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"James... I'm going in for a closer look," she said, her voice resolute through the walkie-talkie static. There was no reply, just the crackle of silence.
She stepped gingerly along the bank, her boots sinking into the soft earth. The lantern swung from her hand, casting grotesque shadows on the water’s surface. Each step felt like an eternity, the distance closing inch by precarious inch.
"Damn it, Lila! Wait for me!" James' voice finally burst forth from the walkie-talkie, lined with frustration and fear.
"Can't," she replied, almost in a whisper, as if speaking too loud might shatter this fragile coil of courage she clung to.
Lila reached the edge of the dam, the smell of decay suddenly pungent in her nostrils. Her stomach churned, a visceral premonition of what lay ahead. The object was swathed in river debris, the current tugging at it playfully, obscenely. She reached out, her hand shaking as she pulled at the sodden mass of leaves and twigs.
"What is it?" James hissed through the device, his presence a distant anchor.
"Give me a second," Lila replied, her focus narrowing to the task at hand.
Her fingers met fabric—wet and heavy—and she recoiled for an instant before determination steeled her resolve. She tugged harder, exposing more of the mystery as her breath came in short, sharp gasps. Then, the moonlight caught it—the pallid hue of human skin, lifelessly white against the dark rush of the creek.
A scream lodged in her throat, trapped by disbelief. It was a body, contorted and ensnared by nature's indifferent grasp. A hand, fingers curled as if reaching for salvation that would never come. Lila scrambled backward, her heart pounding a frantic rhythm. For a moment, all she could do was stare, the truth sinking in like the cold that seeped through her clothes.
"Talk to me, Lila! What do you see?" James was nearly shouting now, his voice edged with panic.
"It's... a body, James. There's a body." The words left her mouth, tasting bitter and metallic. Her mind raced, piecing together the horrific tableau—the lone tooth, the concealed corpse, the desolate stretch of creek shrouded in darkness.
"Stay right there. I'm on my way," James commanded, his tone brooking no argument. "Don't touch anything else."
A tremor coursed through Lila's hands, the walkie-talkie slipping from her grip and clattering against the stones. Her breath hitched a sharp intake that never made it past the lump in her throat. Eyes wide, pupils dilated in terror, she stared at the lifeless form caught in the river's cruel embrace. A scream finally erupted, raw and piercing, shredding the heavy silence of the night.
"It's so—It's not just a body. It's... it's mangled!" Her voice shouted towards the walkie, distorted by static and fear.
She stumbled back, tripping, and the corpse's mangled features leered back at her, watching as she hit the ground.
CHAPTER TWO
Moonlight bathed the Texas compound in an eerie glow, its high walls casting long, foreboding shadows. Rachel Blackwood's heart thumped against her ribs, a syncopated rhythm with the distant patrolling footsteps. She crouched low, her body pressed against the rough texture of the outer wall. This was it, the culmination of weeks of tracking, planning. Her parents' unsolved mystery lurked somewhere behind these walls, a secret she was determined to unearth.
"Slow and steady," she whispered to herself—a mantra to steady her nerves. A rustle of leaves betrayed a guard's approach. Rachel waited, coiled tight like a spring. He passed by, oblivious to his fate.
Los Serpientes: an up-and-coming cartel known for its brutal tactics... And according to her sources, involved in a billion dollar heist that had culminated in her parents' disappearance.
Rachel was here for answers.
The guard passed by the low retaining wall.
One quick move. A silent rush of air. The guard grunted, more surprised than pained, as the meat of her palm landed on his neck. His body slumped, unconscious, before he hit the ground. Dragging him into the shadows, she secured his hands and feet with zip ties from her pocket.
"Sorry, buddy," she muttered. No time for apologies, though. There were others.
She advanced, a shadow among shadows. Another guard turned the corner, his flashlight beam a beacon of his impending downfall. Rachel used the darkness as her ally, blending into it until she was mere inches away.
Her taser connected with his side. The electric jolt dropped him like a bad habit. He crumpled onto the dirt, twitching slightly. "Shh," she said, almost tenderly, as she caught him mid-fall.
Two down. More to go.
Rachel's pulse raced not from fear but from focus.
She breathed, ducking behind a barrel as two guards approached, chatting idly about the night's quietness. They split up, and Rachel picked her target. Ten paces...five...now.
Her arm snaked out, catching the guard in a sleeper hold. He struggled, gasping for breath, but the technique was flawless. In seconds, he was out, dreams overtaking his reality.
Her movements were a dance of precision and stealth, each step carrying her deeper into the lion's den. Her mind was clear, save for the flickering images of her parents, their faces a constant reminder of why she put herself in danger's path. This was more than a job; it was personal.
