Chapter 2: Shadows in the Light

  Kade sat at his desk, the glow of the computer fading as he leaned back in his chair, eyes narrowed. The weight of the note he found yesterday still pressed on his mind.

  “Someone was watching me… Did they find me?”

  He exhaled sharply, pushing the thought away. Paranoia wasn’t a luxury he could afford to ignore anymore. He stood, turned off the screen, and made his way to bed.

  ---

  The next morning…

  Kade walked down the quiet street, hoodie up, hands in pockets. He felt it again—eyes on him. Someone was following.

  He turned a corner and slid into an alleyway, heart steady. He crouched behind a trash bin, slipped on a black mask from his pocket, and waited.

  Footsteps.

  As the figure passed, Kade moved fast. He swept the man off his feet, disarmed the gun from his belt, and pressed it to his head.

  “Who are you and what do you want?” Kade's voice dropped low—sharp and unrecognizable.

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  The man stuttered, “I-I’m an NDU agent… I’m investigating the case of the detective murders…”

  Kade narrowed his eyes. “Why were you following that boy?” he asked coldly, masking his own identity.

  “Three of the detectives who died… they were working on a case from a few years ago. About a man—Kade’s father. It could be connected.”

  Kade held still.

  “You’re free.”

  He hit the man on the side of the head with the butt of the gun. He crumpled to the pavement, unconscious.

  Kade disappeared into the shadows.

  ---

  (Inner Monologue)

  “The next meeting of the ‘Birds’—what Voice has named the four of us—is tonight. I’ve gathered a lot of information since the last one. Enough to shift the direction.”

  ---

  7:00 PM – The Call Begins

  Four silhouettes flickered on the screen. The distorted voice spoke:

  Voice: “Begin.”

  Kade’s icon glowed. His voice was calm, deep. “I haven’t found the killer yet. But here’s what I’ve figured out:

  1. They’re either working alone or in a small group—between four and thirty people—because the murders were spaced by days.

  2. Whatever they’re planning… it’s big. Every detective who died was likely onto it. He even killed their families—just in case.”

  The call went silent for a second before the others chimed in.

  Ruki: “Agreed. I’m analyzing their last cases—maybe they overlap.”

  Man: “I’ll search the network logs and financial trails. He’s got to be funding this somehow.”

  Voice: “Continue your investigations. And be cautious. We can't afford mistakes.”

  The call ended.

  ---

  Kade leaned back in his chair, tired eyes scanning the quiet of his room.

  (Message Received)

  From: Man

  Message: “You should be careful. Don’t put yourself in danger.”

  Kade stared at the message for a long time.

  ---

  Monday Morning

  He barely made it before the bell rang. Another day at school.

  ---

  Lunchtime

  Kade entered Jason and Elis’s class. They were talking but stopped the moment they saw him.

  He nodded slightly and sat beside them.

  They talked. He listened. Quiet as always.

  ---

  After School

  Home. Dinner. Silence.

  ---

  Later that night, Kade sat alone, the room lit only by his screen. He typed, scrolled, and read deep into the night.

  His search: “National Detective Unit database access… Top agents… Internal corruption… Funding channels…”

  The deeper he dug, the darker it got.

  ---

  End of Chapter 2