KALEIDOSCOPE ━ WADE WILSON

CHAPTER FIVE

PLAYLIST;
i. the chain - fleetwood mac
ii. don't let the sun go down on me - elton john 
iii. with or without you - u2 
iv. blue jeans - lana del rey
v. kaleidoscope - chappel roan
vi. the night we met - lord huron

-

The sun had barely crested the horizon when Ainoa and Wade reached her apartment building. The streets were still quiet, and the city was only beginning to stir from its slumber. Ainoa felt the weight of sleeplessness and worry pressing down on her as they climbed the stairs.

Ainoa sighed, then knocked on the door—three quick raps followed by two slower ones, their secret code. The door swung open almost immediately, revealing Lucia's worried face.

"Oh, thank God you're here," Lucia said, relief evident in her voice. Her eyes darted to Wade, curiosity replacing concern for a moment. "And you brought company."

"Whisper, you remember Wade," Ainoa said, ushering them both inside. "Dead, meet my sister once again."

Wade's eyes lit up with recognition. "Whisper! Fancy meeting you again, and under less bloody circumstances." He offered an exaggerated bow. "And, might I say, the family resemblance is uncanny. You both have that 'could kill me in my sleep' look down pat."

Lucia chuckled, despite the tension. "Nice to meet you properly, Wade. I'm Lucia."

Wade's head swiveled comically between the two sisters. "Hold up, time out, flag on the play!" He pointed accusingly at Ainoa. "So, her name is Lucia, but you won't tell me your real name? I'm stuck with 'Katana' while your sister gets to use her actual name? I'm hurt. Wounded, even. I thought we had something special!"

Ainoa rolled her eyes. "Focus, Wade. We have bigger problems." She turned to Lucia, her expression serious. "What happened? How did you find out about Juan?"

Lucia's face fell, the brief moment of levity forgotten. She moved to the living room, gesturing for them to follow.

"I couldn't sleep," Lucia began, sinking onto the couch. "I kept thinking about those rumors we heard two months ago about the cartel moving into the city. So I decided to do some digging."

"Digging?" Wade interjected. "Like, with a shovel? Because, I gotta say, that's not usually how I get my intel. Though there was this one time in Bogotá—"

"Wade," Ainoa warned, cutting him off. She turned back to Lucia. "Go on."

Lucia nodded, fingers fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. "I managed to hack into some encrypted communications. It wasn't easy—they've upgraded their security since last time. But I got in, and that's when I saw it. Juan's name, right there in black and white."

Ainoa felt her stomach drop. "Are you absolutely sure it was him?"

"Positive," Lucia affirmed. "He's not just part of the cartel. He's running it. The messages I intercepted... he's the one giving orders, coordinating everything."

Wade whistled low. "Sounds like a real charmer, this Juan guy. Let me guess—mustache-twirling villain type? Probably keeps piranhas as pets."

Neither sister laughed. Ainoa paced the small living room, her mind racing. "This is bad. If Juan's in charge, he'll have resources and manpower. And he knows too much about us, about our past."

"About Dad," Lucia added softly.

A heavy silence fell over the room. Wade looked between the sisters for once, at a loss for words.

"But that's not all," Lucia finally said, standing up. She walked over to the kitchen counter, picking up an envelope. "This came an hour later after I found out. No return address, but..." She handed it to Ainoa.