Liam stepped away from Alina and Tatiana after greeting them and let his eyes move across the hall again.

The pack members were still organizing themselves into teams. Some people were arguing over routes while others were checking their weapons. The atmosphere in the room felt different now. There was tension in the air but also focus. Everyone understood that this was not a normal mission.

His eyes eventually landed on a man standing near the wall.

The man was tall and broad shouldered, holding a long rifle comfortably in his hands like it was a natural extension of his body. His face looked rough with age, lines around his eyes and mouth that suggested years of experience. His hair had already started turning gray around the temples.

Mid forties probably.

Liam walked toward him without hesitation.

The man noticed him approaching and straightened slightly.

Liam stopped in front of him.

"Care to come into my team?" he asked casually.

The man studied him for a second. His eyes moved up and down Liam’s figure calmly as if measuring him. Then he gave a small nod.

"I’m in."

His voice sounded steady and calm.

Liam gave him a short nod in return.

Just like that the team was complete.

Now it was Him, Daniil, Petrov, Alina and Tatiana.

He could still pick one more person if he wanted. Irina never said the teams had to be limited to five. But after observing the room for the past hour he was already satisfied with what he had chosen.

Too many people would only make coordination harder.

Quality was better than numbers.

Daniil soon returned from the crowd after getting the explanation from a few other pack members. He looked far more serious now compared to earlier.

"Okay I get it now," Daniil said while catching his breath. "Warehouses. Bombs. Chaos."

Liam nodded once.

Daniil then reached into his pocket and pulled out several small communication pieces. They looked like compact wireless earbuds with a tiny microphone attached.

"Here," Daniil said as he handed them out. "These are short range communicators. Pack standard stuff."

Everyone took one.

Petrov inserted his immediately without saying a word while Alina and Tatiana examined theirs curiously before placing them in their ears.

Daniil clipped his own in place then looked at Liam proudly.

"Test," he said.

"Working," Petrov replied immediately in the tiny speaker.

Tatiana laughed softly.

"Clear."

Alina nodded as well.

Liam adjusted his piece and spoke calmly.

"Good."

They all naturally gathered around him after that.

Since he was leading the team, everyone waited for instructions.

Liam crossed his arms and looked at each of them one by one.

"Let’s start simple," he said. "Abilities."

His eyes moved toward Daniil first.

"What are you good at?"

Daniil smiled instantly.

"I’m very good with computers," he said confidently. "And combat too."

He puffed his chest slightly after saying that.

Liam nodded calmly.

Computers would be useful if they needed to break security systems.

Then his gaze shifted toward the older man.

Petrov was still holding the rifle casually across his chest.

Liam did not even need to ask.

Petrov noticed the look and lifted the weapon slightly with a small confident grin.

"I’ve got you guys back out there," he said.

His tone carried quiet assurance.

This was someone who had probably spent years handling firearms.

Liam nodded in approval.

Then his eyes moved to the two women.

Tatiana spoke first.

"I’m very fast," she said simply.

She gave a playful shrug.

"And Alina," she continued while pointing at her friend, "well she’s smart."

Alina rolled her eyes slightly at that description but did not deny it.

Liam tilted his head a little.

That answer was vague but it was enough for now.

Intelligence could mean many things. Strategy, observation, quick thinking.

Sometimes that mattered more than raw strength.

He decided not to push further.

Instead he asked something else.

"I guess everyone here can fight in case of emergency?"

All four of them nodded almost instantly.

"Of course," Tatiana replied.

Petrov simply tapped the side of his rifle.

Daniil grinned.

"We’re pack members."

That answer alone explained everything.

Liam nodded slowly.

"Good."

Then he leaned slightly against one of the nearby tables.

"Now we wait for the scanners."

The five of them stood together quietly after that.

Around them the rest of the pack was also preparing. Some people were finishing team selections while others were checking knives, guns and gear.

The entire mansion slowly became quieter as everyone settled into their roles.

The wait did not last very long.

About fifteen minutes later the sound of a vehicle pulling up outside echoed through the entrance.

A large truck had stopped in front of the mansion gates.

Irina immediately looked toward the entrance.

She knew what that meant.

She clapped her hands loudly once.

The sharp sound cut through the room instantly.

Everyone turned toward her.

"Okay guys," she said firmly. "The scanners are here."

The room shifted into motion immediately.

People started heading outside together.

Liam and his team followed with the rest of the pack.

When they stepped out into the cold air outside the mansion they saw several large crates already being unloaded from the truck.

But when the equipment was revealed it looked nothing like what most of them expected.

Instead of large machines or complicated devices the scanners were surprisingly simple.

They were designed like belts and shoulder bags.

The belts looked heavy and thick with a small scanning module attached to the side.

The bags were slightly larger and carried the same type of module inside.

One of the technicians began handing them out.

Men received the belt versions while the women were given the shoulder bags.

Tatiana slung the bag over her shoulder while Alina adjusted the strap across her body.

Petrov wrapped the thick belt around his waist and tightened it securely.

Daniil did the same while inspecting the small device attached to it.

Irina stepped forward again once everyone had their equipment.

Her voice carried authority as she explained.

"If you discover explosives the scanner will make a small beep."

She tapped the device on her own belt.

"At the same time I will be alerted."

Everyone listened carefully.

"You only need to stay there until backup arrives," she continued. "Do not advance without backup."

Her gaze moved across the pack slowly.

"They could have security hidden inside."

Liam looked at the address on his phone one last time before slipping it back into his pocket.

The team had already stepped away from the mansion gates and were standing along the quiet street outside while the rest of the pack spread out toward different vehicles and routes. The mission had started and everyone was moving fast.

The warehouse Irina assigned to them was not located in some abandoned industrial corner like Liam expected. It was closer to a busy district where people passed through constantly. Shops, small restaurants, street vendors, traffic lights, noise. The kind of place where an explosion would cause maximum chaos.

Liam had noticed that detail immediately.

Which was exactly why he decided they should not arrive there as one obvious group.

He stopped walking and turned to the others.

"We’re splitting," he said calmly.

Daniil raised an eyebrow. "Already?"

Liam nodded once.

"Five strangers showing up together might stand out."

That made sense to everyone.

He pointed quickly as he spoke.

"Three groups."

His finger moved first toward Tatiana.

"You’re with me."

Tatiana blinked once but nodded quickly.

Then Liam pointed toward Daniil and Alina.

"You two together."

Daniil gave a thumbs up while Alina simply adjusted the strap of the scanner bag on her shoulder.

Finally Liam turned toward Petrov.

"You’re solo."

Petrov did not look surprised at all. In fact it looked like he had expected that.

His role was obvious.

Sniper.

Liam glanced down at the rifle Petrov was holding and tilted his head slightly.

"I hope you have a better gun than that," he said casually. "That one looks like it screams a lot."

Tatiana snorted quietly at that.

Petrov looked at the rifle in his hands for a second then chuckled under his breath.

"Yes of course," he replied calmly. "I have many snipers."

Liam nodded approvingly.

Good.

Because if things went bad they would need precision and silence.

Petrov turned without another word and headed back toward the mansion entrance.

He moved quickly and confidently like a man who already knew exactly what equipment he wanted to grab.

Within seconds he disappeared inside the building.

Liam then looked back at the remaining three.

"You guys go ahead," he said. "We’ll meet there."

Daniil nodded instantly.

"Got it."

He motioned toward the street where a taxi was just slowing down near the curb.

Alina followed him and the two of them quickly stepped toward the vehicle.

The driver rolled down his window slightly.

Daniil leaned in and said something in Russian while pointing at the phone screen showing the destination.

The driver shrugged and unlocked the doors.

Daniil jumped into the back seat and Alina slid in beside him.

Before closing the door Daniil leaned out and flashed Liam a grin.

"Don’t take too long."

Liam just waved him off.

The taxi pulled away from the curb and merged into traffic a moment later.

That left only two people standing on the quiet sidewalk now.

Liam and Tatiana.

The air had grown colder as the afternoon slowly drifted toward evening. The distant noise of the city continued around them but the street they stood on felt strangely calm.

Tatiana suddenly realized the situation.

She was alone with him.

For a while.

Her fingers began fidgeting nervously.

She rubbed them together absentmindedly while staring down at the ground for a moment.

Her face slowly turned red.

It was not like she had never spoken to attractive men before. The pack had plenty of good looking members. But Liam was different.

He looked like someone sculpted by a very unfair god.

Standing next to him felt strange.

Embarrassing even.

Meanwhile Liam did not notice any of that.

He was busy thinking about the mission.

His eyes scanned the street calmly while his mind worked through possible scenarios.

Then suddenly he spoke.

"Hold on."

Tatiana looked up quickly.

"Wait for me here," he said casually. "There’s something I gotta do."

She blinked in confusion but nodded immediately.

"Okay."

Liam did not explain further.

He simply turned and started walking away down the street like it was the most normal thing in the world.

Tatiana watched him go.

Her heart was beating slightly faster than normal.

She did not know why he needed to leave suddenly but she trusted him enough not to ask questions.

Still...

Being left alone here made her feel strangely nervous.

She shifted her weight from one foot to the other and hugged the scanner bag closer to her side.

Her eyes followed Liam’s back as he walked farther down the sidewalk.