Chapter 3 - Talon Team’s Orders
Captain Hayes had received the mission packet two hours before entering the ravine.
The order was simple.
Locate Evelyn Cross.
Disarm her.
Recover the stolen intelligence.
Use lethal force if she resisted.
The packet described her as a former Marine sniper turned intelligence contractor who murdered allied personnel to protect an international weapons network.
It included photographs, financial transfers, intercepted messages, and a signed authorization from Deputy Director Malcolm Kane.
The evidence looked complete.
That bothered Sergeant Walker.
He had trained Evelyn years earlier during an advanced precision course. She had been stubborn, methodical, and nearly impossible to surprise.
She was not reckless.
She was not greedy.
Most importantly, she would never carry a damaged rifle case unless every other escape option had failed.
When Talon Team found her wounded and nearly frozen, Hayes saw a fugitive.
Walker saw a sniper who had chosen cover with a view of the northern ridge.
Then Blackglass destroyed their drone.
That single shot contradicted the mission packet.
If Evelyn worked with him, there was no reason for him to reveal his position by firing over her head.
Walker warned Hayes not to step into the open.
Hayes ignored him until the drone fell.
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After that, the accusation of treason no longer felt like certainty.
It felt like bait.
