
They stepped inside.
Volkov wasn't there.
But someone else was.
A man stood in the center of the room, dressed in a sleek black suit, his piercing blue eyes watching them with amusement. He was tall, well-built, and carried himself with the confidence of a man who had never lost a fight.
"Dominic Hayes," the man said, his voice smooth. "Finally, we meet."
Dominic's grip on his gun tightened. "And you are?"
The man smiled. "Ivan Petrov. Volkov's right hand."
Alyssa lifted her gun. "Where is he?"
Ivan tilted his head. "Gone. But he left me to take care of you."
Before either of them could react, Ivan moved.
He was on Dominic in seconds, disarming him with a brutal strike before slamming him against the wall. Alyssa fired, but Ivan dodged, kicking her gun away.
Dominic barely had time to recover before Ivan's fist connected with his ribs, sending a sharp bolt of pain through his side. He countered with a punch to Ivan's jaw, but the man barely flinched.
Alyssa, recovering quickly, lunged at Ivan from behind, wrapping her arm around his throat in a chokehold.
Ivan grunted, his movements slowing as he struggled against her grip.
Dominic seized the opportunity, landing a crushing blow to Ivan's stomach. The man stumbled, and Alyssa drove her knee into his spine, forcing him to the ground.
She grabbed her gun and pressed it to his temple. "Where. Is. Volkov?"
Ivan laughed, even as blood trickled from his mouth. "You think this ends with me?"
Dominic crouched beside him, his voice low and lethal. "You're going to tell us everything."
Ivan smirked. "Or what?"
Alyssa's gaze darkened. "Or we find out how many bones we can break before you beg to talk."
Ivan's smile faltered.
Dominic pulled out a knife, twirling it between his fingers. "Let's start with your fingers, shall we?"
Ivan's breathing quickened. "Wait"
BANG!
A single shot rang out.
Ivan slumped to the floor, dead.
Dominic and Alyssa spun around just in time to see the security monitors flicker to life.
On the screen, Volkov's face appeared.
He was smiling.
"Hello, Dominic. Alyssa. Having fun?"
Alyssa scowled. "Where are you, you son of a..."
Volkov chuckled. "Now, now. Let's not ruin the moment. You've taken my weapons, killed my men. But you've also made a mistake."
Dominic's jaw clenched. "And what's that?"
Volkov's smile widened. "You forgot that I don't play fair."
The screen flickered switching to a live feed of another location.
A warehouse.
Dominic's blood ran cold.
Because inside that warehouse bound, beaten, and surrounded by armed men was Marcus.
Volkov's voice was soft, almost mocking. "Now the real game begins."