A Mission Gone Wrong- part 1

The city never truly slept.

Even at midnight, the streets glowed beneath colorful neon signs, traffic lights blinked lazily at nearly empty intersections, and the distant sound of sirens blended with the hum of late-night life. Rain had fallen earlier that evening, leaving the roads slick enough to reflect every light like a giant mirror.

On the rooftop of a twelve-story building, Kai Anderson sat comfortably on the edge, one leg dangling over the side.

Most people would have been terrified.

Kai wasn't.

He took another bite of his cheeseburger and looked down at the busy street below.

"Peaceful," he muttered with a grin. "Almost too peaceful."

A voice crackled through the tiny earpiece in his right ear.

"Kai."

He sighed dramatically.

"There goes the peace."

"Kai," the voice repeated. "Are you listening?"

"Barely."

"I'm serious."

"So am I. This burger deserves my full attention."

There was a long pause.

Then the voice groaned.

"I don't know why they assigned you this mission."

Kai laughed.

"Because I'm charming."

"No."

"Because I'm skilled?"

"No."

"Because I'm incredibly handsome?"

"Definitely not."

Kai placed a hand over his heart.

"Ouch. That one hurt."

The voice belonged to Mia, his operations coordinator. She had worked with Kai for almost three years and had learned that arguing with him was usually a waste of time.

"Kai," she said, sounding much calmer now, "your target has left the building."

His smile disappeared instantly.

Now he looked like a professional.

He stood in one smooth movement and adjusted the black jacket he always wore during missions.

"Finally."

He picked up a pair of binoculars resting beside him.

Across the street, the glass doors of a luxury hotel opened.

A young woman stepped outside.

She looked to be around twenty-one.

Dark brown hair rested over one shoulder.

She wore a simple black coat and carried a small backpack.

Nothing about her appearance suggested she was one of the most talented hackers in the country.

"Visual confirmed," Kai whispered.

"That's Elena Rossi," Mia replied. "Your job is simple."

"I like simple."

"Protect her until sunrise."

Kai smiled.

"Easy money."

"Don't underestimate this mission."

"I never underestimate anything."

"You once underestimated a guard dog."

Kai frowned.

"That dog cheated."

"It was a dog."

"It bit me."

"You tried to steal its owner's motorcycle."

"It was part of the mission."

"You still screamed."

"I did not scream."

"You absolutely screamed."

Kai cleared his throat.

"We're changing the subject."

He slipped the binoculars into his backpack before jumping from the rooftop onto a nearby fire escape.

Metal clanged beneath his boots.

Within seconds he reached the alley below.

Elena continued walking without realizing someone was following her.

Kai stayed several meters behind.

Not close enough to alarm her.

Not far enough to lose sight of her.

The streets remained quiet.

Too quiet.

Kai noticed it immediately.

His instincts had saved his life more times than he could count.

Something felt wrong.

A black van slowly turned the corner.

It wasn't unusual.

Until another identical van appeared behind it.

Then another.

Kai frowned.

"Mia."

"I'm already seeing them."

"Three black vans."

"I count four."

Kai stopped walking.

"They're here for her."

"I think you're right."

The first van screeched to a halt.

Its side door flew open.

Six armed men jumped out.

Before Elena could react, one of them shouted,

"Grab her!"

Elena's eyes widened.

"What—?"

Kai sighed.

"So much for easy money."

He sprinted forward.

One attacker reached Elena first.

Before the man could grab her arm—

CRACK!

Kai's fist connected with the attacker's jaw.

The man collapsed instantly.

Everyone froze.

Even Elena.

Kai smiled politely.

"Good evening."

One of the gunmen blinked.

"Who are you?"

Kai shrugged.

"Honestly? I was hoping you'd tell me."

The second attacker rushed him.

Kai stepped aside effortlessly.

The man crashed face-first into a parked car.

The alarm exploded into life.

Lights flashed.

Sirens wailed.

Kai pointed toward the unconscious attacker.

"I don't think he's driving home tonight."

Another three men charged together.

Elena stared in disbelief.

"Is he insane?"

Kai heard her.

"I prefer 'conflicatedly confident.'"

"You mean 'complicatedly'?"

"Probably."

The attackers swung metal pipes.

Kai ducked beneath the first.

Blocked the second.

Kicked the third man into a trash bin.

The lid slammed shut over his head.

"That's recycling," Kai said.

"You should separate plastic first."

Even one of the attackers looked confused.

"Kai!" Mia shouted.

"Focus!"

"I am focused."

"You just made a recycling joke."

"It's an important environmental message."

A gunshot echoed through the street.

The bullet struck the wall inches from Elena.

Kai's expression changed instantly.

"Down!"

Without hesitation he tackled Elena behind a concrete barrier.

More bullets hit the pavement.

Concrete exploded into dust.

Elena looked at him with equal parts anger and confusion.

"Who are you?"

"Good question."

"You don't know?"

"I know."

"Then answer me!"

"I'm Kai."

"That's it?"

"Would you like my favorite pizza topping too?"

She glared at him.

"You are unbelievable."

"I hear that a lot."

Another explosion interrupted them.

The black vans had blocked both ends of the street.

More armed soldiers climbed out.

Kai peeked around the corner.

"Oh."

"What?"

"I counted wrong."

"How many?"

"Twenty."

Elena's face turned pale.

"Twenty?"

"Approximately."

"Approximately?"

"I stopped counting when they started shooting."

Elena looked at him as though she had been assigned the worst bodyguard in history.

Unfortunately...

She might not have been entirely wrong.

Kai smiled anyway.

"Stay close."

"You expect me to trust you?"

"No."

"Then why should I follow you?"

"Because everyone else out there is trying to kidnap you."

She hesitated.

Kai offered his hand.

For a brief moment, the sounds of gunfire seemed to disappear.

Elena looked into his confident eyes.

Against her better judgment...

She took his hand.

Kai grinned.

"Excellent."

"What now?"

He glanced toward the rooftops above them.

"We improvise."

"What does that mean?"

"It means..."

He wrapped an arm around her waist.

"...try not to scream."

"What?"

Before she could protest, Kai launched them toward the nearby fire escape as another wave of enemies rushed into the alley.

Their mission had barely begun.

And it had already gone terribly, hilariously wrong.

to bo continued...

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