Ghost in the wires.

8.The Message.

Jake's Pov

I slowly open my eyes. I feel a comforting weight on my shoulder, and as I turn, I see Mc nestled in my arms, their peaceful expression bringing me solace. I am still in disbelief that Mc is here with me. Suddenly, the creak of the door opening startles me, breaking the silence of the room. Raising my gaze, I lock eyes with Alan, his concerned expression mirroring the weight of the situation. I nod understandingly, and I see a mix of relief and concern in his expression. He gestures urgently for me to accompany him outside, a silent plea in his eyes, leading the way to a quieter space away from Mc's slumber. As we step into the hallway, Alan's voice is whispered urgently, like a hidden plea for help.

"We need to talk," Alan begins, but he is cut off by Mc.

"Indeed, we do," she says firmly, letting us know that she will not accept being left aside. I nod at her and then turn to Alan. I see him frowning slightly, clearly unhappy about Mc being involved in the investigation.

"I understand what's on your mind, Alan, but the answer is no," I say firmly. "Everyone deserves to know the truth, including you. It's too late to hide in the hope that they will all be protected. I made that mistake in the past, and I will not repeat it. It's imperative that we gather everyone to inform them about the imminent dangers threatening us." Although I understand Alan's reservations about involving everyone, it is too late for that.

"We can't have the meeting here," says Alan, making a slight sign to his left, indicating the presence of FBI agents everywhere in the hospital. Just as I am about to respond, Mc goes and hugs Alan. I suppress a chuckle at Alan's bewildered expression, finding amusement in his surprise.

"Tell us where you want us, and we will be there," Mc whispers before releasing Alan from the hug. He nods and leaves. As Mc and I turn to reenter the room, I am startled by the booming voice of Dan.

"Cousin!" Why the hell is he yelling? Before I can react, Dan pulls me into a hug. I resist the urge to push him away, mindful of the agents' mistaken belief that I am his cousin, navigating the delicate balance of deception. I sigh before I start patting him on the back. I frown slightly when I see Mc trying to cover her smile. That little minx, she is probably enjoying this situation.

"I think that's enough, you can let me go," I whisper to Dan. Before letting me go, he whispers, "You will be discharged; I will take you to my home, and after that, we all meet at Duskwood Police," and he pulls away and goes to hug Mc. I see Mc slightly narrow her eyes before whispering to Dan. After she lets go, she comes to me, takes my head in her hands, and kisses my cheek.

"I need to go since we can't all leave together. We'll meet at the station. I'll be with Lilly," she says. I pull her into my arms and give her a quick kiss on the lips. I feel her soft gasp against my lips, indicating her pleasant surprise at my gesture. I lift her chin, gazing into her beautiful hazel eyes.

"See you later, little Angel. Be careful," I whisper before pecking her lips again. She looks at me like she is in a trance. I hide my smile as she startles when she hears Dan groan.

"Come on, I don't want to see you two smushing all day. Mc, Lilly is waiting for you, so you should hurry. In the meantime, my dear cousin and I will go see the doctor," Dan says. Mc nods and starts to walk through the hospital hallway. As I watch her walk away, I sigh, thinking about how everything will change when I drop the bomb on them. The unsettling message I received last night echoes in my mind: "We've got something. It's not over yet." The coded message makes me feel a little worried; I really need to get out of the hospital as fast as possible to investigate.

"Ready?" asks Dan, watching me straight in the eyes as if he is trying to figure me out.

"As ready as I can be. Let's go and finish this," I say. Dan starts to laugh as we reach the doctor's door.

"You are a tough son of a gun, 'Cousin,'" he says. "At least I will give you that for now." Before entering the doctor's office, I look him in the eyes, assessing him as loyal to a fault with a big mouth. In reality, he is just a teddy bear; no wonder Mc got close to him.

"I will take that, for now," I smirk at him, seeing his eyes widen in shock at my response.

"Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship," Dan says, smirking. I started to laugh at his Casablanca quote. I shake my head, Who would have thought that from the whole group, Dan would be the first one I get along with? As we enter the doctor's office, the smile is still on my face.