The voice crackled through the comms, cool and measured, as if this were just another day at the office. But to Grimm, it felt like a punch to the gut.
"Well, well, well. It's been a long time, Captain."
Grimm's grip tightened on his rifle as his eyes narrowed. The face on the screen was unmistakable—Adrian Kessler, the man who had orchestrated the world's darkest secrets from behind a veil of shadow. He was the ghost in the machine, the one pulling the strings of global conflicts, the one who had betrayed him and left his team to die.
Grimm's jaw clenched. He fought to keep his voice steady as he responded. "Kessler. You're the one behind all this?"
Kessler's face remained stoic, his expression unreadable as ever. "Behind? No, Captain. I'm simply the one pulling the strings. The world is at a crossroads. War is inevitable. And I, unlike you, am willing to ensure that the right side wins."
Grimm's pulse quickened, but he held his ground. "You've gone too far. You're playing god with people's lives."
Kessler's lips curled into a cold smile. "You're naive, Captain. I've done what you could never do. I've seen the future. I've predicted the rise of the threats that will tear this world apart. I've taken action before it's too late. I've saved more lives than you could ever count."
Grimm's fingers curled into fists. "You don't save lives. You destroy them."
A beat of silence passed, and then Kessler's eyes glinted with something cold—almost like pity. "You still don't understand, do you? The world doesn't need men like you, with your outdated methods of warfare and your precious sense of honor. You're a relic of a bygone era. I'm the future, Captain. And you? You're a mistake."
Tanya, who had been standing silently by Grimm's side, spoke up, her voice as sharp as ever. "If you think we're just going to let you get away with this, you're sorely mistaken."
Kessler's gaze shifted, and for a moment, there was a flicker of recognition in his eyes. He studied her for a moment longer than necessary, then chuckled lightly. "Ah, yes. The defector. I remember you. You've made quite the name for yourself, haven't you? Running from your own country's orders. Betraying your comrades." His voice dripped with contempt.
Tanya's lip curled into a sneer, but she didn't respond. Instead, her eyes narrowed, focusing on the terminal Reyes was furiously working on.
"You're a coward, Kessler," Grimm spat. "Hiding behind screens, manipulating the world like it's some kind of game. I'm coming for you. This ends today."
Kessler's face remained impassive, as if Grimm's words held no weight. "I'm not the one you should be worried about, Captain. You've only scratched the surface. The true power lies with what you're about to uncover. The data you've just unlocked is far more dangerous than you can comprehend."
Grimm's stomach twisted. He exchanged a quick glance with Reyes, who was hunched over the terminal, fingers flying across the keyboard. Reyes was silent for a moment, then looked up, his face pale.
"Grimm," Reyes said, voice tight with urgency. "He's right. The data we've accessed... it's not just about Kessler. This is... this is a global web. A network of military and intelligence assets—everywhere. Kessler's controlling it all."
Grimm felt his heart race. The implications of that were chilling. Kessler wasn't just some rogue operative. He was a cancer, infiltrating every facet of global power. He wasn't trying to control a nation or even an organization—he was attempting to control the world itself.
Kessler's voice cut through the tension. "You've seen the files. The Protocols. I created them to protect humanity from the chaos that's already coming. But you, Grimm, you and your team—you're too stubborn to see the bigger picture. You think you can stop this with bullets and bloodshed. But you can't. This is beyond you."
Grimm's jaw was tight, his body vibrating with adrenaline. He stepped forward, closer to the terminal, his eyes locked on Kessler's. "I'll stop you, Kessler. We all will."
Kessler's expression flickered, a brief flash of amusement crossing his features. "We'll see, Captain. We'll see."
The screen flickered for a moment, then went black. The room was filled with the low hum of machinery and the heavy silence that followed the brief exchange. For a few moments, no one spoke.
"Is that it?" Tanya muttered, her voice dark with disdain. "He's just going to leave us with a cliffhanger?"
Grimm's fist slammed into the table beside the terminal. "We're not done. Not by a long shot."
Reyes was still glued to the terminal, his fingers moving rapidly as he processed the data. "There's a lot here, Grimm. Kessler's right about one thing. We've barely scratched the surface. This network—if we can access it fully—we could expose everything."
"Then let's get to work," Grimm said, his voice low and determined. "We don't have much time."
As Reyes continued to work, Bull stepped forward, looking grim. "So what now? Kessler's on the other side of all this. He's the one pulling the strings. If we keep pushing forward, we'll be walking straight into his trap."
Grimm met his gaze, his mind working fast. "We don't have a choice. Kessler's the key. If we bring him down, we bring down his whole operation. But first, we need to make sure this data gets out—so everyone knows who's behind this. We'll expose him for what he really is."
Tanya gave a short nod. "I'm with you. Let's end this."
Grimm's heart pounded in his chest as he turned back to the terminal. He knew that they were on the edge of something massive—something that could change the course of the war. But they had to stay focused. Kessler was still out there, and the worst was yet to come.