Sally Verduzco

Verduzco in front of her armory, Punta Castillo

**Sally Torres Verduzco** (born **Anya Romanov**; June 6, 1990 - October 11, 2024) was a Russian-Cuban armorer agent who worked for the Hidden Order, an underground criminal organization that controlled transactions between gangs and criminal organizations worldwide. She resided and worked on the island of Punta Castillo.

## Early Life

Verduzco was born in Havana, Cuba, to a poor family living in the city's slums. Her name at birth was Anya Romanov. Her Russian father, a known gang member who migrated to Cuba from the Soviet Union in the 1970s, exposed her to firearms from a young age. After a violent shootout in her neighborhood left her father dead and her mother in a vegetative state, Verduzco relocated to Punta Castillo with her uncle, where she attended an international school.

## Career

### Gunrunning in Cuba

In high school, Verduzco was expelled after a teacher discovered a pistol cartridge in her book bag. Unknown to her teachers, she had been running guns for a local gang, exploiting her youth and trustworthiness to earn the confidence of customers. After her expulsion, she became a full-time firearms dealer.

### Joining the Hidden Order

At the age of 23, Verduzco narrowly avoided arrest for brandishing a weapon in a public park. Fleeing the scene, she was hit by a car driven by Marshal Fischer, a high-ranking member of the Hidden Order. Fischer visited Verduzco in the hospital and offered her a position within the organization in exchange for having the charges against her dropped. With few options, Verduzco accepted the offer and joined the Hidden Order as an armorer agent, working closely with Fischer.

### Collaboration with Team Monochrome

Verduzco's talents as an armorer agent led to her involvement with Monochrome, an elite team of Knights of the Syndicate within the Hidden Order. Her expertise in firearms and weaponry proved invaluable to the team's operations, and she became a trusted collaborator.

Following the incident that occurred between Monochrome and a Soviet sleeper militia organization on Cardone Island, Verduzco was brought onto Monochrome team as a full time agent. Over the course of the next year, she collaborated with the team as they conducted business within the precious metals trade.

## Personal Life

Despite her work as an armorer agent for the Hidden Order, Verduzco managed to maintain a somewhat open personal life. She resided in a modest home on Punta Castillo, reflecting her humble beginnings and her preference for simplicity. Her home was decorated with various souvenirs and trinkets from her travels and operations, telling a story of her accomplishments and adventures.

Verduzco had a passion for classic cars, and her most prized possession was a lime green 1956 Studebaker 2E, which she meticulously maintained and cherished. She could often be seen driving her beloved Studebaker on the island's roads, enjoying the Caribbean breeze and taking a break from her work with the Hidden Order. In her spare time, she also attended local car shows and swapped knowledge with fellow classic car enthusiasts, further solidifying her connection to the community.

### Relationships

Despite her involvement in the criminal underworld, Verduzco was known for her loyalty to her friends and her dedication to her work. She had built a reputation as a reliable and resourceful armorer, always ready to lend a hand to those in need.

A year after joining the secretive group known as the Hidden Order, Verduzco started a relationship with her mentor, John Lightfoot, who was soon to become a Knight of Team Monochrome. Their relationship, while never officially acknowledged, endured through the years, even though they were often apart. It wasn't until Verduzco took on the role of official armorer for Team Monochrome that they discreetly rekindled their connection.

## Death

Sally Verduzco died on October 11, 2024 in an explosion at an Astra Inc. facility in the Kiros Islands. While conducting recon on the facilities with the Monochrome agents following an attack on the team by the organization a week earlier, Verduzco was lured into an empty radar facility which subsequently exploded—presumably caused by a trap set for the agents. She was 34 years old when she passed away.