Chapter 1

"Fisher, get up," I hear through my implants as Lambert is contacting me from our HQ at Third Echelon. I groggily get up, and push the implant in my throat, allowing me to respond.

"Damnit, Lambert. Aren't I supposed to be on leave?"

"Well… yes," he responds, "but we needed to get in contact with you. Coen has managed to get herself into a bit of trouble in Hong Kong, and we believe that you're the only one who can get her out."

Well, great. I sigh at Lambert ruining my vacation, but I know that I need to help Francis Coen. After all, she was my field runner for a while, and helped save my ass several times.

"Fisher, we're going to send an agent by your house to get you. Be ready within half an hour," Lambert says through the implants.

I go ahead and get myself out of bed, and get a quick, refreshing shower. I barely have time to get my civilian clothes on, complete with a bullet proof vest on, before I hear a knock at the door. I now wear a bullet proof vest most of the times out in public, ever since I was with Katia Loenstern and a sniper shot her instead of me…

I go over and answer the door, and a familiar face greets me. "Nice to see you, Will."

"Hello, Fisher. We're going to head over to the airport now. I have all the passports and everything you need ready. Our contact in Hong Kong has all of your equipment." He finishes his sentence as we're hopping into his new Mercedes.

I feel kind of edgy at the mention of our Hong Kong contact, since the last person we had stationed in Hong Kong actually had been broadcasting my movements to the leaders of the Shop, which has been closed down for about a year now. Good thing, too, since the world already has enough arms smugglers around it.

When we finally pull into the Maryland International Airport, I get out of the car, give my regards to Will, and head inside of the place. My flight is scheduled for roughly thirty minutes from now… And it's on the other side of the damned place.

I quickly sprint across the airport, and arrive just before flight check-ins stop. I get into the airplane, and settle into my seat. I quickly doze off, since I long ago mastered my internal clock, and sleep uneventfully for the entire plane ride to Hong Kong.

I realize that we're arriving when I feel the airplane's descent through the atmosphere down to the airport. When I get there, I show my credentials and passport, stating that I am one "Yvan Prokofiev". I realize that the people back at Third Echelon are playing a joke with this name, as it's containing the first name of an assassin that tried to kill me, and the last name of General Prokofiev himself. He, as I've last heard, now has to be watered twice a week ever since his wife shot him twice.

I leave the airport, and hail a taxi. Inside of my bag I have directions to my contact's house. Since my Chinese is decent, I tell the driver where I want to go, and he starts going rather quickly. And they say New York's taxi drivers are crazy.

After about ten minutes, we arrive at my destination, and I give the taxi driver my fare and a tip. I walk up to the door of the house and knock. When a man comes to the door, he eyes me and asks, "Fisher?"

I nod and say, "Hello Mr. Strunk."

He opens the door fully and offers for me to follow in.