Chapter 2 : Past

Adelar pointed to a spot on the map displayed on the holographic screen and declared, "That's the location. The children are probably there. Our objective is the son, so we'll take out the daughter."

Bernie queried, "Shouldn't we target his friends too? Isn't it possible they could also be involved?"

Adelar shook his head, "Infection needs two factors: exposure to the beacon for sufficient time and blood relation. Not even a half-sibling would catch it." He mentally shut the map. The captain glanced at his team and sighed. "Cort and Jaeger, focus on beacon retrieval. Bernie and I will keep watch. Move fast. Police will likely be at target's house in an hour. Retrieve beacon, eliminate sister before they arrive." He paused, and the team nodded, so he continued.

"This is a dangerous mission," Adelar emphasized. "Our target is uncharted territory despite all the tests conducted on this subject. Move carefully, especially when retrieving the beacon."

"Yes sir!" Squadmates replied, saluting.

Adelar looked at his squad again and saw determination, but beneath the serious expressions, he sensed their underlying nerves. Memories of his anxieties surfaced. He was reminded of the emotions that he once had. "Bernie start the van. Streets should be clear at this hour, so we can speed to the target's house. There's no time to waste."

Adelar's image disappeared into the walls of the holographic room before they disappeared as Bernie picked up the projector. They were now in an almost empty parking lot with Bernie at the wheel while the rest of the group occupied the back seat of the vehicle.

Immediately, he started the van and raced out of the parking lot.

As they approached their destination, the back-seat passengers put on their gear. Adelar let out a sigh of relief as they navigated the dimly lit neighbourhood without encountering any police presence. Such a law enforcement service is why this country will be overthrown. He thought to himself.

Jaeger and Cort left the van, disguised as police officers. Bernie watched them approach the front door. "I hope the uniforms are convincing enough," Bernie said as he tapped on the steering wheel.

"Just fooling two kids," Adelar replied calmly, also watching.

"You're right," Bernie said, smiling tensely.

They watched Cort ring the doorbell, with Jaeger standing guard. They fidgeted, waiting, but no one seemed to be home. Frustrated, Jaeger stomped on the porch and signalled for them to return to the van.

When they returned, Cort and Jaeger reported that no one was there. Adelar slammed the van door in frustration. "Shit!"

The mood was somber, and the rest watched Adelar in silence.

"Now what?" Bernie asks carefully.

Adelar took a deep, shaky breath and closed his eyes. A screen reappeared in front of him. He checked the time and realized that thirty minutes had passed since the killing. They either had to leave or come up with a new plan.

"We'll wait for their return," Adelar said after a long silence. The rest of the team was uneasy with the plan. "But the police might be back by then," Bernie pointed out, his stress now showing on his face. Adelar didn't blame him, he was also feeling the pressure.

"I know the risks," Adelar replied. "But we can't just leave without accomplishing our mission. We have to be patient and wait for the right moment to strike." The rest reluctantly agreed, the tension in the air was palpable, and no one spoke a word. They could only hope that their mission would be a success and that they would return home safely.

He paused, tapping his chin. "We'll launch the assault from a distance," he declared, catching the attention of his team.

"Do we have CCTV jamming equipment and drones?" Adelar asked and Cort confirmed. After reviewing their supplies, Adelar was satisfied they had everything they needed. "We'll use a hologram to conceal ourselves in the backyard while our drones deal with the police. This will force the children out the back door where we'll shoot the girl and sedate the boy with sleeping darts. With the CCTV jammers in place, there will be no evidence of our presence, making it look like another random killing or kidnapping." The captain stated.

"What if the sister doesn't accompany the boy?" Bernie queried. "If that's the case, there's nothing we can do. Our only option is to retrieve the beacon or fail the mission completely," Adelar replied, "We'll have to disregard the sister if it comes to that." He exited the van with the holographic projector. "Bernie, park the van far enough to avoid suspicion but stay on standby. The rest of us will conceal ourselves in the backyard until the boy appears. If he doesn't come out, we'll go inside. Clear?"

With a plan in place, the team appeared eager. Bernie drove away while the rest of the group moved around the house with all the necessary equipment. Upon reaching the backyard, Adelar placed the circular projector and activated it by pressing the button in its centre. He then connected it to his mind chip wirelessly and configured the hologram to blend seamlessly into the backyard, even though they would be inside it.

Adelar mentally selected "Confirm" and the lights around the base of the projector illuminated as the projections were emitted in all directions. The hologram gradually coalesced into its intended form before becoming completely invisible to the naked eye. Stepping into the hologram, the team entered the virtual world where they would wait for their target.

After about ten minutes, they heard vehicles approaching. Adelar looked at Cort, who nodded. A drone was deployed and activated, then linked to Cort's mind chip wirelessly. He shared the drone's point-of-view on the screen in the room as soon as it was in front of him. The drone was then sent outside of the hologram.

"Is the camouflage active?" Adelar asked to confirm. Cort studied the numerous police vehicles parked outside the boy's house but nodded. The target was still nowhere to be seen. Adelar stretched and faced his team. "It seems they'll encounter the officers first," he said and instructed Cort to maneuver the drone around the neighbourhood.

Several hours had gone by and the police still hadn't left the house. Some officers were sent to search for the children while others stayed in case they came back. Adelar pondered if the children had seen the murder and fled. But then he remembered surveying the entire restaurant from when they entered to when they left. The two were nowhere to be found.

Could it be a trap set by the police to attract the assassins? That seemed unlikely. The killing was staged to match the pattern of the random killings happening throughout the country. There was no way that the authorities could suspect such a deliberate plan behind this murder.

"Hold on, what's that?" Jaeger interjected, pausing his train of thought. He gestured towards the screen.

Adelar's eyes trailed behind Jaeger's pointing finger and spotted a person hiding near a house near their objective. The drone's camera magnified and improved the image. "That's the guy we're after," Adelar stated calmly, once the person's face became visible. Bernie comments, "He appears to be at least seventeen years old, much older than the photos we have."

"Shouldn't we grab him before he reaches his place?" Jaeger queried. Adelar weighed the proposal, "Too dangerous with all those police nearby. Let's not be impatient and stick to the plan," he replied and the team agreed.

Adelar faced away from the screen, his mind wandering to their mission. He was puzzled by the "beacon" and his role in the organization's experiments. All he knew was there was a possibility of obtaining supernatural abilities. He pondered on the extent of technological advancements for something like this to be achievable, or if it was even technology anymore.

"What the hell was that?!" Jaeger shouted and Adelar spun around quickly.

Adelar gazed at the screen, seeing the boy standing by a police car, staring in disbelief at the officers at his doorstep. The boy was examining his arms with amazement. "How did he get there undetected?" Adelar asked, bewildered. "That's the thing... He... He..." Jaeger stammered, struggling to articulate.

"He teleported," Cort spoke worriedly, also taken aback by what they saw.

"He teleported?" Adelar asked in disbelief. Was this the supernatural ability the organization was referring to? "How did it occur?" Adelar pressed urgently.

Cort recounted the details, "One moment he was sprinting toward the house, the next he was at the car. He appeared just as stunned as we were, possibly even more so." Adelar was left speechless, only managing to say, "I see," as he viewed the replay in fright.

His heart raced as he attempted to comprehend what just happened. Could it be a drone surveillance glitch? But then why was the boy startled? Could it be a mere coincidence? But that still doesn't account for how he arrived unnoticed with so many police around.

It seemed impossible.

The organization hasn't assigned a mission of this kind in ten years. Even then, it wasn't the same, and Adelar wasn't part of the team.

"Captain...?"

Adelar was uncertain of what lay ahead, but did the organization foresee this outcome? It appeared as if they stumbled upon this issue without preparation, using Adelar's team as mere tools.

"Captain?!" Bernie's shout brought Adelar back to reality. Adelar cleared his head and looked at Bernie. "We follow the plan. Regardless of what's happening, we need to get the boy to come out from the bac-" He was cut off by Jaeger's cry,

"He broke down the door with just his fist!"

What the hell is going on...? Adelar thought to himself. "He's heading to the back," Cort informed.

Adelar tried to focus once more and activated the tranquillizer gun, aiming it at the door. "Don't forget, we need to keep him alive," he reminded his team as they watched the door slowly open.