Chapter 18 Jase
Jase
Location: Forest — Drone Crash Site
Time: Continuous
Idon’t move.
Not right away.
Because that voice?
That wasn’t random.
That wasn’t automated.
That was—
Live.
“Asset confirmed.”
The words replay in my head.
Cold.
Precise.
Targeted.
Mila’s already moving—fast, controlled—toward the wreckage.
“Don’t,” I snap.
She ignores me.
Of course she does.
Mila
I need to see it.
I need to understand what we’re dealing with.
Because that voice?
That changes everything.
I crouch beside the shattered drone, carefully brushing aside scorched metal and exposed wiring.
It’s not completely dead.
That’s the problem.
“Don’t touch anything,” Jase says behind me.
“I’m not.”
Lie.
I tilt my head, listening.
Static.
Crackling.
Then—
A flicker.
A signal trying to reconnect.
“They’re still linked,” I say.
“I figured.”
“No,” I shake my head. “I mean actively linked.”
Jase
Yeah.
That’s worse.
“How long?” I ask.
“Depends,” she says. “On how much of it survived.”
“And?”
She glances back at me.
Eyes sharp.
Focused.
Not afraid.
Never afraid.
“…long enough to matter.”
The drone crackles again.
Louder this time.
Clearer.
“…visual lost… reacquiring…”
I grab Mila’s arm—pull her back instantly.
“Enough.”
“Wait—”
“No.”
Because I’ve heard that tone before.
That cadence.
That controlled calm that isn’t calm at all.
That’s command.
Mila
He’s right.
I hate that he’s right.
The drone sparks again—
Then—
A voice cuts through.
Clearer now.
No distortion.
No static.
“Interesting.”
My entire body goes still.
Because that voice?
I know that voice.
“…Director Ford,” I whisper.
Silence stretches for half a second.
Then—
A quiet, almost amused response.
“I was wondering how long it would take you to recognize me.”
My blood runs cold.
Jase
Yeah.
That’s not good.
Not even close.
“You’re not supposed to be here,” Ford continues calmly.
“Not in this capacity.”
My hand tightens on my weapon.
“Then maybe you should’ve planned better,” I mutter.
Mila shoots me a look.
Not helping.
Mila
I ignore him.
Focus.
Control.
Always control.
“You’re running an illegal operation,” I say.
Ford hums softly.
“Illegal is such a flexible term.”
My jaw tightens.
“You built Helix,” I push.
“No,” he corrects smoothly. “I refined it.”
That—
That is not better.
“You always were sharp,” Ford continues.
“That’s why you stood out.”
My stomach twists.
Because I know what’s coming.
“That’s why you were flagged.
I freeze.
Jase
Yeah.
I don’t like that.
Not one bit.
“Flagged for what?” I demand.
Ford doesn’t answer me.
Of course he doesn’t.
Mila
“…for integration,” Ford says calmly.
Everything inside me goes cold.
“No,” I whisper.
“That anomaly you found?” he continues.
“That wasn’t a mistake.”
My pulse spikes.
“It was a test.”
“You were evaluating me,” I say.
“Yes.”
Silence.
Heavy.
Suffocating.
“And now?” I ask.
A pause.
Just long enough to feel intentional.
“Now,” Ford says softly,
“you’re a variable.”
Jase
No.
Not happening.
“You don’t get to define her,” I snap.
ford finally acknowledges me.
A shift in tone.
Slight.
Measured.
“And you,” he says,
“are an obstacle.”
I almost smile.
“Yeah. I get that a lot.”
“You’ve already exceeded acceptable parameters,” Ford continues.
“Both of you.”
“That sounds like a you problem,” I reply.
Mila exhales sharply.
Definitely not helping.
Mila
“Why are you doing this?” I demand.
Ford doesn’t hesitate.
“Because control is the only way to ensure stability.”
I shake my head.
“That’s not control.”
“It is from where I stand.”
Of course it is.
A faint sound cuts through the trees.
Not natural.
Not random.
Rotors.
My head snaps up.
Jase hears it too.
“…that’s not good,” I whisper.
Jase
No.
No, it’s not.
“They’re sending a retrieval team,” I say.
Ford doesn’t deny it.
“In light of your… deviation,” he says calmly,
“containment is necessary.”
Yeah.
That’s not happening.
I grab Mila’s arm—pull her to me.
Close.
Solid.
Certain.
“They’re not taking you,” I say low.
Her eyes meet mine.
And this time—
There’s no argument.
No pushback.
No deflection.
“…we’re not letting them,” she corrects.
Yeah.
That.
The helicopter breaks through the tree line above us.
Low.
Fast.
Armed.
“They’re here,” Mila says.
I look at her.
Really look at her.
And for the first time—
This isn’t just about the mission.
“Stay with me,” I say.
Mila
I don’t hesitate.
“Always.”
Gunfire erupts from above.
And this time—
They’re not trying to track us.
They’re trying to take us alive.