Page 46 of The Player

Hope squeezed back, her expression softening as she looked up at him. "Together," she echoed.

As they prepared for the mission, they felt the enormity of the outcome pressing down on their shoulders, Seth dismissed it. They had come too far, fought too hard, to let the Obsidian Cartel win.

CHAPTER 20

HOPE

An Abandoned Airstrip in

The French Alps

The sharp mountain air of the French Alps cut through Hope’s lungs like shards of glass as she crouched behind a stack of crates, her heart pounding in her chest. The Cerberus team had moved in under the cover of darkness, their objective clear: take down the Cobra and stop the Obsidian Cartel’s deadly plan from coming to fruition. The stakes had never been higher, and every nerve in Hope’s body was on high alert.

She glanced over at Seth, who was positioned across from her, his eyes scanning the dimly lit airstrip where the cargo plane sat, engines idling. The Sarin gas was on that plane, ready to be dispersed into the water supplies of four major US cities. The thought of the devastation it could cause—millions of innocent lives lost—made Hope’s blood run cold. But there was no time for fear. They had a mission to complete, and failure was not an option.

Seth caught her eye, giving her a quick nod. They were in this together. Their love and trust in each other had been forged in the fires of the mission, and tonight would be no different. They were a team, and they would see this through.

Fitz’s Scottish brogue crackled in her earpiece, bringing her back to the present. “We’ve got eyes on the cargo. Prepare to move on my mark.”

Hope gripped her weapon tighter, her muscles coiled and ready. The Cerberus team had meticulously planned this strike, waiting for the right moment to hit the cartel where it hurt the most. But plans could go awry in an instant, and they all knew it.

“Three… two… one… move!”

The team sprang into action, a blur of motion as they surged toward the plane. Hope’s boots pounded against the tarmac as she raced forward, Seth just a few steps ahead of her. Gunfire erupted, the sharp crack of shots ringing out as the team engaged the Cobra’s guards. Hope ducked behind a nearby vehicle, returning fire with precision. Each shot found its mark; the cartel operatives were dropping one by one, but no one seemed to be calling the shots.

But there was no time to celebrate. The Cobra was still out there, orchestrating this entire operation, and they had to find him before he could slip away. Hope’s gaze swept the airstrip, searching for any sign of the elusive villain.

“Seth, cover me!” she shouted, breaking from cover and sprinting toward the plane. They needed to secure the Sarin first and make sure it didn’t get airborne. The ramp leading into the cargo hold was still down, and Hope didn’t hesitate as she bounded up it, her weapon raised.

Inside the plane, the air was thick with the smell of fuel and sweat. A quick scan revealed several crates secured to the floor, each marked with biohazard symbols. This was it—the deadly cargo they’d been hunting. Hope moved quickly, securing the crates while Seth covered the entrance, his eyes never leaving the shadows outside.

“We’ve got it,” Hope said into her comm, her voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through her veins. “Cargo secured.”

“Good work,” Fitz replied. “But the Cobra is still out there. We need to?—”

A sudden movement caught Hope’s eye, a flash of shadow darting toward the hangars at the far end of the airstrip. One of the cartel’s men making a run for it. And if her instincts were right, it was more than just a low-level operative.

“Cobra’s on the move!” Hope shouted, already in pursuit.

“Hope, wait!” Seth’s voice crackled in her ear, but she was already running, her focus zeroed in on the figure ahead. She couldn’t let him escape—not now, not when they were so close.

The man disappeared into an abandoned hangar, the metal doors creaking as they swung shut behind him. Hope didn’t slow down, slamming into the doors with her shoulder and forcing them open. The interior was dark, the only light coming from the gaps in the walls and roof where the moonlight streamed through. The space was vast, filled with rusting machinery and forgotten tools, all of which kind of resembled an army of monsters who needed to be stopped.

Hope moved cautiously, her weapon raised, every sense on high alert. She could hear the faint sound of footsteps echoing through the hangar, the scrape of boots on concrete. He was close.

A shadow flickered to her right, and she spun, firing a shot that went wide as the figure ducked behind a stack of crates. The sound of her own breathing filled her ears as she advanced, determined to flush him out. But as she rounded the corner, she was met with empty space—the man had vanished again.

“Come out and face me, Cobra!” she shouted, her voice bouncing off the walls. “It’s over. You’ve lost.”

A low, mocking laugh echoed from the darkness, sending a chill down her spine. “I’m afraid you’re mistaken, Agent Pearson,” a voice drawled, smooth and confident. “The game is far from over.”

Hope’s heart pounded in her chest as she searched for the source of the voice. The Cobra was here, taunting her, playing with her like a predator with its prey. But she wasn’t about to back down. She tightened her grip on her weapon, her eyes scanning the shadows for any sign of movement.

“Your little plan has failed,” Hope said, her voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through her veins. “The Sarin is in our custody. It’s over.”

“You think this is just about the gas?” The Cobra’s voice was closer now, the sound reverberating off the walls. “This is much bigger than that. You’ve only scratched the surface, Pearson. You’re out of your depth.”

Hope felt a surge of anger at his arrogance, at the way he dismissed her so easily. She wasn’t going to let him get away—not this time. “You’re the one who’s out of time, Cobra,” she shot back. “You’re done.”

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