The Double Blind

Notes:

This story takes place in the same universe as the following:

Long Stories:

Phase I

1. Dragonfly: The Devil’s Deception

2. Ladybug: A Mother’s Redemption

3. Scorpio: A Quest Against Deception

4. Triplicate: A Devil in Disguise (Part 1) & (Part 2)

Phase II

5. Hummingbird: Illusion of Shadows

6. The White Sparrow: A Pursuit for Justice

7. The Supreme GroundBreakers - A Battle Against the Invisible Enemy (Part 1) & (Part 2)

Phase III

8. Mr and Mrs Das: The Spy Couple

9. Chameleon - Master in Disguise

10. Dragonfly Returns: The Secret Odyssey

Short Stories:

1. Carnation (Phase II)

2. The Eighth Wonder (Phase III)

Read the previous (above) stories, before you start reading this story. It will be better for your understanding.

The Double Blind

This is the third short story of the installment. There are new characters and fresh adventures in this short story.

Chapter 1: A Job Like Any Other

The mission parameters couldn't be much more straightforward: intercept a shipment convoyed by a notorious syndicate. Santiago Cruz sat in the back seat of a gleaming black SUV as it navigated the rain-slicked streets of Prague. The cold mist coming up off the outside windows of the vehicle only served to intensify the silence inside.

He had done dozens just like this: grab the package, take out the resistance, and make it out without a single eyewitness. But tonight felt different. Somewhere, Cruz didn't feel like he was being let in on the plan. Still, orders were orders.

At 11:11 pm, Cruz and his team reached the pre-set intercept point. Their target was a man by the name of Viktor known only to a few arms dealers connected with several governments. He was quietly taking a sensitive package out of the city. Cruz was to ensure that the package did not leave Prague alive.

Just as they were approaching the warehouse, something caught his eye. A figure, slim, agile, dressed in black, moving stealthily across the rooftop.

Agent: Competitor? Don't make me laugh. This is a top-secret operation. Except.

Chapter 2: The Shadow in the Night

Tessa Volkov moved across the roof fast and silent, her pulse steady. It was that kind of mission, one she'd been briefed on: the package contained information that could destabilize global powers. Her agency, from Moscow, had sent her to recover it at all costs. Viktor was an associate of the enemy, and tonight he'd fall.

Her eyes take in the warehouse below as her earpiece crackles to life. "No complications, Tessa," her handler says in her ear. "Get the package and get out." His voice is a steady hum in her ear.

But as she prepares to descend, instincts kick in: She wasn't alone.

She sees them first — Cruz and his team, slipping through the warehouse's entrance like shadows. Their moves were just too professional, too coordinated to be Viktor's men. They were government agents. But whose?

Tessa crouched low, heart pounding. If they were after the same package, things were about to get messy. She couldn't afford to fail — her mission was just as critical, and there were no second chances in her world.

No question, she'll take her shot.

Chapter 3: The Snare Unravels

In the warehouse, the tension was thick enough to cut. Cruz and his men moved down the dark corridors, their weapons drawn. Everywhere, the stench was heavy with oil and decay. Somewhere back, Viktor's men loaded the package into a black van without even a whiff of danger closing in.

But Cruz wasn't thinking about Viktor anymore. His eyes were on the other figure, the one gliding across the rooftops like a ghost. Who was this person, anyway? They'd just made this mission exponentially more complicated.

As he motioned to his team to fan out, Cruz skirted across to flank the van. He had the feeling that something was off. His gut had been right too many times previously to trust it now.

Then, a burst of motion to his right – a shadow dashing between crates. Cruz spun his gun up. It was Tessa.

Disabling two of Viktor's men quickly, she moved with a fluidity she had never shown the world. Her silenced pistol made barely any noise as it hurtled rounds out at her targets, but before she reached the package, a bullet whizzed past her shoulder and into the wall behind her.

She spun toward Cruz, his gun raised on her from the darkness.

"Drop it," Cruz said in a voice devoid of inflection or emotion.

Tessa raised an eyebrow, the corner of her mouth curling into a sneer. "You don't know what you're getting into," she said, her voice as level as water.

As a level, Cruz didn't back down. "Neither do you."

Chapter 4: The Unspoken Deal

They just stood there, guns drawn, eyes locked, the tension between them crackling in the air. Yet, before either of them could make a move, the warehouse erupted into a scene of chaos.

Viktor's men finally realized the danger and started firing wildly all around. The bullets ricocheted off the metal walls as the van engine roared to life. Viktor was making his escape.

Cruz and Tessa went down, falling to the floor as bullets rained down. Enemies? Not quite. Not friends, yet, at least.

But on instinct, they let go of their intellect. Without a word, they fell into a rhythm—covering each other, taking out the opposition with brutal efficiency. Not trust. Survival. And in that world, it had to be.

Finally, the last of Viktor's men fell and the two of them were alone in the maelstrom.

The van was gone.

Tessa muttered a curse word, holstering her gun. "Now what, cowboy?"

Cruz kept his eyes on hers, his gun still trained on her as he said, "We go after him."

Tessa gazed at him and nodded. "Fine. But we do this my way."

Chapter 5: A Dangerous Alliance

The chase through the streets of Prague was fast and furious, blurring city lights as they pursued Viktor's van. Cruz sat in Tessa's sleek black car, gripping the dashboard as she weaved through traffic with a reckless abandon.

"I hope you're as good with that gun as you are behind the wheel," Cruz muttered as she narrowly avoided slamming into a delivery truck.

Better," Tessa said with a smirk, not looking away from the road.

Even though he was against it, Cruz couldn't deny that he felt a strange sense of camaraderie with this mysterious agent. They both wanted the same thing, and they both knew they were wrong to think that they would do it alone. For now, at least, they were on the same side.

As he closed in on Viktor's van, Cruz saw the package through the rear window on the backseat: a small briefcase. The key to everything.

"They're going for the bridge," Tessa said. Her voice was tight. "If they make it across, we lose them."

Cruz nodded and slipped a new magazine into his gun. "Not if I can help it.".

Finally, racing to the end, Tessa swooped in front of Viktor's van, which swerved across and skidded to a stop on the verge of the bridge. Before the driver even knew what was happening, Cruz was out of the car, gun drawn, and aiming for Viktor.

But it was Tessa who moved first, scooping Viktor's automatic out from under him with a swift kick and snatching the case.

For a moment, he'd let himself believe that was it. Then Tessa turned to him, the briefcase clutched in hand, and grinned.

"Sorry, cowboy," she said, backing away slowly. "I think it's time we parted company."

Cruz narrowed his eyes. "You're going to play me?"

Tessa shook her head. "It's not personal. Just business."

And with that, she vanished into the darkness, leaving Cruz standing alone on the bridge, pockets empty.

But it wasn't the end. Not by a long shot.