Fear

52 • Breaking point

Petrovinov's headquarters loomed ahead, a tall and imposing building with a dark glass front. His men greeted us at the entrance, nods exchanged as they ushered us inside.

My heart pounded as I followed Ghost. Each step brought me closer to Emily, to confronting X. My mind raced with images of Emily's face, of the pain she was enduring alone.

We entered a command center bustling with activity. Maps and blueprints covered the walls, illuminated by the glow of monitors displaying real-time surveillance feeds. Petrovinov stood at the head of a large table strewn with equipment and documents.

"Hemsworth, Evans... Ghost," Viktor acknowledged with a nod. "We've verified the intel. X is holed up in a compound north of Vancouver, heavily guarded."

"What's the plan?" I requested, my voice cutting through the room's hum.

Viktor pointed to the map, his finger tracing a path. "We strike from three points. You will lead the central assault. Evans and Ghost will take the west and back. My men will handle the east. There's likely going to be a standoff."

I took a deep breath and shakily exhaled, walking to the dark window with my hands clasped behind my back. I stared down at the street below, the bright lights and traffic going past. Everyone else seemed to go about their nighttime activities completely unaware of what people like us did in the shadows. Part of me envied their oblivion.

They continued talking for a while, waiting for me to say something.
"Let's move," I said, my hands trembling slightly as I shoved them into my pockets.

Gear was distributed swiftly. I strapped on a bulletproof vest, geared up with my trusty pistol in the holster on my belt. I glanced at Jack's face as they prepared us with the equipment. His expression mirrored my own, nervous and tense.

In the briefing room, Viktor outlined the plan with unwavering precision. Each team member absorbed their role with determination, their minds focused on the mission. The atmosphere was charged with an unspoken dread. We all knew the stakes were high. One wrong move could be fatal.

"This is not just a rescue," Viktor emphasised, "It's the end of a long war. We can't afford mistakes."

With a final nod, the teams mobilised. The convoy of vehicles turned into a convoy of helicopters. The journey back to Vancouver began.

-

The rotors of the helicopter roared overhead as the convoy lifted off the ground, slicing through the night. I sat strapped in, staring out the window as Winnipeg's lights faded into the distance.

My fingers absently traced the edge of my phone in my lap. The screen lit up as I unlocked it, revealing a series of messages from X. I scrolled through them as my face contorted in anger. I grit my teeth, my knuckles turning white. Each taunt and threat seemed to echo in my head like schizophrenia. It drove me mad.

---------------------

X: Miss me, Hemsworth? You should. Emily sure does.
X: She's a strong bitch, but I'm stronger. Let's see how long she'll last.
X: You're running out of time. Tick-tock.
X: Your little hero act won't save her. She belongs to me now.
X: Hurry up. I'm getting impatient.

---------------------

I closed my eyes, taking deep breaths, my fist clenched. The thought of Emily's frail form, frightened, alone, hurt... made me both deeply upset and furious.

Jack was seated across from me, his gaze fixed on the view out the window, an unreadable expression on his face. He looked tired, his eyes kind of glazed over. Ghost sat beside him. He glanced at me with a concerned glint in his eyes but I looked away to hide my face. I couldn't let them see what I was going through, the cacophony in my head and the pain I was in.