Cleia's POV

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In the living room, everyone was doing their own thing. Elianna was curled up on the couch with a book, her brow furrowed in concentration. Jaeala was sprawled out on the floor, earbuds in, bobbing her head to some music. Faye was flipping through a magazine, occasionally showing us pictures and asking for opinions on fashion trends. Tarah was on the phone, speaking in hushed tones, likely checking in with her family.

As for me, I was glued to my laptop, eating a bowl of macaroni salad beside me. I was gathering all the information I could find about Janissa Valdez. The more we knew about her, the better prepared we would be for whatever came next.

"Cleia, you're going to burn out if you don't take a break," Elianna said, glancing up from her book. "You've been at that for hours."

"I know," I replied, not taking my eyes off the screen. "But this is important. I did find a few aliases and some connections to various criminal organizations. It's a start."

Jaeala got up and walked over to me, peering over my shoulder at the laptop screen. "Is that her?" she asked, pointing to a grainy photo.

"Yeah, that's her," I said. "She uses different names and disguises, but this is the most recent image we have."

"She looks...intense," Jaeala said, shuddering slightly. "How do we know she's coming after us?"

"We don't," I replied. "But we can't take any chances. We need to be prepared for anything."

The doorbell rang, interrupting our conversation. Elianna got up to answer it and returned with a delivery guy holding a large box.

"What's that?" Faye asked, curiosity piqued.

"It's from the agency," Elianna said, taking the box from the agent. "They said they were sending us some new equipment."

We gathered around as Elianna opened the box, revealing a set of sleek, high-tech gadgets. There were new earpieces, cameras, and a couple of advanced hacking tools.

"These are awesome!" Jaeala exclaimed, picking up one of the earpieces. "I can't wait to try them out."

"They'll definitely come in handy," I said, already thinking about how we could use the new equipment in our surveillance.

As we inspected the gadgets, my laptop pinged, indicating a new piece of information had been found. I quickly turned my attention back to the screen.

"Guys, I found something," I said, my voice tense with excitement. "Janissa is scheduled to meet someone at a warehouse tonight. It's in the city, not far from here."

"Do you think it's a setup?" Faye asked, her brow furrowed with worry.

"Maybe," I said. "But it's our best lead so far. We need to check it out."

Elianna nodded. "Agreed. We should head to the headquarters now."

We quickly packed up our new equipment and headed out, the earlier calm replaced by a renewed sense of urgency. The drive to the headquarters was filled with a mix of anticipation and anxiety. This was our chance to get ahead of Janissa and potentially uncover more about her plans.

It was 7:00 PM when we arrived at the headquarters. Every person we passed greeted us and bows.

We walked briskly through the hallways, our footsteps echoing off the walls. As we reached the main office, the doors swung open to reveal Madame A and Director Anderson waiting for us.

"Good evening, agents," Madame A greeted us with a warm smile. "Congratulations on a mission well executed."

"Thank you, Madame A," I replied, standing a little taller.

Director Anderson nodded in agreement. "Indeed. We're very proud of your quick thinking and bravery. Now, did you receive the new equipment we sent?"

"Yes, Director", Jaeala answered.

"Excellent," he said, his tone shifting from pride to seriousness. "We have a new mission for you."

Madame A's demeanor changed as well, becoming more intense and focused. She handed out folders to each of us, her eyes locking with ours as she did. "These are your new assignments. You need to protect them at all costs."

I opened the folder, my eyes widening as I scanned the contents.

"The Stellaris Royalties," I muttered, hardly believing what I was reading. "We're assigned to protect them?"

Madame A nodded. "Yes. Each of you will be responsible for one of the Stellaris Royalties."

We all exchanged looks of surprise and determination. The Stellaris Royalties were some of the most influential and high-profile individuals in our world.

We gathered around a table and opened our folders. Each file contained detailed information about our assigned subject.

As we take a look at their information, Madame A watched us with a keen eye. "These individuals are so important; You must protect them with your lives if necessary."

"Understood, Madame A," I said, feeling the weight of the responsibility settled on my shoulders.

Director Anderson stepped forward. "You will be integrating into their lives discreetly. Your covers are already set, and you'll be briefed on the specifics in a moment. Remember, your primary objective is their safety."

"Yes, sir," we all responded.

"Remember," Director Anderson said, "this mission requires utmost discretion. Any slip-up could have severe consequences."

"We understand," I replied. "We’ll be careful."

"Good," Madame A said. "You’re dismissed. Good luck, agents."

As we left the office, I felt a sense of unity and purpose. We were not just a team; we were a family. And together, we would protect the Stellaris Royalties and ensure their safety.

We arrived at the warehouse, parking a safe distance away. The building was old and decrepit, a perfect spot for clandestine meetings. We split up, each taking our designated positions around the perimeter.

"All in position," Jaeala's voice came through the earpiece.

"Copy that," I replied. "Eyes on Janissa. Let’s see who she’s meeting."

A few minutes later, Janissa arrived. She was tense, constantly looking over her shoulder. Moments later, a man emerged from the shadows. He was tall, muscular, and had an air of authority about him.

"They're talking," Faye whispered. "Trying to get a read on what they’re discussing."

I strained to catch snippets of their conversation.

"...shipment needs to go through without issues," the man was saying. "Our entire operation depends on it."

"Everything is under control," Janissa replied, her voice cold and confident.

As they continued talking, I noticed movement at the far end of the warehouse. More men were arriving, armed and ready for trouble.

"We’ve got company," I whispered. "Looks like they brought backup."

"Do we engage?" Elianna asked.

"Not yet," I replied. "Let’s see how this plays out."

The man raised his voice, clearly angry. "I don’t trust you, Janissa. You’ve failed us before. Why should this time be any different?"

Janissa’s eyes flashed with anger. "Because this time, I have the upper hand. And if you don’t cooperate, you’ll regret it."

The tension was palpable. I could see the men shifting uneasily, their hands inching towards their weapons. We were moments away from an all-out fight.

"Get ready," I whispered to the team. "If this goes south, we need to be prepared."

"Get ready," I whispered to the team. "If this goes south, we need to be prepared."

Suddenly, one of the men lunged at Janissa, and all hell broke loose. The warehouse erupted into chaos as guns were drawn and shots were fired.

"Engage!" I shouted, drawing my weapon and diving for cover.

The next few minutes were a blur of gunfire and shouts. I moved swiftly, taking down one of the armed men with a well-aimed shot. Beside me, Elianna was a whirlwind of precision, her movements fluid and deadly.

"On your left!" Jaeala called out, and I turned just in time to see another attacker. I dispatched him quickly, adrenaline pumping through my veins.

"Faye, how are you holding up?" I asked, glancing over to see her locked in combat with one of the larger men.

"I’ve got this," she grunted, flipping her opponent over her shoulder with a swift move.

In the midst of the chaos, I caught sight of Janissa slipping away. "Janissa’s getting away!" I shouted.

Tarah sprinted after her, but she was too late. Janissa disappeared into the shadows, leaving us to deal with her remaining men.

"Shit, she’s gone," Tarah cursed, returning to the fray.

As we fought off the remaining attackers, I felt a sharp prick in my neck. I turned to see a man with a syringe, his face twisted in a sneer. "What the—"

I swung my fist, knocking him out, but I could already feel the effects of whatever he had injected into me. My vision blurred, but I kept fighting, determined not to go down without a fight.

"Cleia, are you okay?" Jaeala’s voice sounded distant, but I could still hear the concern.

"I’m fine," I lied, pushing through the dizziness. "Just finish this."

We fought hard, taking down Janissa’s men one by one. Finally, Delta arrived, who quickly secured the area and apprehended the remaining attackers.

As we began to leave the warehouse, I felt a wave of weakness wash over me. Tarah noticed immediately. "Cleia, you’re pale. What’s wrong?"

"I’m fine," I insisted, but my legs felt like jelly. "Just a bit dizzy."

"You're not fine," Jaeala said firmly. "We’re getting you to a hospital."

"No," I protested weakly. "Just take me home. I’ll be okay."

"Not a chance," Jaeala replied. "We’re calling a doctor from the agency."

Before I could argue, she was already on her phone, speaking rapidly. "We need a doctor at Cleia’s apartment, stat. She’s been injected with something, we don’t know what."

Minutes later, we were back at my apartment. The doctor arrived quickly, a no-nonsense woman who immediately started examining me.

"She’s been injected with a drug that’s attacking her red blood cells," the doctor explained, her tone professional but urgent. "We need to neutralize it fast."

She administered an antidote, and I felt a cool sensation spread through my veins. Slowly, the dizziness began to fade.

"Thank you," I murmured, feeling exhausted but relieved.

"You need to rest and drink your meds," the doctor said firmly. "This isn’t something to take lightly."

"I’ll be fine," I insisted, but Jaeala gave me a stern look.

"Shut up," she said. "You’re resting, and that’s final."

As I lay back, I couldn’t help but feel frustrated. Janissa had slipped through our fingers, and now I was sidelined. But at least we managed to take down her men and gather information.

"We’ll get her next time," Tarah said quietly, as if reading my thoughts.

"Yeah," I replied, my voice filled with determination. "We will."

As I drifted off to sleep, I knew that this was just the beginning. The fight was far from over, and next time, we’d be ready.

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