The Handler

Trust is the deadliest weapon of all.
Five years before the events of Shepherd's Watch, Jack "Shepherd" Wolfe wasn't a ghost living in the shadows. He was a Captain with a vision: to get his team of broken operators out of the line of fire and into a life of peace.
In a high-end bar in Berlin, Jack meets with Nyx, his handler, his mentor, and his closest friend. Nyx offers him the "Blind Prophet" operation—a final, off-the-books mission in Syria with a payout large enough to buy their freedom.
Jack sees a retirement plan. Nyx sees a loose end.
In this chilling prequel short story, witness the conversation that sealed the fate of the Onyx team. See the mask Nyx wore before the betrayal, and the blind loyalty that almost cost Jack everything.
The mission was a lie. The narrative was a trap. And the fall was just beginning.
This is a prequel short story in the Onyx Tactical series.