With some kind of tension stuck in your shoulders, you crouched behind Adler as he pushed the gate to a house open.

Qasim was supposed to be in there. Not a lucky turn of events.

He had seen your face before, but didn't know you were a spy. He just thought you did investigations on the American side of the ocean. If he'd fall into panic, your cover could be blow.

"Dipshit probably thinks he's safe...", Woods growled as his eyes wandered up the building to check if the windows were dark.

"That piece of trash is a lot of things, but safe ain't one of em'.", Adler replied.

"Do we really need to take this son of a bitch alive, Adler?"

"Qasim has info we need. Everyone else can take a powder."

Biting your lips, you swallowed a curse. It annoyed you how bad they talked about one of yours.

Yet again, your people weren't any different towards the Americans.

Adler noticed. With a raised eyebrow, he looked at you.
You gifted him a rehearsed huff.

"Can I go first?", you asked, hoping that there would be an opportunity to kill Qasim before they could get a hold of him. "I'm feeling rusty these days."

Next to you, Mason fixed his gun.

"Would be a pleasure.", he nodded. "I'll secure the front, if you don't mind."

"Not at all. I'll keep your back safe."

Adler let out a hum.

"Fine.", he said and pointed to a window at the bottom of the building. "Apartment's just up ahead. Hans only bought us fifteen minutes. We need to hit Qasim hard and fast."

A snort escaped you.

"I can arrange that.", with your head pulled in, you crawled past him. "If you want it quick and civil, I'll jump him from the shadows."

Mason started moving as well.

"Orders are to capture him.", he said and threw a quick glance over his shoulder to check who was screaming in one of the back alleys. "You good at that?"

Your eyes jumped to Adler.

"Tell him, shades.", you raised your chin.

His lips pressed into a thin line. He shook his head slightly.

"No time to feed into your ego.", he said and pushed forward as well. "You two take the lead. We're right behind. Let's go."

Woods loaded his machine gun.

"Let's roll.", he chuckled.

The apartment had a garden, small but charming if it would have been well cared for. A small porch was located at the door, which was big enough to have a perfect view straight into the living room and kitchen.

With his usual, careful movements, Adler set foot on the porch and pressed his back to the wall. He leaned forward to throw a glance inside.

Woods and Mason vanished into the shadows.

You remained close to Adler. Once he was running, it was hard to keep an eye on him unless you stuck to him like gum to a shoe.

Quickly, he threw a glance at you.

Somehow, this gesture made you want to smile yet mock him at the same time. Ever since Nam, he looked at you for reassurance.

He trusted you.

What a pathetic mistake from a man as great and intelligent as the Russell Adler.

That night, you swallowed the mockery you had for him, the confidence that you felt while knowing you had him in your hands, and raised your chin.

"Ready when you are.", you whispered.

"Let's help them ring in the New Year.", Adler did a gesture to catch the other mens attention. "Light em' up, Mason."

Without hesitation, Mason raised his gun and aimed for the head of one of the men inside the apartment.

Your fingers twitched. Out of reflex, you wanted to aim at him in return, but forced the habit down.

Perseus was right when he said that you started to get impatient with age. And you couldn't deny that fact. Even though Adler had grown on you, your instincts started to act up.

You wanted that this mission finally came to an end. You wanted to see the motherland, Russia, a place on earth that was called your home but you had never seen it before.

All your life you had played the good, freedom-loving American.

But with time, the act started to change your soul. You feared the that one day you'd wake up and actually agree with the Americans more than with your people.

"Snap out of it.", Adler's voice suddenly cut through the sough of your mind. "You're somewhere else."

Blinking, you shook off the thoughts and straightened your back.

"I'm in.", you assured him.

His lips pressed into a thin line. A sign that he was about to make an important decision.

"Keep your head up. And watch my back."

You gifted him a smug grin.

"Always."

The first bullet that Mason send on its way made the glass door shatter into a thousand pieces.

Immediately, Woods jumped on and let shots rain down on the men inside the apartment.

Taken by surprise, they started screaming and jumping from their seats to rush and grab guns for defence.

But before the opposite side could return the fire, they had already lost three men.

"Go, go, go!", Adler slid inside. "There's Qasim!"

Like a dog, you followed him, gun raised and protecting his back, just like you used to do it.

Your eyes jumped around.

The cozy looking apartment turned into one mess of a battlefield. Some strange smoke filled the air and made it thicken. The smell of gunpowder was in the air.

In the middle of people yelling and running, you spotted a man with dark hair, dressed in brown. Without hesitating, you gave Adler a bump to the shoulder.

"I'm on him!", you said and jumped after the target.

Adler followed you.

"Qasim's heading up the stairs!", he said and took the lead.

With a grim smile, you jumped around a corner and took two men down.

"I have a bullet with his name on it!", you laughed, knowing that killing him would be better for you.

But of course Adler had to have a say in it.

"We need Qasim alive! Go up! You're faster."

"On it!"