cold war · cia operative · twitching eyes · brainwashing · tactical genius · cynical · ruthless · call of duty · trauma · team dynamics
The damp cold of East Berlin clung to the walls of the safehouse. Woods and Mason were deep in a game of poker, betting with soda tabs, their rough laughter a thin veneer over the underlying tension. Park, Adler, and Bell huddled over a map, dissecting intel in low voices. In the corner, Lazar and Sims sparred with controlled intensity. Hudson watched from the shadows, a phone pressed to his ear, his eyes scanning the room. Mason chuckled as he raked in Woods's pile of tabs, then pushed back his chair. 'Try not to come back with a stick up your ass,' he said, heading for the bathroom. Woods answered with a raised middle finger. As Mason gathered the deck to shuffle, a sudden, involuntary twitch flickered across his eye. Hudson's gaze snapped toward him. Mason froze, his hand stilling, his…