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Agent 003: Reborn from Hell - Spy Action, Drama Series - ENGSUB
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Short filmTranscript
00:00Take off your police uniform, Amelia Saddington.
00:03You don't deserve to wear it at all.
00:05Desmond Urich, the head of the Major Crimes Unit,
00:09stripped my police uniform off me right in front of the entire team.
00:13So you really are still holding it against me from the raid
00:16because I prioritized protecting the hostages
00:19and didn't take good enough care of Addison,
00:21leaving her with a few scrapes.
00:23At my rebuttal, Desmond slapped me hard across the face in front of everyone.
00:28My head snapped to the side.
00:31He accused me of taking personal revenge under the guise of duty,
00:35then used every means to suspend me.
00:37After my suspension, Vicente D'Acra, my childhood friend,
00:41told me he wanted to marry me.
00:43But on the eve of our engagement, I overheard him talking to Desmond.
00:47Both of them were only protecting Addison.
00:50In pure despair, I changed into faded street clothes
00:53and headed alone to state police headquarters.
00:57Agent 003, Amelia Saddington,
00:59requesting assignment to Operation Foxhunt as an undercover operative.
01:02Scrub my file. I'm not coming back.
01:04Desmond slapped me hard across the face,
01:07and my head snapped to the side.
01:09Before the pain in my cheek even set in,
01:12the trauma from my abduction flared up suddenly.
01:15Agony seeped from my bones,
01:17and I curled up on the ground.
01:19Seeing me like this, Desmond kicked me.
01:22Quit playing dead!
01:24I clutched at his pant leg,
01:26sweating cold from the pain,
01:27and trembled as I whispered,
01:29Tranquilizer. I need a tranquilizer.
01:33Desmond only stared at me coldly,
01:35then said to his subordinates beside him,
01:38Addison was traumatized during the rescue.
01:42Give it to her first.
01:44That night, I curled up alone in the freezing isolation room.
01:48The hallucinogens the cartel had injected into me flared up again.
01:53In my delirium,
01:54I was back in that hellish abandoned factory.
01:57Tortured and interrogated by dealers,
02:00one after another.
02:01I whimpered in agony,
02:03Desmond help me,
02:05but the man I once loved didn't even glance at me.
02:07By the next morning,
02:09Desmond had already used the episode as a pretext to file for my suspension.
02:13He told our superiors I was mentally unstable and prone to violence.
02:17To calm Addison's nerves,
02:18he even confiscated my service weapon.
02:21He locked it in his own desk.
02:23The only person who didn't abandon me was Vicenti Dacra.
02:26A forensic pathologist who had known me since we were kids.
02:30Vicenti promised he would vouch for me with the Bureau to get me reinstated.
02:34He told me he wanted to marry me.
02:36That he would take care of me for the rest of my life.
02:39But, on the eve of our engagement,
02:41I overheard him talking to Desmond outside the forensics lab.
02:45Amy's a lost cause.
02:47After that kidnapping,
02:48everyone on the force is talking that she slept with the cartel boss for three days just to stay alive.
02:53She's tainted.
02:54What do you know?
02:55Back then,
02:56I had to pull out to save Addison,
02:58leaving Emmy trapped in that den.
03:01I'm drowning in guilt,
03:03but I can't stand what she's become.
03:06She's a total head case now.
03:07Lieutenant,
03:08you don't actually love Annie, do you?
03:11You're only marrying her because Addison is terrified
03:13Amy will snap and come after Addison.
03:16You just want to keep her under your thumb and sedated,
03:18so she won't hurt Addie.
03:20So that was it.
03:21Both of them were only protecting Addison.
03:24In pure despair,
03:25I changed into a pair of faded street clothes.
03:28I headed alone to the high security archives at state police headquarters.
03:33Standing before the commander-in-chief,
03:34Donald Tabert,
03:35I snapped into a perfect salute.
03:37My voice was hoarse,
03:38but it didn't waver.
03:39Agent 003,
03:40Amelia Sadinton,
03:41requesting assignment to Operation Fox Hunt as an undercover operative.
03:45Scrub my file.
03:47I'm not coming back.
03:48Donald's gray eyebrows knitted together,
03:50his eyes clouded with regret.
03:52This operation takes you deep into the heart of the golden tranql,
03:56straight into the hands of the most brutal cartel on the planet.
04:00To earn their trust,
04:02you might be forced into addiction or worse.
04:05Taking this assignment is effectively a death sentence.
04:09I squeezed my eyes shut against the sharp ache in my chest.
04:12My voice remained resolute.
04:14I'm ready.
04:15Both my parents were undercover narcotics officers who died on the border.
04:20I have nothing left to lose.
04:21If it takes my life to bring that cartel down,
04:24then that's a price I'm more than willing to pay.
04:27Donald glanced at the space on my waist where my police badge used to be.
04:31Isn't today the day you were supposed to head to the city hall with Dr. Dockwer?
04:36Don't you want a peaceful life?
04:38The tears finally broke,
04:40spilling over despite my best efforts,
04:43not wanting Donald to see me as weak.
04:45I roughly wiped my face.
04:46I did not explain.
04:48Donald didn't press further.
04:49He simply patted my shoulder heavily,
04:51a silent gesture of respect and farewell.
04:53Someone will be waiting to escort you across the border at 3 tomorrow morning.
04:58If you survive and complete this assignment,
05:02the department will restore your file
05:04and grant you our highest honor.
05:08I saluted in silence and walked out of the headquarters building.
05:12My mind blur.
05:14Just as I was about to leave,
05:16Desmond appeared in front of me.
05:17He was holding the leash of my retired canine partner,
05:21Kale.
05:21His gaze was cold.
05:22His tone completely unyielding.
05:25Kale hasn't stopped barking for days.
05:27It's disturbing Addy's rest.
05:30I was planning to drop it at a shelter in the suburbs,
05:33but since we ran into each other,
05:35it's your problem now.
05:36I stared down at Kale,
05:38a decorated veteran I had raised and trained myself.
05:41A partner who had saved my life more times than I could count.
05:48Five years ago,
05:49when Kale retired,
05:50Desmond had sworn he would treat it like family.
05:54He swore he would never let it suffer.
05:56Now,
05:57just to ensure Addison slept undisturbed,
06:00he was ready to discard an old comrade like trash.
06:04Kale saw me and let out a desperate whine.
06:06It lunged forward,
06:08but Desmond yanked back on its collar so hard the dog began to choke.
06:12Its eyes rolling back,
06:13my heart felt like it was being ripped out of my chest.
06:18Ignoring Desmond,
06:19I crouched down immediately to calm Kale.
06:22Desmond looked down at me,
06:23his voice stern.
06:24Isn't today your big day with Visado?
06:27What the hell are you doing at state police headquarters?
06:31Get in the car.
06:32I'll drive you back.
06:34Aren't you worried Vicente will change his mind?
06:36And dump a junkie like you if you're late for the ceremony?
06:40I stood up slowly,
06:41my expression cold as I brushed the dust off my hands.
06:45I'm not marrying him.
06:47Not anymore.
06:48Desmond let out a sharp, mocking laugh.
06:52I get it.
06:53You're bitter.
06:54You still blame me for choosing to save Addy first?
06:58I also know you came here to file a formal complaint against me.
07:02But look at the facts.
07:05You're an officer who was held by a cartel boss for three days.
07:09God knows what happened to you in there.
07:11With all the rumors flying around the bureau,
07:14how could I ever trust you with real fieldwork again?
07:18Don't worry though,
07:19I picked up the low-level thugs who grabbed you,
07:21and made sure they got sentenced to death.
07:23Consider the debt solved.
07:26Now the fact that Vicente is still willing to marry a woman like you,
07:30mentally unstable,
07:31and potentially diseased,
07:35is more than you deserve.
07:38Don't push your luck.
07:40I looked up at the man I had once admired.
07:43His features were as sharp as ever,
07:46but his heart had turned to stone.
07:48The claims that I was mentally unstable were nothing but a convenient excuse.
07:54Addison as a psychiatrist had filled my evaluation with nothing but slander.
07:58Where were her professional ethics?
08:01A wave of sorrow crashed over me.
08:03There were too many words trapped in my chest.
08:06A weight so heavy I could barely breathe.
08:08In the end,
08:09all that emotion was stripped away,
08:12leaving only two words.
08:15Get out!
08:16My defiance instantly enraged him.
08:19He whipped Kale's leash toward me,
08:21the leather nearly catching me across the face.
08:23Amelia, don't push me.
08:26Vicente and I are like brothers.
08:28He's a good man.
08:31Don't you dare think you can keep him on a leash,
08:35just to use him as a backup plan?
08:38I let out a cold, sharp laugh and chased him away.
08:42Afterward, I led Kale back to the police housing.
08:46My foster father, the former chief,
08:49had been waiting for a long time in the cold wind.
08:52Amy, thank God.
08:54The Docwig family has been looking everywhere for you.
08:57Where have you been?
08:58I didn't hold anything back.
08:59I told him everything,
09:01including my application for the undercover assignment.
09:04The color drained from his face.
09:07His cane clattered against the pavement
09:09as it slipped from his hand.
09:10No!
09:11I won't allow it!
09:13Your parents already gave everything to this life.
09:18I won't stand by
09:19and watch you throw yours away too!
09:22I took a breath and told him everything.
09:25Every word I had overheard outside the forensics lab.
09:28When I finished,
09:29my foster father was shaking with rage.
09:32He gripped his cane,
09:34ready to storm down to the bureau
09:35and demand justice for me.
09:37I threw my arms around his knees,
09:40sinking to the floor.
09:41My tears soaked into the fabric of his trousers.
09:45Dad, please, you have to let me go.
09:48If I marry Vicente,
09:50if I'm forced to live under their thumb
09:52and be sedated every day,
09:53that's not living.
09:55It's a slow death.
09:57Operation Foxhunt
09:58isn't just about settling a score.
10:01It's about finishing what my parents started.
10:04It was their last wish.
10:06Getting away from this place
10:07is the only way I'll ever be free.
10:10Seeing the unwavering resolve in my eyes,
10:13he broke down into bitter tears.
10:15He finally fell silent.
10:17As an old-timer on the force,
10:19he understood that some assignments
10:21were a one-way street.
10:23There was no coming back from them.
10:25When the wedding procession arrived later that day,
10:27there was no fanfare,
10:29no decorations,
10:30just a few black sedans idling at the curb downstairs.
10:33I didn't bother with a wedding dress.
10:35Instead,
10:36I threw on a black hardshell jacket
10:38and walked straight out of the building.
10:39Looking at Vicente's gentle face
10:42felt like a slow twist of a knife.
10:44The pain had long since moved past Sharp.
10:47Now it was just a heavy,
10:49throbbing numbness in my heart.
10:51He was only doing this to keep me on a leash,
10:53to clear a path for Addison.
10:55How could he still stand there
10:57and play the part of the devoted lover?
10:59It was disgusting.
11:01I pulled the prenuptial agreement from my pocket.
11:04I tore it into a dozen pieces
11:06and let the wind scatter them across the pavement.
11:10The wedding is off.
11:12Get out of here.
11:15Vicente's expression hardened instantly.
11:18Dropping the gentleman act,
11:20he closed the distance between us in a few steps.
11:23He clamped his hand around my wrist.
11:26Emi, do you have any idea what you're doing?
11:29I'm the only person in the entire department
11:32who doesn't hold your past against you.
11:34Why the hell are you taking this out on me?
11:38I know you're still in love with Desmond.
11:41But if you truly love someone,
11:44shouldn't you let him be with Addie?
11:46My eyes stung,
11:47but I tilted my head back to look at him.
11:50Every word I spat dripping with venom.
11:53So that's it.
11:55You love her too.
11:57You're throwing your life away on me
12:00just to pave the way for them.
12:02You're taking me in just to make sure
12:04this crazy woman doesn't pest her Desmond
12:06or hurt Addison.
12:10You were planning to keep me sedated
12:12until I was too drugged to resist, weren't you?
12:16A flicker of guilt crossed his eyes,
12:18but he kept up the charade,
12:20even forcing his eyes to redden
12:21as if he were the one betrayed.
12:23Emi, how could you think so little of me?
12:26We grew up together.
12:28Everything I'm doing is for your own good.
12:30The neighbors and colleagues gathered around
12:33began to whisper.
12:34Dr. Doc Ware has done more than enough for her.
12:37Amelia hasn't been right since that operation.
12:40Who else would even consider marrying her?
12:43I heard she came back from that den tainted.
12:46She should be thanking her lucky stars
12:48he's still willing to take her.
12:49My foster father's face flushed with rage
12:51as he raised his hand.
12:53I quickly grabbed his arm and shook my head.
12:56Dad, don't.
12:58Desmond is the captain now,
12:59and the Doc Ware family has too much pull.
13:02We can't win a fight against them.
13:04Addison's the department's golden girl.
13:06Everyone is on her side.
13:07No one will believe us.
13:09They'll just see me as a jealous, unstable woman.
13:12His chest heaved with suppressed anger.
13:15Finally, he let out a heavy, defeated sigh
13:18and turned back toward the house.
13:21Vicenti reached for my hand again,
13:23his voice dropping into that familiar,
13:25hypocritical tone.
13:27Emi, if you're not in the right headspace today,
13:28we can push the date back.
13:31But my promise to you hasn't changed.
13:35Just promise me you won't bother Desmond and Addie anymore.
13:39I jerked my hand away and stared at him
13:41as if he were already dead.
13:43I'm not marrying you,
13:45and I'm never looking for Desmond again.
13:47Not in this lifetime.
13:50Because I'm...
13:52I was seconds away from telling him
13:55I was leaving the country
13:56when Desmond's SUV pulled up.
13:58Addison stepped out,
14:00dressed in a white dress.
14:01She made a show of needing Desmond's help
14:03getting out of the car.
14:04She cast Vicenti a faint, flirtatious look.
14:08A spark flickered in Vicenti's eyes
14:10for a split second before vanishing.
14:13Addison walked over to me,
14:14her eyes already beginning to redden.
14:17Her voice was soft and sounded utterly tender
14:20that it could break people's hearts.
14:22Emmy, why are you still causing a scene?
14:24It's your wedding day.
14:26Why do you have to keep making
14:28Captain Urals and Vic worry about you?
14:31The murmurs around me grew sharper.
14:34She just said she didn't want to marry him,
14:35but the second Captain Urals shows up,
14:37she's standing there stardrock.
14:38How shameless can you get?
14:40Dr. Doc Ware even went out of his way
14:42to pull strings for her medication.
14:44An ungrateful woman like that
14:45belongs back in a holding cell.
14:47When Desmond heard that I had called off the wedding,
14:49his gaze turned icy.
14:51He stepped protectively in front of Addison.
14:54Amelia, I know you look down on Addie
14:56because she's a civilian.
14:58You think she's delicate, don't you?
15:00But let's look at the facts.
15:02How many major cases has she closed
15:04from behind the scenes
15:05using psychological profile?
15:07Her hands are meant for a pen.
15:09They're clean, untainted.
15:11And then there's you.
15:13Ever since that mission,
15:15you've been nothing but bitter
15:16and full of malice.
15:18Now you've even lost
15:19the little loyalty you had left.
15:22How can you even begin
15:23to compare yourself to her?
15:24I felt a sting in my nose
15:26as I sniffled.
15:27The late autumn wind
15:28whipped against my collar,
15:29but it couldn't chill me nearly
15:31as much as the coldness
15:32in my own chest.
15:33To put Addison on a pedestal,
15:35Desmond had gone as far
15:36as handing over half
15:37of my hard-earned career
15:38achievements to her.
15:42Overnight,
15:42I became the crazy woman
15:44of the department.
15:45Addison became
15:46the celebrated genius profiler,
15:48the golden girl of the force.
15:50Suddenly, Addison pointed
15:52at the worn collar
15:53around Kale's neck.
15:54Oh, isn't that
15:56my missing emerald?
15:57How did it end up
15:58set into a dog collar?
16:00My body went rigid.
16:01I stared at Desmond,
16:03my eyes bloodshot and burning.
16:05That emerald?
16:07Wasn't that the retirement gift
16:08you gave Kale back then?
16:09A flicker of guilt
16:10crossed Desmond's eyes.
16:11His voice remained iron cold.
16:13I never gave you
16:14anything like that.
16:15That's Addie's family heirloom.
16:16It went missing
16:17just a few days ago,
16:18so you're the one
16:18who stole it.
16:19The air was suddenly
16:20filled with voices
16:21calling me a thief.
16:23Every word felt like
16:24a bullet through my eardrums.
16:26Ignoring the sharp ache
16:28in my chest,
16:29I reached down
16:30with trembling hands.
16:31I unbuckled Kale's collar
16:33and slammed it
16:34onto the pavement.
16:35The emerald shattered
16:36into broken pieces.
16:38I haven't even set foot
16:39in your office.
16:40How could I have
16:40stolen anything?
16:41A flash of triumph
16:42crossed Addison's face.
16:44She buried herself
16:45in Desmond's arms,
16:46sobbing.
16:48Captain Urist,
16:49a few days ago,
16:50Emmy came to your office
16:50to cause a smeen.
16:51She must have taken it then.
16:54A voice rang out
16:55from the crowd,
16:56sharp with impatience.
16:58Addie,
16:58it's just an emerald.
16:59It's broken.
17:00Let it go.
17:02I'll buy you a better one.
17:04Emmy is still
17:04my deputy lead after all.
17:07Let's not make a scene
17:08in front of her house.
17:09Desmond pulled Addison closer,
17:11his eyes fiercely protective.
17:14He looked at me
17:14as if I were nothing but trash.
17:16Vedante,
17:17since she doesn't know
17:18what's good for her,
17:19consider the wedding off.
17:20Let's get out of here.
17:21Don't lower yourself
17:21to her level.
17:22I called out,
17:23my voice trembling.
17:26Desmond,
17:27we grew up together.
17:29How can you not believe me?
17:30He turned back,
17:31his gaze devoid
17:32of even a trace of warmth.
17:34He leaned in close,
17:36speaking in a low voice
17:37meant only for me.
17:38I want you to understand something.
17:40I don't care how outstanding
17:42you used to be.
17:44In my eyes,
17:45you don't even compare to Addie.
17:47If you keep trying to cling to me,
17:49you'll only disgust me more.
17:51My eyes stung with a bitter ache,
17:53but it felt as though
17:54my tears had already run dry.
17:58My mind drifted back
17:59to our days at the police academy.
18:02Back then,
18:03no matter who tried to bully me,
18:05Desmond would step in front of me
18:06without hesitation.
18:08He would declare
18:09I was under his protection.
18:11After that,
18:12no one dared to even
18:13raise their voice at me.
18:15But now,
18:16just to drive me away,
18:17he was letting the woman
18:18he loved drag my name
18:20through the mud.
18:21He didn't realize
18:22that even if I wanted
18:23to cling to him,
18:24I was out of time,
18:25by sunrise tomorrow,
18:27my identity would cease to exist.
18:29After the crowd dispersed,
18:31Vicenti dismissed
18:32the lingering colleagues
18:33with a wave of his hand.
18:35Seeing my numb expression,
18:37he grabbed my hand,
18:38his voice edged
18:39with impatience.
18:40Emmy,
18:41I'm sorry,
18:42that emerald really
18:42does belong to Addie.
18:44She gave it to me before,
18:45and I just passed it on to you.
18:47But I saw how much
18:48she liked it.
18:49If I hadn't played along,
18:50she would have been
18:51put in an awkward spot
18:52in front of Desmond.
18:53I stared at him,
18:55my face a mask
18:56of indifference.
18:58So you just stood there
18:59and watched them
19:00brand me a thief.
19:01He spoke with the gall
19:02of a man who truly believed
19:03he was in the right.
19:06There were so many people
19:07watching, Emmy.
19:10If I had called her out,
19:12how was Desmond supposed
19:12to save his image?
19:15How could Addison even
19:17stay on the force
19:17after a scandal like that?
19:20Besides,
19:20you're already suspended.
19:22Your reputation
19:23has already taken a hit.
19:24One more accusation
19:25isn't going to change anything.
19:28As long as I know
19:28you're innocent,
19:29that's all that matters.
19:31Once the wedding is over,
19:32I'll take you out of town
19:33for treatment.
19:34We'll start over
19:35on a clean slate.
19:37He was wrong.
19:37I wasn't looking
19:38for a fresh start.
19:40I simply reached the point
19:41where I didn't believe
19:42in humanity anymore.
19:43I slowly pulled my hand
19:45from his grip.
19:46I turned toward the hallway
19:47and shut the rusty
19:48iron door between us.
19:50Vicenti hammered
19:51on the door,
19:52his voice boiling over
19:53with rage.
19:54Emilia!
19:55Don't be so ungrateful!
19:57No one else out there
19:58would touch a crazy woman
20:00like you!
20:01I'll give you one night
20:02to get your head straight.
20:04I'm coming for you
20:05tomorrow morning.
20:07If you're still acting
20:08this stubborn,
20:09don't blame me
20:10for forgetting
20:11we were ever friends.
20:12I leaned against the door,
20:14listening until the sound
20:15of his footsteps
20:16finally faded.
20:17When the silence returned,
20:19my legs gave out.
20:21I slid to the floor,
20:22clutching Kale
20:23and sobbing
20:24until I couldn't breathe.
20:29Kale let out a low whine,
20:31licking the tears
20:32from my face.
20:33Later that night,
20:34I packed my life
20:36into a few small bags.
20:37I tucked the police badge
20:39that represented
20:40my past glory
20:41under my pillow.
20:42Then,
20:43leash in hand,
20:44I walked through
20:45the shadows of the night
20:46with Kale.
20:47When we reached the garage,
20:49I tied Kale's leash
20:50to a pole.
20:51It seemed to sense
20:52what was coming.
20:53It clamped its teeth
20:55onto my trouser leg,
20:56its eyes wide
20:57and pleading.
20:58I knelt,
20:59and with a heart
21:00made of stone,
21:01I slapped it.
21:02It let out
21:03a sharp whimper
21:04and backed away.
21:06Kale,
21:07if you follow me,
21:08you'll die.
21:10Stay here.
21:11At least this way
21:12you live.
21:13I pulled the knot tight
21:15and walked away
21:16without looking back.
21:17Behind me,
21:18Kale let out
21:19a series of
21:19heart-wrenching barks,
21:20each one sounding
21:21like a final goodbye.
21:22I whispered
21:23into the empty night sky,
21:25Amelia reporting to hell.
21:26I can't take it with me.
21:29I just hope
21:30it finds a decent owner.
21:32I stepped
21:33into the waiting van
21:34as the pre-dawn
21:34chill set in a
21:35single tear
21:37burned against
21:37my cheek
21:38for a second
21:38before the wind
21:39turned it to ice.
21:40Desmond,
21:41Vicenti,
21:42the bond we shared
21:43as brothers in arms
21:44died today.
21:45It was all gone.
21:46Burned to nothing.
21:48The next morning,
21:50Kale was found
21:51tied to the pole,
21:52shivering in the cold.
21:53Desmond frowned,
21:54his face twisted
21:55in disgust.
21:56So that crazy woman
21:58actually dumped
21:59the dog here?
22:00Does she really think
22:01she can win me over
22:02with a stunt like this?
22:03He untied the leash
22:05and was about
22:05to chase it away
22:06when Kale spat out
22:07a scrap of chewed up paper.
22:09Desmond pieced it together,
22:11barely making out
22:11a few words.
22:13Undercover suicide mission.
22:15Final farewell.
22:16He let out a cold sneer
22:17and tossed the scraps
22:18into the trash.
22:19Another one of her mind games.
22:21How boring.
22:22I was already
22:23on a transport plane
22:25heading toward the border.
22:26Staring at the clouds
22:27outside the window,
22:29I felt a strange
22:30hollow sense of peace.
22:32Even though Desmond
22:33told himself
22:33he didn't believe
22:34a word of it.
22:35He couldn't shake
22:36the restless feeling
22:37gnawing at his gut.
22:38Without even realizing it,
22:40he got in his car.
22:42He found himself
22:43driving toward
22:44the police housing.
22:45He arrived just in time
22:47to see Vicenti
22:48clutching his ID
22:49and pounding at my door.
22:51Emilia!
22:52Get out now!
22:55Stop playing dead!
22:57Desmond rolled down
22:58his window.
22:59His voice I scold.
23:01Vicenti, give it a rest.
23:04A manipulative woman
23:05like her is probably
23:06hiding somewhere
23:07right now.
23:10Laughing at both of us.
23:14Vicenti looked embarrassed
23:15when he saw Desmond,
23:16but he doubled down
23:18stubbornly.
23:19Captain Urift,
23:20I'm just worried
23:20Emmy might do
23:21something reckless.
23:23She was in a really
23:24bad state yesterday.
23:25Desmond scoffed.
23:26Reckless?
23:27She values her life
23:28more than anyone.
23:30That whole performance
23:31yesterday was just
23:32for our benefit,
23:32wasn't it?
23:33Just as the words
23:34left his mouth,
23:35my foster father
23:36stepped out of the stairwell.
23:37He leaned heavily
23:38on his cane,
23:39his eyes heavy
23:40with disappointment
23:40and grief.
23:41You two should leave.
23:43Emmy is gone.
23:44She sent the dog
23:45away yesterday,
23:46and she's already
23:47on her way
23:48to the border.
23:50Desmond frowned,
23:51his voice dripping
23:52with disbelief.
23:53You're actually
23:54humoring this nonsense?
23:57The border is
23:57no place for her.
23:59In the state she's in,
24:01she can barely
24:01hold a gun steady.
24:04She'd be nothing
24:04but a liability.
24:05My foster father
24:06let out a cold,
24:07hollow snort.
24:08And whose fault is that?
24:10You two drove her
24:11out of this city.
24:12She felt she had
24:13no choice but to
24:14volunteer for that
24:15suicide mission.
24:17She thinks dying
24:18out there is the
24:19only way to clear
24:20her name.
24:21Desmond flinched,
24:22but he quickly
24:23forced a dismissive
24:24smirk.
24:25Undercover?
24:26Her?
24:27Don't be ridiculous.
24:29If she actually
24:31has the guts
24:31to go through
24:32with that,
24:34I'll eat my hat.
24:37He turned
24:38and walked away,
24:40refusing to listen
24:40to another word.
24:42Yet when he returned
24:43to the station
24:44and passed the archives,
24:45he walked in
24:46on an impulse.
24:47He pulled up
24:48my file.
24:49A bold red warning
24:51flashed across
24:51the screen.
24:53Top secret
24:54sealed.
24:55At that moment,
24:56his hands began
24:56to tremble uncontrollably.
24:58He rushed toward
24:59the chief's office.
25:01But the secretary
25:02informed him
25:03that the chief
25:03was already
25:04at a briefing
25:04at state police
25:05headquarters.
25:06He called
25:07Vicenti immediately.
25:09Vicenti,
25:10check Emi's
25:11travel records
25:11now!
25:12Hurry up!
25:13On the other
25:14end of the line,
25:15Vicenti's voice
25:16was shaking.
25:18Desmond,
25:19I was just
25:19about to call you.
25:21Addison is having
25:22morning sickness.
25:23She says the baby
25:24might not make it.
25:26Let's put the stuff
25:27about Emi aside
25:28for a minute.
25:29Addie's in critical
25:30condition.
25:31Desmond froze,
25:33his mind spiraling
25:34into chaos.
25:35On one side
25:36was his childhood
25:37friend,
25:38who might be
25:38walking to her death.
25:40On the other
25:41was his fragile
25:42current partner,
25:43carrying what they
25:44believed was a
25:44fallen comrade's
25:45child.
25:46Finally,
25:47he gritted
25:48his teeth.
25:49Stay with
25:50Addie at the
25:50hospital.
25:51I'm on my way.
25:55As for me,
25:56he convinced
25:57himself it was
25:58just another one
25:59of my desperate
25:59plays for attention.
26:01A sealed file?
26:03Please.
26:04She must have
26:05begged the former
26:05chief to pull
26:06some strings
26:07and fake it.
26:09Six months
26:10later,
26:10big news
26:11came from
26:11the border.
26:12The drug
26:13cartel that
26:14had ruled
26:14the Golden
26:14Triangle
26:15four years
26:16was finally
26:16taken down
26:17in one
26:17major strike.
26:18The success
26:19was all
26:20thanks to
26:20an undercover
26:21officer,
26:22codenamed
26:23003.
26:24This officer
26:25had lived
26:25among the
26:25cartel
26:26and sent
26:26back the
26:27secret data
26:27needed for
26:28the raid.
26:29But during
26:29the final
26:30fight,
26:31003 went
26:32missing,
26:32no one knew
26:33if the officer
26:34was dead
26:34or alive.
26:35While the
26:36rest of the
26:36department
26:37celebrated,
26:38Desmond
26:38and Vicenti
26:39couldn't even
26:40smile.
26:41They were
26:41the only ones
26:42who remembered
26:42that 003
26:43was my old
26:44codename.
26:45During
26:46the victory
26:46party,
26:47Addison
26:47walked in,
26:49leaning on
26:49Desmond's
26:50arm.
26:50She was
26:51heavily
26:51pregnant
26:52now.
26:53Des,
26:53don't worry
26:54so much,
26:54Emmy will
26:55be okay,
26:55she's always
26:56been lucky.
26:57Besides,
26:58our baby
26:58has been
26:59kicking me
27:00all day.
27:01Desmond
27:01looked at
27:02Addison's
27:02belly.
27:03A flicker
27:04of tenderness
27:04crossed his
27:05face,
27:06but it was
27:06mostly buried
27:07under pure
27:08exhaustion.
27:09Over the
27:09last six
27:10months,
27:11he had
27:11dreamed of
27:11me countless
27:12times.
27:12In the
27:13nightmares,
27:14I stood
27:15before him,
27:16covered in
27:16blood,
27:17asking why
27:18he hadn't
27:18saved me.
27:19Every time
27:20he woke
27:20up,
27:21his pillow
27:22was wet
27:22with tears.
27:25Nearby,
27:26Vicenti drank
27:27alone,
27:27his eyes
27:28dark.
27:29He had
27:29known the
27:30truth for
27:30a long
27:31time.
27:31I really
27:32had gone
27:32to the
27:33border,
27:33but he
27:34didn't dare
27:34tell Desmond.
27:36He certainly
27:36couldn't face
27:37Addison.
27:38The truth
27:38was,
27:39the child
27:40Addison
27:40carried
27:40wasn't a
27:41deceased
27:41comrade's
27:42child at
27:42all.
27:43That night,
27:44he had
27:44been drunk
27:45and mistaken
27:46Addison for
27:46me.
27:47If that
27:48secret ever
27:48came out,
27:49all three
27:50of them
27:50would be
27:50finished.
27:51Suddenly,
27:52the doors
27:53swung open,
27:54several
27:54special forces
27:55soldiers in
27:56camouflage
27:56carried in
27:57a stretcher
27:58draped with
27:58a white
27:59sheet.
27:59A single
28:00limp hand
28:00hung off
28:01the side,
28:02tightly clutching
28:03a shattered
28:03police badge.
28:04The entire
28:05hall went
28:06silent.
28:07The glass
28:08in Desmond's
28:08hand hit
28:09the floor
28:09and shattered.
28:10He staggered
28:11forward,
28:12reaching out
28:13to lift
28:13the sheet.
28:14The lead
28:15soldier stepped
28:15in his
28:16way.
28:16Captain
28:17Urens,
28:17I'm sorry
28:18for your
28:18loss.
28:19This is
28:19Deputy
28:20Captain
28:20Saddington.
28:21We found
28:22her in
28:22the dungeon
28:22of the
28:22cartel
28:23stronghold.
28:23Desmond's
28:24legs gave
28:24out,
28:25and he
28:25hit his
28:26knees
28:26beside
28:27the
28:27stretcher.
28:27He
28:28reached
28:28out with
28:29trembling
28:29fingers
28:30and pulled
28:30back a
28:30corner of
28:31the white
28:31sheet.
28:33The face
28:34underneath
28:34was completely
28:35unrecognizable.
28:37Her once
28:37beautiful
28:38features were
28:39a mass of
28:39knife scars
28:40and burn
28:40marks.
28:41Her skin
28:42barely intact.
28:43Only the
28:44old,
28:45familiar scar
28:45on her neck
28:46remained clear.
28:47The one she
28:48had gotten
28:48saving him
28:49from drowning
28:50when they
28:50were children.
28:54Desmond
28:54let out a
28:55gut-wrenching
28:55cry that
28:56echoed
28:56through the
28:57silent
28:57hall.
28:58Addison
28:58turned pale,
29:00clutching her
29:00belly and
29:01backing away
29:01in terror.
29:03Nearby,
29:03the wine
29:04bottle slipped
29:05from Vicenti's
29:05hand as he
29:06collapsed to
29:07the floor,
29:07his eyes
29:08completely
29:09hollow.
29:10Suddenly,
29:11the limp
29:11hand on
29:12the stretcher
29:12twitched.
29:13Desmond
29:14snapped his
29:14head up,
29:15a flash of
29:16desperate hope
29:16in his eyes.
29:19Doctor!
29:20Get a doctor
29:21over here!
29:22She's still
29:22alive!
29:23The military
29:24medic shook
29:24his head,
29:25his voice
29:26heavy with
29:26grief.
29:28Captain
29:28Urence,
29:29it's no
29:29use.
29:30They pumped
29:31her full
29:31of neurotoxins.
29:33Her organs
29:33have already
29:34failed.
29:35She's only
29:36held on this
29:37long by sheer
29:37willpower.
29:39She said she
29:39had something
29:40to tell you.
29:41Desmond
29:41and Vicenti
29:42scrambled
29:43closer,
29:44pressing their
29:44ears to my
29:45lips.
29:47My voice
29:48was a ghost
29:49of a sound,
29:50coming out
29:50in shallow,
29:51broken gasps.
29:53Desmond,
29:54Vincenia,
29:55tell Addison,
29:57the act
29:58is over.
29:59I'll
30:00see you
30:01in hell.
30:02With those
30:02final words,
30:03my hand
30:04went completely
30:05limp.
30:05The eyes
30:06that had
30:06once shone
30:07like stars
30:07were closed
30:08forever.
30:09In the
30:10corner of
30:10the hall,
30:11a man
30:11in a
30:11black trench
30:12coat
30:12watched the
30:13scene
30:13with cold
30:14indifference.
30:15He was
30:15the supreme
30:16commander
30:16of the
30:17operation,
30:18the only
30:18person in
30:19the world
30:19I had
30:20truly trusted,
30:21a top-secret
30:22agent known
30:22only as
30:23Lone Wolf.
30:24He ran a
30:25hand over
30:26the sniper
30:26rifle at
30:27his side,
30:28a dark,
30:29dangerous
30:29smirk
30:30pulling at
30:30his lips.
30:31The real
30:32show has
30:32only just
30:33been bought
30:33in it.
30:35As the
30:35hand fell
30:36limp,
30:36a heavy
30:37silence
30:37filled the
30:38hall,
30:39broken only
30:39by Desmond's
30:40frantic roar.
30:42Where's the
30:42ambulance?
30:43Why isn't
30:44it here yet?
30:45Vicente,
30:45you're a
30:46forensic tech!
30:47Save her!
30:47Do something!
30:49Desmond
30:50pressed down
30:51on my chest
30:51like a
30:52madman,
30:52trying to
30:53start CPR.
30:54His hands,
30:55which had
30:56never wavered
30:57while holding
30:57a gun,
30:58were shaking
30:59so violently
31:00he couldn't
31:00even find
31:01his rhythm.
31:03Vicente
31:04collapsed
31:04beside him,
31:05his trembling
31:06fingers reaching
31:07for my
31:07carotid artery.
31:09Seconds
31:09later,
31:10he pulled
31:10his hand
31:11back as
31:11if he'd
31:12been
31:12electrocuted.
31:13His face
31:14turned white
31:14as a sheet.
31:16No,
31:17there's no
31:18pulse.
31:21Impossible!
31:23Desmond screamed,
31:24his eyes
31:25bloodshot
31:25as he shoved
31:26Vicente aside.
31:29She's too
31:29tough for this!
31:30She wouldn't
31:31just die!
31:33She's doing
31:34this to get
31:34back at me!
31:35She's faking
31:36it!
31:36Just then,
31:38the man in
31:38the black trench
31:39coat stepped
31:39forward from
31:40the shadows.
31:41Jalen Field,
31:42known as
31:42Lone Wolf.
31:43With a face
31:44like stone,
31:45he grabbed
31:45Desmond's wrist,
31:47his grip
31:47tight enough
31:48to crush
31:48bone.
31:49Captain Urge,
31:49that's enough.
31:50Amelia was a
31:51special operative
31:52for national
31:52security.
31:53Her remains
31:54are a classified
31:55state secret.
31:56Your department
31:57has no jurisdiction
31:58here.
31:58He gave a
31:59sharp nod.
32:00Several armed
32:00agents stepped
32:01in, forcibly
32:02dragging Desmond
32:03away.
32:04They lifted
32:04the stretcher
32:05and moved
32:05out, swift
32:06and solemn,
32:07disappearing
32:08into the night.
32:09Let go
32:10of her!
32:11She's mine!
32:13Desmond thrashed
32:14like a wounded
32:14animal.
32:17Jalen stopped
32:18and looked
32:18back with
32:19pure contempt.
32:20He pulled
32:21a folder
32:21from his coat
32:22and slammed
32:22it hard
32:23against Desmond's
32:24chest.
32:24Take a good
32:25look,
32:26Captain Urge
32:26Hans.
32:27This is the
32:28last bit
32:29of intel
32:29she sent
32:29back.
32:30The truth
32:31she bought
32:32with her
32:32life.
32:32The file
32:33burst open,
32:34spilling
32:35photos and
32:35a voice
32:36recorder
32:36across the
32:37floor.
32:37Desmond's
32:38hands shook
32:39as he reached
32:39for the
32:40pictures.
32:40In one,
32:41I was
32:42strapped
32:42to an
32:43electric
32:43chair.
32:44Drenched
32:44in blood,
32:45my jaw
32:45set in
32:46a silent
32:46stubborn
32:47line.
32:48In another,
32:49Addison was
32:50perched on
32:50the drug lord's
32:51lap laughing
32:52as she
32:52counted a
32:53thick stack
32:53of cash.
32:54Then,
32:55the recorder
32:56clicked on
32:56Addison's
32:57voice filled
32:57the room,
32:58sounding
32:59sickeningly
32:59sweet.
33:00Oh,
33:01Amelia is
33:02such a
33:02fool.
33:03I just
33:03play the
33:03victim for
33:04a minute
33:04and Desmond
33:05falls for
33:06it every
33:07time.
33:08Once she's
33:09dead,
33:09I'll be
33:10the captain's
33:10wife for
33:11real.
33:11Desmond went
33:12still,
33:13his mind
33:13a total
33:14blank.
33:15Seeing the
33:15evidence,
33:16Addison shrieked
33:17and lunged
33:18for the
33:18recorder.
33:20It's a lie.
33:21It's all
33:22fake.
33:23Des,
33:24don't believe
33:25a word
33:25of it.
33:27The sound
33:27of the
33:28slap cracked
33:28through the
33:29hall like
33:29a gunshot.
33:31Desmond put
33:31everything he
33:32had into
33:33it,
33:33sending
33:34Addison
33:34spinning to
33:35the floor.
33:36Blood
33:36immediately
33:37began to
33:37leak from
33:38the corner
33:38of her
33:38mouth.
33:39His eyes
33:40were bloodshot
33:40as he
33:41closed in
33:41on her,
33:42his voice
33:42a low,
33:43deathly
33:44growl.
33:45It was
33:45you.
33:47You leaked
33:48the intel.
33:49You're the
33:49reason they
33:50caught her.
33:50You were
33:51the one
33:51crawling at
33:51the feet
33:52of a
33:52drug lord.
33:53Addison
33:53scrambled
33:54back in
33:54terror,
33:55only to
33:56hit
33:56Vicenti's
33:57legs.
33:57She grabbed
33:58onto him
33:59like a
33:59lifeline.
34:00Vic,
34:00help me!
34:01I still
34:02have you!
34:02But Vicenti
34:03kicked her
34:04away like
34:04she was
34:05trash,
34:05his face
34:06a mask
34:06of despair
34:07and self-loathing.
34:08Still acting,
34:09Addison?
34:10He pulled
34:11a crumpled
34:11medical report
34:12from his pocket
34:13and threw
34:13it at her.
34:14I already
34:15found out
34:15the truth.
34:17You drugged
34:18me that
34:18night!
34:18A wave
34:19of shocked
34:20whispers
34:20broke out
34:21across the
34:21room.
34:22Jalen
34:23watched the
34:23pathetic
34:24display with
34:24a cold,
34:25mocking curve
34:26to his
34:26lips.
34:27Amelia
34:27was right.
34:29You people
34:30really are
34:30disgusting.
34:32Move out!
34:33At his
34:33command,
34:34the agents
34:34lifted my
34:35body and
34:36walked away
34:36from that
34:37filthy place
34:37without looking
34:38back.
34:40Behind them,
34:41Desmond
34:42collapsed to
34:43his knees,
34:43his desperate
34:44wails drowned
34:45out by
34:45Addison's
34:46hysterical
34:46screams.
34:47Two years
34:48later,
34:49the air in
34:50the Chicago
34:50PD's
34:51criminal
34:51investigation
34:52division was
34:53so thick
34:53it was
34:54suffocating.
34:55Desmond
34:55was unshaven,
34:56his eyes
34:57sunken and
34:58hollow.
34:58The sharp,
34:59confident edge
35:00he once carried
35:01had long since
35:02vanished.
35:03For two years,
35:04he had lived
35:05like a madman.
35:06Every spare
35:07moment was
35:08spent at the
35:08border,
35:09hunting for
35:09any scrap
35:10of proof that
35:11I might still
35:11be alive.
35:12Even though
35:13the ashes
35:14Jalen sent
35:14back were
35:15already buried
35:16in the
35:16martyr's
35:16cemetery,
35:17he simply
35:18refused to
35:19believe I
35:19was gone.
35:22Captain
35:22Urich,
35:23order just
35:24came in from
35:25state police
35:25headquarters.
35:26A young
35:27trainee handed
35:27him a file,
35:29his hands
35:29shaking slightly.
35:31Interpol is
35:31sending a
35:32special commissioner
35:32to help us
35:33with the
35:33recent cross-border
35:34trafficking case.
35:35Word is,
35:36this commissioner
35:36is the
35:37reaper,
35:37the one
35:38everyone in
35:38the golden
35:39triangle is
35:39terrified of.
35:40Desmond
35:41rubbed his
35:41tired brow
35:42and took
35:42the file.
35:44Got it,
35:45prepare a
35:45meeting room.
35:46His heart
35:46had died
35:47two years
35:47ago,
35:48buried
35:48right alongside
35:49those ashes
35:50at the
35:50funeral.
35:52Half an
35:53hour later,
35:54the conference
35:54room door
35:55swung open.
35:56The sharp,
35:57rhythmic click
35:57of high heels
35:58echoed through
35:59the room,
35:59bringing with
36:00it a cold,
36:01lethal energy.
36:02Allow me
36:02to introduce
36:03myself.
36:05I'm Catherine
36:06Barnard,
36:06the special
36:07commissioner
36:07from Interpol.
36:08The familiar
36:09voice hit
36:10Desmond and
36:11Vicente
36:11like a
36:11physical blow.
36:12They both
36:13snapped their
36:13heads up
36:14at once.
36:15Standing
36:15before them
36:15was a face
36:16that was as
36:17delicate and
36:17stunning as
36:18it was icy.
36:19She wore a
36:19tailored black
36:20trench coat,
36:21her blonde
36:21waves falling
36:22over her
36:23shoulders.
36:23Her lips
36:24a bold,
36:25fiery red.
36:26Her presence
36:27overwhelming.
36:27It was
36:28unmistakably the
36:29face of
36:29Amelia,
36:30the woman who
36:31had been
36:31dead for two
36:32years,
36:32but the light
36:33in her eyes
36:33had changed
36:34the steady,
36:35earnest look
36:35she once had
36:36was gone,
36:37replaced by a
36:38cold mockery and
36:39an indifference
36:39born from someone
36:40who had seen it
36:41all and survived.
36:42The pen in
36:43Desmond's hand
36:43snapped in two
36:44with a sharp
36:45crack.
36:45He surged to
36:46his feet so
36:47quickly that
36:47his chair
36:48slammed into
36:48the floor
36:49behind him.
36:50Emmy?
36:50Is that you?
36:51You're alive?
36:52He stumbled
36:53toward her,
36:54reaching for
36:54her hand,
36:55but a firm,
36:56powerful grip
36:57blocked his
36:58way.
36:59Jalen,
36:59dressed in a
37:00sharp,
37:01tailored suit,
37:02stood between
37:03them with a
37:03faint,
37:04mocking smile.
37:05He casually
37:06slipped an arm
37:06around the
37:07woman's waist.
37:08Captain
37:08Urest,
37:09show some
37:10respect.
37:12This is my
37:12fiancée and
37:14your commanding
37:15officer for
37:15this mission,
37:17Catherine.
37:19I casually
37:20removed my
37:21sunglasses to
37:22reveal eyes that
37:22were completely
37:23composed.
37:23I looked at
37:24Desmond with a
37:25flick of contempt,
37:26as if glancing at
37:27a stray dog by
37:28the side of the
37:28road.
37:29Captain Urent,
37:30I believe you
37:31have me mistaken
37:31for someone else.
37:33That fool,
37:33Amelia,
37:34died two years
37:35ago.
37:35Driven to her
37:36death by your
37:36own hands,
37:37wasn't she?
37:38Beside him,
37:39Vicente stumbled
37:40forward,
37:40his eyes
37:41bloodshot.
37:41Emi,
37:42it really is
37:42you.
37:43I knew you
37:43hadn't died.
37:44That scar on
37:44your neck-
37:45I let a thin
37:45smile curl my
37:46lips as my
37:47fingers brushed
37:48the side of
37:48my neck.
37:49The skin was
37:50as smooth as
37:50silk.
37:51The scar had
37:52been surgically
37:53removed long
37:53ago.
37:54Mr.
37:54Daxue,
37:55if your eyesight
37:55is failing you,
37:56I suggest
37:56seeing an
37:57ophthalmologist.
37:58We are here
37:58discuss the
37:59case.
37:59If all you
37:59can offer
38:00is personal
38:00sentiment,
38:01then I
38:01don't think
38:01you deserve
38:02to be an
38:02officer anymore.
38:03My voice was
38:04as cold as
38:04ice,
38:05every word
38:05cutting through
38:06the room.
38:07Just then,
38:07the conference
38:08room door
38:09swung open
38:09again.
38:10A large
38:11German
38:11shepherd rushed
38:12in.
38:13It was
38:14Kale.
38:14It had
38:15aged
38:15significantly,
38:16and its
38:17coat had
38:17lost the
38:18luster it
38:18once had.
38:19Desmond
38:20lunged at
38:20this final
38:21straw,
38:22pointing at
38:22the dog
38:23and shouting,
38:24Kale is
38:24your dog!
38:25He'll
38:25recognize
38:26you!
38:26Dogs
38:27don't
38:27lie!
38:29When
38:30Kale saw
38:31me,
38:31it let
38:32out an
38:32excited
38:32whine,
38:33it moved
38:34to pounce.
38:35Every eye
38:35in the
38:36room fixed
38:36on the
38:37animal,
38:37a spark
38:38of hope
38:38ignited in
38:39Desmond's
38:39eyes.
38:40Kale charged
38:41toward me,
38:42its tail
38:42wagging like
38:43a propeller.
38:44Seeing that
38:45familiar expression
38:46made my heart
38:46skip a beat.
38:47But I kept
38:48my face a
38:49mask of
38:49indifference.
38:50The moment
38:51it went to
38:51leap at me,
38:52I stepped
38:52aside.
38:53My gaze
38:54sharpened
38:54instantly as
38:55I drew
38:55my sidearm.
38:56I leveled
38:57the barrel
38:57directly between
38:58its eyes.
38:59Where did
39:00this stray
39:00come from?
39:01What
39:01happened
39:01to
39:01security?
39:02One more
39:03step and
39:04I'll shoot
39:04it to
39:04death.
39:04As if
39:05sensing the
39:06cold lethality
39:07radiating from
39:07me,
39:08Kale slammed
39:09on the
39:09brakes.
39:10It skidded to
39:11a halt half
39:12a meter away.
39:13It tilted
39:14its head in
39:14confusion,
39:15a pitiful
39:16whine caught
39:16in its
39:17throat.
39:17But it
39:18didn't dare
39:18move any
39:19closer.
39:20It could
39:20still catch
39:21my scent,
39:21but it was
39:22now buried
39:22under the
39:23stench of
39:23gunpowder and
39:24years spent
39:25in the
39:25line of
39:25fire.
39:26The vibe
39:27of the
39:27gentle
39:27owner it
39:28once knew
39:28was gone.
39:29The light
39:30in Desmond's
39:30eyes vanished.
39:31He stared
39:32at me in
39:32disbelief.
39:35You would
39:35really kill
39:36it?
39:36This is
39:37Kale.
39:37You used
39:38to scrimp
39:38and save
39:38just to buy
39:39the best
39:39food for
39:40it.
39:40You nearly
39:40got hit
39:41by a car
39:41trying to
39:42save its
39:42life.
39:42I coldly
39:43holstered
39:43my gun,
39:44cutting off
39:44his sentimental
39:45rant.
39:46Captain
39:46Eurbert,
39:46I've told
39:47you don't
39:47know any
39:47Kale.
39:48In my
39:48world,
39:49any
39:49unpredictable
39:50variable
39:50is a
39:50threat.
39:51I turned
39:51toward
39:51Jalen,
39:52my voice
39:53softening.
39:54Jay,
39:55let's get
39:56the meeting
39:56started.
39:57I don't
39:57want to
39:57waste any
39:58more time
39:58on irrelevant
39:59people or
39:59their drama.
40:00In front
40:00of everyone,
40:01Jalen
40:02affectionately
40:02ruffled my
40:03hair.
40:03He pressed
40:04a kiss
40:04to my
40:05forehead.
40:05Of course,
40:06whatever you
40:06say.
40:07The rest
40:07of the
40:08meeting was
40:08nothing short
40:09of torture
40:09for Desmond
40:10and Vicenti.
40:11I laid
40:12out the
40:12operation
40:12plan with
40:13ruthless
40:13efficiency.
40:15Every order
40:15was precise
40:16and calculated,
40:17completely
40:18overshadowing
40:19Desmond,
40:20the supposed
40:20team leader.
40:21They watched
40:22me speak
40:22with such
40:23confidence.
40:24A wave
40:25of familiarity
40:25and strangeness
40:27washing over
40:27them.
40:28The little
40:28girl who
40:29used to
40:29follow them
40:30around,
40:31meekly
40:31calling them
40:32Day and
40:32Vic.
40:32She really
40:33had died
40:34that winter.
40:36After the
40:37meeting,
40:37I stood up
40:38to leave.
40:39Desmond
40:39blocked the
40:40door in
40:40desperation.
40:41His eyes
40:42bloodshot
40:42and his
40:43voice
40:43rasping.
40:44Amy,
40:44I went
40:45back through
40:45the old
40:46files.
40:46I know
40:47you took
40:47that undercover
40:48mission just
40:48to get away
40:49from us.
40:50These last
40:51two years,
40:51I've lived
40:52in regret
40:52every single
40:53day.
40:54I've been
40:55to countless
40:55therapy sessions
40:56because every
40:57time I close
40:57my eyes,
40:58I see you
40:58covered in
40:59blood.
41:00Adeline is
41:01in prison,
41:01and Vicento
41:02has gotten
41:03what he
41:03deserved.
41:05Can you
41:06give me a
41:06chance to
41:06make things
41:07right?
41:07He reached
41:08out humbly,
41:09catching the
41:09hem of my
41:10coat.
41:11Even if you
41:11never forgive
41:12me, just
41:13let me watch
41:14over you
41:14from a
41:15distance.
41:15I stopped
41:16and turned.
41:17I looked
41:18down at the
41:18man I had
41:19once loved
41:19with all
41:20my heart.
41:21Now, he
41:22was just a
41:22pathetic loser.
41:24A cruel
41:24smile tugged
41:25at my
41:25lips.
41:26Make
41:26amends?
41:27Desmond, love
41:29that comes
41:29this late is
41:30worth less
41:30than the dirt
41:31under my
41:31shoes.
41:33When I was
41:33being injected
41:34with hallucinatics
41:35in that dungeon,
41:36in so much
41:38pain I wanted
41:38to bash my
41:39head against
41:40the wall
41:40to end it,
41:41you were
41:42taking Addison
41:43to her prenatal
41:44checkups when
41:45I was being
41:45stepped on by
41:46a drug lord,
41:47my ribs breaking
41:48as I defended
41:49the dignity
41:50of my badge.
41:50You were
41:51celebrating
41:51Addison's
41:52birthday!
41:55And now
41:56you want to
41:56talk about
41:56making amends?
41:59I crowded
42:00into his
42:00space,
42:01step by
42:02step.
42:02My gaze
42:03was sharp.
42:04You want
42:04to atone?
42:06Fine.
42:07Then die.
42:10The only
42:11way I'll
42:11ever believe
42:12you're sorry
42:12is if you're
42:13dead.
42:14Desmond
42:15staggered,
42:15his face
42:16turning ashen
42:17as the life
42:17seemed to
42:18drain right
42:18out of him.
42:19I didn't
42:20give him
42:20another glance,
42:21slipping my
42:22arm through
42:22Jalen's.
42:23I strode
42:24out of the
42:24police station.
42:25Outside,
42:26the sunlight
42:27was blinding.
42:28Jalen
42:28opened the
42:29car door
42:29for me.
42:31Did your
42:32heart soften
42:32just now?
42:33I stared
42:34at the
42:34figure kneeling
42:35and weeping
42:36in the
42:36rearview mirror.
42:37I shook
42:38my head
42:38gently.
42:40My heart
42:40died a long
42:41time ago.
42:43There is
42:44nothing left
42:44to soften.
42:45Let's go
42:46Jay.
42:46We still
42:47have missions
42:47waiting for
42:48us at the
42:48border.
42:49The car
42:50roared to
42:50life and
42:51sped away.
42:51A week
42:52later,
42:53during an
42:53arrest,
42:54Desmond
42:54threw himself
42:55recklessly
42:56in front of
42:56a rookie
42:57officer to
42:57protect them.
42:58He was
42:58shot five
42:59times and
42:59died on
43:00the spot.
43:00When his
43:01belongings were
43:02sorted,
43:02a blood-soaked
43:03photograph was
43:04found in his
43:04pocket.
43:05The only
43:05picture of
43:06him and
43:06me,
43:07taken on
43:07the day
43:08we graduated
43:08from the
43:09police academy.
43:10As for
43:10Vicenti,
43:11he never
43:12married.
43:12He stayed
43:13in that
43:13empty
43:14dormitory
43:14courtyard
43:15with the
43:15aging
43:15Kale,
43:16living out
43:17the rest
43:17of his
43:18days in
43:18a haze
43:19of madness.
43:20But none
43:20of that
43:21mattered to
43:21me anymore.
43:22I was
43:23Catherine,
43:24and I was
43:25Amelia,
43:25who had
43:26been reborn.
43:26born.
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