The briefing room was dim, the only light coming from the multiple screens scattered around the walls. The team sat around the table, their expressions unreadable. Grim, tense. The news Jake had dropped on them hung heavy in the air.
"Blackthorn," Grimm muttered, rubbing his temple. "The name rings in my ears, but nothing solid. No files. No intel. It's like they're ghosts—fading, elusive."
Jake sat across from him, his face hard, his eyes distant. "That's the point. Blackthorn operates in the shadows. They've engineered their operations to stay under the radar. Any attempt to trace them ends in dead ends. But we've been getting closer. And they're getting desperate."
Tanya, who had been quiet until now, leaned forward, her voice sharp. "Desperate how? If they're as powerful as you say, why would they start hunting us now?"
Jake exchanged a glance with Grimm, his eyes briefly flicking to the laptop where Reyes was still working. "They know we're coming for them. Kessler's downfall wasn't just about taking him out of the equation. It's bigger. Blackthorn's operation is at a breaking point. If we expose them, everything they've built will come crashing down."
"Which is why they're trying to kill us first," Bull grunted. "I get it."
Grimm let out a sigh, looking out the window. The storm had worsened, rain battering the glass, the occasional flash of lightning lighting up the sky in jagged streaks. It felt fitting somehow. The world was closing in on them, nature itself aligning with the chaos they were about to walk into.
"Alright," Grimm said, bringing his gaze back to the table. "We need to dig deeper. Whatever Blackthorn's doing, it's bigger than Kessler's little games. We need eyes on their operations. Reyes, how much have you dug up?"
Reyes, who had been hunched over his laptop in the corner, pushed his glasses up with one hand. "It's… complicated. I've found traces of their digital footprint, but it's like they've encrypted everything. Whoever is running this network is a ghost in the machine. Even my best decryption attempts are getting blocked in real-time."
Jake leaned forward, his expression urgent. "They've got top-tier tech backing them. I've seen it firsthand. The level of sophistication is beyond anything I've dealt with. But I have a contact—someone on the inside who might know more. We need to reach out to them before Blackthorn shuts them down."
Grimm's eyes narrowed. "And how do we trust this contact? Last time you brought us a lead like this, it nearly got us killed."
Jake didn't flinch. "I didn't choose them. They came to me. They want out. And if they're really as high up as they claim, they could give us what we need to finally take Blackthorn down."
Grimm looked around the table, weighing his options. They were at a crossroads. On one hand, they could stay on the defensive—continue playing this game of cat and mouse. On the other, they could take a gamble on Jake's lead and go straight for Blackthorn's heart.
"We don't have much time," Grimm said finally, his voice resolute. "If Blackthorn's eyes are on us, we need to strike first. Tanya, Bull, you two are going with me. Reyes, keep working on the intel. We'll need all the data you can get. Jake, you're with us too. If you know someone who can help us, now's the time to put your cards on the table."
Jake's face remained impassive, but a flicker of approval crossed his features. "It's a long shot, Grimm. But it's the best we've got. I'll get in touch with my contact. I'll make sure they know we're coming."
The room fell into a heavy silence, the sound of the storm outside the only thing that filled the space. Every decision from here on out carried the weight of life and death. But there was no turning back now.
Hours later, the team was gathered in an armored transport, heading toward the city's underground network. The streets were slick with rain, the sound of tires cutting through water the only noise besides the occasional crack of thunder.
Grimm sat at the front, staring out through the reinforced glass, his mind racing. The plan was simple—find Jake's contact, extract the intel, and then trace it back to Blackthorn. But nothing was ever simple in their line of work. Jake's contact could be a trap. It could all be a game to lure them into the open. The risk was enormous, but what choice did they have?
Bull sat next to him, quietly cleaning his rifle, the metallic click of his hands punctuating the silence. "You're thinking about it too much, Grimm," Bull said gruffly. "We're soldiers. We go in, take the shot, and get out. Simple as that."
Tanya, ever the cynic, leaned back in her seat. "If only it were that easy. I don't trust Jake. But I trust you. And that's why I'm in this."
Reyes's voice came from the back. "You should trust me more than you do. I've been tracking Blackthorn for years, remember?"
Grimm smirked, but it didn't reach his eyes. "We don't have the luxury of trust anymore, Reyes. We have a job to do."
The vehicle turned sharply, and they were off the main roads, heading into the bowels of the city. The underground tunnels had long been abandoned, forgotten by most, but perfect for those who needed to stay off the grid.
Grimm's hand tightened around his rifle. The storm had only just begun.
They were walking into the heart of Blackthorn's web. And there would be no turning back.