Rebecca Cain's sleek black car idled across the street from the safe home. Her penetrating eyes concentrated on the building where Ethan and his friends had just entered. With a pleased grin, she pocketed her phone and walked out of the van.
Inside the safe house, anxiety boiled through the air as the crew dealt with Nina's revelations. Ethan paced the room, his thoughts racing. Charlie waited at the window, alert as usual, as Milo pounded away at his laptop.
Nina sat away from the others, her shoulders bent beneath the weight of centuries-old secrets. Ethan caught her glance, noting a mix of relief and worry in her stare. He opened his lips to speak, but a harsh tap at the door stopped him.
Everyone froze.
After a moment, Charlie's hand slid to his concealed weapon. Milo's fingers lingered above his computer, ready to launch their emergency steps. Nina rose slowly, her body tense.
When Ethan approached the door, he did so with caution, his heart beating rapidly. He glanced through the peephole and sucked in a rapid breath.
"It's her," he murmured, turning to the others. "Rebecca Cain."
Nina's eyes widened. "How did she find us?"
Before anybody could speak, Rebecca's comments carried through the door. "I know you're in there, Ethan. We need to talk. All of us."
Ethan exchanged gaze with his companions. Charlie nodded a quick nod, his gaze stern. With a deep breath, Ethan opened the door.
Rebecca marched in, her presence swiftly filling the room. She examined the crowd, her focus falling on Nina. "Well," she said, a hint of laughter in her voice, "isn't this cozy?"
"How did you find us?" Charlie demanded, not trying to mask his doubt.
Rebecca's lips curved into a knowing grin. "I'm incredibly good at my work, Mr. Briggs. But that's not important right now. What counts is the Midnight Star, and the reality that you're all in well over your heads."
Ethan felt a shiver go down his spine. "What do you know about the Midnight Star?"
"More than you," Rebecca responded, her eyes glinting. "And probably more than Victor Delgado. That's why I'm here. You need me."
Nina scoffed. "We don't need anybody. We've got things under control."
Rebecca looked to her, eyebrow lifted. "Do you? Because from where I'm standing, you're going to bungle a robbery and maybe trigger forces you can't begin to grasp."
The room became quiet. Ethan could feel the weight of Rebecca's words falling over them like a thick blanket. He scanned her face, looking for any hint of dishonesty. But all he saw was steely determination and... was that a glimmer of fear?
"Alright," Ethan answered finally. "Talk. But make it fast. We're on a tight timetable."
Rebecca nodded, and went into her reasoning. She told of the Midnight Star's real nature, corroborating much of what Nina had said. But she went farther, describing a secret society that had been preserving the diamond for decades.
"The Guardians," Nina whispered, understanding dawning on her face.
"Precisely," Rebecca answered. "I've been working with them for years, watching the Midnight Star and its twin, the Morning Light. When we heard of Delgado's attempt to acquire both, I was told to intercede."
Charlie's brow wrinkled. "So you're what, some kind of secret agent?"
Rebecca's laugh was harsh and brittle. "Nothing so glamorous. I'm simply someone who knows the risks. And right now, the stakes are larger than you can imagine."
As Rebecca spoke, Ethan felt the earth moving under his feet once more. Everything he thought he knew about this profession, about his own objectives, was being spun on its head.
"So where does that leave us?" Milo questioned, articulating the question on everyone's minds.
Rebecca's eyes traversed the room, resting finally on Ethan. "That depends on you. I'm giving my support, my resources, my expertise. But I need to know you're all in. No more lies, no hidden motives. We work together, or we all fail."
Ethan looked at his team. Charlie, ever the critic, but nodding slowly. Milo, his eyes alight with the joy of a new job. And Nina... Nina, who met his eyes with a combination of dread and hope.
He turned back to Rebecca. "Alright," he replied, offering his hand. "We're in. But this goes both ways. Full openness from you too."
Rebecca gripped his hand, her grip tight. "Agreed."
As they shook on their new partnership, Ethan couldn't escape the notion that they'd just lighted a fuse on something far bigger than any of them.
The following several hours passed in a rush of planning and preparation. Rebecca's information was important, filling up holes in their understanding and giving fresh angles of attack. But with each discovery, the real breadth of their job grew clearer - and more scary.
As night approached, the squad gathered for a last briefing. The atmosphere was packed with nervous energy. Ethan glanced at each of his friends, seeing his similar combination of excitement and anxiety mirrored in their eyes.
"Alright, people," Charlie stated, his gruff voice piercing through the anxiety. "One final time. Ethan and Nina, you're our point team. You go in, you receive the diamond, you get out. Milo, you're handling messages and surveillance. Rebecca and I will be your backup, ready to move if things go awry."
Rebecca nodded, her look serious. "Remember, Delgado's guys will be there. They're expecting trouble, but not from us. Use it to your benefit."
Ethan drew Nina's attention. She flashed him a little grin, but he could see the worry carved in the lines of her face. He wanted to say something, to provide some words of comfort, but what could he say? They were going to try the impossible.
As the team went to their places, Ethan felt a touch on his arm. He turned to see Rebecca looking at him closely.
"Ethan," she whispered, her voice low. "There's something you should know. About the Midnight Star, about its power..."
But before she could continue, Charlie's voice crackled across their radios. "We've got action at the museum. It's go time, folks."
Rebecca's jaw jerked shut, her face unreadable. "Be careful in there," she warned last. "And whatever happens, don't let the diamond fall into the wrong hands."
Ethan nodded, a knot forming in his gut. As he turned to join Nina, he couldn't escape the sense that Rebecca was keeping something back. Something important.
The night air felt chilly on Ethan's skin as he and Nina neared the museum. The edifice loomed before them, its stone exterior holding unknown secrets. In his ear, Milo's voice gave a continual stream of information concerning guard shifts and security systems.
As they reached the side door, Ethan grabbed Nina's hand. She gazed at him, surprise flitting over her features.
"Nina," he whispered softly. "Whatever happens in there... I've got your back."
She clasped his palm, her eyes sparkling in the darkness. "And I've got yours," she grumbled.
With a joint nod, they continued towards the door. Ethan's pulse pounded as he worked the latch, every sound sounding strangely loud in the silent night.
Finally, the lock clicked open. They crept inside, the familiar surge of excitement running through Ethan's blood.
As the door closed behind them, trapping them in the gloomy interior of the museum, Ethan couldn't escape a nagging sense of doom. Rebecca's incomplete admonition rang in his mind.
What was she going to tell him about the Midnight Star's power? And more importantly, what weren't they being told?
As they moved closer into the museum, towards their treasure and whatever fate awaited them, Ethan realized with a shudder that they could be about to find out — for better or for worse.
In the vehicle across the street, Rebecca watched the museum closely. Her hand moved to her pocket, fingers brushing over a little, hard thing. Her face was inscrutable as she whispered, "And so it begins."
The chapter ends, leaving readers on the edge of their seats, wondering what secrets Rebecca is concealing, what dangers await Ethan and Nina within the museum, and how this high-stakes robbery will develop.