Viper: The Official Remaster

Chaper 20: Running with Wolves

Nine Days Ago

John stormed into the Delta control room, quickly and quietly pulling a chair out from in between Lukas Rex and Lexa Willard. Tension spread like a virus, infecting every molecule in the room with critical uncertainty. The far door across the room opened, with Captain Watt North entering and waiting for the door to seal before proceeding.

His voice was heavy, the weight of the atmosphere straining his lungs.

Captain North: Now, you three know why I called you here. There isn't a point in putting this off.

He reached for the remote to a projector aimed at the wall, the buttons clicking inside the receiver being the only noise outside of his voice. Clicking on a video file, North managed to clear his throat.

Captain North: She sent this four hours ago. Save your comments until the video's finished.

Dimming the lights, North pulled out an office chair and sat next to John, each of the Spades agents silently taking out notepads and clicking their pens.

A mocking sing-song tune filled the room as the video started, revealing a lone woman wearing sunglasses and leaning against a balcony with several skyscrapers in the background. Several diamond studs hung from the ears of the woman, while a short, snug dress hugged her body, the color of her fabric akin to the black ink marked on her arms and neck.

It was one of four White Mask Captains, Sagaera Felix.

An invisible hand wrapped around John's throat as she leaned in, greeting each of them with a mock authoritative voice.

Sagaera: Good day to all of you! Well, most... Not as many of you this time around, is there?

She beamed, flaunting her modified, filed teeth and gesturing towards an empty, broken Spade helmet sitting on the building railing beside her. John could see the serial number on the helmet, belonging to Landon Kross, the first victim of Sagaera back in Siberia.

Oxide: Smug tramp...

John heard Lexa mutter under her breath alongside the scribbles of her pen. He could only agree.

Sagaera: Look, maybe we got off on the wrong foot, ya know? I'm not sending this to talk shit. Not my style to kick a dead horse... Or two of them...

With a quick eye, John pinned the location of Dubai behind her.

Sagaera: But! I do have an opportunity for you, my little Spades.

She clapped her hands together and started to walk forward as she spoke, Sagaera's amused voice threatening to break with irritation.

Sagaera: Radioactive. Heard of 'em? Little Russian criminal syndicate. They've really pissed me off. I tried to wipe half of their syndicate off my side of the world a couple of months back, but you little Spades had to interrupt the party.

John swallowed his hatred and jotted down every word she said in a sloppy, albeit effective pace. The Masks received loads of payments dealing in blood with many European countries, large and small. It wouldn't be surprising if Ms. Felix of the White Masks was personally targeting the terrorist cell "Radioactive" on behalf of a Siberian official.