WHISPERS IN THE DARK

Chapter One

“Are you going to give me the information I’ve asked for?”

“Please, I don’t know anything else,” the guard I had suspended from meat hooks pleaded. “I’m just a low-level rookie. I don’t give the orders.”

“If that’s the case, then you’re of no use to me,” I replied coldly.

*SLICE*

In one swift motion, I slit his throat. He began to choke and sputter, his life slipping away. I pulled out my phone to call the clean-up crew, then opened the door and started to leave the warehouse.

A voice in my head urged me to wait. I hesitated, and the next few seconds became a blur.

It had been three years since I last heard his name—three years since I escaped his brutal grasp, both mentally and physically.

The guard continued to choke, struggling to cling to life. With his final breath, he gasped out...

“CALLAN!”

*FLASHBACK*

Huddled in a corner of a dark, cold room, I could hear footsteps growing nearer. My heart pounded in my chest, dreading what was to come.

“Leave me alone! Please, just let me be!” I screamed.

*CLICK, METAL DOOR UNLOCKS*

“Hello, my princess. Are you ready to play?” came the cold, taunting voice.

*END OF FLASHBACK*

I shook my head, trying to bring myself back to reality. The scars across my back were a constant reminder of the past. I left the warehouse and drove home.

After an hour’s drive, I turned off the main road and approached our house. I lived with my mother, Elizabeth, a community pillar who always found reasons to host charity events and parties.

My father, David, headed our sophisticated organization. He dealt in international arms, supplying everything from guns to submarines, and even mercenaries.

There’s me, Callie, twenty-four and recently promoted to second in command. I left home at eighteen, thinking I was in love, only to find it was a three-year imprisonment. I returned home three years ago, trained in combat, firearms, and even earned my helicopter pilot’s license. I’m proud of who I’ve become.

And my younger sister Naomi, twenty, is the mastermind behind our operations. If you need someone found, she’s the one to contact. She plans our jobs and ensures everything is in order, keeping us safe. Naomi is also skilled in combat and proficient with daggers.

We live in an old Victorian farmhouse, now a large mansion thanks to my father’s renovations. “Since when does a family of three need ten bedrooms and eight bathrooms?” I thought as I entered through the front doors.

As I walked through the foyer, Naomi emerged from the kitchen with a bowl of Cocoa Puffs, her jet-black cat, Vader, trailing behind her.

“Dad’s furious with you for going out on your own. He’s been storming around, demanding you see him immediately. It was quite a show!” she said, laughing as she ascended the stairs.

“Nothing new there,” I chuckled, heading toward the kitchen. I paused to listen as Naomi continued.

“He’s really on edge right now. Maybe Mum needs to step up her game. Oh, and a heads-up—Luca, Steph, and Cole are also in his office, and they’re not happy you went without them. Good luck!” Naomi finished as she went upstairs.

“Thanks,” I sighed, grabbing a cold bottle of water and heading down the hallway toward my father’s office. As I neared the large wooden doors, I paused, hearing raised voices but unable to make out the words. I shrugged and knocked.