Page 2 of Lethal Sins

“Or they got us here on purpose,” she added sourly, remembering all too well how a Consortium operative had lured them to the Arctic less than a month ago.

A tense silence followed before Bridger spoke again. “Alright, team. Bug out. We’re done here.”

Paige slumped in her chair. Three weeks since Christmas, three weeks of chasing ghosts, and still no sign of Jason. She began shutting down her equipment, her mind already racing ahead to their next move.

“Hold up.” Mason’s voice cut through her thoughts. “Movement on the road. Single vehicle. Approaching fast.”

Paige’s head snapped up, adrenaline surging. “Tai, get me visual.”

Her eyes darted between multiple screens, her mind processing data at lightning speed. With a flick of her wrist, she manipulated the holographic display hovering above her customized command center. As the license plate came intofocus, Paige initiated her cutting-edge recognition software with a crisp voice command, her heart racing with the familiar thrill of cyber sleuthing.

“Nothing to worry about. We’re clear,” she announced. “Local law enforcement.” She watched the white compact maneuver the winding coastal road. It zipped straight past the overgrown entry to the mansion and continued toward town.

Paige’s eyes darted to the mission clock on her display, a frown creasing her brow. “Guys, we’ve overstayed our welcome. You’ve been inside longer than the mission specs allowed.”

She could almost hear Bridger’s nod through the comms. “Copy that, Paige. Team, initiate egress protocols. Move it, people.”

The thermal imaging display showed Bridger and Fenn’s heat signatures moving swiftly towards the exit. She initiated the shutdown sequences for their remote surveillance equipment. “Graham, start the engine. We need to be ready to roll the moment they’re out.”

“On it,” the retired Marine replied, the van rumbling to life beneath them.

She watched over the video feed as Bridger and Fenn navigated the decaying mansion’s treacherous interior. “Watch yourselves on those stairs,” she warned, noting a particularly unstable section on her structural scan.

“Tai, bring the drone in for a final sweep,” Bridger commanded. “Make sure we’re not leaving any traces behind.”

“Affirmative,” Tai responded, the drone’s feed showing it zipping through broken windows for a last look.

As the team coordinated their exit, Paige couldn’t shake the feeling that they were missing something. The mansion had been a dead end, but someone had wanted them there.

Why?

Her fingers absently found the antique locket at her throat, tracing the elaborate raised cross and scrollwork on its front. The large, empty locket was a constant reminder of her complicated relationship with her father. He’d sent it when she joined BlackOut squadron, probably an acknowledgment that she’d gotten her life back on track in an acceptable way. If he’d even picked it out himself. The man had staff, certainly.

Still, she preferred to think he’d chosen it. She only wished he would have added photos inside. But hey, better than nothing ...

Paige had always meant to put photos of her parents inside, but somehow never got around to it. Maybe it was easier to leave it empty, a blank slate full of potential rather than a reminder of what she’d lost. Or maybe, deep down, she was still waiting for her father to fill it himself, to bridge the gap between them in a way words never could.

She shook off the moment of sentimentality, refocusing on the mission at hand. The locket slipped from her fingers as she returned her attention to the screens, determined to unravel the mystery of this seemingly pointless excursion to an abandoned mansion.

She shoved the thoughts aside, focusing on the immediate task of getting her team out safely. There would be time for analysis later. Right now, they needed to disappear before anyone else took an interest in the abandoned property.

Or whoever lured them there closed the trap.

Her eyes fixed on the mission clock. “Bridger, Fenn, you’ve got thirty seconds to clear the building before we’re in the danger zone for discovery.”

She hummed absently, methodically scanning the feeds. The east wall of the living room filled her screen, a mottled canvas of decay. Dirty and leaves filled the corners, and water stainscreated abstract patterns on the walls and floor, testament to years of neglect.

Something about the wall nagged at her subconscious. She leaned closer, her nose almost touching the screen. There, beneath a particularly nasty patch of black mold, was a faint discoloration.

“Stay here,” she ordered. “I want to see that wall with the infrared filter.”

Tai’s voice crackled through the comms, curiosity evident. “Copy that. What’s caught your attention?”

As the drone adjusted its sensors, the image on Paige’s screen shifted. The mold and water stains faded into the background, and something else emerged. At first, it was just a hint, a whisper of a shape hidden beneath layers of paint and time.

Paige’s heart raced, a cold dread seeping into her bones. She blinked hard, willing the image to change, to be a trick of light or a glitch in the system. But it remained, growing clearer with each passing second.

“That’s it,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “Hover there.”

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