The Agency - Operation Delta (Part II)

Chapter 6

Helicopters approached, their sound reminding Vanessa of Chinooks. Leaving the commander in her wake, she limped westward. Her legs trembled with each step, the world tilting dangerously as the black tinge clouding her vision intensified. Breathless, she stumbled into a clearing. A short distance away, a group of students huddled at the edge of the opposite forest, eyes wide and filled with confusion.

As a fighter jet roared through the sky, its wings dipping in a reassuring manoeuvre, a sense of relief washed over her. Letting the gun slip from her grasp, Vanessa fell to her knees, her hands sinking into the soft grass.

She looked up, her eyes meeting Eric's as he sprinted toward her. "You could have gotten yourself killed," he scolded.

"Nice to see you too," she managed to utter through shallow breaths.

His eyes narrowed. "You're impossibly stubborn," he retorted, gripping her arm to help her stand. "We need to go; the helicopters are almost here."

Before she could reply, Winters arrived. "Is everything okay?"

A wave of dizziness washed over her. She pressed her hand to her temple, fighting to remain upright. "I just need a moment," she murmured.

"You're bleeding," Winters noted softly, gesturing to her nose.

Vanessa wiped away the blood, smearing it across her fingers. "Considering the circumstances, I'm doing fine."

"Anything I can do to help?" Winters offered.

Ignoring Winters, Eric sharply cut in, "You have your orders. Stay with the students."

At that moment, Vanessa's world began to unravel. Her hearing became muffled, and her vision clouded. Winters and Eric continued to argue, but their voices sounded distant and hollow. The blue tinge on her fingers was prominent, a visual representation of the virus that infected her bloodstream.

She blinked, and for a moment the battlefield dissolved. She saw her father standing at a distance, looking at her with an expression she couldn't quite read. But then, just as quickly, he vanished. Her eyes refocused, and she found herself strapped into a helicopter seat. Eric was beside her, buckling her in, his touch gentle but firm.

Her eyes fluttered closed, and when they opened again, she was in a sterile, fluorescent-lit room within a military base. Nurses and medics moved around her, their movements quick and efficient, but their faces a blur. Eric stood nearby, watching her with a worried expression.

"You're safe now," he said softly, but his eyes betrayed the complexity of their situation. Their relationship was a minefield of tension, hidden secrets, and unspoken regrets, now made more complicated by the day's events. Vanessa knew that being safe was relative. They had escaped immediate danger, yes, but the real battles were just beginning.

The virus in her veins was a ticking time bomb, and her relationship with Eric was a puzzle missing crucial pieces. The Agency, once her sanctuary, had morphed into a labyrinth of mistrust and hidden agendas. And above all, the haunting image of her father lingered in her thoughts—a phantom in a world that was slowly losing its sense of reality.

As she lay on the gurney, staring up at the sterile ceiling, Vanessa couldn't shake off the feeling that this was merely the eye of the storm. The questions remained, the secrets stayed buried, and the truth—elusive as ever—was still out there, lurking in the shadows.

Vanessa's eyes met Eric's as he lingered by her bedside. "Explain something to me," she began, her voice tinged with frustration. "How did an enemy ship and aircraft get so close without being picked up by our radars? I thought we had the area cleared?"