It was the day of the meeting. We were all gathered back in the lounge, the coffee table cleared off to make room for blueprints, perimeter maps, and tactical gear. Drakon had called in his top guys, and the room was packed wall-to-wall.
Apparently, we were bringing everyone.
Most of the crew would hold back in the tree line surrounding the meeting site, staying hidden until they heard the signal. On paper, it was structured like a routine exchange—a simple handoff to return Viktor’s captured men safely in exchange for peace on the border. If Viktor played it straight, this could all end very smoothly.
But knowing how relentless Viktor was, none of us expected a peaceful handoff. He was too proud, too aggressive, and far too arrogant to walk into Drakon’s territory without trying to dra
