Undercover

Chapter 1 Undercover

MABEL'S POV

"You want me to do what?"

Director Sterling leaned back in his chair as he pinched the bridge of his nose like a man who regretted every life choice that led him to this moment. "Go home, Carter. Get some sleep. Come back when you’re not high on self righteous insanity."

I crossed my arms. "I’m not high on anything. This is a solid plan."

"This is suicide," he snapped. "You want to go undercover alone without backup into the den of a man who has left a trail of bodies in his wake? Are you nut?!"

"Yes, I want to do this," I said simply. “And no. I'm perfectly sane."

Sterling exhaled sharply. He shook his head. "You don’t get it, do you? Nikolai Vadim isn’t just some thug with an inflated ego. He’s a ghost. A phantom. We have nothing on him except whispers and you think you can waltz in and take him down? You should know better, Carter."

I leaned forward and banged a fist on his desk. "I’ve been hunting him for two years. Two years, sir. I know his movements, his allies, his goddamn favorite drink. Every time we get close he manages to slip away. This is our chance."

"No, Carter. This is your vendetta. This is personal."

I didn’t flinch. He was right. This wasn’t just about the case. It was about proving that justice existed in a world that kept spitting in my face. It was about making sure Nikolai Vadim finally paid for every crime. For every drop of blood he had spilled. Men like him needed to be put away for good.

Sterling sighed and then rubbed his temples. "If you do this then you know you’re on your own. No backup, no resources. If you get caught then you don’t exist."

"I never expected anything else," I said, smiling inwardly.

A week later I didn’t exist. At least not as Mabel Carter. Now, I was Raven.

I had spent the last seven days working my way into Nikolai’s world by gaining the trust of his small inner circle, nodding at the right moments and playing the perfect soldier. He had noticed me even though I hadn't seen the man yet. He always noticed everything but he hadn’t let me in yet. But that was going to change tonight.

Jayn and I sat in a sleek black car talking as we waited for orders. Jayn who was my supposed partner in crime tapped her fingers on the wheel and smirked. "You think we’ll ever get Musk-level rich?"

I snorted. "What? so we can build a rocket and escape this dumpster fire of a planet?"

"Exactly," she said grinning. "Or at least buy a private island where no one can shoot at us."

"Tempting," I admitted. "But if I had that kind of money I’d buy every single company that makes pineapple pizza and shut them down."

Jayn gasped. "You’re a monster."

"Says the woman who thinks ketchup belongs on eggs," I raised a brow.

She groaned. "Why do you hate joy?"

I smirked but said nothing. Jayn was good. Too good. I wondered why she chose this life. She could easily make it doing other legal jobs.

She trusted me too much and that made me feel like the lowest form of scum on the planet. She didn’t know I was here to bring down the man we worked for. She thought we were in this together. I wish things were different, I thought. We could have been besties.

A buzz on my burner phone ended our banter. It was a message from Nikolai.

Warehouse 47. Secure it. Expect trouble…

Jayn read over my shoulder. "Sounds easy enough."

"That’s what people say before they get stabbed in the face," I muttered.

We drove through the city in silence. It was as if we slipped through the streets like ghosts. The warehouse was in front of us; dark and quiet. Too quiet.

We entered and met the advance team there. The captain only let us in after Jayn gave him the passcode.

Jayn knew some of the men there and she busied herself having small talk with them. I couldn't shake off the feeling that something was wrong. I could feel it in my bones.

"Something’s off," I said.

Jayn tilted her head. "You sure? Everything looks fine to me."

I opened my mouth to argue but then the world exploded.

The blast threw me back and my ears rang like a fire truck crashing. Hot flames erupted everywhere. Metal groaned as flames licked the walls. I hit the ground hard as pain shot through my ribs. Everything felt broken and I forgot how to breathe. Through the smoke I saw masked figures emerging with their guns raised.

"Jayn!" I screamed while scrambling to my feet. “Jayn." I couldn't hear the sound of my voice. Everything around me was muffled.

She was there pulling me up as she shoved a gun into my hand. "We need to move! Raven move!"

Bullets ripped through the air. I ducked behind a stack of crates. My mind raced as agonizing screams filled the air. I hadn’t killed yet. I had sworn I wouldn’t. But they were closing in.

Jayn fired back. She was fearless as ever. Jayn would have made a great cop if she had chosen a different path. Her aim was off but she had the balls alright. But there were too many of them. And then—

A single shot.

Jayn stumbled.

I caught her as she fell. I applied pressure immediately on the spot, my hands pressing against the growing stain on her chest. "No, no, no—"

She gasped for air and her eyes went wide. "Raven…"

I shook my head. "Don’t talk. You’re fine. You’re going to be fine."

She smiled weakly. "Liar."

"I promise.” I said, trying to hold back the tears. The lump in my throat felt like a giant fist. “You're going to be fine."

“Raven—" Her breath was coming out in short bursts. I pressed down harder on the wound.

“Yeah?" My voice was a croak.

“Give them hell." She smiled.

Then she was gone.

I held onto her lifeless body for a moment. I could see her sitting down besides me in the car talking about what she would do with Musk-level money. Something in me snapped.

I didn’t think. I moved. My first shot dropped the man who had killed her and the second took out another. I didn’t stop. I fired until my gun clicked empty. I didn't stop until my hands were slick with sweat and my pulse throbbed in my veins.

Then there was silence.

I turned around expecting death. I prayed for it to be quick. A lucky shot to the head would do.

Instead I saw him.

Nikolai Vadim.

He stepped through the wreckage like he owned the world and everything in it. His men surrounded him and it made him look like a god among mortals. His sharp blue eyes scanned the scene around him before looking at me.

He smirked.

"Impressive," he said.

I didn’t respond. I couldn’t. My whole body was locked in grief and rage. The pain of the explosion tore through me instantly.

He looked towards Jayn’s lifeless body resting beside me and tilted his head. "A shame about Jayn. She was useful."

I gripped my gun tighter. If I had a bullet left I would have put it between his eyes. He wasn't sorry. It was his fucking fault!

Nikolai chuckled. "You’re angry. Good. Anger makes people strong." He stepped closer with his gaze dark and unreadable. "Congratulations, Raven. You’ve just been promoted."

I breathed through clenched teeth and my heart hammered.

Nikolai Vadim had just made me his right hand. A big mistake on his part.

And he had no idea that I planned to destroy him.