Unwanted Attention

Nathan beat his chest still, his arms quivering as he watched the landed attackers. The only sound in the room was the distant wail of sirens—and it was not difficult to imagine how the police forces would soon be knocking on the door. He turned to Jenkins, his mind racing. The power had come so easily, too easily. The force that had thrown the men back, the surge of energy… It felt like something foreign, something not entirely his.

They'll be back", Jenkins said, his voice tight with anxiety. "We need to leave now. They won't stop until they get what they want."

Nathan nodded, his thoughts still swirling. "But who are they? Why do they want the Fragment so badly?"

Jenkins took a satchel hanging off the counter and put it on his back. "That's not important right now. What's important is that we get out of here before more of them show up. The ones to search for the Fragments are not just any thug crew. They are part of an archaic structure of organizations, each with its own rationale.

"Why me, though? Nathan asked, his voice filled with frustration. "Why do they think I have the Fragment? I never asked for any of this."

Jenkins didn't answer immediately. He walked toward the window and peered through the blinds, his eyes scanning the street outside. The Fragments are drawn to such people," he whispered. "Ordinary people, who don't know what they're holding. You're just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Nathan clenched his fists. I'm just a piece in some game I don't know anything about?

"You're more than that, Jenkins said, turning to face him. "You have the power to choose how this goes. However, the longer you cling to the Fragment, the more you will be drawn into the universe of those organisations. You won't be able to run from them forever."

Nathan's mind whirled with thoughts of the Fragments, the power, and the mysterious organizations chasing him. The possibility of such groups, people looking to own the Fragment at any cost, just raised the stakes by an added layer of dread. It wasn't only about the survival, but it was becoming about a fight for something much bigger than himself.

A sharp knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. Nathan froze, his body tensing. Jenkins held up a hand, signaling for silence. He went quite slowly to the door, beckoning Nathan to hold back. The atmosphere was so charged that it was thick enough to cut with a butcher s "knife .

Jenkins pushed the door (just) ajar to get a glimpse of the outside. Nathan strained to hear any sound, but the world outside seemed to hold its breath.

"Mr. Jenkins," a voice called from the other side. It was smooth, almost too polite, and unmistakably professional. "We know you're in there. We can choose to do it the simple (easy) way, or the hard (difficult) way. However, do not think that—we will make it happen.

Nathan's pulse quickened. The voice that was on the other side of the door was level, but there was a bite to it—a threat, a guarantee that this would be no ordinary discussion.

"Who are you? Jenkins asked, his voice steady but carrying an unmistakable tension. "What do you want with Nathan?"

"We don't want him," the voice replied. "We want the Fragment. Hand it over, and no one gets hurt."

Nathan's stomach churned. He didn't know what sort of people would use threats so calculatively and effectively, but he wasn't eager to learn.

Jenkins took a deep breath. "You don't understand, he said, his tone now low and ominous. "You don't know what you're dealing with. Leave now, while you still can."

A moment of silence hung between the two sides of the door, etc. Lo and behold then the voice emerged one last time but this time it carried with it something far more menacing. "You're making a mistake, Jenkins. We've already been patient long enough. If you don't comply, we'll make sure Nathan learns just how dangerous his new. abilities can be.

The danger lay in wait, suffocating like a fog. Jenkins closed the door slowly, locking it behind him. He turned to Nathan, his face grave.

"They're not going to stop. These are the people I've been trying to protect you from. They are employed by a society the Helix Order who are an ancient society that have been searching for the Fragments for millennia.

Nathan's mind was racing. "The Helix Order? What do they want with the Fragment?"

Jenkins went over to the little window and looked out, his face becoming hard. "They want power, Nathan. And the Fragments are the key. They think that whoever has the control of the Fragments has control not only of the world, but also of the future. They'll stop at nothing to get them and they'll use you to get them, if they have to.

Nathan's thoughts were racing. He had never asked for any of this. He, however, never wished to get caught in a historical war, and he did. And now, these people—the Helix Order—were closing in on him.

You've got to figure out how to wield this power," Jenkins replied, turning to face him. "We can't keep running forever. The Fragments are drawing attention—dangerous attention—and you need to understand what that means.

Nathan nodded, but a haze of uncertainty still lingered in his gut. "How? How do I control this power?"

Jenkins gave him a tight smile. "One step at a time. First, we need to get to the safe house. I know a person who may assist you with the Fragment. But we need to move fast."

Straining to get to the back door of the house, Nathan, couldn't help but have the sensation that their fleeting time of safety was receding. The Helix Order wasn't just a shadow—they were real, and they were relentless.

nothing would ever be the same again.