The screen lit up and the model of a nuclear bomb appeared.

Bell clicked on the audio file.

The computer started working. Technical sounds filled the tense silence.

A voice sounded.

It took you a moment before realisation struck and your eyebrows rose in surprise. Out of reflex, your gaze jumped to Woods.

With a grim expression, he turned to you and nodded.

So you weren't imagining things.

"We confirmed it. The nuke smuggled out of Berlin is a Greenlight asset. It's one of ours.", Hudson's voice filled the room, recorded while on a call.

"If that is out...", another voice said.

"No one will know. Not even Adler's team. The stakes are too high."

"High is an understatement. We're talking about an American nuke hidden beneath Berlin."

The recoding ended.

Without waiting for another order, Bell searched the files and found a second recording.

The screen changed. Instead, the outline of a plan appeared, a yellow circle and some titles in Russian.

He noted them before starting the next audio.

"I want to make sure you're committed, Hudson.", the voice said.

"The play has been called.", Hudson sighed. "The ball is in motion."

"Well, if the asset learns the truth..."

"You're worried about truth now?"

"I'm concerned about control... of the asset."

"We can't control the asset, we end the asset. Game over."

With your arms crossed in front of your chest, you took a deep breath and stiffened. Your fingers dug into your skin, chasing even more pain through that injured arm of yours.

Woods tapped your shoulder.

You two exchanged a glance.

It scared you a little that you still didn't need words to understand what he wanted.

He was angry, it was as clear as dawn. But he held back this anger because he knew that it would be useful another time, in another place, on another person.

Silently, he advised you to store the anger for later as well.

Letting out a long, thick breath, you nodded and turned back to listen to the third recording.

But as the computer started working, only pictures appeared.

Bell looked at you, slightly shaking his head.

"You can't do anything?", you asked and stepped to his side to check for yourself.

As a manipulator, it was your job to know a bit of everything. But even after trying out different stuff, nothing worked.

Now, Woods couldn't help but get impatient.

"I'm grabbing a copy!", he growled and rushed to the server to connect it to his own data base. "This doesn't make any sense."

You watched him.

"It will make some soon...", you said in a calming way. "I'll see what I can find out."

Woods turned to you, a sheet of paper in his hand.

"Perseus infiltrated a CIA nuke program codenamed operation Greenlight. Run by Hudson!", in a fit of rage, he kicked against a metal wall. "The stolen nuke is American! And Hudson fucking knew!"

In that moment it felt hard to suppress the anger that was growing inside of you. It felt like you had been put into unnecessary danger.

And again, you felt betrayed, this time not because of Adler but because of Hudson. Both of them had held back important information from you. While Adler's decision was more of a relatable one that you could forgive, Hudson had made a far worse decision.

Pulling a face, you tapped Bell on the shoulder.

"Let's wrap everything up.", you climbed up the stairs to Woods. "I'll have a talk with him, old man. Don't worry."

Woods let out a snort.

"Make sure to be extra nice to him.", he growled.

You gifted him a grin.

"As nice as I've never been to you.", you ensured.

That made him laugh bitterly.

But the short moment of peace didn't last long.

All of a sudden, an alarm tore the silence apart. The lights changed from white to red.

The servers started beeping.

"Shit!", Woods shoved the wrinkled paper into his pocket. "Time to go!"

He rushed out to secure the way through the back door.

Your eyes jumped to Bell.

Somehow, you felt like he was the one who had activated it. Yet again, that was probably just paranoia.

"Did you get everything we needed?", you asked and offered him a hand.

He pulled himself up.

"Everything I could get.", he pressed a floppy disc into your hand and followed Woods.

Confused, but also impressed, you eyed the small plastic thing for a moment before storing it safely in your inner pocket and joined them outside as well.

"What's the plan, old man?", you asked as you followed Woods through a unit of offices, eyes glued to Bell. "I'd suggest we get out here and to the back. Helicopter landing area."

Agreeing, Bell hummed and secured a door before gesturing for you to follow.

But Woods was busy with his own thoughts. His face was distorted with anger while he clenched his teeth, just like he had always used to do it when being angry like no other.

It was only a matter of time until he'd have one of his violent outbursts.

Luckily, he had enough people to shoot to get rid of those aggressions.

"I can't fucking believe it!", he blurted out and kicked someone down the stairs before pricing their chest with a round of shots. "Park, come in. Park! Hudson lied to us. He fucking lied to us!"

Park entered the channel.

"Woods. What are you talking about?", she asked.

Judging by the sound of her voice, she also didn't know anything about what was going on.

"I'm talking about Greenlight! That's what Perseus is after and Hudson has his fingerprint all over it!"

"Woods, we're breaking up! Just get the hell out of there!"

Bell opened fire.

You jumped into a corridor, glass windows to your left.

Suddenly, the front shattered and bullets started raining. The broken pieces covered the floor and made it slippery.

Struck by surprise, you almost slid and fell.

But Woods caught you and ran on, your arm tightly grabbed.

"Use the facades as cover!", he advised and pulled his own head in. "Don't stop or we're dead!"

Gasping for air, you nodded.

"Right behind you!", you assured him.

"Hell no! You're either by my side or in front. No arguing, mushroom. Run!"