Location: Underground Intelligence HQ – Operations Wing, 10:26 AM
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The tension inside the HQ was thick as thunderclouds.Kiaan stepped in, fresh from discharge, his bandaged head doing nothing to dull the sharpness in his eyes. He wasn't walking like a patient—he was walking like a man with purpose, with rage carefully caged beneath a calm surface. Rehaan, Tara, Zid, and Dev followed behind, each catching on to the subtle urgency in his movements. No limp. No pause. Just one mission.
He stopped before the holographic data board, sweeping his eyes across the room.
Kiaan (sternly):"Get me the list of every military officer who was suspended eight weeks ago. I want full names, designations, reasons for suspension, and any connection to Swindon Base."Tara immediately started typing. Dev narrowed his eyes, stepping forward.Dev:"You think the killer's an ex-officer?"Kiaan (nodding):"He's not just someone sneaking in. He knows the base—its layouts, blind spots, protocols. He blends in without triggering alarms. That's not guesswork. That's muscle memory."
Zid (crossing arms):"But if he's suspended, his access should've been revoked."
Kiaan (turning to him):"Should've. But Swindon's older tech systems don't erase badge data immediately. A suspended officer—especially someone respected—can still gain temporary access until the system purges him manually. Some gaps take weeks."Rehaan (frowning):
"And the seminars?"Kiaan walked to the center table and placed both hands on the surface, voice dropping.
Kiaan:"He's using them as a net. Those seminars bring cadets and officers together in one place under a relaxed structure. He gets to study new faces, pick targets, blend in. And because he's not officially on duty, no one questions his presence. Smart… subtle."Tara looked up from the system.
Tara:"I've got twelve names from eight weeks ago. But one stands out—Lt. Major Daniel Mace. Suspended for undisclosed psychological concerns. Served in Swindon for five years. Specialized in cadet field evaluation."Kiaan's head snapped up.
His jaw clenched.Kiaan:"Maya Bishop knew him. She was on the internal panel that reviewed cadet security complaints. I bet she found something—maybe a connection to cadet behavior, or questioned his conduct. That's why he killed her."Rehaan (grim):"And the boys? Why them?"Kiaan(darkly):"Power. Obsession. Revenge. Maybe a twisted experiment. But the why isn't the priority anymore—the who is. He's watching. Studying. Waiting. And he's not done."Tara zoomed in on Mace's last logged location.Tara:"He was seen near Swindon four days ago—off duty. No destination logged. Disappeared off digital radar after that."Dev:"Classic ghost behavior."
Kiaan:"Or camouflage. He's not hiding in shadows—he's hiding in plain sight."
He turned to them, eyes blazing now.
Kiaan:"Every cadet killed was attacked on the weekend. When they leave the base to stay at private apartments. Maya's murder happened on a weekend too." Zid (muttering):"Which means…"Kiaan:"He's planning another strike. He waits for patterns to repeat. He uses routine against us. That's how he stays invisible."
There was a beat of silence before Rehaan stepped forward.Rehaan (quietly):
"Then we break the routine. We flip the board."Kiaan (nods):"Exactly. No cadet leaves base this weekend. We fake their movements. We set up decoys. If he's watching—he'll bite."Tara (determined):
"I'll get Maya's complaint files. Cross-check every boy she was in contact with before she died."Kiaan looked at her.And for the first time since he woke up—his expression softened.Kiaan:"Good. Let's hunt this ghost. He thinks he's ahead of us... time to show him what a mistake that was."