Hitman: Agent X

The night was cold, and their soaked clothes did nothing to help. X and Raven crouched near the riverbank, catching their breath. The wreckage of the SUVs drifted downstream, flames flickering on the water's surface.

"We need to move," X said, scanning the dark forest around them. "Echelon won't take long to send more men."

Raven nodded. "There's a safe house not far from here. We dry off, regroup, then make our way to the border."

X narrowed his eyes. "And who owns this safe house?"

She smirked. "A friend."

X wasn't sure he liked how often she used that word. He didn't trust friends.

After nearly an hour of trekking through dense forest, they arrived at a run-down farmhouse at the edge of a wheat field. It looked abandoned, but X knew better.

Raven knocked three times in a strange rhythm. A moment later, the door creaked open, and a bearded man in his forties appeared, a shotgun in hand. His tired eyes locked onto Raven.

"Damn it, Raven," he muttered. "You always bring trouble."

She grinned. "Missed me, didn't you?"

The man sighed and waved them inside.

The house was small and dimly lit. Weapons were stacked in crates against the walls, alongside radio equipment and false passports.

"X, meet Lukas Novak," Raven said. "Smuggler, gunrunner, and all-around pain in the ass."

Lukas scowled. "And who the hell is he?"

Raven smirked. "The guy who's gonna make you a lot of money."

Lukas raised an eyebrow. "That so?"

X pulled a roll of cash from his soaked jacket and tossed it onto the table. "I need safe passage to Prague. No questions, no complications."

Lukas eyed the money, then exhaled. "Fine. But the border's crawling with security. Getting you through won't be easy."

X leaned forward. "Then we better make a plan."

Lukas unfolded a map on the table.

"There are three ways into Prague," he explained.

1. The Highway Checkpoint – The most obvious route. Heavy military presence. Suicide.

2. The Train Yard – A cargo train leaves at dawn. Guards, but easier to sneak in.

3. The Underground Tunnels – An old smuggler's route beneath the city. Dangerous, but least expected.

Raven glanced at X. "Your call."

X studied the map. The highway was out of the question. The train was tempting, but getting caught on board meant nowhere to run.

That left the tunnels.

"We take the underground," X decided. "Less security, more control."

Lukas grinned. "Figured you'd say that." He grabbed two gas masks from a crate. "You'll need these. Those tunnels are old and filled with toxins."

X took the mask, his mind already running through the risks. Echelon wouldn't expect it—but that didn't mean it would be easy.

At midnight, X and Raven followed Lukas through the woods to an abandoned industrial site. Rusted pipes jutted from the earth like broken bones. A hatch was hidden beneath the rubble.

Lukas pried it open, revealing a dark, narrow tunnel. "This leads under the border. Once you reach the other side, follow the markers to the exit."

X and Raven climbed down, the air thick with dust and rot. Lukas sealed the hatch behind them.

X flicked on his flashlight. "Stay close."

Raven adjusted her gas mask. "Not planning on getting lost down here."

They moved deeper into the underground, their footsteps echoing through the tunnels.

Then—a noise.

X froze. Scraping metal. Footsteps.

They weren't alone.

Raven whispered, "Please tell me that's just rats."

X pulled his pistol. "No. Someone's waiting for us."

The tunnel grew silent. Then—gunfire.

X shoved Raven behind cover as bullets tore through the air. Shadows moved ahead—mercenaries.

Echelon was already here.