Page 31 of The Silencer

"We've got a situation," he says, his voice low."One of our own has gone rogue."

My blood runs cold.In our line of work, a rogue agent is about as dangerous as it gets."Who?"

Jer's jaw tightens."Lawrence Grey."

I feel like I've been punched in the gut.Lawrence Grey doesn’t work for The Agency; he's one of Houlihan men.He’s one of the closest men to Jer."What happened?"

"He's taken classified information," Jer explains."Names, locations, details of meets, shipments, kills.If that information gets out..."

He doesn't need to finish the sentence.We'll all be exposed.Hunted.Our lives, and the lives of those we care about, will be in danger.

"What do you need me to do?"I ask, already knowing the answer.

Jer meets my eyes, his gaze steely."Find him.And silence him.Permanently."

I nod, my mind going back into work mode.This is the job.This is what I do.

As we drive through the streets of London, Jer briefs me on what they know of Lawrence's movements.But my mind is racing ahead, already planning, strategizing.

This isn't just another job.This is personal.And failure is not an option.

The Silencer has a new target and it’s one of our own.

As Jer continues to brief me on Lawrence's last known movements, I try to process the magnitude of this betrayal.Lawrence was one of us—trusted, respected.What could have driven him to turn against everything we stand for?

"Do we know why he's doing this?"I ask, interrupting Jer's rundown of Lawrence's potential hideouts.

Jer's jaw tightens."Not for certain.But there are rumors he's been in contact with a rival organization.They may have offered him protection in exchange for our intel."

I nod, my mind already racing ahead."So we're not just dealing with Lawrence, but potentially this other group as well."

"Exactly," Jer confirms.“Which is why we need to move fast...”

He doesn't need to finish the thought.We'd all be compromised.Every agent, every operation, every contact we have.It would be catastrophic.

"I understand," I say, my voice hard."Where do we start?"

Jer hands me a file."We've narrowed down his likely locations to these three spots.I want you to check them out, see if you can pick up his trail."

I scan the addresses—an abandoned warehouse in East London, a flat in Brixton, and a cottage on the outskirts of the city.

"What about backup?"I ask."If he's working with another group, I might be outnumbered."

Jer nods."Maverick's on his way.He'll be your support on this one."

I feel a wave of relief.Having Maverick here will make this whole situation a bit more manageable.

"One more thing," Jer adds, his voice grave."If you get the chance to take the shot, don't hesitate.We can't risk him getting away or passing on that information."

I meet Jer's gaze, understanding the weight of what he's asking.This isn't just another mark.This is one of our own.But I nod anyway."Understood."

As we pull up to a nondescript building—one of the hundreds of safe houses Jer has all over the world—I start mentally preparing myself for what's ahead.This isn't going to be an easy job, but it's necessary.For all of us.

"Emmanuel," Jer says as I'm about to exit the car."Be careful out there.Lawrence knows how we operate.He'll be expecting us."

I nod, the gravity of the situation settling over me like a heavy cloak."I will.And Jer?We'll get him.Whatever it takes."

As I step out into the darkness, I can't help but think about how quickly things can change.Yesterday, I was taking out a corrupt politician in Argentina.Today, I'm hunting one of our own in London.

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