Operation Redemption

The Final Play

I saw Matthias scrawl the coordinates on a piece of paper, his fingertips scarcely touching the surface. With each passing second, the room seemed colder and more stuffy. We were headed into hell, and it wouldn't be the first time. But this time seemed different. Riskier. I clenched my hands, attempting to relieve the discomfort that had crept in my stomach.

Matthias gave me the document, his gaze narrowing as he considered whether to trust us. "The Badlands," he remarked quietly. "You will have to go through unfriendly territory. Even if you get to her, there's no assurance she'll aid you. She's neurotic and unpredictable."

"I'll handle her," I said, grabbing the paper. "Keep looking into Moretti's network. If we don't return, release everything."

Matthias offered a slow nod. "You have 72 hours. After that, you are on your own."

I turned to go, but something pulled at me. Matthias was not the trusting sort, and his warning came off as more of a death sentence than counsel. I looked back at him, his face still obscured by that blasted hoodie. He wasn't telling me everything, and we didn't have time to question him. Moretti's web of mayhem was larger than we thought possible, and every second spent here meant another move on his board.

As we returned to the dimly lighted corridor, I felt Nat's gaze on me. She was perceptive, often reading people and picking up on things I attempted to hide. I did not say anything. Not yet. Not when I was still figuring out how I felt.

"You sure about this?" she said gently as we passed the silent turrets and humming cameras.

I did not respond promptly. Instead, I focused on the route ahead, my footfall reverberating on the metal flooring.

"No," I eventually confessed. "But we have no option. If this rogue agent is the only option to get that information out without getting killed, we must try."

"That's not what I meant," she persisted. "I mean, are you certain about Matthias? He's hiding something."

I paused just before the exit door and turned to face her. She had a knack of cutting through the chaos and noticing things I had missed. But this wasn't one of those occasions.

"I know he's not telling us everything," I added, dropping my tone. "But for now, he's our best option. We need him to keep digging and providing us information about Moretti's operations. And if he betrays us—"

"—we take him down," she said, a flare of passion in her eyes.

I didn't need to say anything else. We both understood what needed to be done if things went wrong. I smiled and moved on.

We went out into the chilly night air. The Badlands were more than simply a perilous wilderness; they were a cemetery for anybody dumb enough to believe they could survive there without a plan. And now we were diving right in, relying just on hope and a few bits of knowledge for guidance.

As we walked to the car Matthias had arranged for us, Nat fell into stride with me, her quiet scaled with unsaid feelings. I knew exactly what she was thinking—I was thinking the same thing. This rogue agent was our final play. But there was something else bothering me, something I hadn't stated out loud yet.

I could feel her watching me as we drove, the city lights disappearing behind us as we approached the suburbs. The silence between us seemed heavy, like if she was waiting for me to say something. But I could not. Not yet.

We passed through the city boundaries, and the road spread out in front of us like a black ribbon heading nowhere. The Badlands were still many hours away, but I could feel the heaviness of what was to come. The anxiety in the automobile increased, and the stillness became uncomfortable due to the unsaid.

"Killian," Nat eventually spoke. "What aren't you telling me?"

My knuckles turned white as I tightened my grasp on the driving wheel. She deserved to know, yet speaking it out would make it true. And I wasn't sure I was prepared for it.

"Matthias isn't the only one who has a history with Moretti," I murmured, barely audible. "There's more to why we're hunting him. More than just vengeance or thwarting his ambitions."

Nat scowled, her eyes hardening. "What do you mean?"

I took a deep breath and kept my eyes on the road. "Before I knew who Moretti was, I was involved in something deeper. I was within his network for a time, executing operations and building ties. I felt I could manage it and stay clean. But I was wrong."

I didn't want to look at her and see the disappointment or hatred in her eyes. But I needed to keep going.

"I departed, thinking I had cut all connections. But Moretti never lets go. He has power over others, including me. He took someone closer to me. If we don't stop him, he will go after everyone I care about. Including you."

For a minute, there was only the hum of the motor and a slight rush of wind outside the vehicle.

"So, it's not just about stopping him. "It is personal."

I nodded, my throat tightening. "Yeah. It is personal."

She didn't say anything for a long time, and I could sense a shift in the air between us. Whatever trust we had established was now on skeptical footing. But she did not back down. Instead, she slumped back in her seat, her gaze narrowing as the road ahead got increasingly bleak.

"Then let's make sure we finish this," she added gently.

I sighed. We were in it together, for better or worse.

The Badlands loomed on the horizon, bringing with them the final chance to kill Moretti—and, just maybe, to rescue ourselves. I think it's truly now or never.

"It's better we do."