The First Lead
(Author's POV)
The training floor was unusually quiet.
Only the sound of footsteps echoed through the underground level as everyone gathered around the large strategy table.
Eight days of training had changed them.
The bruises had faded.
The exhaustion had settled into experience.
And every member of the team now moved with quiet confidence.
Alex stood at the head of the table while Luna connected her laptop to the large screen mounted on the wall.
The room darkened.
A digital map of New York appeared.
Nobody spoke.
The atmosphere had changed completely.
Training was over.
This wasn't practice anymore.
Luna finally looked up.
"We've got our first lead."
Jay immediately straightened in her chair.
Alex folded his arms.
"Explain."
Luna pressed a key.
The map zoomed toward an abandoned industrial district on the outskirts of the city.
A red circle appeared around an old warehouse.
"We intercepted encrypted communication late last night."
She clicked again.
Several timestamps appeared.
"The same unidentified device has been active here for nearly three weeks."
Deniel frowned.
"You think Kyle is there?"
Luna shook her head.
"No."
Everyone looked confused.
"I don't think Kyle is stupid enough to stay in one place."
She zoomed in further.
"But…"
Another photograph appeared.
A man.
Middle-aged.
Scar across his left eyebrow.
Cold expression.
Jay had never seen him before.
"Who is he?"
Alex answered this time.
"Marcus."
"The man who manages most of Kyle's safe houses."
The room became silent.
Jay stared at the photograph.
"So he isn't Kyle."
"No."
"But if anyone knows where Kyle is…"
Alex tapped the picture.
"It's him."
Cora leaned forward.
"So what's the plan?"
Alex looked around the table.
"We don't attack."
Deniel blinked.
"…What?"
"We observe."
Jay nodded slowly.
"Recon."
Alex gave a small approving nod.
"Exactly."
"No unnecessary risks."
"No shooting unless absolutely necessary."
"No fighting unless we're exposed."
Everyone agreed.
Alex reached into the folder lying beside him.
Then began placing equipment onto the table.
Five communication earpieces.
Compact radios.
Small GPS trackers.
Black tactical gloves.
One by one.
Each item found its owner.
Finally, Alex looked directly at everyone.
"We spent eight days preparing."
His voice remained calm.
"Now we see whether those eight days meant anything."
Nobody spoke.
Because they all understood.
This wasn't just another mission.
This would be their first step toward Kyle.
Alex pointed toward the map.
"Cora."
She immediately looked up.
"You'll stay with Jay."
She frowned.
"Why me?"
"Because if something goes wrong, you're the fastest one to get her out."
Jay immediately protested.
"My stitches are healing."
Alex looked at her.
"They're healing."
"Exactly."
"They're not gone."
Jay opened her mouth.
Then quietly closed it again.
Deniel couldn't stop himself.
"She lost."
Jay glared at him.
"Shut up."
Luna laughed softly.
Alex continued.
"Luna."
"Camera systems."
She nodded.
"I'll keep every blind spot open."
"Deniel."
"Frontline."
A grin immediately spread across his face.
"Finally."
"If things go wrong…"
Alex looked at him seriously.
"Your job isn't to fight."
"It's to protect the team."
The grin disappeared.
He nodded once.
"Understood."
Finally—
Alex looked toward Jay.
The room became quiet.
"Your role…"
He paused.
"…is overwatch."
Jay raised an eyebrow.
"No close combat."
"No unnecessary movement."
"No chasing."
She sighed dramatically.
"I knew you were going to say that."
Alex ignored the comment.
He slid a long black case across the table.
It stopped directly in front of her.
Jay looked at it.
Then slowly opened the locks.
Inside rested her rifle.
Perfectly maintained.
Every part cleaned.
Every sight calibrated.
She gently lifted it.
The familiar weight settled comfortably in her hands.
For the first time in days—
she smiled.
A real one.
Deniel immediately noticed.
"Oh."
"So that's the smile."
Jay looked at him.
"What smile?"
"The scary one."
Even Cora laughed.
"You really love that thing."
Jay checked the scope carefully.
Without looking up she answered,
"It has never disappointed me."
Alex folded his arms.
"And neither have you."
The room fell silent for a second.
Jay looked up.
Alex rarely handed out compliments.
Which made this one worth twice as much.
He continued,
"I've seen people train for years."
"I've seen professionals."
"I've seen military marksmen."
He looked directly at Jay.
"I've still never seen anyone shoot like you."
Jay smiled awkwardly.
"Don't make it weird."
"I'm serious."
He pointed toward the shooting range behind them.
"You don't miss."
Deniel immediately interrupted.
"Except that microscopic scratch."
An empty training towel flew across the room and smacked him in the face.
Everyone burst into laughter.
"Still worth it," Deniel muttered.
The laughter slowly faded.
Alex's expression became serious once more.
"We leave tomorrow night."
Silence.
Nobody joked now.
Nobody smiled.
Tomorrow.
It suddenly felt very close.
Jay looked down at the rifle resting in her hands.
Then toward the glowing map.
Kyle had hidden for long enough.
This wasn't revenge anymore.
This was justice.
She slowly closed the rifle case.
Then looked at every member of her team.
No fear.
No hesitation.
Only trust.
"We finish this together."
One by one—
Cora nodded.
Luna nodded.
Deniel smiled.
Alex simply replied,
"Together."
The strategy room fell silent once again.
Outside, the city continued as if nothing had changed.
But beneath it—
deep inside the underground base—
five people were about to take the first real step toward ending the nightmare Kyle had started.