Ricardo's beat-up sedan sputtered, then died, leaving them stranded in the inky blackness of the Nevada desert. "Damn it," Ricardo muttered, already fumbling with the hood. Mike, ever the pragmatist, chimed in, "Someone's getting close. I noticed it at every gas station – I planted trackers, but they were finding us."
Before Ricardo could fully react, a bullet ripped through the night air, heading straight for Mike's head. With impossible speed, Kaito hurled a kunai, slicing the bullet cleanly in half. Several figures emerged from the darkness, men in impeccably tailored suits.
"Ese," Ricardo said, his voice low, "those suits look awfully familiar. FBI?"
Dimitri's eyes narrowed. "Maybe. But we're outgunned."
Mike grinned, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Not quite. Think of this as my little 'insurance policy.'" He unbuttoned his jacket, revealing a series of sleek, high-tech weapons strapped to his chest – lightweight, compact, but deadly.
"Not bad, Mike," Kaito conceded, drawing his own kunai. "But let's make this quick."
The ensuing firefight was a blur of motion. Before Dimitri and the others could even fully react, a series of precise headshots rang out, eliminating the FBI agents with terrifying efficiency. The shots were so quick, so accurate, it was as if the attackers were ghosts.
Once the threat was neutralized, Mike let out a relieved breath. "Phew, that was close!"
Dimitri surveyed the scene. "Another problem solved," he said, his tone still grim.
Then, Ricardo pointed towards a figure emerging from the shadows. A striking woman, her features sharp and elegant, her aura both alluring and dangerous, stood silhouetted against the desert night. She was dressed in practical, yet stylish combat gear, a karambit strapped to her thigh.
"Ese," Ricardo said, a hint of awe in his voice. "Who's the…chick?"
Mike whistled. "Wow, she's gorgeous."
Kaito nodded in agreement. "Yeah, she is."
Dimitri, however, remained unmoved. "Amelia," he said, his voice flat. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh, why am I here? Well, I was on a mission, but it seems we met by accident," Amelia said, her voice laced with a seductive purr as she walked towards Dimitri.
"Hey, ese, you know her?" Ricardo asked.
"Yeah, she's a childhood friend," Dimitri replied, his tone flat.
"Aw, come on, don't be like that. I'm his girlfriend," Amelia said, smiling sweetly, her hand resting on Dimitri's arm.
"Really, ese?" Ricardo exclaimed.
"Lucky," Mike added, grinning.
"Wow," Kaito breathed.
"No, no, she's not my girlfriend," Dimitri clarified, his voice firm.
"Guess I still haven't won you over, huh?" Amelia teased, her other hand now playfully resting on Dimitri's chest.
"Won me over?" Mike chuckled. "She's been doing that since we were kids. Always getting under my skin. Every guy falls for her," Dimitri finished, a hint of exasperation in his voice.
"But you didn't," Amelia countered, her eyes sparkling. "You just acted like you didn't care. I even showed you my panties as a kid, but you didn't seem unfazed. Even when I tricked you, hurt you, or laughed at you—you didn't care, and you kept going. So I knew you were the one," she finished, her voice soft, nuzzling her head against his arm.
"Let go," Dimitri muttered, pushing her arm away gently but firmly.
"Lucky," Mike and Kaito said in unison.
"Anyway," Ricardo interrupted, "before we continue your reunion, we need to move. Mike, you think you can fix the FBI's car, remove all the trackers and stuff?"
"Understood," Mike replied, already heading towards the disabled vehicle.
"And you, Kaito," Ricardo continued, "scout the area. See if anyone else is coming."
Kaito nodded and disappeared into the darkness.
After a while, they were gathered around the repaired car. "Hehe, this car is a beauty," Ricardo commented.
"So, Dimitri," Ricardo continued, "what are you doing here with these people?"
"The Red Case," Dimitri said, his voice low. "I finally have a lead."
Amelia's eyes widened. She remembered that as children, both their parents had been detectives, and the one case that had haunted them both was the Red Case: Unsolved. The case that could change everything.
"So that's why you're here, then. What about these guys?" Amelia asked, still clinging to Dimitri's arm.
"Let go," Dimitri repeated, his voice firm. Amelia pouted cutely.
"I'm gathering people," Dimitri explained.
"Gathering? Then pick me! I promise I'll be a useful crew member!" Amelia said, batting her eyelashes at Dimitri.
"Hehe, sorry, but there's no room for a woman—" Ricardo began, but before he could finish, Amelia had swiftly moved, leaving a small, precise scratch on his neck.
"What the— how did you—?" Ricardo recoiled, shocked. He was experienced, on the same level as Dimitri, and yet he hadn't even seen her move.
Amelia sheathed her karambit, the weapon disappearing back to its place on her thigh.
"Wow," Mike breathed.
"Calm down, Ricardo," Dimitri said smoothly. "Before you say anything, she's actually really good. She works as an assassin for England. Since she's British, she's one of the best snipers and a good medic. Her full name? She's Amelia Fox."
Ricardo and the others stared, stunned. Amelia Fox—one of the deadliest snipers and assassins in the world, known as the Sly Fox.
"So that's why you said that you were gathering people?" Kaito said, his eyes wide with recognition.
"That was a bit unnecessary" Dimitri said, slightly annoyed.
"Thank you, Dimitri," Amelia said, kissing his cheek. "Anywho, I'm joining, whether you like it or not." She winked. Dimitri, meanwhile, was discreetly wiping the kiss Amelia had given him on his cheek with a tissue.