Chapter 23
Here we are, parked in the lot of the NRI, surrounded by a sea of luxury vehicles belonging to guests attending the Annual Seminar on Human Evolution. The NRI sits hidden on the outskirts of the capital, shielded by trees and vast, empty land. Just as expected, security is tight nothing escapes their notice. Fortunately, we slipped through the gates unbothered, thanks to the Chief's status. We were part of his entourage, and his main team had been asked to stand down. Still, my heart pounded uncontrollably. We had no idea how this was going to end.
Russell had secured the facility's layout from a friend, giving us a heads-up on what security measures to watch for. The plan was simple: interrupt the icebreaker session and play the flash drive containing evidence of the NRI's atrocities, every murder, Cole's true identity, Dr. Quist's involvement, and the layers of cover-ups. As backup, I carried printed documents tucked away on me, ready to hand out if the tech plan failed.
Sam was in charge of the flash drive. His mission was to infiltrate the technical team and discreetly plug it in. Russell would watch for signs of detection or trouble and plan our escape route. My role? Blend in as the Chief's plus one and distribute the documents if needed. A straightforward plan, but it all hinged on flawless execution.
We gave each other quick nods of encouragement and stepped out of the car. I took the Chief's arm, and we headed for the entrance with Russell and Sam trailing just behind. We entered smoothly. No hiccups. The mission had begun.
"I can hear your heart trying to jump out of your chest," the Chief said, raising an eyebrow at me.
"I can't help it," I replied with a forced smile. "First time doing a corporate exposé."
"Enjoy the moment. This might be the last important event we ever attend."
I nodded and scanned the room. The "seminar" looked more like a high-end cocktail party. The grand hall was dressed in elegant ballroom decor. Round tables dotted the space, carefully spaced for easy movement. Each table bore champagne flutes and assortments of hors d'oeuvres and desserts. Waiters in tuxedos floated by, offering fresh drinks and collecting empty glasses.
I grabbed a glass and took a sip to calm my nerves, then searched the room. Russell was near a side entrance, eyes sweeping the crowd. Sam, already mingling with the tech team, appeared to be making casual conversation. So far, so good.
The Chief had found an old high school friend and was deep in nostalgic chatter. I wasn't interested. I excused myself and headed to the ladies' room. Staring into the mirror, I studied the makeup my sister had excitedly done. She had no idea what I was really here for.
She had picked out a strapless black gown with a slit up my left thigh, paired it with stilettos, a glittery gold clutch, and simple gold jewelry. My braids were pinned up into a neat bun. I looked like I belonged.
I took a deep breath and stepped into a stall to check on the documents. Since my clutch was too small to hide them, I'd gotten creative. The papers were strapped to my stomach, corset-style, using a shoelace. I unfastened them, flattened them neatly, and arranged them for quick distribution.
My phone buzzed. A message from Russell: "Program has started. Get ready."
I glanced in the mirror one last time and whispered to my reflection, "Let's do this," then stepped out.
Back in the hall, the event was underway. We remained standing, sipping drinks, but now our attention was fixed on the main screen. A presentation had begun about human evolution how our brain chemistry continues to adapt in modern environments. They showed animals cats, dogs, monkeys, rats engaged in complex behaviors after experimentation. The science was strangely impressive. Then came bizarre chemical tests, like creating miniature explosions and cotton-candy-scented gas.
The audience was enraptured. I had to admit, I was too until everything changed.
The presenter calmed the room, building suspense for a major reveal. Russell's expression caught my eye, he looked stunned. I followed his gaze to the screen.
Nick Cole's face appeared.
Panic shot through me. Had Sam jumped the gun?
The Chief noticed it too. "It's not time yet. Did Sam ignore the plan?"
"I don't think so," I whispered.
The presenter spoke, his voice slicing through the stunned silence.
"This man," he gestured to Cole's image, "is proof that our evolution is far from complete."
A new slide appeared multiple images of different people. My stomach dropped. All of them… were Cole.
"These are all the same individuals," the presenter announced.
"Bullshit!" someone shouted.
The presenter chuckled. "Yes, until it's not. I didn't believe it myself until I saw this footage."
He clicked again. A video played. Cole, in a bare room, looked weak and disoriented. The timestamp rolled forward. He collapsed. For ten minutes, he didn't move. Then slowly, horrifyingly, his features began to shift his face, limbs, body until he was no longer a man, but a woman.
Gasps rippled through the room.
The video paused on Cole staring into the camera. That same intense look I remembered before he was murdered.
The presenter smiled like a magician unveiling his trick. "He had multiple personalities, developed from years of abuse. At eighteen, he began to transform physically becoming whoever he imagined."
Then his tone shifted. "But he became unstable. Arrogant. Dangerous."
Liar.
"He started killing," the presenter said lightly, "so we took… extreme measures."
"Killing him, you mean?" Sam's voice rang out from across the room. All heads turned.
"'Killing' is a strong word," the presenter said cautiously.
"You used him as your personal assassin!" Sam shouted. Russell was now beside him.
The presenter warned, "You can't make accusations without proof."
"What if we have proof?" I stepped forward, holding up the documents.
"You can't disrupt the event—" he began.
"You killed him. You locked up Dr. Quist. You murdered anyone who didn't comply!" I yelled. "You're murderers!"
The presenter signaled to security. But I had other plans.
I threw the documents into the air. Pages fluttered like confetti, raining down on the crowd. Curious hands snatched them up. Gasp after gasp echoed as the truth spilled across the floor.
Security surged toward us, but the crowd had descended into chaos. All eyes were now on the presenter, demanding answers.
We tried to move through the crowd. But just as we found an opening, we ran into the Commissioner. He looked us up and down with disdain.
"That's the best you could do? Ruin the event?"
The Chief stopped walking. "How do you look your family in the eye knowing you helped murder someone?"
"What did you just say?"
"You heard me. You've always been trash."
SMACK. The Commissioner slapped him.
Without flinching, the Chief punched him back.
"You don't get to lay your filthy hands on me," the Chief said calmly.
I looked around. Russell was restrained, but not before decking a guard. Sam was pinned down too but he was laughing. Unhinged.
The Commissioner wiped blood from his lip and sneered as more guards surrounded us.
"He can get away with anything," he whispered to me smugly.
Wrong move.
I headbutted him. Hard. Blood poured from his nose.
"Guess you couldn't get away with that," I said, laughing.
The Chief laughed too. "I really wanted to do that."
"You should've thought faster," I smirked.
As we were dragged out, the presenter struggled to calm the furious crowd. Good luck with that.
Outside, police cars were already waiting. We were cuffed. But when I looked at my team Russell, Sam, the Chief they were all smiling.
We'd done it.
We hadn't taken down the entire NRI, but we'd ripped a hole through their polished front. The world saw them now.
"Hey Stacy!" Russell called out as he was shoved into a car. "You did good, okay? I'm glad I had you as my partner!"
Sam, calm and collected, looked at me as he was led away. He mouthed, "Thank you."
The Chief wasn't cuffed. He walked to me and rested a hand on my shoulder.
"You always finish the job. The force doesn't deserve you—but this is your calling. Finish hard."
Then he got into his car.
I sat quietly, tears brimming. An officer slid into the driver's seat and looked at me through the rearview mirror.
"You guys are the coolest I've seen. This Institute's always been shady. Too bad you're the ones in trouble."
"Too bad," I whispered, wiping my tears.
The car rolled forward, lights flashing, sirens wailing and I smiled through the tears.
We started a war.
And it was far from over.