The dim glow of the streetlights filtered through the windows of the sleek black van as it moved silently through the night. Mikey sat in the back, gripping his earpiece tightly, his eyes focused on Gregor and Sarah across from him. Tonight's mission was straightforward—or at least, it was supposed to be. They were to retrieve sensitive data from a secure warehouse. No one was supposed to know they were there.
But something felt off. His instincts buzzed with unease, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He couldn't shake the feeling that they weren't alone. The memory of the mysterious woman watching him flashed in his mind. Was she behind this? Was she pulling the strings?
"We're almost there," Gregor's voice broke through Mikey's thoughts, low and controlled. "Stay sharp, follow the plan."
Mikey nodded, trying to push down the creeping tension. He checked the small device clipped to his belt—a tiny USB drive meant to store whatever intel they could get their hands on tonight. He couldn't afford any mistakes.
The van stopped a few blocks away from the target, and the three of them slipped out into the cool night air. They moved like shadows, silent and focused, blending into the darkness as they approached the warehouse.
---
Inside, the atmosphere was tense. Gregor and Sarah worked quickly, hacking into the warehouse's system to retrieve the data while Mikey stood watch by the door. His mind was alert, scanning every corner, every sound, for any sign of danger.
Then it happened—a faint noise, almost imperceptible, but enough to make Mikey's heart skip a beat. He spun around just in time to see a shadow moving outside the window.
"Someone's here," Mikey whispered urgently into his earpiece. "We've been compromised."
Sarah cursed under her breath, her fingers moving faster over the keyboard. "We need five more minutes. Hold them off."
Without hesitation, Mikey moved toward the door, his body tense and ready for action. He pulled his weapon from its holster, knowing that whoever was out there wasn't friendly. The quiet had been shattered.
The next few moments were a blur. Mikey spotted two figures moving toward the building, but they weren't ordinary guards. They moved with precision, like professionals—trained, just like him. He could hear the faint clinking of gear, and that was enough to confirm his suspicion. They were agents.
But whose side are they on?
Mikey's thoughts raced as he fought to hold them off, trying to buy Sarah and Gregor the time they needed. Every second felt like an eternity, but finally, Sarah's voice came through his earpiece: "We're in. Got the data. Let's move."
Mikey turned on his heel, rushing back to where Gregor and Sarah were already packing up. But in his haste, he made a fatal error. His hand grazed his belt, and something slipped from his grasp.
He didn't notice.
---
The next morning, Mikey walked through the crowded halls of school, the adrenaline from the mission still buzzing faintly in his veins. He felt like he was in a daze, trying to shake off the tension. But for once, he felt like he could breathe. They had completed the mission, escaped unnoticed.
Or so he thought.
At lunch, he sat with Lila, Jake, and Ryan, trying to maintain some sense of normalcy. Lila, however, was uncharacteristically quiet, her eyes fixed on Mikey with a curious intensity. He could feel her gaze burning into him, but he pretended not to notice.
Then, as they were getting up to leave, Lila pulled something out of her pocket—a small metallic object that gleamed in the light. Mikey's heart dropped into his stomach.
"Is this yours?" Lila asked, her voice calm but laced with suspicion. She held up the tiny USB drive, the one Mikey hadn't even realized was missing.
For a moment, Mikey's world stopped. The noise of the cafeteria faded into the background, and all he could see was the USB drive in Lila's hand. How had he been so careless? His mind raced, searching for an explanation, but nothing came. There was no way to explain this without giving too much away.
"Where did you find that?" Mikey asked, his voice betraying none of the panic bubbling beneath the surface.
"Near the park," Lila said, studying his reaction closely. "I went for a walk yesterday after you left, and it was just lying there on the ground. Looked important."
Mikey clenched his fists under the table. How could he have dropped it? And worse, how had Lila found it? His mind spun with a hundred questions, but there was one that kept rising to the surface: How much did she know?
"I've never seen it before," Mikey lied, trying to keep his voice steady. "It's probably someone else's."
Lila raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Really? Because it looks like something you'd use for schoolwork, maybe a project? Weird place to find it, though. Near the park?"
Mikey could feel the walls closing in. Lila wasn't buying his story, and he knew she wouldn't drop this. She was too smart, too observant, and she was already suspicious of him. One wrong move, and she'd figure it all out.
"Why are you so interested in it?" he asked, trying to deflect the conversation.
Lila crossed her arms, leaning in slightly. "Because you've been acting weird lately, Mikey. And now I find this. I don't know what's going on with you, but I'm not stupid. Something's up."
Mikey's mind raced. He couldn't tell her the truth—not without putting her in danger. But Lila was relentless. She wasn't going to let this go.
Suddenly, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out, grateful for the distraction, but what he saw on the screen made his blood run cold.
Unknown Number: "I know what you're hiding. We need to talk."