Tessa Henderson - August 2120
"You look nervous."My voice is soft, almost gentle, as I crouch and brush a stray lock of hair from the man's trembling face. He's curled against the brick wall of the alleyway, shaking so hard he can barely hold my gaze. Poor thing.
His eyes flick rapidly between the shadows, searching for help that isn't coming.
"It's alright," I murmur, letting a small, reassuring smile touch my lips. "We're not here to hurt you. We just want information."
It was meant to be simple, ask a few questions around town, see if anyone had noticed anything unusual. Like be have done plenty of times.
But when the barman at the Lion Basket mentioned he was worried about Bennet… well, Ethan is going to be gutted. The bar man mentioned him being missing for over a month. No word. No trace.
Daniel had caught the shift in the atmosphere instantly. One man at the bar stiffened, left half his drink untouched, and slipped out the door far too quickly. By the time I stepped into the alley, Daniel already had him pinned with thick vines coiled around the man's torso, his hands bound to his sides.
"What do you want from me?" he stammers, eyes darting between us, wide and pleading.
"Nothing, at first." I rest my finger against my chin thoughtfully. "But it was strange how you bolted the moment Bennet's name came up."
His fear spikes. I feel it before I see it. Daniel steps forward, tension coiling around him.
"Tell us what you know," he snaps, his fist tightening and the vines constrict.
"I-I don't know anything! I swear!" The man's breath falters.
The vines squeeze tighter. His face reddens, panic turning to desperation.
I place a hand lightly on Daniel's shoulder.Enough.
At the slightest pressure, his vines ease. The man collapses against the wall, gulping at the air like he's drowning.
"Okay! Okay I'll tell you!" he gasps. "Just please… don't kill me!"
I remain silent, letting him talk.
"I was told to sell these strange vials around town. I-I didn't know what they were. I thought it was just some new drug. I needed the money." His eyes flicker, desperate for sympathy.
"And Bennet?" I ask.
"I knew him. We had drinks after his shift sometimes. He seemed like a fun guy, so I thought he might… be interested. I sold him one vial. That's all. I swear that's all I know."
Daniel and I exchange a look. A heavy, sinking one.
Someone distributing counterfeit Lunex disguised as recreational drugs… who knows how many hands it's reached already.
"Who else did you sell them to?" Daniel demands. He grabs the front of the man's shirt, pulling him up onto his knees. "How many?"
"I-I don't remember! Four people maybe? Maybe five!" His voice cracks.
"Who gave you the vials?" I ask quietly. My calmness makes him flinch more than Daniel's anger.
"I don't know! The guy wore a hat, sunglasses, spoke to me through a tinted car window. I never saw his face."
Useless.
"Where did you pick the vials up?" Daniel presses.
The man hesitates. Terrified.
"He… he told me not to tell anyone," he whispers, as if speaking the words might summon a ghost. "If I did-"
"You're safe with us," I say, stepping closer, lowering my voice. "If you're scared, we can protect-"
The rest of the sentence dies on my tongue.
A sharp crack echoes through the alley. The man's head snaps sideways with unnatural force.
Blood spatters the wall.
His body collapses at my feet.
And the alley falls silent.
The gunshot rings in my ears long after the body hits the ground.
Daniel is in front of me before I can blink, vines coiling instinctively around his forearms like living armour. One arm sweeps back, guiding me behind him with a firmness that would irritate me if it weren't so… him.
"Stay close," he mutters, voice low and sharp, eyes already scanning the rooftops.
"I'm fine," I tell him, though I don't move away.He knows I can look after myself. But he also knows he'd rather die than risk me getting hurt.
He extends his free hand slightly, just enough that my fingers brush against it. A silent check-in.
I curl my fingers around his briefly.
I'm here. I'm steady.
The man on the ground lies in a spreading pool of red, the steam rising faintly in the cold air. Whoever shot him did it cleanly. No hesitation.
A professional.
Daniel angles his body, still shielding me, still scanning the shadows. "Tessa," he murmurs, "are you okay?"
I meet his eyes.
"I'm fine, but someone didn't want him talking," I say.
"Someone knew we were asking questions." His jaw tightens. "And someone just fired a bullet in our direction." The last word comes out low, dangerous.
My hand slips onto his back, not stopping him, just grounding him. "Daniel. I'm okay, I swear"
He exhales, a tight, controlled breath, tension still wrapped around him like steel wire.
"We need to move," he says, finally tearing his gaze from the rooftops. "If they're watching the alley, they're watching us."
I step beside him and he allows it, though I feel the way his body stays angled, just slightly, as if he's determined to take the first hit no matter what.
"Then let's go," I say calmly.And with his arm brushing mine, taut with worry and fury and something fiercely protective, we leave the alleyway behind.
We search the perimeter twice, rooftops, fire escapes, windows overlooking the alleyway but the shooter is long gone. No shell casing, no lingering heat signature, nothing. Whoever they were, they knew the town, the vantage points, the timing. And they were fast.
Daniel swears under his breath, rubbing a hand through his hair in frustration. The vines around his arms retreat slowly, like they sense his agitation.
"We're wasting time," he mutters.
I nod. "Let's go. Edmund needs to hear this."
He steps close, placing a warm hand at the small of my back as we leave the alley, guiding without pushing, protective without smothering. The gesture makes me exhale softly, the tension in my shoulders easing just a fraction.
The streets are quiet as we walk, our footsteps echoing in the cool night air. Daniel keeps glancing sideways at me checking I'm still there, still unharmed, even though I'm walking confidently beside him.
"You can stop doing that, you know" I say, not looking at him.
He startles slightly. "Doing what?"
"Looking at me like i'm an injured animal"
He huffs, but there's a softness behind it. "You did nearly get shot."
"It wasn't aimed at me."
"That doesn't make it any better."
I let the corner of my mouth tilt up. "You worry too much."
"And you worry too little," he counters, but his hand slides down to intertwine with mine, thumb brushing across my knuckles. "Just… humour me."
We reach the outskirts of the school, the forest thins out as Trinity appears amongst it.
Inside, lights glow warmly, casting long shadows across the old courtyard. The air smells faintly of the sea and old wood.
Edmund is in his office, hunched over his laptop. He looks up the moment he senses us enter.
"You're back late," he says, straightening. His eyes narrow. "Did something happen?"
Daniel answers before I can. "Someone executed our only lead. Shot him in the head right in front of us."
Edmund's expression goes cold. "A shooter? In the town?"
"Yes," I reply, stepping forward. "Whoever they are, they knew we were getting close. They silenced him before we could get more information out of him."
Edmund blows out a slow breath. "This wasn't random, then. They're watching their people." His gaze sharpens. "And they're concerned enough to kill to keep this quiet."
Daniel's hand finds my shoulder, squeezing gently. "We couldn't get a look at the shooter. They were fast, precise. Professional."
A grim silence settles.
Edmund closes the laptop. "This changes everything. If counterfeit Lunex is circulating freely, and someone is willing to murder to protect the supply chain…" He looks between us. "We're dealing with something much bigger."
I exchange a look with Daniel, one that speaks more than either of us say aloud.
Danger. And someone out there hiding their trail.
Edmund straightens fully. "Both of you, get something warm to drink, sit down for a moment. Tomorrow, we plan our next move."
Daniel doesn't argue. And as we leave hi office, he places a palm gently against the back of my head, pressing a soft kiss into my temple, a subtle gesture, but in this moment, grounding for both of us.
"You okay?" he murmurs.
I nod once. "You?"
"Not until we figure out who fired that shot," he says quietly. "And why."
"Uhm…" I think aloud, piecing the threads together. "It was odd how they were watching that man."
Daniel exhales, the frustration tugging at his expression. He turns toward me, reaches up, and gently tucks a loose strand of hair behind my ear. His fingers linger for just a moment.
"Yeah. It's like they were worried he'd talk." His jaw tightens. "But Tessa…" He hesitates, only briefly. "I don't want you getting involved in this anymore. It's dangerous."
I place a hand on his forearm, giving it a light squeeze to reassure him.
"It's fine," I say with a small smile. "You know I can look after myself. And I don't dive into things when I think it can get too dangerous."
He doesn't look convinced. His gaze drops to the ground, a quiet sigh slipping out.
"TESSA!"
The shout echoes across the courtyard.
Ethan barrels toward us, waving his arms like we might otherwise miss his blur running directly at us.
Daniel groans. "Great. Trouble's here."
I nudge him lightly with my elbow. "Be nice."
He rolls his eyes, but I can see the truth, he cares for Ethan. The two of them bicker like brothers, always teasing, always snapping, but loyal to the bone. They spent years together, on missions and around the school.
Things only shifted when Kai arrived. Daniel would never admit it, but I know he's worried, worried Kai will hurt Ethan, worried he's losing time with him.
As Ethan reaches us, breathless and dramatic, I notice Daniel glance behind him, checking for any signs of the newcomer.
"Where's your shadow puppet today?" Daniel asks dryly.
"Don't call him that," Ethan snaps, quicker than usual.
I don't know everything about Ethan's time in the facility, but he told me once, drunk, years ago, about Kai. About how badly he wanted to get him out. So when Kai showed up, I truly was happy for him.
But after a month, Ethan seems more stressed than relieved. And I have the sinking suspicion it's because Kai hasn't gave him the loving and warm reunion Ethan imagined.
"What's up?" I ask, keeping my tone gentle.
"I heard you two went into town" he says. "Did you find anything?"
Daniel shifts beside me, the question clearly making him uncomfortable.
"I'm sure Edmund will update everyone tomorrow," I say smoothly.
Ethan's annoyance flickers across his face, he's probaly been waiting for answers for weeks, but he doesn't push.
Instead, I lean in slightly, lowering my voice and letting a small smile curve my lips. "But you're going to love this. Turns out our barman really is named Bennet."
Ethan's jaw drops. Pure shock replaces all irritation.
"You're joking. No, you're actually joking. Daniel, tell me she's lying."
Daniel looks like he wants to stay out of it. But this is the perfect moment to tease Ethan, so he doesn't hesitate.
"The others at the bar confirmed it," he says, entirely too casually.
"Well I'll be damned…" Ethan mutters. "He really doesn't look like a Bennet."
This ridiculous back and forth, Ethan refusing to believe the barman's name, is a month long running joke. A harmless one. But I know why he does it.
It's Ethan's way of cutting through the tension. Lightening the heaviness in the air.
Just then, Ethan's phone buzzes in his pocket. He pulls it out, and the smile instantly drops from his face.
"Uhm… I need to take this call." He gives a quick, distracted wave before turning and heading towards a quieter corner of the courtyard, far enough that no one can overhear.
Daniel and I exchange a worried look, but there's nothing we can do.
"Come on, let's get some food." Daniel slips his hand into mine and gently tugs me towards the school building.
Still, I can't help glancing back over my shoulder. Ethan's silhouette paces back and forth in the distance, phone pressed tight to his ear, shoulders tense.