The briefing room in Berlin was tense, filled with low murmurs and the hum of the projector. Helena sat at the center table, her golden uniform catching the dim light, her eyes locked on the map of Southeast Asia flickering across the wall.
A stern voice cut through the silence. General Kruger, his face etched with years of strategy and sleepless nights.
"One of our field operatives—codename Orchid—was captured last night in Bangkok. The Black Serpents have her. We believe they're using her as leverage, or worse, bait."
Helena leaned forward. "What intel was Orchid carrying?"
Kruger's eyes darkened. "A list of potential Serpent sympathizers embedded in European security forces. If that list is broken, the Serpents will have eyes and ears everywhere. We cannot allow that."
Helena's fingers tapped against the table, restless. "What's the insertion plan?"
The projector changed, showing a satellite image of a compound hidden in the outskirts of Bangkok, near the Chao Phraya River. High walls. Guard towers. The Serpent insignia carved into iron gates.
"You'll go in alone," Kruger said. "Covert entry through the river canals. Minimal support. The Thai government is… cautious. If we breach openly, it becomes an international crisis."
Helena exhaled, steadying herself. "So, I'm a ghost."
Kruger's voice softened just slightly. "You've trained for this. But Helena—this isn't just a rescue. It's a test. If you succeed here, you prove not only to us but to the world that Germany has its hero."
Her jaw tightened, but her heart burned steady with resolve. "Then I'll bring Orchid home."
---
That night, Helena crouched in the shadow of a long-tail boat as it drifted through the tangled canals of Bangkok. The air was heavy, wet with the scent of smoke and lotus flowers. In the distance, the Serpent compound glowed like a fortress of steel and neon.
She slipped into the water, her breathing sharp and silent, her body moving with practiced grace. Every muscle coiled for what lay ahead.
Inside, Orchid was waiting. And outside, the Black Serpents sharpened their knives, eager for a chance to test the "German phoenix."