Chapter 32 #2
Noc doesn’t answer him immediately, instead, he shoves his hand lazily into his jacket.
A chorus of metallic clicks erupt around us, the guards in the room immediately training their guns on him.
My heart almost races straight to failure stage, but James raises his hand, signaling them to lower their weapons as Noc pulls a phone out of his pocket, swiping away casually on it with his thumb.
“How the fuck does he still have his phone?” James's thunderous voice booms across the white walls of the room and Burrows echoes a repeat of the question down the hall, swinging the door off the wall with a crack - roaring to the guards at the end who searched each of us.
A faint voice responds, almost sounding like a scolded child.
'We confiscated them all, Sir. They’re all on the table.
’ My eyes trace across the surface, and I count seven phones lined up.
I bite my cheek hard, and the metallic taste slides over my tongue, stopping my victorious smirk from causing one of them to lose their shit.
Give it to Noc to be able to get something past the damn National Guard.
“This… should clear any doubts, gentlemen.” Noc slides the phone over the table to James, the crystal-clear recording of Graves and Volokov fills the deathly silent room.
No one moves, no one even dares breathe too loud as the venomous words spill from the phone, sending a crackling tension into the air.
''I've been trying to reach you for weeks! You and I have a real fucking problem.''
''And what would that be?''
''Nocturne! When the fuck were you going to tell me he was alive and working for you? What the hell is this shit?!''
''Who works for me is no concern of yours, Graves. You work for me, and you'll do well to remember that.''
''Fuck you! We had a deal. Don’t mess me around, Volokov, you’re forgetting I know where the weapon is stored. I'm the one who has it protected. I can just as easily call that in.''
''Behave Graves. You and I both know you'll do no such thing. You've got too much to lose right now. Besides, the boy works for me. He thinks by doing so he’s saving that female he cares so much for.''
''She's mine to deal with. Where is Nocturne? I know you know he has her, along with half my taskforce.''
''Nocturne has gone off grid, I have my men hunting him.''
''I want him and her. Kill the rest. I want him to watch as I ruin her. Smug little prick.''
''You'll be the first to know. Now let's get down to business.''
When my eyes glance up, James and Burrows’s faces are devoid of all colors, all expressions.
The shade matches the four white walls that cage us in this interrogation room, the last of the spoken words hanging heavy like a thick stench.
Burrows leans forward, playing it one more time.
He finally leans back, raising his hand to wipe the sweat that’s formed on his forehead.
The silence in the room is deafening. The realization that’s smacked them in the face can only be described as a look of sheer, utter horror.
Noc leans forward to pick up the phone. "There's more.
However, it also contains evidence of one of your operators being killed by none other than Graves.
And I'd like to not have to play that whilst Nyx is in the room.”
I tense my jaw muscles at the fact that her last moments were also picked up, but I’m grateful when James shakes his head.
“Jesus fucking Christ!” He slams his fists against the metal desk, the papers and phones catapulting into the air before they scatter all over.
“That bastard. He's had us all fooled, for years. I knew he was ambitious, but I had no idea it stretched this much. And a weapon? What does he mean by weapon?”
Noc looks between them both as he explains just how much danger they’ve let pass through their borders.
“Volokov has a chemical weapon planted somewhere, here in the US I assume. The exact location is not something I've been able to gather intel on. But I can tell you, whatever information around bases Graves sent to Volokov, will possibly be the key. We’ve managed to secure his laptop, but he’s likely already wiped the files remotely.
” He takes a deep, steadying breath, eyes piercing into the soul of General James.
“And if Graves has men protecting the weapon, they're likely doing so unknowingly.”
Burrows looks like he's about to pass out, but manages to find his voice and speak, whilst James paces back and forth in thought behind him.
“Where exactly does Nyx come into this for Graves?” My skin prickles the entire time Noc repeats the exact same words he told me in his office, how Graves killed my mother and planned to have me kidnapped, earn his position as General of the armies and then traffic me for some side cash - to put it bluntly.
James pulls the chair out, it screeches along the floor, the sound mirroring nails going along a chalkboard.
He flops down on it and stares up at the ceiling, like it will rain down the answers he needs if he looks long enough.
Burrows snatches his phone and makes a call to intelligence, ordering them to collect the laptop and search the files remotely.
“Pull everything.” The phone slams down on the table, and he levels us with a gaze, one that holds a hint of self-assurance.
“After Graves came to us with your file, Nocturne, every laptop and device issued by us held a microchip inside it. It would upload every piece of data to a protected central database.” James seems to be done with his bargaining with the ceiling, breaking his long silent stance to finally speak.
“Only myself and Burrows are aware of that fact. That information is otherwise classified. We should be able to search the device, anything deleted from it will be held remotely. It will, however, take time to extract. The chip works on a weekly upload. I’ll have intelligence speed up the process.
” I close my eyes for a moment, thankful that at least one positive worked in our favor from Noc being framed.
James eventually flicks through Noc’s file on the desk, which I notice is thinner than the ones we each had.
His fingers pause, and my eyes dart to study the page he’s analyzing.
I recognize the Black Talon logo on the top.
James glares at Noc, one eyebrow raised in question.
“What is this?” Every set of eyes focuses on Noc, who hasn’t shifted position from the moment he sat down.
“That, General, is the covert mission General Voss was planning to execute to detain Graves. All the names included are aware and waiting for its initiation. Some, as you’ll notice, have died for the cause.
” My eyes squint to read the faint black writing, but from this angle, it’s too obstructed.
I assume it’s the original names I witnessed, along with the rest of Ashfall.
James slides the folder over to Burrows, his expression remaining like stone, eyes never leaving Noc.
Burrows scans it intently, the time he spends reading it over has the air in the room coming to a complete halt.
He finally closes the file, eyes locking with James, an unknown conversation seeming to wordlessly pass between them.
Eventually, James nods. He rises to his feet, pulling out his phone, the only sound following him is the tap of the buttons beneath his fingers.
He closes the door with a soft click, and my senses heighten.
I feel his footsteps shake the floor beneath me as he makes his way down the corridor.
Burrows turns his attention to Noc. His voice stern for the first time since we sat down and let the floodgates of revelations free.
“You better sit up fucking straight, Nocturne. Because a Commander of a unit like this one, has better posture than yours. Or has your time running around behind Volokov made you forget every damn thing this army taught you?” His fingers drum off the paper, the white sheet which holds the covert mission my mother spent the last months of her life building.
Hell, his tone even has me straightening my spine, and I turn to Noc.
My eyes roll over him suspiciously. Is that why he was so damn cool coming in here?
He knew they'd believe him after the recording?
Backed up with the evidence and mission my mother signed off on?
Or was this the sheer, dumb luck mixed with arrogance that usually accompanies anything Nocturne does.
Like always, he reads my mind, sitting up, he winks at me - then morphs himself back into the lore that is Nocturne.
My brows furrow, my eyes darting between Noc and Burrows, the latter's words echoing in my mind again.
“Wait… Did you say, Commander?”