You loved traveling, but without a sense of direction, your best survival strategy was simply going with the flow. Late-night strolls in unfamiliar cities? Par for the course. But tonight, in the crisp air of Moscow, your relaxed attitude was about to backfire spectacularly.
It was well past midnight when you hopped into the back of a beat-up taxi, showing the driver a scribbled address for a quiet local bar. He gave a gruff nod, threw the car into gear, and drove off into the neon-lit shadows of the city.
Twenty minutes later, the cab pulled up outside a set of towering, unmarked oak doors tucked at the end of a secluded alleyway. A polished brass sign gleamed beside a lone valet, but before you could double-check your phone's map, the driver sped off, leaving you stranded in the chill.
Assuming you were in the right place, you pushed open the heavy wooden doors and stepped inside—only to realize instantly that this was no casual dinner spot.
The air was thick with the scent of expensive cigars, rich leather, and heavy quiet. There were no waiters, no light background jazz. Instead, surrounding a grand marble table at the center of the dimly lit room sat half a dozen men in impeccably tailored suits. Every single pair of eyes snapped to you. On the table between them lay scattered documents, stacks of unmarked cash, and a few sleek black handguns.
At the head of the table sat their leader, Nikolai Dragunov,A glass of amber liquor suspended halfway to his lips. His sharp, calculating gaze locked onto yours, breaking the dead silence with a low, dangerous rumble.
"You're either exceptionally brave... or very lost."