I sit back in the creaky wooden chair, the half-eaten plate of yam and eggs sitting cold between me and Leo. The blue light from the monitors reflects off the sweat on my forehead. My heart is still drumming a heavy, steady beat against my ribs. We aren't hiding anymore. We are hunting.
"I need to get close to him, Leo. I don't just want to find him in an alley like Victor. I want to see his face when he realizes who I am. I want to see him sweat in his expensive office". I say.
My voice is low, barely a whisper over the hum of the cooling fans in the room.
Leo nods, his fingers already dancing across the keys.
He is in his element now, diving deep into the digital life of Joseph Miller.
"Miller isn't like the others, Xander. He's paranoid. He has guards. He has cameras. You can't just walk in there with a blade and hope for the best. You need a reason to be in the room". Leo says anxiously.
We spend the next three hours scouring the internet. We look through LinkedIn, company registries, and even private job boards.
Leo's eyes widen as he clicks on a restricted link for a high-end recruitment firm.
"Wait. Look at this". He says with a smile on his face.
He drags a window to the center screen. It is a job posting for a Personal Assistant. The employer is Thorne & Miller Security. The requirements are strict, military background preferred, discreet, able to handle high-pressure environments, and zero social media presence. It is a position for a shadow. It is a position for me.
"Apply". I tell him.
"Xander, your resume is a blank slate. I can forge the documents, but Miller is a former cop. He's going to sniff out a lie". Leo warns.
"Then don't lie about the skills. Just lie about where I got them. Tell him I'm a ghost. That's what he wants anyway". I say firmly.
Three days later, I am standing in a glass-walled office in Victoria Island. I am wearing a cheap but clean suit, my hair cut short, my expression a mask of professional boredom. I look like a man who follows orders and asks zero questions.
Miller sits behind a massive mahogany desk, puffing on a cigar that smells like burning money. He looks older than the photos, but those eyes are the same. They are the eyes that watched the water close over my parents' heads.
The interview is short.
He asks me how I handle stress. I tell him I don't feel it. He asks me what I do if I see something illegal. I tell him I mind my own business as long as the cheque clears. I see a flicker of interest in his gaze. He likes me. He thinks I am a tool he can use.
But when I leave the building, I don't get a call. I wait by the phone in the safe house for twenty-four hours. My skin feels like it's crawling.
On the second day, Leo pulls a face and turns his monitor toward me. He has hacked into the recruitment firm's internal server.
"Bad news, man. They picked a guy named David. Former army. He has a sparkling record and a glowing recommendation from a general. The email for his approval just hit the 'Sent' folder ten minutes ago". Leo says with a sad face.
I feel the rage boiling in my gut. I can't lose this chance.
"Fix it, Leo". I say angrily.
Leo cracks his knuckles.
"I thought you'd say that. I'm already inside their mail server. If I'm fast enough, I can intercept the packet before David's provider delivers it to his inbox". Leo says, smiling.
I watch the screen. It looks like a battlefield of code. Leo's hands are moving so fast they are a blur.
"I'm redirecting the approval email to your burner account". He mutters, his teeth clenched.
"Now, I'm generating a 'Position Filled' rejection letter for David. I'm tagging it with a high-priority 'Do Not Reply' header. He'll think he lost the job and move on to the next application". Leo adds.
He hits the 'Enter' key with a loud snap.
"Done. As far as the recruitment agency and Miller are concerned, you are the chosen one. I've updated their internal database to show your name as the final hire. The email is sitting in your inbox right now". Leo breathes, leaning back and wiping his forehead.
I pull out my phone. There it is.
Congratulations, Xander. Please report to the offices of Thorne & Miller Security at 8:00 AM tomorrow for onboarding.
The next morning, the sun is hot on my neck as I walk through the front doors of the skyscraper. I am not a ghost today. I am a Personal Assistant. I have a badge with my photo on it. I have a desk right outside Miller's office.
The receptionist smiles at me and hands me a tablet.
"Mr. Miller is a very busy man, Xander. He does not like to be kept waiting. Your job is to make sure his day goes perfectly". She says, smiling.
I take the tablet and walk towards the inner sanctum.
Every step I take on the plush carpet feels like I am walking on the surface of that bridge. I reach the heavy oak door and knock.
"Come in". Miller's voice booms.
I open the door and stand there. He is looking at some papers, his brow furrowed. He looks up and smiles, a fake, shark-like smile.
"Ah, the new blood. Good. I need someone I can trust, kid. I'm glad it is you that got approved". He says, smiling.
"I understand, sir". I say.
I spend the day filing his papers, ordering his lunch, and listening to his phone calls. I am invisible.