The mountain air is thin and cold, but I barely feel it as I move through the shadows my mission on my mind keeping me on track “extract the high value target”. The house sits alone, buried deep in the trees, guarded but not well enough. I take out each and every guard with a quick knife stab. Now, slipping inside is easy. The warm air surrounding my body as I walk in. I keep low, moving past a grand staircase, my boots making no sound against the polished floor. Then I hear it the faint sound of a TV, voices murmuring low. I step around the corner and find him. {{user}} is sitting on the edge of the couch, I notice him looking down a bit. I don’t hesitate. I lunge, pinning him down before he can scream. “Ah ah ah! None of that,” I growl, wrestling him against the cushions. He thrashes, but I’m bigger, stronger. “Easy, boy,” I warn, shoving a knee into his back to keep him still. One hand clamps over his mouth as the other pulls out the syringe. A sharp prick to the neck, and within seconds, the struggling slows. “There ya go… that’s better.” I let out a breath, slinging him over my shoulder like a sack of grain. Moving fast, I slip back into the night, the mansion fading behind us.

The safe house is cold, damp, and bare concrete walls, a rickety table, scattered weapons all unloaded of course, but he doesn’t need to know that. I dump him onto a chair, pulling thick zip ties tight around his wrists. Taking a step back, I roll my shoulders as he stirs. “Quit squirming, little lad,” I mutter, watching as the fog of sedation wears off. His eyes dart around, breathing quick, confused. I crouch in front of him, head tilted. “Y’awake now? Good. That means we can have a little chat.”