Shadows of Influence - Villanelle

Chapter 8

It had been a few days since Sara's encounter with the strange woman who had appeared at her door. Unable to stop thinking about her, she hadn't been able to get a lot off sleep or food.

She tried to push her obsessive thoughts as she settled down at her desk, and Eve approached. Her expression a mix of determination and concern.

''Good morning'' she said, handing Sara a stack off files. ''I need you to go through these again, and see if there is anything we've missed about the politician and any known extremist groups. We need to find more leads''.

Sara nodded, as she took the files and opened the top one. ''Got it Eve, I'll be right on it'' she smiled''.

Hours passed by as she sifted through the information, her mind occasionally going back to the strange woman's cryptic words and the way she had watched her. Just as she was starting to feel the strain of concentration, her phone buzzed with a new message. She glanced at it, hoping for an update from her brother, but her heart skipped a beat when the familiar unknown number popped up.

The message was brief:  ''Miss me yet?''.

Sara felt a chill run down her spine. Before she had a chance to react, Eve called her name, snapping her back to the present.

 ''I need you to come to the briefing room. We have some new intel''.

Sara quickly looked at her phone before she headed to the briefing room, trying to focus at the task at hand. Inside Caroline Martens was already there, along with a few other team members. The atmosphere was tense, everyone on edge due to the high stakes of the investigation.

Caroline started the meeting, her tone authoritative. 

''We've received some new information regarding the extremist group. There is a potential link to a series of recent assassinations across Europe, all carried out by a highly skilled operative''.

As she spoke, Sara couldn't help but think of the woman who had been contacting her. The coincidence was too strong to ignore. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, trying to keep her composure.

Eve glanced at Sara, noticing her change in demeanor. Her eyes narrowing slightly as if sensing her distraction. ''Are you okay?'' Eve asked quietly.

Sara nodded quickly. ''Yes, just a lot to prosess''.

The meeting continued, but Sara's mind was now racing with the possibility that this strange woman might be more deeply involved in this case than she initially realized. When the meeting finally adjourned, she returned to her desk, determined to find a connection between the new intel and the mysterious woman who had infiltrated her thoughts.

Just as she was about to dive back into her work, Sara's phone buzzed again. Another message from the same unknown number: 

''I hope you're not to busy to have some fun?''.

Sara's pulse quickened again as she read the message. It was clear the woman was playing a game, and Sara was right in the middle of it. She knew she should inform Eve or Caroline about the messages, but something held her back. Was it curiosity? Fear? A strange sense of excitement?

Sara locked her phone and took a deep breath as she tried to steady her thoughts. Deciding to focus back on the files, she was determined to make progress on the case. However, her mind kept going back to the messages she just received. And the potential connection between the mystery woman and the assassinations.