Cyrus walked through the corridors of the dimly lit building, the click of his shoes echoing like the footsteps of fate. The air was thick with the weight of unspeakable intentions. Each step brought with it a chill, as if the shadows themselves moved in his wake. When he reached the door to Suzzane's office, he paused, hand resting on the knob. For a moment, there was silence—broken only by the ticking clock. Time was precious. Jack was on the run, the plan was in motion, and the only one who could stop it was Jack.
He pushed open the door with a slow creak and entered. The room was dim, lit by a single overhead light that cast long shadows across Suzzane's face. Cyrus pulled out a chair, the scrape of wood against the floor seeming far too loud in the oppressive silence. He sat, lit a cigarette, and took a long, deliberate drag. Smoke curled into the air, lingering like the unspoken words between them.
For a moment, neither spoke. Suzzane watched him, her mind calculating, but she knew better than to make the first move. Words with Cyrus had to be chosen like moves in a deadly game of chess.
Cyrus leaned back, exhaling slowly. His voice, when it came, was low and smooth, as if savoring the words before unleashing them. A dark smile curled his lips
He said, "You ever heard of Julius Caesar, Suzzane? The man was a god among men—practically untouchable. Unbeatable. The hero of Rome. Conqueror of nations. And yet, it wasn't on the battlefield that he met his end."
He paused, his cold eyes locked on hers, savoring the tension before continuing.
"It was his own people—his friends—who turned on him. His most trusted, Brutus, stabbed him in the heart. Et tu, Brute?—'Even you, Brutus?' That was his last breath... betrayed by those closest to him."
Suzzane held his gaze, feeling the weight of his words, knowing they were more than just a history lesson. Cyrus leaned in his voice dropping to a near whisper.
"That's the way of the world, Suzzane. The hero always dies, but not at the hands of his enemies—it's always the ones they trust most. Trust... is a weakness, and it's what makes men like Jack... vulnerable."
A chill ran down her spine, but she remained composed. "What are you saying, Cyrus?" she asked, her voice carefully controlled.
He leaned back, smirking. "I'm saying, Jack is going to die. One way or another, this plan is moving forward. Whether he's alive or dead, it makes no difference to me. He can run, but it won't matter. His time will come."
"And what plan is this exactly?" Suzzane's voice was sharp, probing.
Cyrus's smile widened, the flicker of his cigarette lighting his face ominously.
"Reformation."
"Of what?" Suzzane asked, her eyes narrowing.
"Of the world," he answered with a cool finality, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"By killing innocents?" Suzzane's voice was laced with disbelief, her frustration bubbling to the surface.
Cyrus's gaze turned icy. "Great things require great sacrifices. That's a lesson men like Jack never understand. They cling to morals, to rules, thinking that makes them righteous. But righteousness doesn't build empires—control does. And control... is everything."
Suzzane's breath caught, her mind racing. "And Jack?"
Cyrus flicked the ash from his cigarette. "Vance will handle him."
Suzzane shook her head slightly, her voice rising with conviction. "You're making the same mistake you made with Lloyd Hansen. Vance is—he's unstable. He's a sociopath."
Before she could finish, Cyrus lunged from his chair, slamming her into the wall with a force that knocked the breath from her lungs. His hand wrapped around her throat, and she gasped for air, her hands clawing at his arm.
Cyrus's eyes were wild, his face inches from hers. "Jack needs to die, Suzzane," he hissed, his voice a venomous whisper. "The new world will be born from blood, from sacrifice, and anyone—anyone—who stands in my way will be crushed."
His grip tightened as he continued, his words filled with cold certainty.
"Vance will deliver Jack's head to me. You will find Six. Or I promise you... what Carmichael suffered will seem merciful in comparison to what I'll do to you."
With that, Cyrus released her, letting her fall to the floor as she gasped for breath, coughing violently. He stood over her, watching for a moment, then turned and walked out of the room without another word, the door closing behind him with a soft click.
Suzzane stayed on the floor for a moment longer, her mind spinning, her chest rising and falling in ragged breaths. She knew what was coming—and so did Jack. The game had changed. But there was one thing Cyrus didn't account for: people like Jack Mayors don't go down without a fight.
Location: Suzane's house, Langley, Virginia
It was past midnight, and the house was still. Outside, the streetlights flickered, casting faint shadows across the room. Suzzane sat alone, her mind spinning as she stared at the phone in her hand. The dossier sat on the table in front of her, its contents damning enough to topple Cyrus's entire operation—or to get Jack killed if it fell into the wrong hands.
Time was running out.
Cyrus's plan was already in motion, and if Jack wasn't warned soon, he wouldn't survive the night. She knew the consequences of her decision. Sending this message to Jack would be the ultimate betrayal—if Cyrus found out, it would be the end of her. But the alternative was unthinkable.
Jack had to know.
She took a deep breath and opened the encrypted chat she had with him from years ago—back when they trusted each other, back when they were on the same side. She hadn't used it in months, but tonight, she needed to break the silence.
Her fingers hesitated above the keys. She could feel the weight of her actions, the danger it would bring. But she also knew Jack wouldn't stand a chance without this warning.
Finally, she typed the message:
"Meet me. Midnight. Usual place."
She paused, her heart racing as she added another line:
"Cyrus is coming for you. Be ready."
She hit send before she could second-guess herself, watching as the message vanished into the ether. Suzzane exhaled sharply, her hand trembling slightly as she placed the phone back on the table. The message was sent, but now the real danger began. If Cyrus caught wind of her betrayal, she wouldn't have much time either.
She looked out the window, her reflection barely visible in the darkness. Jack was her last hope, the only one who could stop Cyrus—but if she wasn't careful, they would both be dead by morning.
Location: Unknown
The phone buzzed, breaking the tense silence. The message appeared on Jack's cracked phone screen as he crouched in the shadows of a dark alley. His eyes scanned the short text from Suzzane, and for the first time in hours, he felt a jolt of something close to hope—but it was fleeting. Suzzane reaching out to him meant two things: one, she was risking everything to help him, and two, things were worse than he had imagined.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead, feeling the tension rise. There was no time to waste. Cyrus was after him, and if Suzzane was right, the walls were closing in faster than expected. He checked his watch: midnight was only a couple of hours away. He had to be ready—there were no second chances in this game.
Jack's reply was short but clear:
"I'll be there."
The dim light from the lamp flickered slightly, casting long shadows over the room. Jack sat at the edge of an old wooden table, his eyes locked on the message from Suzzane. The weight of the world hung heavy on his shoulders, and time felt like it was slipping away, too fast to grasp.
Tyler stood across from him, arms crossed, his brow furrowed with concern. He had seen Jack take risks before, but this felt different. The stakes were higher now, and one wrong move could mean the end—not just for Jack but for everything they were fighting for.
"Suzzane sent me a message," said Jack, his voice low but steady, as if the words carried a heavier burden than they let on.
Tyler shot him a sharp look. "You sure it's not a trap?"
Jack didn't answer right away. He stared down at the phone, the glow from the screen reflecting in his eyes. Suzzane had been part of Cyrus's web for too long. She had seen and done things that could easily make her a double agent—or worse. But there was something in the way she had reached out, something urgent, something real.
Jack finally spoke. "It must be worth trying."
Tyler shook his head, pacing the room. "Nothing right now is worth trying, Jack. The whole world is against you. It's a big risk."
Jack leaned back, exhaling slowly. "Nothing can be achieved without taking risks."
Tyler stopped in his tracks and looked directly at Jack, his voice dropping to a near whisper. "Are you sure you will come back out of this risk?"
Jack didn't answer immediately. The truth was, he wasn't sure of anything anymore. He had been running for so long—running from Cyrus, from the government, from himself. Each decision he made felt like it could be his last, and this meeting with Suzzane could be a final shot in the dark.
"No." The word slipped out like a cold breath of air. Jack knew the reality of it. There was no guarantee he would walk away from this meeting alive. But the alternative—doing nothing—was far worse.
Silence fell in. Tyler's face was grim, his fingers twitching nervously as he thought about what could happen next. The room seemed to shrink under the weight of their thoughts. The meeting was in just a few hours. If Jack went through with it, there was no turning back. Preparations had to be made, but Tyler wasn't sure if they would be enough.
Tyler finally spoke, his voice tinged with resignation. "You know, if this goes wrong, there's no backup. It's just you out there."
Jack nodded. "That's how it's always been."
he rain came down in sheets, each drop striking the pavement with a soft yet relentless rhythm. The streetlights flickered weakly, barely illuminating the alley where Suzzane stood, shrouded in shadow. Her figure was barely visible, a ghost in the downpour.
Jack stepped out of the van, pistol tucked into his coat, the cold metal a reminder of what this night might become. The earbud crackled slightly as Tyler's voice broke the silence.
"Jack, remember—if this feels off, get out of there. I've got your back."
Jack didn't respond.
Location: The Alley, Langley, Virginia
His mind was focused on the figure ahead, Suzzane, standing alone in the rain. He approached cautiously, each step deliberate, his eyes scanning the surroundings, muscles tensed for any sign of danger. Tyler had positioned the van far enough away, hidden in the dark, but the risk still lingered in the air.
Finally, he stopped just a few feet in front of her, water dripping from his hair and coat. For a moment, neither of them spoke, the sound of the rain filling the silence between them. Suzzane's face was partially obscured by the shadow of her hood, but Jack could see the tension in her stance.
"You came," Suzzane's voice was soft but laced with an urgency Jack couldn't ignore.
"You messaged me," Jack replied, his tone guarded, eyes scanning their surroundings. His every muscle was coiled with the tension of a man who knew any second could be his last.
"You're in more danger than you realize," Suzzane warned, stepping closer, her eyes wide with an almost desperate sincerity. The rain dripped from her hood, tracing lines down her face like tears.
"I always have been," Jack replied, though his voice lacked its usual bite. He was listening now, more intently than ever.
"You're not taking this seriously," Suzzane pressed, her frustration clear. "Cyrus' plan is already set in motion. He's hired top agents—assassins from different countries, all with one mission: to kill you. There's a price on your head, Jack. No place on this Earth is safe anymore."
Jack's eyes narrowed, though he kept his voice low. "What plan?"
Suzzane hesitated, then shook her head, her shoulders sagging as if carrying the weight of the world. "That's something I don't know. He's kept parts of it hidden from even me. But this—" She reached into her coat and pulled out a small drive, holding it between them like a lifeline. "This drive contains everything. The black accounts, money laundering, attacks, human trafficking rings… everything Cyrus has done for the past ten years. Enough to burn him down to the ground."
Jack stared at the drive for a moment, the rain still beating down relentlessly. Then he reached out and took it, his fingers brushing against Suzzane's. It was heavier than it looked, not physically, but because of what it represented—truth, evidence, a chance to finally stop Cyrus.
Suzzane held onto his hand for just a second longer, her grip firm, her eyes filled with a desperation Jack hadn't seen before. "I don't know how much longer I'll be alive," she whispered, her voice trembling ever so slightly. "Just… promise me one thing. Make sure the world gets the justice it deserves. You need to see this through, Jack. Promise me."
Jack looked into her eyes, and for a moment, the cold walls he'd built around himself over years of loss and betrayal crumbled just a little. He tightened his grip on the drive, nodding slowly. "I promise."
With those words, something shifted between them. Suzzane let go, and Jack disappeared into the shadows as if the night itself swallowed him whole, the weight of his promise hanging heavy in the air behind him.
Location: Unknown
The dim light of the safehouse flickered as the drive whirred into the computer. Tyler's fingers flew across the keyboard, decrypting the files Suzzane had handed over. Jack paced the room, restless. The rain from earlier had soaked through his jacket, but he barely noticed the chill creeping into his bones.
After what felt like hours but had only been minutes, the screen lit up with a series of files—dozens of them, each more damning than the last.
Tyler's eyes widened as he scrolled through the data, his voice shaking slightly. "Jesus, Jack… look at this."
Jack stepped closer, leaning over Tyler's shoulder. His sharp eyes scanned the details, taking in the horrifying scope of what they had uncovered. The Baluchistan Attack, the Prague Massacre, the World Bank CEO's assassination—all of it traced back to Cyrus. But that wasn't all. Tyler clicked on another file, and the image of an agent, one of their own, filled the screen. Then another. And another.
"Wait… these are agents," Jack said, his voice low and filled with disbelief. "These are our people."
Tyler nodded grimly. "Cyrus orchestrated their deaths, Jack. Lone Wolf, Miranda—all of them. Every one of them died on his orders, and every one of them was placed exactly where he wanted them before they were taken out."
Jack clenched his fists, his mind racing. "All those missions, all that blood… we were working for him, weren't we? We were just chess pieces in his game."
"Not just you," Tyler said, his voice darkening. He opened another file, revealing a massive trail of financial transactions—billions of dollars, funneled through black accounts across the globe. "The entire U.S. Government is in Cyrus' pocket. This is bigger than just a few agents or a few missions, Jack. He has control over everything—money, power, influence. He can start a war or broker peace with just one click."
Jack's breath hitched as the full weight of the realization hit him. Cyrus didn't just want power—he already had it. The agents in the field, the government officials in Washington, even Jack and Tyler themselves—they had all been manipulated, moved like pawns on a board Cyrus had been controlling for a decade. And now, with everything in place, the final piece of his plan was about to fall into place.
Jack stood silent, his mind racing through the events of the past years. All the betrayals, the lives lost—people he trusted, people he worked with, even people he considered friends. He'd been used, his skills, his loyalty, all to serve a monster's vision of control.
"We've been in this from the beginning," Jack murmured, the cold truth sinking in. "We were part of his plan all along."
Tyler turned in his chair, his expression grim but determined. "What do we do, Jack? How do we stop him? He's got control over everything."
Jack didn't answer immediately. He stared at the screen, the faces of the agents who had died under Cyrus' orders flashing before his eyes. Lone Wolf, Miranda—all of them gone because they were in the way of something far bigger than they could have imagined.
Jack's jaw tightened, and his hands clenched into fists. "We bring him down," he said, his voice cold and steady. "We take the fight to him, expose everything."
"But how?" Tyler asked, frustration lacing his words. "He's got his hands in every part of the government. He's untouchable."
Jack's jaw tightened. His eyes, sharp with purpose, flickered with a steely resolve. "No one's untouchable," he replied coldly, his voice cutting through the tension like a blade.
He moved swiftly to the computer, his fingers gliding over the keys as he navigated through encrypted files, each click echoing the weight of the task ahead. His eyes never left the screen as he spoke, his tone firm. "Find Marcus Bradley."
Tyler gave a silent nod, though the doubt in the room hung thick like a dense fog. They weren't just up against a man—they were up against a shadowy empire, a web of power that stretched across continents. Taking down Cyrus meant tearing at the very fabric of global corruption.
Jack paused for a moment, gripping the drive tighter in his hand. It felt heavier than just information—it was a promise, a responsibility. Suzanne's words echoed in his mind with haunting clarity: Promise me, Jack. Promise me you'll get justice.
His heart pounded as her face flickered in his memory, the last plea in her eyes cutting deep. He could still feel the weight of her desperation, the unspoken fear behind her calm façade.
"I gave her my word," Jack whispered, his voice low but filled with conviction. His gaze hardened as he stared at the screen, determination setting in. "And I don't break my promises."