Cassandra de Ville

Chapter 23

As soon as Cassandra reached her hotel room, Roman was already there.

"Hello love," he said as soon as she entered making Cassandra to jump out in fear.

"Roman.. I see you're already here," she said switching on the lights which flickered on.

Roman stepped forward, concern etched on his face.

"I didn't mean to scare you. I just wanted to make sure everything was set up for our meeting."

Cassandra took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. "It's fine. I just wasn't expecting anyone to be here yet."

Roman gestured towards the small table where he had arranged some documents and a laptop.

"I've been going through my fathers' journals, maybe we can cross-reference some of the names and places mentioned. There maybe some interesting connections."

Cassandra nodded, moving to sit across from him. "Let's get started. We don't have much time."

She opened her mother's journal and started to go through it together.

The first entries were of the clandestine meetings and how they fell in love, the plans for peace, and the challenges they faced. As they read on, the details painted a vivid picture of a time filled with hope and danger.

"They really believed they could broker peace," Roman murmured, tracing his fingers over a faded photograph of their parents together. "Despite everything, they wanted a better future for us."

Cassandra nodded, tears welling up in her eyes. "They sacrificed so much. We owe it to them to finish what they started."

They continued reading, finding more mentions of the covert organization and the threats they faced. Each entry seemed to deepen the mystery, but also provided more pieces to the puzzle.

"This entry," Roman said, pointing to a passage dated a week before the murders. "It's also in your mother's journal."

"17/02/00

Intel recv'd. Isa recvd same.

D: 24/02/00

Loc: E.D., C.S."

"What do you think E.D., C,S mean?" she asked staring at Roman.

Roman paused, his brow furrowed as he considered the cryptic notation in the journal.

"E.D., C.S. could stand for Empire Depot, Central Space," he suggested tentatively. "It might be a location or a code for something related to our parents' investigation. I already searched it up. It's an old warehouse located at the outskirts of the city. "

Cassandra's eyes widened with a mix of surprise and anticipation. "An old warehouse? That's where they were supposed to meet the informant," she said, her voice tinged with urgency.

Roman nodded gravely. "If it's connected to what they were investigating, there could be crucial evidence there."

"We have to go," Cassandra asserted, her resolve firm. "It might be our only chance to uncover the truth about what happened to them."

Roman glanced at her, his expression serious. "Agreed. But we need to be cautious. This could be dangerous. There might be traps."

Cassandra nodded, her mind already racing with plans. "Let's gather everything we need and head out. We can't afford to waste any more time."

"Let's go," he said and with that both of them headed off to the road.

As they made their way through the dimly lit streets towards the outskirts of the city, Cassandra and Roman remained vigilant, their senses heightened by the gravity of their mission. The night air was cool and carried with it a sense of foreboding, but neither of them faltered in their determination.

Roman drove in silence, occasionally glancing at Cassandra, who sat beside him, her gaze fixed on the road ahead.

Thoughts raced through her mind—memories of her parents, the weight of their legacy, and the urgency of their quest for answers. She knew they were walking into potential danger, but the need to uncover the truth outweighed any fear.

As they approached the location indicated in the journals, the atmosphere grew more tense.

The warehouse loomed ahead, its dark silhouette standing stark against the moonlit sky. Roman parked the car a discreet distance away, and they both stepped out, each carrying a flashlight and the journals clutched tightly in Cassandra's hands.

"We should approach quietly," Roman suggested in a low voice, his eyes scanning their surroundings to which Cassandra nodded her head.

They moved with caution, making no sound. The night air was very chilling, and it raised goosebumps on their arms.

The warehouse appeared abandoned, its windows boarded up and its exterior showing signs of neglect.

With a shared glance, they entered through a side door that Roman had scouted earlier.

Inside, the air was musty and thick with the scent of age and gun powder. Their flashlights swept across rows of crates and old machinery, casting eerie shadows on the walls.

"We need to find where they were supposed to meet the informant," Cassandra whispered, her voice barely audible in the silence.

They proceeded deeper into the warehouse, guided by the journal entries that detailed the planned rendezvous. Each step echoed in the vast space, heightening their awareness of being in unfamiliar territory. Cassandra's grip tightened on the journals, her determination unwavering despite the creeping sense of unease.

Suddenly, Roman halted, his flashlight beam illuminating a door marked with faded paint.

"This could be it," he murmured, stepping closer.

Cassandra approached cautiously, her breath catching as Roman tested the door.

With a creak, it swung open, revealing a small, dimly lit room beyond. Inside, they found remnants of a makeshift meeting place—chairs overturned, papers scattered on a makeshift table, and the lingering sense of hurried departure.

"This is where they were supposed to meet," Cassandra whispered, her voice filled with reverence.

Roman nodded, his expression grave. "Look around carefully. There might be something here that can give us answers."

They combed through the room methodically, examining every document and item left behind. Cassandra's heart raced as she uncovered a stack of photographs tucked into a drawer—images of her parents, alongside unfamiliar faces, and locations that hinted at their clandestine activities.

"These photographs," Cassandra breathed, her hands trembling as she passed them to Roman.

He studied each one intently, his brow furrowing with concentration. "These could be key. They might lead us to whoever was behind their deaths."

"We have to take these with us," Roman said finally, gathering the photographs and documents into a secure bundle.

Cassandra nodded; her eyes fixed on the evidence before them. "Let's go back. We need to analyze everything and figure out our next move."

"Oh really. Go where?" said a familiar voice.

Cassandra froze, a sense of danger prickling at the edges of her awareness.

Before she could react, a swift blow struck her from behind, sending her crashing to the ground. Roman spun around in alarm, only to be overwhelmed by a second assailant who had been lying in wait.

Darkness closed in as they were both knocked unconscious, their quest for answers suspended in uncertainty. 

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