MIKE
I don’t know how long I stood there, staring at Dereck’s lifeless body floating in the lake. The ripples around him were slow, fading, as if the water itself was swallowing the last remnants of his existence. My mind was trapped in a loop, replaying his last words.
"She’s not the way you think."
What the hell did that mean?
Why did it have to end this way?
First Nicky, now Dereck.
I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms, but the pain didn’t ground me. Dereck had been my best friend, my brother in arms. We joined the agency the same day. We trained together, pushed each other, swore we’d have each other’s backs.
So why?
Why did he look like he had already lost hope before the bullet even hit him?
Why did it feel like he was saying goodbye long before that sniper pulled the trigger?
The sound of rotor blades sliced through my thoughts, but I barely registered it. A helicopter. Maybe reinforcements. Maybe enemies. I didn’t care.
"Mike!"
Patrick’s voice barely broke through the fog in my head, but then—his hands grabbed my shoulders, yanking me back.
"We have to go!" he shouted, eyes desperate.
Patrick shook me again. "Mike, snap out of it!"
Dereck’s body. His voice. His warning.
I gritted my teeth. There was no time to mourn. Not now.
I turned away from the lake.
I’ll get answers, Dereck. I swear it.
The helicopter finally touched the ground, its blades whipping the air into a frenzy. Before I could even register anything else, Freya took off, running straight to Alfred. He caught her in a tight embrace, whispering something to her that I couldn’t hear over the noise.
We didn’t waste time. The second the doors opened, we scrambled inside, securing ourselves as Alfred’s team worked to lift us off the ground. The moment we were airborne, I took one last glance at the scene below. Dereck’s body was still floating in the lake, a dark stain of blood spreading around him.
"Where’s Sian?" Alfred’s voice cut through the moment, sharp and demanding. Freya hesitated. I could see the conflict in her eyes—she didn’t know either.
But then—movement.
A presence near the treeline, just at the edge of the hill.
I grabbed the telescope hanging around Alfred’s neck and pressed it to my eye, adjusting the focus until the blurred image sharpened.
And my breath caught.
Siren.
Standing at the edge of the cliff, her coat billowing in the wind. But it wasn’t just her. Behind her, restrained but very much alive—was my brother. And beside him—
Sian.
Only… he wasn’t restrained.
He stood there, silent, unmoving. His expression was blank, unreadable.
Like he was one of them.
A cold realization clawed its way down my spine.
"Sian’s dead."
I lowered the telescope and answered Alfred without looking at him. My voice was flat, final. Ending the discussion before it could even start. I needed time. Time to figure out what the hell was going on.
And why Sian was standing next to Siren like he belonged there.
I lifted the telescope again, trying to get a better look. Siren stood still, her piercing eyes locked onto mine. The way she held my gaze sent a chill through me—as if she knew exactly where I was watching from.
Then, to my shock, she mouthed something.
"DON'T DO ANYTHING."
I blinked. Did I read that right?
Before I could even process what she meant, Alfred’s voice pulled me back.
"How the hell did you find us so easily?" I asked, lowering the telescope.
Alfred gave me a baffled look.
"What do you mean? You sent me the location yourself."
I froze. "I did what?"
Alfred pulled out his phone and showed me the messages. A set of coordinates. A brief message: "Get us out. Urgent." It had come from my number. But I sure as hell never sent it.
My grip on the phone tightened as I scrolled through the conversation, scanning the texts. And then, it hit me—
Riley. It had to be him. Somehow, he sent this message in my name. But how? And more importantly—why?
I clenched my jaw, mind racing.
But there was something else. Something gnawing at me.
Did Siren really just let us go?
Why?
-
After long hours in the air, the helicopter finally touched down at the AI Headquarters. The familiar towering structure loomed over us, a stark contrast to the chaos we had just escaped from. The moment we stepped out, Director Leo was already there waiting.
He shook my hand firmly, his grip lingering a second longer than usual.
"Thank you for making it back alive," he said, though his eyes kept shifting behind me—searching. Looking for Sian. Looking for Dereck.
I clenched my jaw. I knew this moment was coming.
I met his gaze directly.
"Sian and Dereck died on the mission."
Silence.
The words hung in the air like a death sentence.
And then—panic. Pure, unfiltered panic flashed across Director Leo’s face. His entire posture tensed as if the weight of the world had just collapsed on him.
"No… that cannot be. Dereck must be alive."
I frowned. That was a strange reaction.
"What do you mean?" I demanded without hesitation.
Director Leo didn’t answer. His breathing quickened, his fingers trembling slightly as he reached for his phone.
"We screwed up," he muttered under his breath before turning on his heels and walking away, already dialing someone.
A cold feeling settled in my gut.
Something was very, very wrong.