Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Two years.
Two fucking years.
She fastened the collar of her uniform, splashing cold water on her face for a final jolt before sprinting toward the war room.
For two long years, Katherine had endured life under her father's oppressive thumb at Steel Legion.
To claim it hadn't been a nightmare would be a lie; it had been hell on earth.
Her father had relentlessly tormented her, allowing his men to join in on the humiliation. He'd deprived her of freedom, manipulated her thoughts, and isolated her from any support. All of it designed to shatter her spirit.
But he was gravely mistaken if he thought he had succeeded.
Her father kept her close, ostensibly to monitor her every move, but it also afforded her a unique vantage point to scrutinize him.
Katherine had spent countless hours observing his methods, noting how he ran the Steel Legion with a mix of fear and calculated control.
Each harsh word he directed at her, each act of cruelty, was not just a weapon against her but a glimpse into his psyche. Katherine had learned to decipher his patterns, to recognize the telltale signs of his paranoia. She watched as he thrived on control, feeding off the power he wielded like a drug.
With every day she spent in his shadow, she gathered information, not just for herself but as a means of arming herself against him. While he believed he was the puppet master, Katherine was steadily learning the strings.
She would not be broken; instead, she would become the force he never saw coming.
"Look who finally decided to grace us with her presence," her father's voice echoed through the room as she walked to the center, where her fellow operatives were gathered.
Katherine muttered an expletive under her breath, rolling her eyes as a few of the men around her snickered.
"Your position here doesn't warrant us waiting around for you," he said, his tone dripping with condescension.
She surveyed the room, feigning an embarrassed expression as she noticed the men openly laughing at her expense.
Their laughter echoed in her ears, but she wasn't embarrassed, they were the embarrassing ones—grown men snickering at a joke that barely warranted a smile, as if they were trying to curry favor with her father. The urge to roll her eyes was almost overwhelming.
"Sorry," she muttered, her voice flat, before directing her gaze down to the floor, fighting the rising tide of frustration and indignation.
Her father's crude remark faded into the background as she fixated on the large screen before her. It displayed a man in his mid-forties, his features lined with age. Wrinkles creased his face, and a small scar marred his forehead, a testament to a life of hardship.
His hair was greying, thinning at the temples, revealing a receding hairline that only emphasized the weight of experience he carried.
"Who's this?" She heard Albert ask, almost thanking him silently for getting her father's attention off herself.
"This," Richard began, his voice low but commanding, "is our good friend Viktor Kazimir. Once a Steel Legion operative, now a dangerous liability."
Katherine grimaced at the man's photo, acutely aware of the cruel fate that awaited him. While he wasn't a good man by any stretch, he was on a path toward redemption.
He had the potential to help countless people—hundreds, perhaps thousands—who were at risk of becoming targets in her father's and his allies' terror attacks.
Richard paced deliberately before the screen, his gaze sweeping from one operative to the next, ensuring he had their undivided attention.
"Kazimir isn't just any target. He possesses critical intelligence about Steel Legion's operations and our connections with key organizations—some of which you might be familiar with, like the White Masks and Vory v Zakone. If Kazimir shares that intel, we could be finished. Every operation we've executed, every alliance we've built, stands at risk of exposure and dismantlement."
He paused, allowing the weight of his words to settle in the room. "The American government has deployed Team Rainbow to extract him—"
At the mention of Rainbow, the atmosphere shifted. The operatives' demeanor darkened, and Katherine's eyes widened with interest. Team Rainbow were specialists, the elite of the elite, and the odds of them failing this mission were slim. It was this very fact that made everyone so hesitant.
Richard raised a hand to silence the room, his expression turning serious. "Enough," he yelled, his voice cutting through the noise.
Richard's voice rose, dripping with authority as he glared at the room. "I don't want to hear your concerns! This is not up for debate. Kazimir is a liability we cannot afford, and the fallout from his intel getting into the wrong hands would be catastrophic. Team Rainbow may be elite, but they're not invincible. We need to act swiftly and decisively. If you can't handle that, then you're out! And you know what that means. We are not risking everything we've built because of your doubts!"
He gestured towards the screen, where Kazimir's image lingered in a moment of grim resignation. "Reach the facility before he's moved. If you encounter Team Rainbow, neutralise them if necessary. This mission allows no room for error. Do I make myself clear?"
The room echoed with a resolute, "Yes, sir."
Richard's gaze swept across the room, his eyes narrowing as he leaned forward. "Now, who among you is willing to step up for this operation? I need operatives who are committed and ready to take action. If you think you can handle the pressure and put an end to this threat, speak up. Otherwise, keep your mouths shut and let the real professionals do their jobs."
Fewer hands rose than usual, and Katherine's eyes landed on Albert, his arm confidently raised.
The idea of volunteering seemed absurd at first, but the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. This could be her way out—her chance to turn the tide and finally do some good.
She had been on countless operations, forced into missions she had no say in, witnessing horrors that would haunt even the strongest souls. In that moment, all those memories flooded back, pushing her to make a decision.
Her arm rose slowly, deliberately.
Scoffs and snickers echoed around her, but she ignored them. Albert glanced over, one eyebrow raised in surprise.
Then her father's gaze locked with hers. His eyes widened for a split second before pride spread across his face, as if she had finally embraced her role in the Steel Legion.
