Riley Jenkins slouched in his chair, picking at the edges of a sandwich while glancing around the sparsely populated cafeteria. The dull hum of fluorescent lights filled the silence between him and Tatjana Deeter, who sat across from him, arms folded, a half-finished cup of coffee at her elbow. The tension in the air was thick—more so than usual after a mission.
“That was a bad call, Tati. A really bad call,” Riley muttered, shaking his head. “Jonah’s not just some random street thug. You realize how deep his connections run, right?”
Tatjana rolled her eyes and leaned back, her expression relaxed, almost bored. “Jonah’s nothing. We’re MoSA. You’re letting street gossip get into your head.”
“He’s got customers all over the black markets. Half of them would kill for him, and the other half would tear us apart if they knew we had him.” Riley’s voice was tense, almost a whisper. “And his family? You know how people get when family’s involved.”
Tatjana took a sip of her coffee, unconcerned. “You’re acting like we didn’t just pull this off flawlessly. No one saw us, no one knows what happened. Besides, we’re not exactly known for leaving loose ends.”
Riley shifted uncomfortably, his mind racing. “That’s not the point. It’s the fallout I’m worried about. He’s dangerous because he knows how to make things happen—on the streets, in the shadows. The moment people find out he’s gone, they’ll come looking, and they’ll ask questions we don’t want them asking.”
Tatjana smiled faintly, a sharp glint in her eyes. “Let them ask. MoSA operates on a different level, Riley. We’re not some two-bit operation running scared from a few questions about some relic smuggler. We don’t play by the same rules. Anyone who tries to come for us will either end up regretting it… or not living long enough to regret anything at all.”
Riley rubbed the back of his neck, his unease deepening. “You’re underestimating Jonah’s network. These aren’t just random criminals. They’re people who move relics that can shift power balances. If we’ve tipped the wrong scales, things could go bad fast.”
Tatjana leaned in, her tone soft but firm. “Jonah’s network is nothing compared to MoSA’s. We’ve got eyes in every dark corner, and ears where they think no one’s listening. We’re connected to more than they could ever imagine. And we’ve got something they don’t—control. Absolute control.”
Riley sighed, his sandwich forgotten. “I hope you’re right. Because if we’re not careful, this could spiral into something we can’t contain.”
Tatjana smirked, finishing her coffee. “We’re always careful. That’s why we’re the ones still standing. Jonah, on the other hand… he’s just another name on a very long list.”
The two agents sat in silence for a moment, the weight of the mission settling between them.