Code of Shadows

Chapter 37 - Rogue Agents

I woke up in a stark, cold hospital room, the sterile smell filling my senses. The harsh fluorescent lights made me squint, and for a moment, disorientation clouded my mind. My head pounded, a dull ache that pulsed with every beat of my heart. I took a deep breath, trying to calm the rising panic. Where was I? The last thing I remembered was the explosion at the Kremlin, the chaos that followed. I tried to move, but my wrists were restrained, tied to the bed rails.

"Ethan," I whispered, my voice hoarse. Panic set in as I struggled against the restraints. Where was Ethan? What had happened after we were captured? I strained my ears, listening for any sign of him, any indication that I wasn't alone.

"Alex." The voice was low, familiar. Relief flooded through me as I turned my head to see Ethan standing by the door, his face set in a grim line. He moved quickly, his eyes scanning the room for any threats. "We have to go," he said quietly, his voice calm but urgent. He reached over, unfastening the restraints on my wrists. I rubbed the sore spots, grateful to be free.

"What happened?" I asked, my voice still shaky. Ethan glanced at the door before speaking, his eyes filled with a mix of anger and urgency. "We've been disavowed," he replied, his voice taut with controlled rage. "Blamed for the Kremlin bombing. They think we did it."

I felt the ground drop out from under me. Disavowed. The word carried a weight that threatened to crush me. No backup, no support, and the entire world believing we were terrorists. "What about the Secretary?" I asked. Ethan's jaw tightened. "He's meeting us. He has information on Cobalt. But first, we need to get out of here."

We slipped out of the hospital, moving quietly through the empty halls. The cold Russian air hit me like a slap in the face as we stepped outside, the reality of our situation settling in. We were fugitives, framed for a crime we didn't commit. My mind raced with questions. Who had set us up? Why? But there was no time for answers now. We had to stay ahead of whoever was hunting us.

Ethan led the way, his movements precise, purposeful. I followed, trusting his instincts even as doubt gnawed at me. We reached a safe house, a small, nondescript building on the outskirts of the city. Inside, the IMF Secretary was waiting, his face drawn with worry. The weight of the situation was evident in his eyes, a heavy sadness that spoke of betrayal.

"You've been disavowed," he said bluntly, confirming what Ethan had already told me. His voice carried the finality of a death sentence. "Ghost Protocol has been activated. Your only mission now is to stop Cobalt. Prove your innocence, or you're on your own."

The weight of his words settled heavily on my shoulders. Our only chance of clearing our names was to stop Cobalt, to prevent whatever catastrophe he was planning. The Secretary handed us a dossier, filled with intel on Cobalt. As I flipped through the pages, a sinking feeling settled in my stomach. Cobalt was planning something big, something that could change the world forever.

"We believe Cobalt's real name is Kurt Hendricks, a Russian nuclear strategist," the Secretary explained. "He's gone rogue, planning to use a stolen Russian nuclear launch control device. He intends to start a war." My heart pounded. The stakes were higher than I had imagined. We were not just fighting for our lives but for the fate of the entire world.

Before we could formulate a plan, the sound of gunfire shattered the quiet. The door burst open, and assassins stormed in, their guns blazing. "Down!" Ethan shouted, pulling me behind a table. I drew my gun, adrenaline surging as I fired back. The room was chaos, bullets flying, bodies falling. In the midst of it, I saw the Secretary fall, a bullet to the chest. My heart clenched, but there was no time to grieve. We had to survive.

A man burst into the room, taking out two of the attackers with swift, precise shots. He turned towards us, his eyes sharp. "I'm William Brandt," he said, his voice steady. "I'm here to help." I didn't lower my gun, suspicion flaring. "Why should we trust you?" I demanded, my eyes narrowing. Brandt met my gaze, unflinching. "Because right now, I'm the only chance you have." Despite my mistrust, I knew we had no choice. We needed all the help we could get.

With Brandt's help, we fought our way out of the building, the chaos following us into the night. My heart pounded as we ran, the sound of gunfire echoing in my ears. I felt a cold determination settle over me. Whoever had set us up would pay. But first, we had to survive.

We regrouped at another safe house, the tension thick in the air. Ethan, Brandt, and I sat around a table, going over the intel. Benji and Jane arrived, their faces drawn with worry. We were a makeshift team, bound together by necessity. I studied Brandt, trying to read his intentions. He was an enigma, his eyes betraying little emotion. "Why are you really here?" I asked, my voice low. Brandt looked at me, his expression unreadable. "I'm here because I believe in what we do. Because I want to stop Cobalt as much as you do."

As we mapped out our plan, a red dot appeared on a nearby monitor. My stomach dropped. "We're being tracked," I said, fear creeping into my voice. Before we could react, the door burst open, and assassins stormed in. Bullets flew, and we fought desperately to escape. We were being hunted, and the clock was ticking. Ethan grabbed my arm, pulling me towards the back exit. "We need to move, now!" he shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos. I nodded, my heart racing. We had no choice but to run, to keep fighting. Our lives depended on it.