Page 82 of Hunter's Game
As dawn broke over Moscow as they began dismantling Alexander’s empire. The world had changed overnight—secrets exposed, truth revealed, justice served.
But amid all the changes, Eden found herself centered by Hunter’s constant presence beside her. His hand found hers as they watched the sunrise, fingers intertwining with comfortable familiarity.
For the first time since her mother’s death, Eden was fighting for more than truth, for more than justice. She was fighting for the future she could now imagine with the man who had broken through all her carefully constructed barriers.
The mission was over, but their work was just beginning. Together with Katherine and the Blind Jacks, they would continue what Sarah Mitchell had started—exposing corruption and bringing balance to a shadowed world.
Eden smiled as Hunter pulled her closer, his arms around her waist as they faced the new daytogether. In his embrace, she found not just a tactical partner but something she’d never expected to find in this dangerous life—a home.
The sun rose over Moscow, golden light chasing away the last shadows of night. Ahead lay new challenges, but for the first time in her life, Eden faced them with hope rather than vengeance in her heart.
And that, perhaps, was the greatest victory of all.
Justice had a way of quieting chaos, though the echoes of its fight lingered. The Blind Jacks’ command center still buzzed with subdued energy, even after Alexander’s arrest. It was a strange mix of emotions—a tentative sense of victory tempered by the understanding that the scars of his manipulations wouldn’t fade easily. Peace, as Eden had come to realize, wasn’t the absence of conflict but the possibility of moving forward without it controlling you.
The soft blue glow of the monitors cast shadows across Eden’s face as she sat at the central console, her focus solely on the screens in front of her. Three days had passed since Alexander’s arrest, but the weight of those moments—his shocked expression as the cuffs closed around his wrists, the hollow echo of the police cruiser’s door—still clung to her like a second skin. Sleep had been elusive, her mind constantly replaying the confrontation that had culminated in their victory, analyzing what could have gone wrong, what nearly did.
On the screens before her, the archives of Alexander’s dismantled operations flickered indigital form—records of deceit, manipulation, and technological coercion that spanned decades. The sheer scale of it was staggering.
What had begun as an investigation into a handful of suspicious cases had uncovered a web of exploitation that touched hundreds of lives across the country. Families desperate for meaning, for connection to something beyond themselves, all of them pawns in Alexander’s grand design.
There were no more live surveillance feeds, no more false promises luring families into his twisted grasp, and no more illusions of power, supernatural or otherwise. The technology he had developed—neural implants disguised as spiritual awakening, surveillance systems masked as divine intervention—had been revolutionary in its deception. Alexander’s empire had fallen, but the aftershocks of his actions were just beginning.
Eden rubbed her eyes, feeling the strain of hours spent combing through the data. The command center smelled of coffee and electronics, a combination that had become oddly comforting over the years. The familiar sound of boots against concrete drew her attention, and she didn’t need to look up to know who was approaching.
Hunter’s lean form leaned casually against the edge of the desk beside her, his arms crossed and his steady presence grounding her. The scar along his jawline seemed more pronounced in the harsh light, a reminder of their first encounter withAlexander’s security team all those months ago. His gaze was fixed on the monitors, but his focus was undoubtedly on her as well. “Feels strange, doesn’t it?” he said, his voice low and thoughtful. “To finally see the end of it.”
Eden glanced at him, her lips curving into a faint smile. The sight of him still stirred something in her chest—a warmth that had grown from reluctant partnership to something far more complex and vital. “Strange, yes. But...good. It’s not the kind of peace I’m used to, though. It feels fragile.”
“Fragile, maybe,” he agreed as he came to stand beside her, his hand brushing lightly against hers, calluses catching against her skin in a way that sent electricity through her veins. “But it’s a start. And it’s something worth protecting.”
She nodded, letting his words settle over her like a balm. The weight of the mission that had defined her life for so long had finally lifted, leaving behind a strange, quiet space she didn’t quite know how to fill. It was liberating and unnerving all at once.
For the first time in years, there were no imminent threats to counter, no operations to plan, no lives hanging in the balance that were relying on her. The vastness of that freedom made her dizzy if she thought about it too long.
“You know,” she began, her voice softer than intended, “when I first joined the Blind Jacks, I never expected it to become...home.” The word feltforeign on her tongue after years of keeping everyone at arm’s length. “After what happened—after everything Alexander did, the manipulations—I didn’t think I’d ever feel settled anywhere again.”
Hunter’s expression softened, the hard lines of his face giving way to something gentler. It made her stomach flip, his sheer handsomeness. “And now?”
“Now,” she said, gesturing to the command center around them, to the people who had become more than colleagues, “I can’t imagine being anywhere else.”
From across the room, Katherine cleared her throat, drawing their attention. The tech specialist’s hair—newly colored a bright, lively red that echoed their newfound freedom and optimism—was pulled back in a messy bun, dark circles under her eyes betraying the long hours she’d been putting in since the arrest. “The latest updates are in,” she announced, her voice cutting through the low hum of the command center. “With Alexander in custody, families have started coming forward. They’re sharing their stories, exposing the lies he sold them. The ripple effects are already happening.”
A projection appeared on the main screen—news footage of people standing outside courthouses, holding hands and speaking into microphones. Some faces were tear-streaked,others set with determination, but all bore the unmistakable mark of having been deceived.
“Good,” Hunter said firmly, his jaw tightening. “It’s about time the truth came out.” His own history with Alexander was complicated—the main grievance coming down to how he’d attacked his brotherhood and threatened their very lives.
Eden leaned forward, studying the data Katherine displayed on the main monitor. The reports were a mix of relief and heartbreak—families grappling with the revelation that their so-called “gifts” were nothing more than a result of Alexander’s advanced technology.
The neural implants he had developed could indeed create seemingly supernatural experiences—heightened intuition, emotional manipulation, even physical feats beyond normal human capability—but they came at a terrible cost: addiction, dependency, and unwitting servitude to Alexander’s agenda. All things Katherine and Eden were grateful to have skipped over in their quest for justice.
Some were angry, others devastated, but there was also a sense of empowerment in their voices. They had been victims, yes, but now they were reclaiming their lives. One woman in particular caught Eden’s attention—a former college roommate, now leading a support group for others who had been manipulated.
“They’re calling them ‘recovery circles,’” Katherine explained, noting Eden’s interest. “Notjust therapy, but community building. They’re helping each other deal with the withdrawal from the implants and the psychological manipulation.”
“The healing process is going to take time,” Eden murmured, her fingers brushing against the edge of the console. “But at least now they have a chance to start. No more manipulation, no more scripts.” She thought of her own sister, now three months into recovery, the haunted look in her eyes slowly giving way to recognition, to the person she had been before Alexander.
Hunter placed a steadying hand on her shoulder, his touch warm and reassuring. The weight of his palm against her body, the way his thumb traced gently over her collarbone, anchored her to the present, preventing her from spiraling into memories of what could have been lost. “And what about you? What’s next for Eden Mitchell now that the mission’s over?”
