Page 53 of The Sniper

Daniels knew she was right. Artemis wasn’t just a killer. She was a strategist. A predator. She’d known exactly how to lead them here, exactly how to keep them occupied while she slipped away.

“She’s toying with us,” Daniels muttered.

Anton adjusted his glasses. “Then why leave a message?”

Daniels stared at the phone, his gut twisting with something dark and certain. “Because this isn’t about just winning. It’s about making us lose.”

Reyna tensed beside him. “She wants to hurt us first.”

Not just hurt. Destroy.

Daniels gritted his teeth, flipping the burner shut and shoving it into his pocket. “We need to move. Now.”

Fitz motioned toward the van parked near the loading dock. “We should check the rest of this place first. See if she left anything else.”

They spread out, sweeping the warehouse for any additional threats, any trace of Artemis. But Daniels already knew they wouldn’t find her.

What they did find made his blood run cold.

A single playing card, taped to the inside of an old shipping crate.

The Queen of Spades.

Daniels tore it free, flipping it over. Scrawled in precise, almost delicate handwriting was a single line:

How much are you willing to lose?

The drive back to Cerberus headquarters was silent, the weight of Artemis’s escape pressing down on them. Daniels kept his hands tight on the wheel, his jaw locked, his mind running a hundred miles an hour.

He’d lost people before. Lost leads, lost fights. But this wasn’t just about the job anymore.

This was personal.

When they pulled into the underground garage, Reyna reached for the door handle, but Daniels caught her wrist before she could get out.

She turned to him, brow furrowing. “Daniels?”

He stared straight ahead, the dim lighting of the garage casting sharp shadows across the dashboard. He should say something. Should reassure her. Should promise her they’d take Artemis down.

But all he could think about was that message.

How much are you willing to lose?

He let out a rough breath, turning to face her. “We’re going to end this.”

Reyna studied him, her dark eyes unreadable. “I know.”

“No,” he said, gripping her wrist tighter. “You don’t.” He searched her face, trying to find the right words. Trying to makeher understand. “This isn’t just another op, Reyna. She’s not just after Rowe or Hartley or some revenge hit list.”

Reyna nodded. “She’s after everyone on the trafficking team she holds responsible for her sister being taken by traffickers.”

“She’s going to make us bleed before she takes the final shot.”

Reyna swallowed hard, her pulse jumping beneath his grip as she steadied herself. But then, something shifted. The hesitation vanished, replaced by something fierce. Unshakable.

She reached up, placing her free hand against his chest, right over his heart. “Then we make sure she doesn’t get the chance.”

Daniels felt his breath catch, just for a second.

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