Chapter 17: The Last Judgement

As James and his team crept up to the Broker's lair a cavernous body in the making, hidden in a beautiful but deadly estate high in the snow-riddled mountains of Eastern Europe the air was bitterly cold. In the distance the building appeared, casting a shadow over the frozen ground. With every advance, they bore the burden of all they had faced, the betrayals, the lives lost, the unyielding battle to disband the syndicate.

Her heart raced in her chest and Lina fidgeted with the earpiece in her ear, her tone even and measured in spite of it. "We have a narrow window. Few appear to have left the estate in a month, according to satellite surveillance, but their internal defenses tell a different tale. We're going to have to be fast and accurate."

James nodded and pulled his scarf tighter against the cold. "We've faced worse. Keep your wits about you and follow the plan. This ends tonight."

It was a few hours later when Sarah finally got her shot. "If the Broker's in there, they're not coming out alive."

Hassan shot her a sidelong glance, his face sober. "First let's try to get out alive."

The team grimly proceeded through the snow, their steps rhythmic and precise. Lina remained behind at a makeshift command post, deep in a neighboring cave, monitoring the estate's security systems and guiding the team over the comms.

"Two guards at the east entrance," Lina said quietly. "James, dispatch them quietly."

James gestured to Sarah, and she leveled her rifle, firing two silenced shots that dropped the guards before they had time to react. The group moved forward, their breath frosting in the cold air.

But once we entered the estate, the mood changed. Inside it was stark and clinical, a stark contrast with the rugged exterior. Cameras were placed in the hallways, and armed guards walked the corridors.

"Lina, where's the Broker?" James asked.

"Central office, top floor," Lina said. "But there's a problem. Its security system operates on a closed network. I can't disable it remotely."

Hassan grimaced. "So we're walking into a snare."

"Not if we're quicker than them," James said. "We split up. Sarah and I will go to the top floor. Hassan, you stay on the ground level and draw the attention away if needed. Lina, please guide us if you can."

James and Sarah raced along the hallways, dispatching guards with deadly accuracy. They descended towards each mission and each step, closer to the Broker. This wasn't simply a matter of revenge or of justice it was about making sure the syndicate could never harm anyone again.

Meanwhile, on the ground floor, Hassan placed small charges in strategic locations that would act as a distraction if things took a turn for the worse. His exterior offered no hint of the tension running through him.

"You're almost there, James," Lina said. "The office is just ahead. But be careful thermal shows several guards inside."

Ichabod choked and broke the silence, as James and Sarah shared a look and understood what they must be doing. They storm into the office, weapons drawn, cutting down the guards in a torrent of suppressed gunfire.

The Broker stood in the middle of the room, surrounded by general chaos, but he seemed aloof and calm. In impeccable dress, their hands folded symmetrically behind their back.

"So, the famous James Brown," the Broker said, a slight smile on their lips. "You've given me a little trouble."

James trained his gun on them. "It's over. The syndicate is finished."

The Broker chuckled softly. "You think if you take me out that anything will change? The syndicate is bigger than I am, bigger than you are. You chop off one head, and a different one will come up. You've won nothing."

Sarah took a step forward and said in a chill voice. "We'll see about that."

Hands up, the Broker pretended to surrender. "Do it, then. But this is good to know: you'll never stop what's coming.'

Without waiting for James to respond, the Broker pressed a concealed button hidden below the surface of their desk. Alarms rang out, and the sound of running feet resounded in the facility.

"Lina!" James shouted.

"I'm on it!" Lina replied. "But you have incoming a ton of it. Get out of there now!"

Hassan's charges detonated, sending chaos rippling up from the lower floors and buying James and Sarah critical time. They fought through waves of guards, dragging the Broker along behind them.

"Why are we capturing them alive?" What do you want!" Sarah yelled in frustration.

"Because they're the key to put a stop to this once and for all," James said, the Broker's arm locked tight in his grip.

As they neared the extraction point, Lina's voice crackled over the comms. "The estate's on lockdown. You'll have to blow the north gate to escape."

Hassan greeted them at the gate, his weapon still smoking from recent use. "Took you long enough," he said as he set the last of the explosives.

The blast blew the gate apart, and the team fled into the snowy wilderness.

Hours later, in a secure safe house far away from the chaos, the Broker was tied in a chair, their face inscrutable.

"You really think this is going to change anything?" they said. "And so the syndicate continues, with or without me."

James stood with his face to hers, his eyes black. "Not if we burn ourselves to the ground."

Lina set a laptop on the table, its screen filled with the decrypted files from the estate. "We have all we need names, accounts, operations. It's over."

The Broker's self-assured smirk slipped for the first time.

James sat tall, his voice strong. "You are going to assist us in taking the syndicate apart piece by piece." Or you'll spend your life wishing you did.' "

With the Broker caving, James held their admission as a victory. The battle wasn't over yet, but they had scored a critical blow to the syndicate.

It was a flicker of hope, the first in months.