216 Shifting Shadows
Lucian
We gathered at an old safe house on the outskirts of town, an abandoned building hidden behind a stretch of dried trees and chain-link fence. Everyone was already there, suiting up and slipping into their new identities.
Denis had shaved off his signature afro, trading it for a close-cropped cut. Gold piercings glittered in his ears,
giving him a street look that worked well with the fake ID in his pocket. He looked good, but nothing like
Denis.
Jane was almost unrecognizable. Tank top, denim shorts, her hair pulled back in a high ponytail. Her usually
sharp, military stance was gone. She slouched, carried herself like a naive tourist. Without her usual muscle
definition, she looked harmless. Civilian. Perfect.
Lance had gone full performance. Fake blonde-tipped dreadlocks framed his face, and a heavy set of bushy, twisted false beards made him look like someone who’d seen hard times. He’d be flying economy with Jane. They looked like two broke adventurers trying their luck in Mistwood.
Denis and I, on the other hand, would travel business class. We originally planned to go by ship, but I changed that last minute. The faster we wrapped this up, the sooner I could get home.
I should be with Mara. Taking her to her antenatal appointments. Talking baby names. Painting the nursery walls. Soon she’d start to show, and I wasn’t there.
And Richard… my son. His visit was coming up soon. I needed to be back in time to meet him properly. To hold him.
Chase had stolen more than just money. He was stealing moments. Time. My time.
And that made me want to bury him.
I adjusted the prosthetic on my nose, altering the shape entirely. I’d shaved my beard and bleached my hair a bright, icy blonde. The change was striking. With my natural blue eyes, I barely recognized myself in the mirror.
My alias: Adam Heartwood.
“What’s your name?” I asked Denis.
He flashed a grin. “Kevin Anders.”
I chuckled. Of course he picked something flashy.
Jane was now Anna Wells. Lance kept his first name but changed his surname to Silverspear, a name that sounded both cheap and poetic, which somehow suited him.
Before we split up to leave in separate vehicles, I pulled the team together for a final check-in.
“We’re not going to engage,” I said firmly. “This is recon, only. Chase Nighthorn has been deliberately leading us to Mistwood. Yes, it could be a trap. But we can’t afford to assume this is all internal without proof.”
I looked at each of them in turn.
“We find out who he is, what he looks like, and what the hell he’s after. That’s it. No confrontations, no side
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missions. When your part’s done, leave individually. Jane and Lance, you leave first. Denis and I follow.”
They nodded.
“You’ve got your spending allowances, ID backups, hotel check-ins?”
All confirmed.
It was time.
+8 Points >
We would all head to the airport in separate vehicles to avoid any surveillance flags. Outside, the cars were lined up. Lance’s disguise called for something flashier, so he’d be taking a power bike, weathered and noisy, perfect for the poor tourist look he was pulling off.
I gave them all one last look. Trusted them all with my life.
Because what we were walking into could change everything.
Boarding the flight was easy.
The disguise worked.
I wore a sharp business suit, clean-shaven with blonde-dyed hair, and a prosthetic nose. Mara’s mark on my
neck was hidden beneath my collar. To any observer, I was just another wealthy executive on a routine trip.
The air hostesses flirted, smiling a little too long, leaning in a little too close. I played along, even accepted one of their numbers. I had no intention of using it, but it helped sell the illusion. No bonded mate. No attachments. Just a man with money and time.
The flight was calm. Quiet.
I didn’t look for the team, we were already communicating through the mind link, keeping contact subtle and efficient. Everyone had arrived. Everyone was in place.
We landed in Rewan, Mistwood just after noon.
I fought the urge to call Mara the second I stepped off the plane. The urge was suffocating. But I buried it.
I hailed a cab to Sunset Beach Hotel, the same hotel Chase had sent letters from. It was our first lead, and
we weren’t wasting time.
Lance, under the Kingston alias, was already lining up a position on staff. Jane was pretending to be a wandering tourist. The cover stories were thin but good enough, though the hotel’s near-empty state made things more dangerous. Fewer guests meant more attention.
The receptionist greeted me with a practiced smile that lingered a bit too long. “Welcome, Mr. Heartwood. Would you like some company in your room tonight?”
I raised an eyebrow.
“We have a few beautiful unmated guests, some from Goldenpeak, even a few of our own locals,” she added with a wink.
Goldenpeak. That caught my attention.
Most Goldenpeak citizens couldn’t afford this trip. If someone made it here, she either had help or a reason. Maybe both.
“If it’s possible, I’d prefer someone from Goldenpeak,” I said.
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“Male or female?” she asked with no judgment in her tone, just business.
“Female,” I said after a brief pause.
She smiled knowingly. “Of course. We’ll send someone up shortly.”
+8 Points >
I tipped the staff well and followed a bellhop to my room. The place was clean, polished, but too quiet. I locked the door behind me and finally let out a slow breath.
Sitting on the bed, the weight of it all hit me.
I missed Mara already.
I imagined her back home, resting or working, maybe stroking her belly, maybe whispering baby names to herself. I wanted to be there. With her. For all of it.
I didn’t care if our island had everything, we were coming back to Mistwood once this was over. Not for business. For peace. For us. I’d bring her and our children and give them the freedom to explore, on our terms.
But first, I had to find Chase Nighthorn.
And unravel the trap he thought we’d blindly walked into.
