Page 7 of Eternal

DAMIR

“Ready or Not” by Mischa “Book” Chillak, Esthero

Present

F or as long as I can remember, I’ve avoided emotions, they’re distractions, unnecessary variables in a world that demands precision and flawless objectivity.

Because the second feelings get involved, everything falls apart.

Clarity goes, control slips, and people get hurt.

I had to learn it the hard way. But now I know, a mission is a mission, and only success is acceptable.

Here I am, sitting in a sterile briefing room, surrounded by high-ranking officers and intelligence analysts, looking really stressed and desperate.

They’ve called me in, but I’m still not sure why they think I’m their answer.

They discuss a series of murders, high-profile targets, men of power and influence, each snuffed out with brutality, never a similar death but always a similar suspect. The same bullet, marked with a black iris, and every time, the name surfaces: Voron .

Voron, a woman. She’s a ghost.

Now, after months of chasing whispers and following dead bodies, they’ve finally confirmed her presence in the United States.

Interesting.

“ Viper ,” the lead officer says, his voice quivering slightly, pathetic. “We need someone who can blend in, who understands her world, both literally and figuratively.”

I tilt my head, my voice steady as I interrupt their pity party. “So, you pulled me from an important reconnaissance mission in Moscow for one target?”

“We need the best on this,” the director of the FBI’s anti-terrorist division announces, trying to be authoritarian, but the tremor in his voice gives him away.

To my right, a woman stares at my arm, maybe because of the blood stains, the tattoos, or the scars on my face, or perhaps she’s only scared. “And it’s not just any target…” she murmurs, her voice shaking.

I push my mask aside on the table, leaning forward with a smirk. “And I’m not just any operative. I have to tell you now. The price will be high for this one.”

Silence blankets the room, the air heavy with fear and tension, the director’s hand rakes through his hair as he gulps…Voron is clearly rattling their cages.

“Your price will be our price.” The chief deputy on my right says. He seems… okay? Not stressed as the others. “We need you, Viper. This contract is our last chance to catch her,” he insists.

I know why they wanted me on this one. I’m the only one left of my team, I infiltrated Bratva for a few years back then, trained with some members, even went to prison for it. Fluent in Russian, equipped with years of combat experience, I’m the only asset they have left, their last resource.

“This is more than a simple mission,” he continues, eyes locked on mine. “We’re dealing with a global threat. Her victims were senators, business-people, and men of power. Each one was found with the same bullet, matte with a black iris on it.”

A photograph slides across the table, landing in front of me.

I glance down at it, a Bratva mark etched into the chest of a victim.

“She’s back in the country. A private jet landed in Vegas a few days ago,” the officer says.

Two missions in one. I’m tasked with eliminating Voron, but I must hunt her without revealing my true identity.

Months of bodies, powerhouses falling quietly… She’s good. But now, the game is about to change, I will catch her; I always do. And when I do, she won’t even see it coming.

A new photo appears on the screen, grainy, but it captures her stepping off a private jet, her face hidden beneath a hood. I lock my eyes on it, no identification possible. She’s smart.

Another name, another file, another deadline, large. Find out who she is, why, and stop her.

I didn’t ask why, I never do. These people don't hand out explanations, and I don’t need them to.

I get a name, I erase it. That’s the work. Clean, efficient, and quiet.

They kept saying she was dangerous. Good. So am I.

You can run, but I’ll catch you.

The officer’s voice fades into the background as my mind shifts gears, plotting and strategizing. Like it always does, the hunt is on.

I’ll take some vacation after this one. I can tell it won’t be as easy as it seems.