The Feared One

The freight train roared through the Swiss Alps, its steel wheels grinding against the tracks. Inside a dimly lit cargo car, Kane sat against a steel crate with his pistol resting on his knee.

Smoke curled from his cigarette as he stared at the cold metal floor, his mind racing. They had escaped Zurich. But they had not won. The Order was still out there.

And now, they had made it personal. Across from Kane, Jonas adjusted his rifle, his eyes flickering toward Bishop.

"Tell me we have something." Bishop's fingers flew across his laptop keyboard, decrypting a series of intercepted transmissions. Then, he froze. "Oh, hell…"

Volkov leaned closer. "What now?" Bishop turned the screen toward Kane. A live video feed played.

A man tied to a chair, a bag over his head. A voice crackled through the speakers. "Kane. You're running out of people." Then, a knife flashed in the dim light and sliced across the man's throat. Blood spilled. The body slumped forward. The screen went black.

Jonas clenched his jaw. "Who was that?" Bishop swallowed hard. "Reyes." Silence. Kane took a slow breath, crushing his cigarette beneath his boot. "They want war? Let's give them one."

Bishop worked fast, pulling up satellite intelligence on The Order's global operations. Then, he found something. "Prague. Their European intelligence division." The screen displayed an aerial image of a fortified estate. Bishop turned to Kane.

"The man running The Order's intel network is Andreas Nacht. If we take him out, we cripple their surveillance in this region."

Jonas studied the map. "Security?" Bishop zoomed in, revealing layers of guards, snipers and automated turrets.

"Bad. But we have one advantage, he doesn't know we're coming." Volkov smirked. "Time to pay him a visit."

Kane loaded his pistol. "We hit Prague by nightfall."

The estate loomed in the darkness, surrounded by high walls, motion sensors and armed patrols. Kane's team moved in silence, approaching undetected. Jonas whispered through his comm. "Three guards on rotation. Take them out fast."

Volkov eliminated the outer sentries with his blade, slitting their throats before they could react. Jonas provided cover fire, sniping a rooftop guard. Bishop disabled the security system, cutting alarms and cameras.

Kane led the team through the main entrance but when they breached the target's office, it was empty. Only a holographic screen flickered on the desk.

A message played: "You're predictable, Kane." Then, Gunfire erupted. It was a trap.

The lights cut out. A red laser sight flickered over Kane's chest. He dove aside just as the first bullet flew past him, embedding itself in the wall. "AMBUSH!" The Order's kill squad stormed in, unloading gunfire.

Jonas dropped behind cover, returning fire with lethal precision. Volkov engaged in brutal hand-to-hand combat, snapping a man's neck. Kane fired two precise shots, taking down an enemy before rolling behind a desk.

Then, a shadow moved in the doorway. Dressed in black tactical gear with face hidden behind a mask. And in his hand? A blood-stained combat knife. The same one used to kill Reyes. Kane's eyes narrowed. "You." The masked man charged.

The assassin moved fast, striking with blinding speed. Kane blocked, countered and barely dodged a blade aimed for his throat. The assassin fought with brutal efficiency, his movements eerily familiar. Kane managed to land a solid punch to his ribs but the man didn't even flinch.

Then, the assassin's voice whispered through the mask. "The Order sends their regards." Kane's eyes widened. The voice. It was familiar.

But before he could react, the assassin drove a knee into Kane's ribs, sending him crashing into a desk. The knife plunged toward Kane's chest but at the last second, Kane grabbed a broken chair leg and smashed it across the assassin's face. The man staggered back, dazed.

Kane didn't hesitate. He grabbed his pistol and shot the assassin in the chest. Three times.

The masked man collapsed. Kane ripped off the mask and froze. Because lying at his feet…Was someone he knew. "No…"

Jonas and Volkov stormed into the room, weapons raised. "Kane, we need to…." Then they saw the body. And both men went dead silent. Jonas exhaled. "You've got to be kidding me."

Volkov's jaw clenched. "It was one of ours." Kane stared down, his mind racing. It wasn't just an assassin. It was Lucien Cross, one of Kane's oldest allies. A man who had supposedly died two years ago. And now? He had come back to kill him. Kane's fingers curled into fists. "They turned him."

Jonas glanced at the body, then back at Kane. "Which means… they could've turned others." Kane took a slow breath.

The war had just become something far worse. It wasn't just The Order against him anymore. It was his past. His own people. And now he couldn't trust anyone.

Bishop's comms crackled to life. "Guys, we have a problem." Kane lifted his earpiece. "What now?" Bishop's voice was tight. "The Order knows where we are." Jonas frowned. "They've known all night."

Bishop's laptop screen flickered, revealing a live satellite feed of the Prague estate. And then drones appeared in the sky. Dozens. Each one armed. Bishop whispered. "They're about to level this place."

Kane exhaled. "Get us out of here." Volkov grabbed his gear. "Move!" The first missile struck.

The blast tore through the estate, flames erupting as debris collapsed. Jonas shouted into his comm. "Bishop, where the hell is our exit?!" Bishop's voice was frantic. "East wing! Go now!"

Kane led the way, bullets flying as The Order's reinforcements stormed the compound. Jonas covered their retreat, sniping enemies as they ran. Volkov detonated explosives, collapsing hallways behind them. Bishop hacked into a stolen getaway vehicle, overriding its systems.

They reached the escape route just as a final missile struck the estate, engulfing it in fire and rubble. The team drove through the Prague countryside, the burning estate fading into the distance.

Nobody spoke. Finally, Kane broke the silence. "Lucien Cross was dead. The Order brought him back." Jonas exhaled. "Which means… others might be turned." Bishop's voice was grim. "They're inside our network. We can't trust anyone now."

Kane clenched his jaw. "Then we burn them all down." He crushed his cigarette beneath his boot. "No more running. We take the war to them."