Amid the deafening gunfire and the acrid smell of gunpowder, Kostya's voice pierced through the chaos, sharp and commanding. "Nora, run!" he yelled, his tone brimming with urgency. My heart pounded in my chest, my breath coming in shallow, panicked gasps. The walls around us seemed to close in, each ricochet of bullets a terrifying reminder of how close death was.

Kostya's eyes locked onto mine, wide and filled with a determination that sent a shiver down my spine. He wasn't just warning me; he was pleading with me to move, to survive. "Get out of here, now!" His voice wavered slightly, betraying a fear I had never seen in him before.

As I ran, each step felt like it could be my last, but Kostya's voice echoed in my mind, pushing me forward. Suddenly, a searing pain exploded in my stomach, sharp and overwhelming. I stumbled, a cry escaping my lips as I clutched at the source of the pain. My hand came away slick with blood.

I forced myself to keep moving, though each step sent waves of agony through my body. The world blurred, my vision darkening at the edges, but I managed to reach a small alcove, collapsing against the wall. My breaths were ragged and shallow, each inhale a battle against the pain that threatened to consume me.

Moments later, Kostya appeared, his eyes wide with panic as he saw me. He dropped to his knees beside me, his hands immediately going to my wound. "Nora," he said, his voice trembling, a mix of fear and anger. "Stay with me."

I could barely focus on his words, the pain in my stomach radiating through my entire body. I clenched my teeth, trying to fight back the tears that blurred my vision. "Kostya... it hurts," I managed to gasp, my voice weak.

My eyes opened as I sat up in my bed, my forehead beaded with sweat and breathing shallow. Wiping my forehead with a towel, I stared at myself in the mirror before taking a shower to leave early.

After having some mediocre breakfast, I left from my apartment to meet Svetlana wearing my suit to appear much more professional than others. She appreciated this.

I pushed open the heavy glass doors, the cool air of the headquarters washing over me as I stepped inside. The sound of my heels clicking against the polished marble floor echoed through the grand foyer, each step purposeful and precise. The guards greeted me but kept no eye contact, showing how much fear they felt.

My hair was tightly wrapped in a bun, not a single strand daring to escape. It was a look that commanded respect, projecting the precise image I needed to uphold.

As I strode towards the elevator, I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the mirrored walls. Confidence. That's what I was taught and what I would teach.

The elevator doors slid open and I walked towards the large oak doors at the end of the hall, my pace steady. I could feel the weight of the assignment ahead, but I didn't let it show. Confidence was key. I pushed the doors open and stepped into the dimly lit office.

"Svetlana," I greeted my boss who was busy using her laptop and leisurely smoking her cigar in one hand, making me smile.

"Ah Nora, right on time," she replied as I nodded before she motioned for me to sit. "Sit down. There is something I'd like to talk about."

She moved across the room on her rolling chair and grabbed some papers off the shelf. I observed everything curiously while she was busy finding the file for me.

"Here, check this out," she handed me the file. "This is Sorokin's file. Their leader, whom you took out years ago."

I studied the man in the picture and several other names around. "My first big mission. I remember clearly," I answered but asked her confused. "Why are you giving me his file?"

She sighed, her eyes clouded with a hint of frustration, revealing an unspoken discontent. "Yakim Sorokin, the son of Klavdii Sorokin," she handed me another set of pictures, making me frown. "He is trafficking yet again."

I furrowed my brow and tilted my head slightly, my eyes narrowing as I scrutinized the picture. Confusion twisted my thoughts, an unusual sensation for me, as I tried to make sense of what I was seeing. "Klavdii had a son?"

Svetlana nodded her head slowly, pressing her lips into a thin line. "He did. Apparently, he fucked a prostitute and killed her but kept Yakim," she explained, and I rolled my eyes in a blend of annoyance and frustration, which only made her chuckle softly.

"Don't be annoyed just yet," her words made me raise a brow. "He's been smuggling heroin around the country along with that, he's involved in human trafficking."

I flipped through the files in anger. "Son of a bitch. How do we stop him?"

"It's not that easy Nora," she said casually and moved back in her chair, her gray hairs flowing with the AC air. "No one in the entire Vladivostok, Moscow, and Novosibirsk knows that he's alive. Only we both are aware of this."

My eyes widened involuntarily, the icy blue reflecting the shock I couldn't hide. I blinked rapidly, once, twice, trying to absorb the weight of her words. "Seriously?"

"Why are you so surprised Nora?" she asked while tapping the ash from her cigar into the ashtray on her table. "I told you first because I know I can trust you."

I nodded as a sigh escaped me. This man was a keen bastard, he knew we didn't know yet so it would be easier for him to traffic young people, yes not just teenagers or adults but babies too.

She stared for a moment as if her eyes blurred and her thoughts clouded. "I have a plan and I know you can do it."

"What?" I asked. "Do we have to attack them?"

Svetlana chuckled while taking a puff of her cigar. "No hun, like I said it's not easy. Attacking would mean putting yourself in danger," her voice was low and steady. "This time, it will be much harder."

I had no idea what she meant, whether the fact that I would get killed or the fact I couldn't do it. "Does that mean I'm not good enough for this mission?"

"Hun, if you weren't good enough I wouldn't have asked you to do this," she replied with a sarcasm laced in her tone as I rolled my eyes. "Anyways, you're not going in alone."

She grabbed her phone as she dialed someone's number and a few minutes later, I saw Marcus appearing. "May I enter?"

"Yes Marcus," Svetlana permitted as he walked inside, he frowned as he stared, confusion written all over his face. "Nora, explain everything to him in a few sentences. We don't have a lot of time."

"Well, Marcus, sit down first," I gestured for the empty chair beside me as he took the chair. I succinctly explained everything to him in short, clear sentences, and he reacted with the same surprise I felt.

"Right, so what's the mission?" he asked as I finished the daunting explanation, his question making me glance toward Svetlana.

Her expression darkened which seemed like she was in thought. "I want you both to observe their base. We need to see how much army they have."

I shared a glance with Marcus before asking, "Observe?"

"Yes, observe only," she replied densely. "This is something dangerous and we don't have enough manpower to take them down. I'm sure he has a plan for everything."

Marcus questioned next. "But why not attack them? Nora can infiltrate their base and I can do reckon for her."

"That's the thing, Marcus," she stopped talking for a few seconds as we waited for her to speak. "I wouldn't have told two people only if I knew the risk of sending you both. It's something Nora should be careful about as well."

....

Marcus and I crept through the dense underbrush, our footsteps silent against the forest floor. The enemy base loomed ahead, its guard towers piercing the night sky like silent sentinels.

We initially would've gone ahead alone but Svetlana ordered us to take at least a few men who would take care of the forest and would be connected to us through our earpieces.

"I thought they would be hidden," Marcus whispered into the thick fog of the night as we approached the base while I looked ahead.

"This has been their base forever and not to mention, we did just hike 15 minutes into a forest," I said, making him chuckle as we both watched the guards on top of the towers through the tightly packed trees.

Marcus hummed while we approached the base from its back, hiding behind one of the bushes nearby. "Okay, give me a heads up."

He took out an iPad and his chocolate orbs searched for the answers. "Uh, looks like the entrance is blocked out and the scanner can scan only the guards."

"How come that's possible?" I asked, squinting at him as my eyebrows furrowed.

"Nora, the scanners are blocked, they are using something that we don't have," he replied with concern as I looked at him, his face etched with a horrified expression.

"Let's get back," Marcus whispered, his voice tight with urgency.

We retraced our steps carefully, making sure not to draw any attention. The trip back felt longer, the weight of our discovery pressing down on us. When we finally reached headquarters, we made a beeline for Svetlana's office.

As we entered, I could see Svetlana pacing back and forth, her grey hair a wild halo around her head. Her sharp eyes flicked to us, and I could see the tension in her jaw.

"Well?" she demanded, not breaking her stride.

"They have more men than we anticipated," I began, trying to keep my voice steady. "And they're using technology we don't have."

Svetlana stopped mid-step, her face contorting with anger. "What kind of technology?" she snapped.

"Advanced surveillance, weapons we've never seen before," Marcus replied, his voice grim. "They're better equipped than we are."

Svetlana's fists clenched at her sides, her eyes blazing with fury. "This is unacceptable," she hissed. "How did this happen?"

"We don't know," I admitted, feeling a pang of frustration. "But we need to come up with a plan, fast."

She resumed her pacing and sighed, craning her neck upwards as she nodded to herself. "I didn't want to do this, but we have no choice."

My eyes met with Marcus's, filled with mutual concern. "What?"

"I need to make a call to someone," she sat back down on the office chair and tapped away on her telephone. "He'll be with us shortly."

"To whom?" I asked, my confusion evident.

"Dimitri Orlov."

{Word Count- 1918}

A/N

I'm so sorry for updating after literally so long. Yes I said to update on Thursday at the least but I've been so busy with my job which I mentioned before. I didn't get the time to complete this chapter.

Thank you so much for 100 views! I highly appreciate it. <3

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed. Finally the entry of Dimitri is here!

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See you next time!

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-lily