The room was silent except for the ticking of the grandfather clock. Every tick echoed louder than the last, gnawing at Vinny's thoughts. He sat alone at the edge of the long mahogany table in the old war room, the smell of rain still lingering from earlier that day. The board was scattered with pinned photos, red strings, and handwritten notes—every thread of the conspiracy they were unraveling. Every detail Elias and Lila had touched.
He reached for a paper labeled "Safehouse D" and stared at Elias's scribbled handwriting. So confident. So precise.
So fake.
The door creaked open, and Matthew stepped in. His hair was damp from a shower, curling at the edges, and he wore a loose black t-shirt that clung to his chest in all the right ways. His eyes immediately locked onto Vinny's, their silence a kind of gravity that pulled the air out of the room.
"You didn't sleep," Matthew said, stating the obvious as he sat beside him.
Vinny snorted. "Neither did you."
Matthew leaned back in his chair, eyes still on the board. "They're planning something big. Elias doesn't vanish unless he's laying groundwork. And Lila… she's always ten steps ahead."
Vinny looked over at him, voice low. "You think Tom's still pulling the strings?"
Matthew hesitated. "I think Tom's smarter than we gave him credit for. He disappeared for a reason. This is bigger than a grudge."
Vinny folded his arms. "So we're being hunted."
Matthew's mouth curved upward—half smirk, half warning. "Or we're the bait."
A silence stretched, but it wasn't empty. It was alive with unsaid things. And tension.
"You know what we need to do," Vinny said finally.
Matthew's gaze flicked to him. "Interrogate someone who knows their patterns."
"No," Vinny said, turning toward him fully. "We need someone they don't know we've got. Someone who can play both sides."
Matthew raised a brow. "You have someone in mind?"
Vinny nodded. "A girl named Sera. She used to run intelligence in South Harlow. Works the blackmarket route. Lila trained with her once."
Matthew leaned forward. "Can we trust her?"
Vinny hesitated. "No. But I can manipulate her."
Matthew's grin was all sharp teeth. "Now that's the Vinny I missed."
Vinny rolled his eyes, but there was something warm under the surface. "We need leverage first. Find out if she's still alive, if she's working alone, or if she's part of the larger network."
"I'll have Kieran start digging. Discreetly," Matthew replied.
A knock interrupted them, followed by Kieran himself entering, eyes shadowed.
"Found something," he said, tossing a folded piece of paper onto the table. "It was taped behind the bathroom mirror in Lila's room."
Matthew opened it. Inside, scrawled in elegant cursive, were the words:
"The Mirror's Edge Holds the Truth."
Below it, a set of coordinates.
Vinny's brows furrowed. "That's not just poetic. That's a code."
Matthew had already begun punching the coordinates into his tablet. "Somewhere north—near the abandoned botanical district. That's not far from the old train yard. Could be a drop site or a meet-up point."
Vinny was already on his feet. "Then we move tonight."
Hours later, they crouched behind rusted crates near the edge of the abandoned train yard. The wind whispered through hollow train cars, carrying the scent of rain and rust. Every creak felt like a scream.
Matthew motioned with two fingers: go left. Vinny nodded, disappearing into shadow like smoke. Kieran took the right flank, keeping the sniper scope locked on the entry point.
They waited.
Then—movement.
A black SUV rolled into the yard and stopped near an overgrown greenhouse. Two figures emerged. One was unmistakably Elias.
The second, to everyone's surprise, was not Lila.
It was a young man with white-blond hair and a scar cutting across his cheek. Sharp suit. Dangerous aura.
Vinny murmured through the comm, "That's not Tom. Who the hell is that?"
Kieran's voice crackled back. "His name's Alder. Used to work under the Black Collar network. If he's here, we've got a serious problem."
Alder lit a cigarette and leaned against the car, speaking quietly to Elias. Then he pulled out a black case and opened it—inside were blue vials.
Matthew's voice was clipped. "Drugs?"
"Not drugs," Vinny whispered. "Serum. That's Requiem."
Matthew stiffened. "I thought that was wiped out during the Bering operation."
"So did everyone," Vinny replied. "Which means someone's been manufacturing it in secret."
Alder handed Elias the case, but before they could retreat, something in Vinny snapped.
He stood up.
"Vinny, no!" Matthew barked through the comm.
Too late.
Vinny stepped out from behind the crate, hands raised. "Hey, Elias," he called out, voice smooth, taunting. "Fancy meeting you here."
The next morning.
Vinny sat on the edge of the bed, fingers twitching with the urge to light a cigarette he didn't have. The silence around him was too thick, pressing in with the weight of everything they'd just uncovered — Elias and Lila. The names still rang in his head like a drumbeat. Traitors. Friends-turned-enemies. He didn't know what stung more: the betrayal, or the fact that he hadn't seen it coming.
The door creaked open, and Matthew stepped in, freshly bandaged but still tense, like his body refused to rest.
"They're planning something else," Matthew said without preamble. "This wasn't a one-off betrayal."
Vinny's eyes flicked up. "You think this was just the beginning?"
"I know it is." Matthew's jaw tensed. "Lila's not the type to get her hands dirty unless it's the final move. If she showed her face, it means the real game just started."
Vinny swallowed hard. "So, what do we do?"
"We make the first move."
A silence stretched between them, laced with tension and something deeper—something personal. Vinny stood, closing the gap between them. He placed a hand on Matthew's chest, right above the spot where a bruise was darkening.
"You should rest," Vinny murmured.
"I can't," Matthew answered, his voice low. "Not until this is over. Not until I know you're safe."
Their eyes locked. The tension simmering under the surface shifted—no longer just about strategy or war. Vinny stepped closer, chest brushing Matthew's. His voice dropped to a whisper.
"You worried about me, pretty boy?"
Matthew didn't answer. Instead, his hand curled around Vinny's waist, dragging him flush against his chest. "Don't play with me right now, Vinny."
"I'm not." Vinny smirked. "Maybe I just like seeing you angry."
Matthew growled, low and guttural. "Careful. You might get what you're asking for."
Their lips collided before Vinny could reply—hot, rough, and aching. Everything they'd been holding back since the truth about the traitors had spilled exploded between them. Fingers tangled in hair, nails scraped across backs, and the kiss turned desperate. No slow teasing now. This wasn't about control or power—it was about need.
Vinny pulled away first, panting, his forehead against Matthew's. "We're not going to survive this if we keep getting distracted like this."
Matthew chuckled, hoarse and breathless. "Then maybe we don't survive. Maybe we just burn."
That night, they didn't talk strategy. They didn't plot revenge. They clung to each other like the world outside was already on fire, and they were the only safe place left.
The Next Morning
Matthew woke to the sound of his phone vibrating on the bedside table. He reached for it without opening his eyes.
A message.
Unknown Number:You're not as careful as you think. You missed something. Check the basement.
He sat up instantly, every sense on high alert. Vinny stirred beside him, groaning at the sudden movement.
"What is it?" Vinny asked, rubbing his eyes.
"We need to go downstairs."
The Basement
Matthew led the way, gun tucked at his side. He'd been cautious — everything had been swept, checked, and rechecked. But whoever sent that message knew something they didn't.
The basement was quiet. Too quiet.
They moved past old crates and broken-down equipment, deeper into the space.
"Over here," Vinny said, shining his phone flashlight on a strange panel on the wall. "This wasn't here before."
Matthew stepped forward, running his fingers over the edge. "It's a door."
He pushed — and it creaked open to reveal a small, hidden room. Inside were monitors, hard drives, and photos. Photos of them. Of their allies. Of everything.
"Surveillance," Matthew muttered. "They were watching us from inside the house."
Vinny's face went pale. "This is how they always stayed one step ahead."
There were also maps, blueprints, and a detailed plan outlining every possible move the team could make. Elias had drawn up counters for every scenario. They were playing a game of chess, and Elias had them in check before they even knew they were playing.
Matthew's jaw clenched. "We're burning this."
"No," Vinny said. "We study it first. We learn their endgame."
Matthew's gaze snapped to his. "You trust yourself not to fall for their lies again?"
Vinny didn't flinch. "No. That's why I'm trusting you."
They took the files and left the basement. But neither of them spoke until they were upstairs again.
Hours Later
Kieran finally arrived, looking winded and grim. "I just found out where Elias is hiding."
Vinny's eyes narrowed. "Where?"
"Old church off Dalloway Street. Abandoned. Security cameras fried. It's their planning base."
Matthew looked at Vinny. "We strike tonight."
Later That Night – The Church
Dark, cold, and silent.
Vinny, Matthew, and Kieran crept through the old stone corridors, the only sounds their footsteps and the creaking wood beneath their boots.
Then a noise.
Whispers.
Matthew held up a hand and pointed to a sliver of light at the end of the hallway.
Inside, Elias and Lila were arguing.
"She's too close to him," Lila hissed. "Vinny's hesitating."
"Let him," Elias answered. "We only need one more piece to break him."
Matthew's eyes darkened. So they weren't just traitors — they were manipulators. Trying to use Vinny. His Vinny.
He didn't wait.
Matthew slammed the door open, gun raised. "You want to break him? Try getting through me."
The room erupted in chaos.
Elias pulled a gun, but Matthew was faster. A shot rang out, grazing Elias' shoulder. Vinny tackled Lila before she could escape, slamming her to the ground.
Kieran disarmed her in a second.
Elias stumbled back, blood dripping down his sleeve. "You're too late."
Vinny grabbed him by the collar. "Talk."
But Elias only grinned. "You think this is about you two? This is bigger than both of you. The real traitor's still out there."
Vinny froze. "What?"
Matthew's eyes sharpened. "You're lying."
"Am I?" Elias smirked. "You think this ends with me?"
Kieran stepped forward. "We need to get out of here."
Lila laughed, dark and wild. "Run, little soldiers. But your war's just starting."
Back at the Safehouse
They tied Elias and Lila up, locking them in a reinforced room.
Matthew slumped onto the couch, exhausted and angry.
Vinny stood nearby, arms crossed. "What did he mean… the real traitor's still out there?"
"I don't know." Matthew met his gaze. "But we're going to find out."
Vinny crossed the room and sat beside him. "You okay?"
"No." Matthew leaned back. "But I will be."
Vinny crawled into his lap, arms looped around Matthew's neck. "Good. 'Cause I'm not letting you fall apart."
Matthew cracked a small smile. "I'd like to see you try."
They didn't kiss, didn't speak. Just held each other in silence, the weight of war pressing in from all sides.
And outside, in the shadows, someone else watched.