As we retrace our steps through the darkened chambers, I can’t help but feel a flicker of hope.
When we make it back, everyone is sitting in the living room in anticipation.
“We got the device,” I tell them.
Aksel wastes no time pulling out the small gadget from his pocket. With a few swift clicks, he connects it to the locked phone, and within seconds, it springs to life.
“Hammer called one number during Blaze’s fight,” Aksel says, studying the screen intently. “The rest of the phone is wiped clean, but… wait, there’s a message that came in thirty minutes ago.”
“Read it,” I urge, my fingers tapping against my leg, betraying my impatience.
“It’s an address, date, and a time,” Aksel reveals, his voice tense.
“Could be a trap,” I muse aloud, my thoughts racing with possibilities.
“Trap or not, it’s a lead we have to follow,” Aksel insists, his determination unwavering. “We can prepare for a stakeout, take every precaution necessary.”
“Agreed,” Anna adds, her resolve steeling. “We can’t back down now.”
“Then let’s start prepping.”
We split up, each taking on tasks to prepare for the stakeout.
I take Anna to our limited supplies. We only have what we brought on the mission since we can’t get more. This isn’t an official mission. This is purely personal.
“Ready for a little show and tell?” I ask, keeping my voice light.
I pull a couple of bags out from their hiding spots in the living room.
“Wow,” she breathes out, stepping into the room with reverence.
“Let’s start with these.” I pick up a pair of earpieces, so small they’re nearly invisible against my palm. “Audio transmitters. They’ll let us listen in on the meeting without being detected.”
She leans in closer, curiosity lighting up her face. “How do they work?”
“They’re enchanted by mages to amplify the sounds around them so they’re better than any shifter has.”
We move through the rest of the equipment. It’s not much but it will be enough for this mission.
“Will we bug the room?” Anna asks.
“It’s likely they’ll check for that so we will have to stay outside the building,” I explain.
“Did you learn all this at the academy?” she asks.
“Yeah,” I confirm with a nod, watching her examine a gadget. “There was a whole class dedicated to spy materials and how to use them.”
Her eyebrows arch in surprise. “An entire class? That’s… intense.”
I can’t help but let out a low chuckle. “Intense, yes. But also kind of fun, in a ‘saving-the-world-one-bug-at-a-time’ sort of way.”
She sets the device down gently, as though it might detonate if mishandled. “And what about the teachers? Were they all super-serious spies with dark sunglasses and earpieces?”
“Pretty much,” I say with a playful grin. “But you get to skip all that and have a much cuter teacher.” I give her a wink, trying to lighten the mood.
Anna laughs, the sound echoing softly around us. It’s a welcome reprieve from the gravity of our task. Her laughter always does seem to lift the shadows, even if just for a moment.
“Devilishly handsome and modest too,” she quips, rolling her eyes but with a warmth that tells me she appreciates the humor.
