Operation: Threads of Connection

Come Back to Me

Loid's POV:

I knew Damian was intelligent enough to read the code. Yuri and Franky were to arrive any minute to help us remove the chip from Damian. In the meantime, I need to tell Handler of what is happening.

"I forgot to do some last minute paperwork for work, Yor do you mind making dinner?" I ask. Yor nods her head enthusiastically, lately her cooking has been good and I know she enjoys the process. As Yor busied herself in the kitchen, humming softly while chopping vegetables, I excused myself to the study. Every step I took felt calculated, deliberate. Once inside, I locked the door and retrieved my encrypted communicator from its hiding place beneath the desk drawer.

Pressing a series of buttons, I connected to Handler's secure line. Her familiar, calm voice greeted me on the other end.

"Twilight, I trust this call isn't a social one," she said, her tone sharp as ever.

"It's urgent," I replied, my voice low. "Damian Desmond is here. He's been implanted with a tracking device, and we believe it's Reed's doing. There's an 18-hour deadline tied to some kind of ultimatum."

A pause. Then: "What's the nature of the ultimatum?"

"I don't know the specifics yet, but it involves Anya. Reed may be trying to use Damian as leverage to force a confrontation." I hesitated, choosing my words carefully. "Handler, this situation isn't just about Operation Strix anymore. Anya's safety is my top priority."

Her silence spoke volumes before she finally responded. "I understand. This is a delicate situation, but you're right to act now. Do you have a plan to neutralize the tracker?"

"Yuri and Franky are on their way to help. I'll need your approval to deploy additional resources if things escalate."

"You have it," Handler said firmly. "Keep me updated on every development. And Twilight—be prepared for the worst."

The line went dead. I placed the communicator back in its hiding spot, my mind racing. Removing the tracker would be dangerous, but leaving it would only worsen the threat. Reed wouldn't hesitate to detonate it or use it to locate us. The clock was ticking, and every second counted.

As I returned to the living room, I found Damian and Anya sitting together, laughing over something. Seeing Anya so carefree, her usual radiance restored, strengthened my resolve. However, Yor wasn't in the kitchen.

"Where's your Mama?" I asked Anya, confused.

"Oh, Uncle Yuri needed her to come outside, but that was like five minutes ago..." Anya's brow furrowed in confusion. Damian stood up and began walking to the window opening the curtain. His eyes widened before he dashed out the door. Anya and I quickly followed him. As we rushed outside, the brisk night air bit against my skin, but the chill was nothing compared to the dread tightening in my chest. Damian had already made it halfway down the driveway, his figure outlined by the glow of a single, idling car in the distance.

"Damian, wait!" I called out, but he didn't slow down.

Anya grabbed my hand, her small voice trembling. "Papa... something's wrong..."

By the time we reached the edge of the property, the car peeled away, its taillights disappearing into the darkness. Damian stood frozen, fists clenched tightly at his sides.

"It wasn't Yuri that called her...," he said through gritted teeth, his voice shaking with a mix of anger and fear. "It was Reed, he took her."

My mind went into overdrive, processing the scene. The tracks in the gravel were fresh, leading east. A subtle trace of Yor's floral perfume lingered in the air, almost mocking in its fragility. Reed had her, and it wasn't a coincidence. This was calculated.