Chapter 3: The Art of Perfect Deception
The parking lot outside the Bureau shimmered with heat waves. Asphalt softened in the late afternoon sun, mirroring the haze building in Alex Stone's skull.
Beside him, Detective Marcus Williams unlocked the unmarked patrol car and muttered under his breath. "It's always hotter when we're about to do something stupid."
Alex scanned the surroundings. Security cameras on two lampposts. Blind spots behind a vending kiosk. Two pedestrians pacing nearby, pretending to talk on their phones—but their eyes kept flicking toward the Bureau doors.
Not cops. Too clean. Too deliberate.
Possible scouts. Or decoys.
『 ◆ THREAT SCAN INITIATED ◆ 』『 Surveillance Activity: DETECTED 』『 Facial Anomalies: MASKED IDENTITY – LIKELY ALTERED 』『 RECOMMENDATION: REMAIN NEUTRALIZED 』
He blinked away the CRIMESYNC overlay.
Williams popped the driver's door open and cursed. "Shit. Left the keys inside."
Kevin Ross groaned theatrically in the backseat. "Third time this week, man. You're losing your edge."
Williams growled something about brain rot and caffeine as he called for a locksmith. Meanwhile, Kevin jogged across the street toward a convenience stand for drinks.
Alex stayed near the car.
Still as a shadow.
Watching.
Every movement was deliberate now. Unforced, but calculated. Like he was constantly one step into a plan he didn't know he was writing.
Williams fidgeted while waiting on the call. "We've got a twenty-five gram heroin handoff in fifteen minutes and no vehicle. Goddamn genius timing."
Alex said nothing. He was already visualizing the operation.
『 ◆ SIMULATION CROSS-REFERENCE: #22,918 "Three-Way Trap – Public Square" 』『 SUCCESS RATE: 72% – Provided Agent Maintains Cover 』『 Potential Civilian Casualties: 3 』『 Escape Routes: 5 – 3 Previously Used in CRIMESYNC Simulation Set 12A 』
Williams tapped his foot.
"You good, Stone?"
Alex blinked once. "Fine."
"You're not rattled? First real op?"
Alex met his gaze without flinching. "It's just pattern recognition."
Williams studied him again, that same unease rising in the back of his throat. The kid's responses were too crisp. Too polished. Like someone running a script in real time.
"You ever actually see someone get shot?"
"Yes."
A beat.
"That part of your test training?"
Alex paused just long enough to make it worse. "Something like that."
Williams turned away with a muttered curse.
From across the street, Kevin shouted, "Heads up!"
He tossed a chilled energy drink underhand toward Alex.
Alex caught it mid-air with two fingers, without even looking.
Williams blinked.
Definitely not normal.
Thirty minutes later, the operation was live.
Unmarked officers scattered along the sidewalk in plain clothes. Pedestrians milled about, oblivious. A silver sedan idled at the curb near a flower stand—the suspected drop point.
Alex moved like he'd done this a hundred times.
Because he had.
In his mind.
In simulations.
But this was real. And that made it unpredictable.
The two dealers emerged from a corner store—both mid-thirties, hoodies and jeans, walking casual. One carried a paper bag that was too stiff for fast food.
Williams' voice came through the earpiece. "Confirm target. Wait for the exchange."
The moment stretched tight.
Sweat rolled down Kevin's temple. He was three feet from Alex behind a newsstand, pretending to check his phone.
Alex stood further back, pretending to read a crime poster stapled to a pillar. His fingers itched with adrenaline.
The man with the bag gave a casual nod to the driver of the silver sedan.
Here it comes.
『 ◆ CRIMESYNC ALERT ◆ 』『 INTERCEPTION WINDOW: 3.2 SECONDS 』『 OPTIMAL MOVE: INTERCEPT + CONTAIN 』
Alex stepped forward—then froze.
A child's cry broke through the noise.
The dealers froze too.
A woman stumbled into the street between them, dragging a toddler behind her.
Kevin's breath caught. Williams cursed in Alex's ear. The sedan peeled away.
Alex didn't hesitate.
He moved.
Fast.
Between the dealers. Snatched the bag before either man registered what happened. Slammed one into a bench. The other drew a switchblade—too slow.
Alex caught his wrist mid-swing and drove a knee into his ribs. The man collapsed.
The scene exploded around him—sirens, running cops, people screaming.
But Alex barely heard it.
Everything moved in slow motion now.
His vision tunneled. His heart beat in calm, controlled rhythm.
『 TARGETS NEUTRALIZED 』『 COLLATERAL DAMAGE: ZERO 』『 SYSTEM RESPONSE: OPTIMAL 』
By the time Kevin caught up, it was over.
"Holy—what was that?!"
Alex didn't answer.
His gaze drifted upward.
Across the street, past the crowd—
To a woman leaning against a rusted fire escape.
She stood completely still.
Too still.
Hair bleached white and cut in sharp, layered angles—a wolf cut. Face obscured by oversized shades. A small black earpiece tucked behind her ear.
She was watching him.
She smiled.
Cold. Knowing.
Then she was gone.
Melted into the crowd before Alex could process it.
"Alex?" Kevin said beside him. "You okay, man?"
But Alex couldn't answer.
Because something had shifted.
Something dangerous was watching him now.
⟿ END OF CHAPTER 3⟿ TO BE CONTINUED…
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━CRIMESYNC™ REPORT // LOG 03.END› Subject: ALEX STONE› Status: COMBAT RESPONSE SUCCESSFUL› Civilian Risk: AVOIDED› Tactical Deviation: ACCEPTABLE RANGE› External Surveillance: CONFIRMED› SUBJECT BETA VISUAL CONTACT: INITIATED
Observation:"Even a perfect predator can feel hunted...when the past starts looking back."
⛔ External Detection Risk: HIGH━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━