Lena

Chapter 4: The Light Beneath the Surface

The alley was narrow, almost suffocating, with brick walls covered in graffiti barely visible under the flickering streetlights. Lena walked beside Julien, her thoughts crashing together like waves in a storm. Each step echoed in her mind like a warning, reminding her that the situation had become far more complicated than she had imagined.

Julien walked ahead of her, silent, his face hidden by the hood that obscured most of his features. His words kept spinning in Lena's mind: Marc, trapped, used by unseen forces, and this dossier, which was worth far more than just a journalistic investigation. One thing was clear: there was still a lot she didn't know. And for the first time since this all began, she doubted her ability to handle the situation.

"We're almost there," Julien murmured without turning around.

Lena nodded, though her wariness remained. She had no reason to trust this man. Yet she felt she had no other choice. The folder in her hands felt like it was burning her skin, a secret too heavy to bear alone.

They finally emerged into a deserted courtyard, surrounded by dilapidated buildings. The place seemed abandoned for years. Julien stopped in front of a rusted door, rummaging through his pocket before pulling out a key, which he inserted into the lock with nervous precision.

"This is it," he said, opening the door. He pushed it slightly, revealing the dark interior of a makeshift basement. Concrete stairs led down into a room that seemed even darker than the street they had just left.

Lena hesitated, but Julien looked at her insistently. "If you want to understand what's going on, you have to follow me."

She took a deep breath before descending the steps. The door closed behind them, plunging the hallway into a tense silence. Only the cold light of a hanging bulb illuminated the room. A simple desk, covered with scattered papers, stood in the center of the room.

Julien approached the desk, grabbed a few sheets, quickly scanned them, and then handed them to Lena.

"What Marc didn't tell you is that he's been working for these people much longer than you realize. He's not just a victim; he helped build this network."

Lena felt her heart tighten. Marc, involved in this web of corruption and lies? Every fiber of her being wanted to deny this possibility, but the evidence was right there before her eyes. Julien showed her names, transactions, documents signed by Marc himself. There was no doubt.

"So why did he help me?" she asked, trying to understand. "Why give me this dossier?"

Julien sighed, crossing his arms. "Because he knew it was his only chance to get out. He knew the people he served would eventually sacrifice him. He saw an opportunity in you. A chance to turn the tables before they eliminated him."

Lena clenched her fists. It all seemed unreal. Marc, the man she had trusted so much, had been manipulating her from the start. He had used her as a pawn in his own game.

"And you, in all of this?" she asked, her gaze hardening. "Why are you telling me this?"

Julien hesitated for a moment, then sat down on an old chair next to the desk. "Because I'm stuck too. I've worked for them, for Marc, for years. At first, I thought it was for a good cause, that it was necessary. But I realized too late that I was just a tool. Now, they want to get rid of me, just like they do with Marc. And if you ask me, you're on their list too."

A shiver ran down Lena's spine. Everything was swirling in her mind: the betrayal, the fear, the urgency to understand before it was too late.

"If all of this is true," she said, trying to stay calm, "then why did you follow me? Why not warn me sooner?"

Julien lowered his eyes, his fingers gripping the edge of the chair. "Because I had to be sure you were the right person. That you hadn't already been compromised."

The silence between them grew heavy, punctuated only by the buzzing of the lightbulb above their heads. Lena watched the man in front of her, no longer sure who to trust. Yet, she had to make a decision. Going on alone would be suicidal, but teaming up with Julien, who admitted to being involved in the network, seemed just as risky.

"So, what do we do now?" she asked, trying to regain control of the situation.

Julien looked her straight in the eyes. "The only thing to do is confront them. The people you saw in that dossier are responsible for far more than you think. And you hold the key to exposing it all."

He stood up, walked over to a rusty metal cabinet, and pulled out another folder. He handed it to Lena. "This is what Marc didn't give you. These documents are the proof that could bring down the entire network. But exposing them without preparation would be suicide."

Lena took the folder, her hands trembling, and opened it. Inside were photos, bank statements, and contracts signed by men and women whose names were well-known throughout the city. Authority figures, business leaders, politicians. It was all there.

"They have eyes everywhere," Julien murmured. "If you want to take them down, you'll have to act fast and smart. But there's one more thing you need to know."

Lena looked up from the folder, her brow furrowed. "What else?"

Julien's expression grew serious. "Marc hid something else from you. A name. The person who's really pulling the strings. The one who's been orchestrating everything from the beginning."

"A name?" Lena repeated, her heart racing.

Julien nodded. "That name... it's in the folder you're holding. It's the missing piece. Find it, and you'll understand everything."

A surge of adrenaline coursed through Lena. She frantically flipped through the pages, her eyes scanning the information until she came across a particular document. And there, at the bottom of the page, under a series of signatures, she saw the name. A name she knew well, but would never have suspected.

Her breath caught. "This can't be..."

Julien moved closer, his eyes fixed on the document. "Now you understand why Marc couldn't tell you. This person has the power to destroy everything. You, me, Marc... if they find out that we know."

Lena stood frozen, unable to tear her eyes away from the signature. She now knew that everything she had believed to be true was just smoke and mirrors. The real puppet master was far above anything she could have imagined.