Hunting Her

Epilogue

The mansion was vast, a labyrinth of darkened corridors and opulent rooms, but I slipped through it like a whisper, unseen and unheard. The soft soles of my boots make no sound as I glide from shadow to shadow, becoming one with the darkness.  Dominic may be dead, but his poison still lingers in the veins of the world. These people—former CIA and MI6—are the infection that remains, the remnants of a monster that we had slain.

The mansion is quiet, too quiet, as if holding its breath in anticipation. My fingers brush the hilt of the knife at my side, a silent promise of what's to come. I'm close now, close enough to hear the low murmur of voices through the thick walls. They're in the meeting room up ahead, oblivious to the fact that death is creeping toward them.

I press myself against the wall, peering around the corner. The door to the room is slightly ajar, just enough for me to see the ten men seated around a grand table. They're relaxed, confident, their guards down. They think they're safe here, surrounded by wealth and power. They think no one can touch them.

They're wrong.

As I inch closer, something catches my eye—a movement outside the window across the room. For a split second, my breath hitches, but then I see him. Hunter, crouched low in the shadows, a smirk playing on his lips. He catches my eye and winks, his confidence as steady as ever.

I feel Hercules and Cam appear behind me, awaiting my instructions as I gaze into the room again. We'd been hunting the remainder of Dominic's organisation for three months, thanks to the list of names stored away in that necklace of mine. We were finishing the job I had started over a year ago now, ridding the world of the vermin, attempting to return some sort of world order. 

I signalled to Herc and Cam so they understood I was ready to go. The static echoed in my ear before Aaron's voice came to life. "Are we ready guys?" He said, the distant tapping of his fingers on a keyboard. "You know, I miss having Mila around. It sure made me job easier."

I gave a small nod to the nearest security camera, knowing Aaron had finally hacked in as the camera moved to face us. Mila had been with us up until last week. She stated her violent days were over and was happy to stick to the behind the scenes with Aaron. Who was more than happy to have Mila around to keep him company. 

We left Oscar's fate in Mila's hands. Whatever she decided, we were prepared to accept. She let him go but made it clear—if she ever saw him again, she'd have no problem cutting his throat. Herc and Cam escorted him out, told us that he was quiet the whole way, almost as if he was heartbroken. He didn't fight them, didn't say a word. Cam later told me he left Oscar with a parting gift—a hard right hook.

We'd heard nothing of him until a week ago when rumours started to spread of a blue eyed blonde haired man causing problems in Russia. Mila left on the first flight out, stating she didn't want help and that he was her problem to solve. I let her go with a promise she'd return as soon as possible. 

"Then, we're a go." Aaron smiled, tapping away again. 

I kicked open the door, it swung wide on its hinges, slamming against the wall. "Hi guys." We've done this dance a hundred times, each of us knowing our role, each of us trusting the others to play theirs. I smiled as Hunter crashes through the window in a shower of glass, his pistol already in hand. Shots ring out, and one of the men slumps forward, a neat hole in his forehead.

"You've always got to make the bigger entrance." I growled, getting into the action, Cam and Herc not far behind. Cam tackles two of the men to the ground, fists flying with brutal efficiency. 

Hunter laughed as he dodged a punch. "As though you don't always draw everyone's attention in every room we enter." 

Another man charges at Hunter, but before he can reach him, my knife sails through the air, embedding itself in his chest. He drops to the floor with a dull thud. "You're such a flirt." I teased, eyes narrowing in Hunter's direction.