A Message in the Dark

The dim glow of a streetlamp flickered as Tricia, Jared, Reed and Nathan walked in tense silence. The abandoned facility behind them felt like a ghost that refused to be left behind. Tricia's fingers were still curled around the file, her file, as if letting go of it would somehow erase the truth she had just uncovered.

The key to everything.

Her pulse was still pounding when they reached their safe house, a run-down motel on the outskirts of the city. The air was thick with the scent of mildew and old cigarette smoke. Jared swept the room for trackers while Reed checked the security feed. Nathan, ever the silent observer, leaned against the wall, watching her.

Tricia sat on the edge of the bed, flipping through the worn pages of her past. The deeper she read, the more it became clear, Lorne had always intended for her to be found. But why?

Her thoughts were interrupted by the flicker of the motel's power.

The lights blinked. Once. Twice. Then darkness.

Reed cursed. "That's not a coincidence."

Jared drew his gun. "Everyone stay sharp."

A second later, the old television crackled to life. White noise filled the room before the screen shifted to a grainy video feed. A distorted voice spoke through the speakers.

"Not everyone at your side is on your side."

Tricia's blood ran cold.

The screen flickered again, showing static before another image replaced it, security footage of their safe house. It was live. Someone was watching them.

Nathan grabbed his laptop, working fast to trace the signal. "They hijacked the power grid to send us this message. But they're not just warning us…" He frowned. "They're testing our reaction time."

Tricia forced herself to breathe. "And we just confirmed we got the message."

Jared stepped toward the window, peering through the blinds. The night outside was silent, too silent. "We need to move."

But Tricia didn't move. She couldn't.

Her gaze flicked to the people around her, Reed, scanning for threats; Jared, protective as always; Nathan, guarded yet oddly familiar.

Was the warning meant for her?

Or was it meant for someone else in the room?

Trust is a Loaded Gun

The weight of the cryptic message lingered in the air, thick and suffocating. Tricia's pulse drummed in her ears as she scanned the dimly lit room. Not everyone at your side is on your side. The warning replayed in her mind like a broken record, clawing at the fragile trust she had left.

Reed was already packing up their supplies, his jaw clenched with urgency. "We need to clear out, now."

Nathan was typing furiously on his laptop, his eyes narrowing. "The signal came from somewhere inside the city. They didn't just want to warn us. They wanted us paranoid."

Jared stood by the window, his gun drawn as he watched the empty street. "Then they got what they wanted."

Tricia studied his tense frame, the way his fingers twitched against the trigger. Something about him was off.

She had spent some time fighting alongside Jared, trusting him with her life. He had been there through every escape, every near-death encounter. And yet…

Tonight, something felt different.

"What aren't you telling me?" she asked, her voice controlled but firm.

Jared didn't turn around. "Tricia, this isn't the time,"

"It's exactly the time." She stepped closer, feeling Nathan and Reed shift uneasily behind her. "The warning wasn't random. Someone sent it because they know something I don't. So, I'll ask again, what aren't you telling me?"

Jared's shoulders tensed. He exhaled sharply before finally turning to face her. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes held something she couldn't quite place.

Regret.

"Lorne isn't the only ghost we're running from," he admitted.

Tricia's stomach knotted. "Meaning?"

Nathan stood abruptly, his laptop beeping. His face darkened. "Meaning he's wanted for more than just helping you escape." He turned the screen toward them. "You've been compromised."

The screen displayed a federal warrant.

Jared Woods. Former intelligence operative. Wanted for treason.

Tricia's breath caught. "What the hell is this?"

Jared's jaw clenched. "It's complicated."

"No," she snapped. "It's betrayal."

The room fell into silence.

Reed shifted uncomfortably. "So what, was he playing us this whole time?"

Nathan didn't speak, but his hand hovered near his weapon.

Jared sighed, holstering his gun before lifting both hands. "I didn't lie to you, Tricia. Not about the things that matter. But before I met you, I was on my own mission."

"And that mission made you a fugitive?"

He hesitated. "I did things I can't take back. But everything I've done since I met you? That was real."

Tricia's heart pounded. If she had learned anything, it was that trust was a loaded gun. One wrong move, and it could destroy everything.

Jared looked at her, his voice low. "If you don't believe me, then go. But if you do, we don't have time to fight each other."

Nathan exhaled through his nose. "Or, we turn you in and buy ourselves time."

Tricia felt every eye in the room shift toward her. The decision was hers.

Betray Jared and secure their escape.

Or trust him, and gamble with everything.

Either way, someone was about to get hurt.