The stale air in The Viper's makeshift cell on Keener's submarine was thick with tension, a tangible coil of desperation and manipulation. Kelso stood over The Viper, her gaze unwavering, her rage a controlled inferno. Rex hovered by the door, a silent sentinel of apprehension.
"Talk," Kelso commanded, her voice raw, devoid of negotiation. "Everything. Now."
The Viper, surprisingly, didn't gloat. She saw the raw hunger in Kelso's eyes, the deep well of grief and yearning. It was a weakness she could exploit, yes, but also a leverage point. She began to speak, her voice a low, raspy murmur, painting a grim portrait of Jäger's new reality.
"He's magnificent, your husband," The Viper began, a sly glint in her eyes. "He moves like a ghost, hits like a hammer. The Syndicate's tech has made him… something more. He's lethal, Director. A true apex predator. No longer just an agent, but a weapon honed to perfection."
Kelso's jaw tightened, a tremor she fought to control. She knew Jäger's capabilities. She'd fought alongside him, trusted him with her life a thousand times over.
"But that's not the problem, is it?" The Viper continued, her gaze unwavering. "The problem are the ones who hunt him. The ones who 'marked' him. They call themselves The Watchers."
Kelso frowned. "The Watchers? Who are they?"
"They're not just a group, Director. They're an ideology. A cleansing fire. They believe the Division, the SHD tech, is the root of the world's sickness. The ultimate contagion that keeps society from truly evolving. They've been building for decades, deep in the shadows, perfecting their counter-Division methods. Their technology isn't just advanced; it's designed specifically to nullify what makes your agents so formidable."
The Viper leaned forward, her eyes wide with genuine fear. "They use advanced sonar that cuts through your stealth, energy weapons that bypass your shields, EMPs that scramble your watches. They don't fight like a military; they fight like exterminators. And they knew him, Kelso. They knew Jäger by name. They are relentless. They will not stop until every single Division agent is a cold corpse. Especially the ones they deem 'virulent strains' like your husband."
Kelso felt a cold dread settle in her stomach. Jäger wasn't just on a mission; he was hunted by something beyond anything she'd ever conceived. She had seen the wreckage of the Leviathan Project on the comms. She had heard the frantic reports from Keener's men about the unknown submersible that had pursued Jäger. This was bigger than a faction. This was an existential threat to every surviving Division agent.
"And if you show up," The Viper added, her voice dropping to a theatrical whisper, "if the legendary Faye Kelso, thought dead, suddenly appears beside him… you won't be his strength. You'll be his biggest weakness. A distraction. A liability. A target they can exploit to capture or break him."
The words stung, hitting a raw nerve. Deep down, Kelso knew it was true. Her sudden appearance, her unbridled emotion, could compromise everything. Jäger, the man who always put the mission first, would be torn. His focus, his life, depended on remaining a ghost. Her emergence would paint a target not just on her, but on him. The sheer, overwhelming desire to see him, to hold him, battled with the cold, hard logic of a tactical operative. The latter won, for now.
"So, you're just going to let him twist in the wind?" Rex asked, his voice strained.
Kelso turned, her face a mask of iron resolve. "No. I'm going to ensure he doesn't twist in the wind. But we do it on our terms. Not theirs. Not Keener's. And certainly not The Viper's." She looked at The Viper, a chillingly calm threat in her eyes. "You've given me information. Now, you'll give me more. You're going to tell me everything about The Watchers. Every weakness. Every pattern. Every connection. Because if they threaten Jäger, they threaten the world I intend to rebuild for him."