Eliminate

The cold air outside the building felt like a slap in the face. I stepped out of the office, the weight of the mission crushing down on me.

The moment the elevator doors closed behind me, I could feel the walls closing in. It was like I was suffocating in a room too small for me, my thoughts swirling and threatening to consume me.

Everything had changed.

The mission had been simple at first: eliminate the arms dealer, get the intel, and leave. But now, the new contract I had been given was nothing like I expected.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out, seeing the message from Cole.

"Your next target is Kirk Cirus. Eliminate him."

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. Kirk. My mind raced, the name echoing in my head like a drumbeat I couldn't escape.

But I knew what Cole wanted. He wanted results. He didn't care about the feelings, the emotional mess that was left behind. He cared about the job.

And the job was to eliminate Kirk.

I leaned against the cold wall of the elevator, trying to steady my breath. My mind kept flashing back to Kirk: his touch, his kiss, the way he had taken control of every situation.

But now, he was the target. The one I had to take down.

The thought made my stomach twist in knots. How could I go through with it?

But there was no turning back now.

I shoved the phone back in my pocket and walked to the nearest cab stand. The night was thick with fog, and the world seemed to blur around me as I climbed into the car.

The driver barely glanced at me as he pulled out, and I let my mind wander, trying to make sense of what had just happened.

The lights of the city were a blur outside the window. I wasn't sure where I was going, but the weight of the decision felt unbearable. I had a job to do. But every part of me wanted to run. Every part of me wanted to walk away from it all and leave the island, leave Kirk behind.

I couldn't. I wouldn't.

But it didn't make it any easier.

The cab came to a stop outside a small, nondescript building on the outskirts of the city. My heart raced in my chest, and I couldn't bring myself to move.

"Here we are," the driver said, looking at me through the rearview mirror.

I nodded, handing him a few bills before stepping out of the car. The night air was colder here, and it bit at my skin as I made my way toward the building.

When I stepped inside, Cole was already waiting for me. He was sitting behind a desk, his hands folded in front of him, his expression as cold as ever.

"You got the message," he said, his tone businesslike.

I nodded, swallowing hard. "You want me to eliminate him," I said, though the words felt like they were strangling me. "Kirk."

"Yes," he replied simply, not even flinching. "You'll be given all the necessary resources. The target is still at the island. He has to be taken out before he interferes any further. Do you understand?"

I didn't answer immediately.

I clenched my fists at my sides, my pulse pounding in my ears. "And if I don't do it?"

Cole's gaze hardened. "That's not an option, Sophie. The job is to finish the mission. You've been given a task, and you will complete it. No exceptions."

I had no choice. No way out.

I stood there in silence, my mind reeling with thoughts of him.

"You will leave tomorrow," Cole continued. "You'll go back to Lust Island, and you'll take him out. Simple as that."

I nodded, even though my heart felt like it was breaking in my chest.

I turned to leave, but Cole's voice stopped me.

"One more thing," he said, his voice softer now. "If you fail, you know there will be consequences."

I didn't answer. I didn't need to. I knew what failure meant. And I knew that I couldn't fail. Not this time.

As I walked out of the office, my mind was a storm. The mission, Kirk, Luke, it was all tangled together in a mess that I couldn't untangle. I didn't know how I would do it, but I knew one thing for sure:

I had to kill Kirk.