Chapter 13: Ghost in the Wires
The wind howled through the trees surrounding the upstate safehouse as the storm rolled in. Thunder cracked overhead, but inside the cottage, Elira's mind was louder.
She stood before the map Noah had spread on the table—red circles marked every known Crane facility.
"We hit this one," she said, tapping the westernmost point. "It's an R&D site. The last place Delgado was seen before he vanished. There may be files—proof of Crane's experiments."
Noah glanced at Ares. "She's serious."
Ares didn't look up. "She always is."
Elira crossed her arms. "I don't need your permission."
"I didn't say you did," he replied. "But I'm not letting you walk into a hornet's nest alone."
Vira stepped forward. "This location… it's deep. Underground. Security won't be easy to bypass."
"I've bypassed worse," Elira said coldly.
Ares caught her arm. "You're not fine. You haven't slept in days. Luka's death is still fresh."
Elira yanked her arm free. "Don't use his name to hold me back."
The words hit like a slap.
Ares didn't respond. He just walked out into the rain.
---
A Message from the Dead
That night, while thunder shook the windows and lightning painted the room in ghostly flashes, Noah burst into the living room holding his tablet.
"You're going to want to see this," he said.
Elira, Vira, and Ares gathered around as Noah played the audio.
It was a scrambled recording, distorted by static. A voice came through—low, pained.
"Elira… if you're hearing this… it means I survived."
Elira froze. "No."
The voice—Luka.
"I was pulled from the wreckage. Captured. Crane is using me… trying to find you. Don't come for me. Not yet. But don't trust Vira. She isn't who you think."
The audio cut off.
Silence fell like a weight.
Elira's head swam. "It's a trick. It has to be."
Noah looked pale. "It came from an encrypted frequency. The same one Crane uses. This wasn't AI."
Ares looked at Vira, expression dark. "What aren't you telling us?"
Vira's hands trembled slightly, but her voice was steady. "Crane… he never let me out of his sight for a decade. If Luka's alive, it's possible he knows things I don't."
But Elira had seen something in her mother's eyes.
A flicker.
A mask slipping.
---
Trust Fractured
Hours passed, and the tension inside the safehouse thickened like smoke. Elira couldn't sleep. She stood at the window, heart pounding, mind torn between grief, rage, and a creeping sense of betrayal.
Ares approached quietly. "You don't believe Luka's alive."
"I don't know what to believe."
"Then believe in yourself. In what we've seen. Vira's been lying."
Elira turned to him, eyes burning. "She's my mother."
"And that doesn't mean she's innocent."
"I just got her back!"
"And you'll lose her again if you don't face the truth."
The wind howled louder. Outside, tree branches scraped the windows like fingers.
Elira's shoulders dropped. "If Luka's alive… I have to know."
Ares nodded. "Then we plan a rescue."
---
The Decision
By morning, the storm had cleared, but the world felt colder.
Elira gathered her gear, slipping her blade into her boot and loading her pistol.
Vira watched from the corner. "You're leaving."
"I have to."
"What if it's a trap?"
"Then I'll spring it."
Vira stood slowly. "If you go to Crane, you're walking into fire."
"I was born in fire."
Vira looked like she wanted to say more, but she only nodded. "Then don't die, my daughter."
Elira paused. "If Luka's wrong about you… I'll come back."
"And if he's right?" Vira asked.
Elira didn't answer.