Shattered Innocence

Onward to Pursuit

We arrive at an isolated airfield, far from civilization, and disembark from the aircraft. Our destination is still a considerable distance away, requiring us to rent off-road vehicles for the journey. It will take us more than a day of driving to reach our destination. We continue through the night, taking turns at the wheel until Zack decides it's time to rest. We find a cabin to spend the night, and as morning breaks, I take the opportunity to stretch my legs. My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I step away from the cabin, finding a spot in the grass where I can sit comfortably. I answer the FaceTime call to find Lily on the other end, her weary but warm smile lighting up the screen.

"I'm relieved to see that you arrived safely," she greets me.

"How's our patient doing?" I inquire.

"See for yourself," she says, tilting the camera to reveal the soldier sitting up, waving at me with a wink. "I wanted to express my gratitude for saving me," he begins, his gaze shifting to Lily. There's a certain tenderness and warmth in his eyes as he looks at her, catching my attention.

"I never got the chance to introduce myself before I passed out. My name is Sam, Sam Danes. I used to be a soldier before I was recruited for a mysterious clinical trial. We were kept in the dark about its purpose, and by the time we realized what was happening, it was too late. Most of my unit didn't make it. They perished due to the experiments they subjected us to. I'm the sole survivor, barely hanging on."

Lily moves closer to Sam, and he gives me a serious look. "I know you're going after them. Make them stop. Make them pay."

"That's exactly what we intend to do," I affirm. "Lily, take care of our patient. Sam, look after Lily and ensure she gets some rest."

"I will," he grins, causing Lily to blush and lower her gaze. "Keep us updated when you find anything. We'll be here."

"Absolutely. I'll inform you as soon as we have any leads," Lily assures him.

"Alright then. I'll let you get back to your work," I chuckle. "Bye, love you."

Her eyes widen, filling with tears, but the words have already escaped my lips, and I have no regrets. "I love you too, Nora. Stay safe."

I end the call and place my phone aside, noticing the rest of the team loading up the trucks. I join them, eager to hit the road once more and reach our next destination. We have yet to uncover any significant leads since the information Sam provided about the location in Scotland turned out to be a dead end. It seems we are on our own in this pursuit, but we won't falter. It's time to bring this to an end, once and for all.