WHISPERS IN THE DARK

Chapter Thirty-Three

**MALIKI'S POV**

An open field of wildflowers stretched out before us. “Something doesn’t feel right,” Marcus whispered as we approached.

The field was eerily silent, with only the wind and our footsteps breaking the quiet. “Over there,” Cole pointed out, indicating the treeline. I pulled a photo from my pocket and nodded. “This is it,” I said, quickening our pace.

As we entered the forest, we paused, hearing branches crack in the distance. “Hide,” I instructed. One by one, men in black with rifles emerged from behind the trees, signaling to each other silently. I pulled out my phone to call David, but there was no answer. “Shit,” I muttered.

Outnumbered twenty to four, we needed backup. I drew my knife just as footsteps approached. I grabbed the intruder and pinned him against a tree, the knife at his throat. “For fuck’s sake, Ryan, I nearly slit your throat,” I whispered.

Ryan gave a sheepish smile as I released him. We watched as the men moved away, heading back to their original positions. “Naomi said she got a call… we’re walking into a trap,” Ryan said.

I frowned. “I think we figured that out,” I replied, signaling the team to move forward quietly, following the men who were now a little ahead.

The men entered a building, and four of them turned back toward the trees. We ducked behind large boulders for cover. “I’ve tried calling for backup,” Cole whispered. “I have too, but no answer,” Marcus added. My gut twisted. “Let’s get this done. Something’s off,” I said.

We heard footsteps approach and stop beside our cover. I glanced at Ryan, who nodded. We each jumped out, taking on the four men. We slit their throats swiftly and pulled them down behind the boulders.

We continued toward the building, splitting up: Cole and Marcus went one way, and Ryan and I took the opposite. As we turned a corner, we saw six men facing away from us. We pulled out our silenced guns and took them down one by one.

Grabbing rifles from two of the fallen men, we continued. We heard yelling and more gunshots in the distance. Turning another corner, four armed men charged at us. Ryan and I exchanged a glance and nodded before running toward them, firing our rifles. The men fell as we took cover behind a wall.

Blood trickled down Ryan’s arm. “Where are you hit?” I asked, ripping a strip from my shirt to make a makeshift bandage. “Shoulder,” Ryan grunted. I inspected the wound. “It went straight through. You’ll live,” I said, applying the makeshift bandage.

“Incoming,” Ryan warned as three more men approached. “Move!” Marcus yelled as he and Cole arrived, guns blazing. The men fell, and silence followed.

Ryan and I emerged from behind the wall to find Cole kneeling over Marcus. “Fuck,” I growled. I ran over to them. “He’s gone,” Cole whispered, his hand stained with blood from Marcus's neck wound.

“I’ve been expecting you,” came a smug voice behind us. We turned to see Vivien, Olivia’s mother, flanked by around thirty armed men. “Vivien?” I questioned, confused.

Vivien approached, her gun pointed at me. “You killed my daughter… my only child,” she said, her voice trembling. She fired, missing me, the bullet hitting a nearby tree. “Backup is five minutes out,” Ryan whispered.

I nodded, facing Vivien. “You killed my husband… you left me with no one,” she screamed, tears streaming down her face as she inched closer, her gun shaking. Her army advanced as she moved further from them. “No, Vivien, Sam did… just like he killed my Callie,” I said, the pain in my heart palpable.

Vivien hesitated, narrowing her eyes. “Liar!” she screamed, shooting again. The bullet missed and hit somewhere in the distance. “Two minutes,” Ryan whispered. Vivien repeated my words in confusion. “Sam would never hurt my Olivia… they were to be married, she was having his child,” she said, her voice breaking.

I shook my head, lowering my gun. I pulled out my phone and threw it to her. “Here, see for yourself,” I said. “They have eyes on us,” Ryan warned as he grabbed my gun from the ground.

Vivien’s army cocked their guns. Ryan and I raised our hands in surrender and moved toward Cole. “We need to get behind this wall,” he whispered. Vivien fell to her knees, her gun dropping as she sobbed.

“Now, Maliki!” Ryan shouted, pulling me behind the wall. An explosion rocked us, throwing us to the ground, but we were shielded by the wall.

David appeared, his mouth moving urgently. “Move now, Maliki. We know where he’s taking them,” he yelled. I jumped into the car, followed by Cole, David, and Ryan.

Cole tended to Ryan’s wound with proper first aid. “Marcus,” he said softly, closing the first aid kit. “We’ll alert his family and give him a proper burial,” David assured Cole.

Ryan called Naomi to check in, despite David’s assurance that she, Sydney, and her mother were safe. David informed us that Naomi had traced a call to find Callie, who was now in Belfast. That’s where we were headed.

**CALLIE'S POV**

“Finally,” I scoffed as Sam opened the door to my room. He walked in, flanked by Steph and Leigh, a gun held behind them. “You have everything you need to make yourselves presentable. You have until seven,” he said, placing a clock on a drawer before leaving.

Leigh and Steph rushed to me, enveloping me in a tight hug. “We missed you,” they both choked out, sniffling. “I missed you both too,” I whispered, hugging them back.

I sat on the bed, sighing. “We need to get out of this mess,” I said, looking between Leigh and Steph. “What do we need to get ready for?” Leigh asked, eyeing the clock Sam had left.

“We’re the final show, whatever that means,” I replied, heading toward the bathroom.

Steph and Leigh followed. “We found files and photos in Gavin’s secret room labeled ‘Final Show,’” Steph explained. I turned on the shower, “You were at Gavin’s?” I asked.

Steph nodded. “We discovered a hatch in the greenhouse. Inside were dead women, photos of you, and various files,” she said. I sat on the toilet, stunned. “What about the little girl?” I whispered.

Steph and Leigh gasped. “You met her?” they asked in unison. I nodded. “He killed her mother in front of her and locked her in the room with her body. Then he took me to…” I hesitated, the memory of standing on the cliff with Sam, watching my grieving family at my funeral, flooding back.

“To my funeral,” I finished, seeing Leigh lose her balance and fall to the floor. Steph’s eyebrows furrowed as she processed my words. “Is the girl alright?” I asked, grabbing three towels from the rack and handing them out.

“She’s with Naomi now. Naomi named her Sydney. She’s adorable,” Steph said, smiling sadly. Leigh nodded, her expression matching Steph’s.

“Let’s freshen up and make a plan,” I said, ushering them out of the bathroom. After a quick shower, feeling refreshed, I emerged to find the outfits Sam had left for us.

Steph was in a floor-length dark purple dress with a modest neckline, paired with matching shoes with silver straps. Leigh wore a dark blue floor-length dress with a small side slit and gold, sparkly straps, her shoes a similar style but dark blue with gold fastenings.

I looked at myself in the mirror: a floor-length, skin-hugging forest green dress with a thigh-high split and lace straps. The emerald green shoes had silver heels. I touched the necklace around my neck. “He found it,” Leigh said, noticing my gesture.

She explained that Mal had found it in Gavin’s house. I pulled her into a hug. “He’s okay, Callie. He never stopped looking for you,” Leigh whispered.

“We have a minute left,” Steph said, her heels clicking as she hurried to the bathroom.

As Sam walked in, he inspected us with a satisfied smile. “Perfect,” he said. I stepped in front of the others, narrowing my eyes at Sam. “Perfect for what?” I demanded.

“You’ll see soon enough. Let’s go, superstar,” he sang, opening the door and gesturing us out with a grin.