They stepped out of the house—
careless.
Unaware.
The door closed behind them.
Soft.
I didn't move.
Didn't need to.
The evening air carried their voices—
light—
unfiltered—
too easy to follow.
Kevin.
Loud.
Uncontained.
Then—
him.
Quieter.
Measured.
My gaze stayed on him.
He walked slightly behind the others—
watching—
not speaking much.
Still like that.
A small pause.
"…you haven't changed."
Not enough.
The cat moved ahead—
tail high—
unbothered.
It stayed close to him.
Of course it did.
My eyes followed the shift in his steps.
The moment he slowed—
I noticed.
He felt it.
A hesitation.
Subtle.
Then—
he almost turned.
Almost.
A faint exhale left me.
"…you can feel it."
Not memory.
Something else.
Deeper.
My gaze lowered briefly—
to his wrist.
Empty.
A pause.
"…still wrong."
Not how it should be.
My fingers shifted slightly—
then stilled again.
Not yet.
Kevin's voice cut through again—
loud—
pulling everything back to the surface.
Good.
Let him.
Noise made things easier.
My attention returned to him.
He kept walking.
Trying to stay normal.
Failing.
A faint smile touched my lips.
"You were never good at that."
A pause.
The breeze shifted.
Carrying something faint.
Familiar.
Too familiar.
My gaze darkened slightly—
just for a moment.
Then—
still again.
Watching.
Waiting.
Because for now—
that was enough.
They kept walking.
Careless.
Unaware.
The wind shifted through the trees—
leaves brushing against each other—
soft enough to hide movement.
I stayed within the shadows.
Not still.
Not entirely.
Just enough.
My gaze never left him.
The others moved louder.
Distracting.
Predictable.
He didn't.
A slight change in his steps—
slower.
There.
He felt it again.
A faint pause.
Then—
he turned.
Instinct.
Not thought.
My eyes met his.
For a second—
nothing moved.
Not the air.
Not the sound.
Just that space between us.
Unbroken.
He was trying to see.
Trying to understand.
Not there yet.
But close.
Closer than before.
The light shifted—
sudden—
harsh.
A passing car.
Good.
I stepped back.
Not rushed.
Not abrupt.
Just enough for the shadows to take me again.
His gaze lingered.
Searching.
But there was nothing left to find.
A faint exhale left me.
"…still sharp."
Even without remembering.
My fingers curled slightly—
then relaxed.
Not now.
Too soon.
The wind moved again—
carrying their voices further away.
I stayed where I was.
Watching him look—
one second longer than necessary.
As if he knew—
something had been there.
A small pause.
"…you're getting closer."
Not a warning.
Not a threat.
A fact.
And for now—
that was enough.
My gaze stayed on him—
even after he turned away.
A second longer than necessary.
Then—
a vibration.
Sharp.
Controlled.
Not loud.
But enough.
My eyes shifted.
The screen lit up faintly.
No name.
Just a number.
I didn't answer immediately.
It rang again.
Persistent.
My fingers moved.
Accepted.
"Speak."
A pause.
The voice on the other end—
hurried.
Lowered.
"…now?"
My gaze lifted—
back to him.
Still there.
Still unaware.
A brief silence.
Then—
"…understood."
Nothing more.
The call ended.
My hand lowered slowly.
A small pause.
"…timing."
Unfortunate.
My gaze stayed on him—
just for a moment longer.
Then—
I stepped back.
Deeper into the shadows.
Not rushed.
Not careless.
Just gone.
For now.
The call had already ended.
The silence that followed—
felt heavier than before.
Not empty.
Decided.
My hand lowered slowly, without any sign of hesitation or urgency.
Ahead—
he was still there.
Walking.
Unaware.
My gaze stayed on him for a second longer than necessary.
"…later."
The word carried more weight than it sounded.
I turned—
not abruptly, but just enough for the shadows to take me back.
Their voices faded behind me—
Kevin's loud, his quieter—
blending into distance.
Irrelevant.
For now.
My steps were steady.
Measured.
There was no need to rush, because rushing only led to mistakes.
And this—
was not something that allowed them.
The road stretched ahead—
darker now.
Quieter.
A vehicle waited.
Engine low.
Running.
No headlights.
Good.
I opened the door and stepped inside, closing it without a sound.
No words were exchanged.
They already knew.
The engine shifted—
and the car moved.
The house—
the voices—
that moment—
left behind.
The air changed as we moved further away, growing colder and sharper.
My gaze stayed forward—
not on the road—
but beyond it.
Because whatever waited ahead—
was already falling apart.
And yet—
that wasn't what held my attention.
Not the mission.
Not the damage.
But something—
I had just left behind.
Time passed—
not long.
Just enough for distance to matter.
The ground disappeared beneath us.
The helicopter lifted cleanly at first—
steady—
controlled—
like nothing could disturb it.
Then the land ended.
And the ocean began.
Endless.
Dark.
Restless.
The air changed the moment we crossed it.
Heavier.
Sharper.
The wind didn't welcome us.
It pushed.
Harder with every second we moved forward.
The blades cut through it—
fast—
precise—
but not untouched.
A slight shift—
then another.
The aircraft tilted—
just enough to notice.
Then corrected.
The pilot didn't speak.
Didn't need to.
Everyone inside already understood what this meant.
Unstable conditions.
Unpredictable movement.
Below—
the waves crashed into each other, rising without pattern and breaking without warning.
Water slammed against itself—
loud—
violent—
endless.
No calm.
No stillness.
The helicopter turned—
sharper this time.
The wind hit from the side—
forcing a slight drop—
then recovery.
Controlled.
Barely.
My gaze stayed forward.
Not on the movement.
Not on the instability.
On the distance ahead.
Because that was the only thing that mattered.
A faint shape appeared—
barely visible through the shifting air and low light.
Then clearer.
Larger.
The ship.
Sitting against the dark surface—
not moving with the waves—
but resisting them.
Something felt wrong.
Not the weather.
Not the sea.
Something else.
Too many lights.
Too organized.
Too controlled.
As we moved closer—
details sharpened.
Multiple vessels.
Positioned around it.
Not drifting.
Not scattered.
Placed.
Deliberate.
Searchlights cut across the water—
clean—
precise—
leaving no blind spots behind.
My eyes narrowed slightly.
Law enforcement.
Already there.
Already inside the situation.
A brief silence settled inside me—
not surprise—
not shock—
just confirmation.
"…late."
The word left quietly.
Flat.
Because it didn't change anything.
The helicopter lowered slightly—
circling once above the scene.
The wind pushed harder at this height—
the aircraft shifting again—
holding position with effort.
Below—
waves crashed violently against the ship's sides, sending water up in uneven bursts.
Lights moved across the deck—
figures shifting—
controlled chaos.
No clear entry.
No easy approach.
My gaze stayed fixed on the ship—
steady—
unmoving—
because whatever had started here—
was already out of control.
And whatever remained—
wouldn't wait.
The helicopter lowered—
closer this time.
The wind hit harder at this height—
forcing the aircraft to shift again.
The pilot adjusted—
tight—
controlled—
but not effortless.
Below—
the ship came into full view.
Not intact.
Not clean.
Broken in places—
lights flickering—
metal exposed where it shouldn't be.
And then—
bodies.
Still.
Unmoving.
Scattered across the deck—
not placed—
not ordered—
left.
Some near the edges—
too close to the sea.
One arm hanging over—
fingers barely above the waves.
Another—
face turned away—
unrecognizable from this height.
Blood wasn't loud here.
Just dark.
Blending into the surface—
like it belonged.
My gaze didn't linger.
Didn't need to.
Dead meant done.
The helicopter shifted again—
a sharp drop—
then recovery.
"Wind's getting worse," the pilot muttered.
I didn't respond.
My eyes moved—
scanning.
Not the bodies.
The structure.
Entry points.
Movement.
Patterns.
The helipad.
Clear.
Not untouched—
but usable.
Two officers near it—
focused elsewhere.
Not looking up.
Good.
The helicopter circled once more—
lower now—
dangerously low.
The wind cut sideways—
violent—
forcing a sudden tilt.
For a second—
everything shifted.
Then stabilized.
Enough.
I moved.
The door opened—
the wind tearing into the cabin instantly.
Cold.
Sharp.
Unforgiving.
No countdown.
No signal.
Just distance—
and timing.
My eyes locked onto the helipad.
One breath.
Measured.
Then—
I stepped out.
Air hit hard—
pulling—
dragging—
The drop wasn't clean.
The wind twisted mid-fall—
forcing a shift in balance.
Adjusted.
Corrected.
Feet hit metal—
hard.
The impact traveled up—
sharp—
controlled—
but held.
No slip.
No stumble.
Just contact.
The sound echoed—
brief—
lost under the storm.
The officers turned—
too late.
My gaze lifted—
steady—
unmoved.
Because the moment I landed—
this was already mine.
The moment I landed—
movement shifted.
Voices—
shouts—
boots striking metal.
Too late.
My hand moved—
weapon already steady.
The first one stepped into view—
hesitation—
A mistake.
BANG—
The shot cracked through the air—
sharp—
echoing across the deck.
He dropped—
body hitting metal with a dull thud.
Another—
from the side—
Faster.
I turned—
fired—
BANG— BANG—
Gunfire tore through the wind—
louder now—
closer.
He slammed into the railing—
CLANG—
metal shaking under the impact.
Footsteps rushed in—
heavy—
uneven—
The wind roared—
WHOOOOSH—
dragging sound apart.
Below—
waves crashed violently—
CRASH— SLAM— CRASH—
Good.
Noise blurred everything.
I moved forward—
boots striking metal—
THUD— THUD— THUD—
Another figure lunged—
too close—
BANG—
The sound hit harder at this distance—
sharp—
final.
The body dropped—
THUD—
then silence.
Water splashed across the deck—
SPLASH—
mixing with something darker.
A shift behind me—
fabric—
breath—
Too close.
I turned—
BANG—
The echo bounced off metal—
then vanished into the storm.
Silence—
brief—
fragile.
My breath grew heavier—
rough—
steady—
Controlled.
Always controlled.
My fingers moved—
reaching—
The walkie crackled—
KRSSSH—
static tearing through.
"Report."
More static—
ZZZT—
"…separated—
lower deck—"
Cut.
I adjusted it—
CLICK—
"Location."
A pause—
breathing—
"…blocked—
multiple—"
Gone again.
The line died—
SSSSHH—
Footsteps—
again—
faster now—
I lowered the device—
raised the weapon—
BANG— BANG— BANG—
Gunfire layered over the storm—
violent—
relentless.
A body dropped—
sliding—
SCRAPE—
against metal.
Something warm hit my face—
Blood.
My breath hitched slightly—
then steadied.
The wind pushed harder—
the ship shifting beneath me—
CREAK— GROAN—
Waves slammed into the hull—
CRASH—
again—
again—
My grip tightened.
Eyes forward.
Because the sound—
the chaos—
the storm—
wasn't ending.
Not yet.
The entrance to the lower deck—
half-open.
Damaged.
Metal bent inward—
edges sharp—
forced.
I stepped through.
The air changed instantly.
Heavier.
Thicker.
Harder to breathe.
Water dripped from above—
DRIP… DRIP… DRIP…
Faint.
Endless.
The lights flickered—
ZZZT—
then dimmed again.
Not enough visibility.
Good enough.
A sound—
Not footsteps.
Something else.
Breathing.
Uneven.
Weak.
Alive.
I moved forward—
slow—
measured—
Weapon raised.
A shadow shifted in the corner—
Too small.
Not a threat.
A figure—
curled against the wall—
shaking.
Another beside them—
barely moving.
Survivors.
Their eyes lifted—
fear immediate—
uncontrolled.
I didn't stop.
Didn't speak.
No time for reassurance.
"Move."
Flat.
One word.
They hesitated.
Of course they did.
Another sound—
closer this time—
Footsteps.
Running.
Fast.
I turned—
BANG—
The shot echoed through the narrow space—
louder—
compressed.
The body dropped—
THUD—
sliding across the wet floor.
The survivors flinched—
silent—
frozen.
"Now."
Sharper this time.
They moved.
Unsteady.
Slow.
But moving.
Good enough.
The walkie crackled—
KRSSSH—
"…route clear—rear—small vessels—"
Cut.
Signal weak.
Still usable.
My gaze shifted—
calculating.
The rear exit—
closest.
Less exposure.
Safer.
For now.
"Follow."
No explanation.
No delay.
We moved.
The corridor narrowed—
metal walls closing in—
water pooling underfoot—
SPLASH— SPLASH—
Their steps uneven—
mine steady.
Another turn—
A door ahead—
half broken—
I pushed—
CREAK—
It gave way.
Cold air rushed in—
sharp—
violent.
The sea again.
Dark.
Relentless.
Small boats were already deployed—
barely holding against the waves.
One submarine unit—
half submerged—
waiting.
Good.
Timing held.
"Go."
They didn't argue.
One by one—
they moved forward—
hands shaking—
steps uncertain—
But alive.
That was enough.
Another sound—
behind—
Too late to ignore.
I turned—
BANG—
The shot cut through the wind—
final—
The body dropped before reaching the door.
Silence followed—
brief—
unstable.
My gaze returned to the survivors—
now boarding—
now leaving—
Not all.
Never all.
But enough.
For this.
The waves hit harder—
CRASH—
rocking the smaller vessels violently.
Still—
they moved.
Away.
I stepped back—
just slightly—
because this part—
was done.