Operation Redemption

COMPROMISED

I carefully examined the image of the warehouse and its address, a sense of unease settling in the pit of my stomach. Michael's confident smile did little to alleviate my concerns.

"Can we really trust this guy?" I asked, my voice tinged with skepticism. It all seemed too good to be true.

Michael leaned in closer, lowering his tone. "Natalia, trust me on this one. The guy's rock-solid. He's got insider info. How do you think I got my hands on the party's invitation card?"

My eyebrows furrowed as I stared at the looming building. I wanted to believe Michael, but something about the situation felt off. Moretti's men weren't known for cooperating with law enforcement. Nevertheless, I couldn't ignore this lead.

"Alright, let's check it out," I conceded, deciding to go along with the plan.

We spent the remaining time at the cafe hashing out the operation's logistics. Michael had already assembled a small, covert team of officers, without the chief's knowledge, and we were to rendezvous at a discreet location before heading to the warehouse.

Later that night, I found myself parked in an unmarked police car near the rendezvous point. Michael and the rest of the team were concealed nearby, out of sight. We watched the warehouse in the dimly lit night, waiting for any sign of the impending drug delivery.

As minutes turned into hours, my impatience grew. I tapped my fingers on the steering wheel, scanning the darkness for any signs of movement. Just as I was about to contact Michael, a convoy of black vehicles approached the warehouse.

I sat up straight in the car seat, the tension in the air becoming palpable.

Michael's voice crackled over the earpiece. "It's them."

I nodded and reached for my firearm. "How many?"

"Four vehicles, eight men in total," he replied. A small pause before he continued. "I'm sending Bane's team in first."

A moment later, another unmarked vehicle emerged from the darkness and parked right in front of the warehouse, with a couple of armed men disembarking. The presumed leader opened the backseat.

I holstered my gun and kept my eyes fixed on the warehouse. "Bane's team is in."

"Okay," I whispered, pushing the car door open and slipping outside, making sure to stick to the shadows. Michael and the team moved stealthily, taking cover behind various objects.

"You ready?" Michael's hushed voice asked over the mic.

I nodded, my grip tightening on my gun, even though he couldn't see me.

I sprinted towards the warehouse, my heart pounding as I approached the entrance. Faint voices emanated from inside, followed by the sound of shattering glass.

I raised my hand, signaling the team to fan out and take their positions at the side of the warehouse. The interior was brightly lit, and I spotted the armed men, their backs turned to us, surrounding a large wooden crate. My eyes darted around, searching for Bane and his team.

"Where's Bane?" I hissed, my hand tightening on the grip of my gun.

"He should—"

A gunshot rang out, cutting Michael off.

"s**t!" he yelled, rushing towards the warehouse.

I didn't hesitate. Following the rest of the team, I sprang into action, my feet propelling me towards the warehouse. Another shot echoed, narrowly missing me.

"What's happening?" I inquired, keeping my voice low.

"One of Bane's men got shot."

"What?"

In the midst of the chaos, I spotted Michael taking cover behind stacked crates, his expression grim. More gunshots rang out.

I acted without second thoughts, returning fire and hitting one of the men square in the shoulder. A shout erupted to my left, where Bane's team was engaged in combat with the remaining armed men.

We had indeed been set up, and anger coursed through me.

"Get the goods!"

I spun around, searching for the voice. A tall, burly man with a scar running down his face was barking orders, clutching a gun. Two other men emerged from a door at the end of the warehouse, lifting wooden crates.

"Cover me," I instructed Michael as I pushed forward.

"Nat, wait!" he called after me, but I was already in motion. I had to stop them; otherwise, our mission would be in vain. Keeping my gun up, I ran, narrowly evading bullets whizzing past me.

"You imbeciles! Can't you shoot straight?" the burly man yelled. He turned toward me, his eyes narrowing.

"Damn it!" I shouted, diving behind a stack of crates. Gunshots echoed, the loud noise reverberating in my ears. I groaned as my shoulder hit the floor, pain surging through me.

"Nat? Nat!" Michael's voice sounded panicked in my ear.

"I'm fine!" I called back, gritting my teeth. The sharp pain in my shoulder felt like a burning sensation spreading across my skin. Ignoring the agony, I forced myself into a standing position and peered out from behind the crate. The burly man was nowhere to be seen, and the cars outside were already pulling away.

"They're leaving!" I yelled, just as Michael and the rest sprinted toward the exit.

The cars were already in motion as they emerged, and I could do little more than watch.

"Damn it!" Michael cursed, his tone filled with fury. Exhaustion washed over me as the adrenaline waned.

"They must have caught wind of our operation," I muttered, clutching my gun tightly. I was frustrated with the situation and even more so with myself for not being cautious enough. Cursing under my breath lightly, I turned to the door behind me.

There was a broken crate on the ground, its contents spilled out. I stepped forward, leaning down to pick up one of them.

It was a plastic bag filled with sand. I scoffed, throwing it to a side. We really had been set up.

Feeling lightheaded, I gripped my shoulder, cursing the prickling sensation.

"We need to get you to the hospital," Michael said, approaching me.

I shook my head. "No, I'll be fine." I said, raising my arm to examine my wound.

I noticed Michael frowning at me before he sighed. ‘’That was reckless of you. But I guess I’m to blame as well. My informant was a jerk after all.''

His apology drew me out of my stupor. "It's okay," I muttered. The faintest of noises came from the door behind us. Our heads turned. Giving a small nod to Michael, I took a step forward, My gun was raised and ready for anything. The door creaked as I slipped through. I was now in a narrow corridor, and I could hear muffled voices and footsteps running from further down.

Carefully, I made my way through the corridor, trying to stay hidden in the shadows. It led me to a staircase that descended into what looked like a basement. I could hear voices as I approached.

‘’Nat?’’

‘’I think someone is downstairs.’’

I continued down the stairs, the voices were louder now, and I could make out a few words.

"...is it?"

"...know."

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. I pressed my body against the wall, listening intently. There was a brief pause before a loud crash followed by the sound of something breaking. I turned a corner, coming into contact with a room filled with crates of drugs, stacked floor to ceiling.

The room was dimly lit, and my eyes took a moment to adjust to the darkness. The sound of shuffling could be heard in front of me, and I immediately reacted, raising my gun, ready to fire.

"Stay where you are," I commanded, my voice low and steady. The shuffling stopped, and I could make out the shadow of a figure.

"I said, stay where you are!" I repeated, this time raising my voice. I moved forward, my eyes never leaving the shadowy figure.

"Don't move," I warned once more, stepping closer.

I heard the figure sigh, and I stopped. The voice sounded familiar, and I could feel my heart pounding against my chest. I squinted my eyes, trying to see through the darkness.

"Natalia," Killian's voice resounded, and I could see him standing there, his back facing me, arms up.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded, my grip tightening on my gun. Killian slowly turned around, and I could see that he wasn't armed. His silver eyes seemed to glow in the darkness.

"What are you doing here?" I re-asked the question, my tone hard.

Killian sighed, taking a step forward.

"Natalia—"

''You better talk, Killian. You said you had nothing to do Moretti-"

''It's not what it looks like."

"So, you're working with him?"

"No!" he replied sharply. I saw the slight clench of his jaw.

"Then, explain to me-" I trailed off, seeing the drops of blood on the floor. "Killian?" I inquired, stepping closer to him, keeping my gun trained on him. I noticed that there was more blood on the sleeve of his jacket.

"Shit.''

Before he could say a word, I was right there, in front of him, reaching out and grabbing his arm.

"Let me see." I said, ignoring his words of protest.

Killian reluctantly lifted his arm, and I gently pulled back his sleeve, revealing a bullet wound. "You're hurt!"

"It's just a graze,"

"Doesn't look like it to me. Are you alone?" I whipped around, looking around the room, gun aimed and ready to shoot.

"Natalia, I'm alone. Please, lower your gun.'' His voice was calm, but I could sense a hint of annoyance in it.

"Are you sure?" I questioned, not taking my eyes off him.

"Yes,"

''Alright. Come on. Let's get you to the hospital.'' I put the safety on my gun and tucked it into the waistband of my pants.

"No, just take me home instead,"

''Home?" I frowned at him. Why didn't he want to go to the hospital? "But you're injured."

"Natalia," He took a step closer, and I could feel the warmth radiating from his body. His scent surrounded me, and I found myself unconsciously leaning towards him.

His hand came up to caress my cheek, and I could feel my breath hitch. I stared up at him, his gaze meeting mine.

''Alright. Let's go home, Killian."

I watched as a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

I looped his good arm over my shoulders, careful not to hurt him.

''Thanks."

I felt butterflies in my stomach when he said that.

I led him up the stairs, making sure to stay alert. As we headed for the exit, we heard footsteps. Killian's grip tightened, and he pushed me to the side.

''What-?"

"Stay back," His tone was firm. I wanted to protest, but he gave me a look.

The footsteps stopped, and I peeked out from behind Killian. To my surprise, there was a woman, standing a few feet away from us, talking to Michael.

When she heard us approaching, she turned, her eyes going wide at the sight of Killian. "Mr . Caine!" She rushed forward.

Killian straightened. "Lillian, what are you doing here?"

"I followed you here. You disappeared for hours, and I got worried. And then I saw the police arriving." Lillian trailed off, turning towards me. I frowned. Since when did Killian get a new secretary?

"Mrs. Caine-"

"Natalia," I bit out, suddenly feeling irritated.

She nodded, offering me a smile. "Sorry, Ms . Natalia. Mr . Caine's car is waiting outside. I'll take you to the hospital."

I glanced at Killian, who was already looking at me. "Don't worry Lillian, Natalia will take me home."

"Are you sure?" she asked, concern evident in her tone.

"Yes,"

''Okay," She took one last look at me, gave a curt nod, before she turned and walked away. When she was out of sight, I turned to Killian.

''So, Lillian, huh? Since when did you get a new secretary?'' Last I knew, his last secretary was a man.

Killian chuckled, a grin on his face. "Why, are you jealous, wife?"

My eyes narrowed. ''You wish." Although a part of me felt that way.

He shrugged, opening his mouth to say something else when Michael stepped in.

"The team and I will be heading back."

"Good job today."

"It was a failure, Nat."

"It's fine. We'll get them next time."

"You bet we will."

Michael nodded at Killian, giving him a quick wave before walking off.

I turned to Killian. "Let's go."