The cost of freedom

Jared entered the room a moment later, taking in the scene. "Well, that's one way to handle it."

Tricia exhaled shakily. "It's finally over."

Jared tilted his head. "Is it?"

"Lana killed Carter, you killed Lana. But the people they work for are still out there."

A chill ran through her.

"You really think they'll just let you walk away?" Jared questioned.

Tricia stared at her mother's lifeless body. The war wasn't over.

It was just changing hands.

And now, she was the only one left who knew the truth. She thought.

She closed her eyes. The truth had cost her everything.

But, she wasn't done. At least, not yet.

She turned to Jared, "Then let's finish this."

Because one thing she had learned?

The truth hardly sets you free. It just gives you more enemies and battles.

The Unfinished Story

Tricia stood in the middle of Lana's suite, the scent of gunpowder and blood lingering in the air. Her heartbeat was steady now, too steady. She had thought killing Lana would bring her peace, but all she felt was a hollow emptiness.

Because Jared was right.

It wasn't over.

She glanced down at Lana's body, her once-powerful presence reduced to a silent corpse. The woman who had orchestrated so much of Tricia's pain was gone, but her influence? That would take more than a bullet to erase.

Jared walked over, sliding his hands into his pockets. "You're thinking too much," he remarked.

Tricia exhaled. "I just ended a war, Jared."

He gave her a knowing smirk. "No, you just created a power vacuum. And in this world, that's worse."

Tricia turned to face him fully. "Then we fill it before someone else does."

Jared studied her for a moment, then let out a low chuckle. "And here I thought you wanted out."

"I did," she admitted. "But now? Now I need to know who's really pulling the strings. Lana, Carter, they were just players. Someone else was controlling the game."

Jared nodded approvingly. "Good. Because I have something you need to see."

He reached into his jacket and pulled out a sleek black flash drive. "Found this in Carter's office before his men torched the place. Thought you might want to take a look."

Tricia took the drive, rolling it between her fingers. "What's on it?"

Jared smirked. "That's the fun part. I have no idea."

She arched a brow. "And you didn't check because…?"

"Because some secrets are better shared. Besides, if I looked and it turned out to be a death sentence, I'd rather not die alone."

Tricia snorted despite herself. "That's comforting."

Jared's expression turned serious. "Look, Tricia. You want to find out who's really behind all of this? Be careful. You might not like the answer."

Tricia clenched the flash drive in her palm. She had to know.

She had spent too long chasing shadows, running from truths that had been manipulated and twisted against her.

Not anymore.

The First Clue

They relocated to a safe house, one of Jared's. A small, unassuming apartment tucked away in a part of the city no one paid attention to.

Tricia sat at an old desk, staring at the laptop screen as the files from the flash drive loaded.

Jared leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "Moment of truth."

The screen flickered, revealing a folder labeled: Project S.O.L.A.C.E.

Tricia's stomach clenched.

She clicked on the folder, and dozens of encrypted documents popped up. Some were marked with names she recognized, Lana, Carter, Maya. Others were unfamiliar.

But then she saw it.

Her name.

Her pulse spiked.

She clicked on the file. A document opened, filled with information about her, birth records, adoption papers, medical reports. But one section stood out.

Status: Active Asset

She went still.

"Tricia?" Jared asked, his voice careful.

She scrolled further down, her breath catching as she reached the final line of the document.

It wasn't just about her.

It was about someone else.

Subject #042: Lana Hathaway

Status: Decommissioned

Her hands trembled.

Decommissioned. Not just killed, erased.

Lana had been part of something bigger, something she hadn't controlled.

Which meant…

Tricia's gaze dropped back to her own file. Active Asset.

"Jared," she whispered.

He pushed off the wall, moving closer. "What?"

She looked up, her eyes burning.

"I was never supposed to escape."

His expression hardened. "What are you saying?"

She swallowed hard. "This isn't just a cover-up. It's a project. And I'm still part of it."

The room felt suffocating.

She had killed Lana, thinking she had severed the last tie to her past.

But the real enemy?

They were still watching.

The Unfinished Story

Tricia closed the laptop, her mind racing. "We need to move."

Jared frowned. "Where?"

"Somewhere they can't find me."

He gave her a dry look. "Tricia, if what you're saying is true, they already know where you are."

She hesitated. He was right.

There was only one way forward now.

She met his gaze. "Then we make them come to us."

Jared grinned. "Now that's more like it."

Tricia exhaled slowly. She had started this journey searching for the truth.

Now, she was part of a much bigger lie.

The past was unfinished. The future was uncertain.

But one thing was clear,

This story wasn't over.

It was just beginning.