The Long Game

The room pulsed with soft blue light, the holograms casting reflections on the metallic walls. Grayson stood at the center of the table. He had a lean body but was muscular, he had an aura around him that captivated those who followed him. A briefcase sat surrounded by the operatives waiting intently on their leader. He raised his glass, the red liquid catching the faint light.

“It was tough,” he began, his voice steady with satisfaction. “But we did it. We’ve started down the road to liberation. Some of our people were captured—sacrifices we cannot take lightly. Tonight, we honor them!”

The room erupted with cheers, claps, and foot thumps, the sound filling the space with raw energy. Grayson let the noise wash over him, allowing his people their moment. They earned it, even if the real work had only just begun.

Six days Earlier

Grayson stood over the glowing holographic layout of the Enforcer Corps precinct. His piercing gaze scanned the displays, absorbing every detail with the precision of a tactician. Around him, his team waited, each one selected not just for their skill but for their loyalty to the cause.

“Six days,” Grayson began, his voice carrying weight. “That’s how long we have to execute this mission. No missteps. No improvisation. We get in, retrieve the package and we get out.”

Tala, his cyber warfare expert and second-in-command, leaned back in her chair, tapping idly on her wrist console.

“External systems?” Grayson asked without looking up.

“Easily disabled,” she replied. “I’ve seeded a Trojan into their security grid. When I activate it, their cameras, drones, and defenses will be chasing ghosts.”

Grayson gave a curt nod. “And their AIBI?”

“That’ll take a bit more finesse.” Tala leaned forward, her expression sharpening. “I’ll flood their network with decoy data, spam so convincing they won’t know what’s real. By the time they realize it’s a smokescreen, we’ll be gone.”

He then turned to Jarek, the squad’s weapons expert. The grizzled veteran adjusted the holographic display, pulling up a detailed breakdown of their arsenal.

“Our ground team will carry standard plasma rifles and cloaking units for stealth. Mobile shields to handle suppression fire. But the real star,” Jarek grinned, “is the ArcLance. Long range, high precision, incase we need a quick exit.”

“Risks?” Grayson asked, his tone neutral.

Jarek shrugged. “It’s experimental, sure. But it’s stable. And if it’s not, I’ll try to aim for the structures..”

Grayson shifted his gaze to Mira, the infiltration specialist. Her slender form was barely visible in the dim light, but her presence was unmistakable. “And if the ground team gets pinned?”

“I’ll be the failsafe,” Mira said, her voice steady. “I’ll cut in through the ceiling vents, extract Venn, and meet the team at the secondary point.”

The holograms shifted, revealing a simulation of the mission’s final moments: the extraction. An EX-19-class stealth shuttle hovered in the display, its engines humming silently.

Grayson gestured toward it. “The extraction is where everything must come together. Remember, this is a game of precision. The target is Section C, the interrogation room. Our asset Mr. Alaric Venn will be keeping the agents busy, a misdirection while I grab the package.”

One Day Before the Mission

In a private chamber, Tala reviewed the final system diagnostics, her fingers flying across a virtual keyboard. Renik, the youngest operative on the team, lingered nearby, biting his nails.

“I don’t think this will work,” Renik muttered, glancing at Tala. “With Musk’s death, the city’s on high alert. Maybe we should delay until it dies down.”

Grayson entered the room, his presence silencing further protests. “What’s the status?”

“Everything’s in place,” Tala replied, standing to face him. “But the heightened security might complicate things.”

Grayson addressed everyone now gathered. “I know some of you are uneasy. Musk’s death…isn’t ideal but I believe it has given us new opportunities. The agents will be overstretched, their focus scattered. If anything, the plan got easier, so we strike now.”

Renik swallowed hard. “And the Grade A agents? They are ruthless and skilled unlike the other agents?”

“ I don't know about skill but they are dangerous. Fortunately, they are all in the capital. And if they somehow make it back, we will deal with it.”

He turned to Venn, his voice softening just slightly. “For you, then plan remains the same. Only this time, you’ll position yourself at the pinnacle building. There should be surveillance in the area, get their attention but don’t make it too obvious. We need you to get in the precint for the plan to work.”

Venn grinned. “Any specific lines you want me to use? Maybe an accent or two?”

“Improvise,” Grayson said, his tone carrying an edge of amusement. “You’ve always wanted to test yourself. Now’s your chance.”

“Fine by me,” Venn replied, his grin widening. “Consider it done."

"Oh, and I want you to sen a message to an old friend of mine," Grayson said putting his hand on Venn's shoulder.

The Present Day

As the shuttle’s engines roared to life, Grayson watched the chaos unfold from the cockpit. His plan was unraveling exactly as he had predicted. The Enforcers scrambled to respond, their movements coordinated however an agent attached themselves to the shuttle with her hover-cable.

From the rear compartment, Venn groaned, clutching his injured shoulder. “This wasn’t part of the plan.”

Inside the cockpit, Grayson’s expression remained calm, even as alarms blared and Venn shouting around him.

“Gray, the stabilizers are failing,” Tala said, her voice sharp but controlled.

Through the cockpit’s viewport, Grayson spotted a hover-bike closing in from below.

“Shouldn't we shake her?” Venn groaned from the rear.

Grayson’s eyes narrowed. “No. We crash.”

“What?” Venn’s voice cracked with disbelief.

“We crash,” Grayson repeated, his voice steady. “Deploy the smokescreen. They’ll stop pursuing if we go down.”

Tala nodded, her fingers moving swiftly over the console. Seconds later, the craft plummeted toward the ground in a fiery descent.

As the shuttle burned in the distance, Grayson and his team landed silently in a forest clearing, their parachutes blending into the smoke-filled air.

Minutes later, CIX and Vega rode in to inspect the crash site.

“Think he made it?” CIX asked.

Vega smirked, her gaze fixed on the burning wreckage. “I have a feeling this is far from over.”

Grayson allowed himself a rare smile as he slowly blended into the shadows.