J A X O N

I resisted a shiver as a sudden breeze blew cool mist onto my face and arm.

The army had retreated back to the bunker we'd originally come from, but the remaining five people on our team stood in the cold, waiting for Jake and Delphinium to to return. They'd been gone for some time now. I would have worried that something had gone wrong if not for the fact that they still had my earpiece. If Delphinium needed help, she would have called for it.

The remains of the fortress in the distance were still smoking. A few stubborn fires resisted the drizzling rain and continued to flicker through the night. It was in utter ruin and I couldn't have been happier about it.

An easy smile found its way on my face when I saw a figure making his way through the forest toward us. Jake. He'd found us at last.

But once he made it into the clearing, I could sense that something had happened. For one, Jake was covered in blood—his hands were literally dripping with it. But he'd been down inside the fortress looking for information. So why did he look like he'd just taken on an entire army and killed them all with his bare hands?

Then it occurred to me that he was alone. Where was the Czech technician? And Delphinium?

"Finally," Riley drawled, taking a few steps toward our teammate. "Where are the other two?"

"Gone," Jake rasped, his head still low and cloaked in shadows.

Kane frowned. "What? Where is Delphinium?"

"Gone. They fucking took her." It was then that he raised his face to glare at Kane and I could see how manic he looked. I'd never seen him look like that; that wild look in his eyes actually made me take a step back. He'd only exhibited bored arrogance and cold fury. Never this...whatever it was.

The smile melted off my face. I wasn't sure if I'd heard him correctly. "What...are you saying?" Was she...dead? I suppressed a shudder. Kane had said she'd promised to get out of there, but if she hadn't...

"I'm saying that your brother," he spat, pointing an accusing finger to Kane, "Put a mask of steel over her face and dragged her off to that godforsaken place in Romania."

"Oh, God," Riley uttered and put her clasped fists over her lips. The others mirrored her, Finn with shining eyes covering his mouth and Kane looking uncharacteristically distressed. Even Arlo had the decency to look devastated. As for me...I felt too much. I felt both nothing and everything at the same time. Delphinium was gone. She was one of my closest friends and they'd taken her...

"I'll rip them apart," I muttered, already trying to think of how we could get her back.

"I already murdered every single one of the soldiers that pointed guns at her. But they have her now." His voice was cold and rough, like he was ready to tear the world apart with his bare hands to get her back. Even Jake Evans hadn't been able to tear her from her devastating fate.

"Are they...are they going to kill her?" Finn managed to get out the question we all wanted to ask but didn't want to suffer Jake's wrath for saying out loud.

Jake gave Finn a withering look that I took as a warning that he would freeze him alive if he asked another question like that. "You really think they're going to kill such a valuable asset? She was their best soldier once. And according to what she said before we stormed the fortress, they can make her that same thing again."

"You think they've brainwashed her like my brother," Kane said, more of a statement than a question. It seemed he'd been suspecting the same thing.

"I know they've brainwashed her. She's worse than dead now." A bush fell over our group as the extent of Delphinium's terrible fate was realized. Imperium just gained a new soldier.

"We might never see her again," I said softly as the heaviness of the situation fully hit me. "And if we do...she'll be different. She's not on our side anymore." The time she saved my life after Hundsen cut off my arm was fresh in my mind. The assassin had kept me alive while I was on the brink of death. And I hadn't been there to do the same for her.

"She might be sent after us." Kane's voice was soft. "They might have her bring the rest of us to him." We all knew who he was referencing.

"You don't think I know that? They have her now. We don't. End of story," Jake snapped, eyes flashing.

"Did she...say anything before they left?" Finn asked gently.

"No," the crime lord barked, clearly wanting this discussion to be over.

Everyone was quiet, a moment of silence of sorts. I still couldn't wrap my mind around the face that Delphinium was most likely back in her old position at Orion's side. Earlier, she'd been one of their largest enemies. They'd completely turn her mind in just hours.

"And then there were six," Arlo pointed out as cheerfully as he could at a time like this. He was right; they were slowly taking us out, one by one.

"Should we...go?" Finn's eyes shifted warily toward Jake. "We're meant to leave with the rest of the army transports and go back to the ONNT headquarters."

No one said anything. There was nothing to say, nothing that could improve this situation. We'd lost a second member of our team tonight. My heart felt heavy when I imagined what she could be going through right now. Perhaps she'd already been turned. Either way, there was nothing we could do about it. No one could help her now.

So we left, only the six of us.

▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂

None of us were sure how to break the news to Hunt as we walked upstairs to his office. One of our own was taken by our greatest enemy. Hunt had vouched for her, despite her past actions. It wasn't that I believed she didn't deserve it, because she did. However, I wondered how he'd take her departure when he learned of it. The council saw her—saw all of us—as a liability. And now, that liability was broken.

No one spoke as we walked through the busy, airy hallways, but I knew what they were thinking: it felt strange to have one less person in our group. They were trying to forget the blow we'd just suffered. But I wouldn't forget. I wouldn't forget how she kept me alive that day, how she'd laughed at my jokes no matter how bad they were. Remembering all those things made me realize that I'd do anything to help bring her back. If that was even possible. I'd try. And judging by how Jake was acting, he would too.

I snuck a glance at my friend, who walked beside me in perfect silence so icy that I swore the air was colder around him. Jake hadn't said a single word ever since he emerged out of the Russian forest and told us what had occurred. Though he hid it well, he and Delphinium... Well, I knew their bond went beyond partnership. Delphinium's feelings were clear to me for a while, ever since the three of us began working together so closely to take Hundsen down. And for all the time I had known him, I believed that Jake didn't feel anything. But now I was beginning to highly doubt that.

Though I felt like I should say something to him, I was quiet. He wouldn't appreciate it. And nothing could make the loss of our friend ache less.

Hunt's office door was ajar when we passed his secretary's desk. Finn knocked twice and then pushed the door open with caution, revealing our boss inside putting his things into boxes. His desk and cabinets were already bare.

"What's happening?" Finn asked with a frown.

Hunt's neatly combed head snapped up. "I'm leaving. I have been asked to step down from the position of director."

"What?" Riley exclaimed, anger written over her features. "By who?"

"The council. Certain people are whispering in their ears. They've been convinced that I've exhibited a pattern of acting without consulting them and have already made plans to enlist another director in my place." He said it calmly, like the news of his job loss hadn't even affected him.

"They already enlisted... This isn't fair! You were doing the right thing."

"The council technically does have the power to fire me if they deem it necessary. They were put into place because the ONNT director has an enormous responsibility and amount of power. With some furtive working of the law, they were able to push me out."

"I can't believe this," Finn groaned. "First, Delphinium and now you. What are we going to do?"

Hunt's brow furrowed as he froze. "Delphinium isn't here. Where is she?"

"She...was taken to Romania by Benny Shires. She's back under Orion's power now," I said with great difficulty when I realized no one else could find the words.

Hunt's eyes went wide for a moment. Then he sank back into his chair and stared at the floor, deep in thought. "Oh...This is what we feared would happen," he said softly, fingers against his temples. "Sending her into the arms of her old teachers was the last straw for the council. But once they hear about this..."

"She's going to be a problem," I finished gravely.

"At least it won't be your problem anymore. The new director will have to deal with it," Finn tried to comfort him, as always.

Kane spoke for the first time and I'd nearly forgotten he was in the room with us. "Who is this new director?"

"Marcella Krasowski. She's...bad news, to put it lightly. For ages, she's been whispering in the ears of the council, trying to blackmail them to push me out. And now she's succeeded." He looked around at all of us. "I'm aware that you and the council are sometimes at odds, but they truly do have your best interests at heart. But Marcella...? She only cares about herself and whatever task she sets her mind on, whether it's good or bad. Just...be careful around her."

"That's the reward we get for taking out that fortress, a horrible new boss?" Riley said sarcastically. "At least you were always decent. She sounds awful."

"No matter what she's like, be sure to treat her with respect. It will keep you all out of trouble."

"If she's supposedly this dangerous, why is she taking your position? Why is the council allowing it?"

Hunt sighed and he looked older than I'd ever seen him. "There is much you don't know about the inner workings of the ONNT branch. Our paths are tangled together in strange ways. There is a lot of history that I can't get into now."

"Why? Because they'll fire you?" Arlo chuckled, spreading his arms wide. "They can't do anything if you tell us now."

But Hunt was grave and dead serious when he said, "Yes they can. Not the council, but...others." I frowned. He wasn't making any sense and wasn't explaining why this new director in power was such a bad thing. But this went deeper than just us, from what he'd just said.

Jake inexplicably dropped a flash drive onto Hunt's bare desk and our boss picked it up and began to examine it without a word.

Hunt seemed to realize what it was. "I need to give this to my specialists before I leave." He stood. "Remember what I warned you: do not see more of Marcella Krasowski then necessary."

I frowned, as he wasn't making any sense. It seemed that we'd only just scratched the surface of the deep secrets the ONNT kept.