Beneath the Surface

Lines in the sand

Ava sat at her desk, her fingers hovering over the keyboard, trying to focus on the mundane task in front of her. The soft clicking of keys filled the room, but her mind kept drifting back to the message on her phone and the voice on the other end of the call.

"Tick-tock, Ava."

It played over and over in her head, each time sending a fresh jolt of anxiety through her. The office buzzed around her, blissfully unaware of the storm brewing beneath her calm exterior. She had to get a grip. This wasn't the first time she'd received a cryptic message-there had been strange emails before, warnings that someone was watching. But the voice on the phone had been new, and it felt more personal this time.

Whoever was behind it, they knew her.

She tried to shake off the unease and return to her work, but a shadow fell across her desk. Ava looked up to find Damien standing over her, his expression unreadable, his presence somehow even more unnerving up close.

"We need to talk," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Ava fought the instinct to roll her eyes. She wasn't about to be bossed around by him, but something in his gaze stopped her. There was a seriousness there that hadn't been present during the meeting. She hesitated before nodding.

"Fine," she said, pushing her chair back and standing. "Where?"

"My office," he replied, turning on his heel and walking away without waiting for her.

Ava grabbed her notebook and followed him through the maze of cubicles, feeling the eyes of her coworkers on her as she passed. There were whispers, soft murmurs about her and Damien, but she ignored them. Let them gossip. She had bigger things to worry about.

Damien's office was tucked away in the corner of the building, a small but tidy space with nothing personal to give away anything about him. His desk was immaculate, a laptop, a stack of papers, and a cup of black coffee the only things on display.

"Sit," he instructed, gesturing to the chair across from his desk as he closed the door behind them.

Ava sat down, folding her arms across her chest. "So what's this about?"

He didn't answer immediately. Instead, Damien moved to stand behind his desk, his eyes fixed on her in a way that made her feel like she was under a microscope. He finally spoke, his voice low and serious.

"There's something going on here, Ava. Something dangerous. And I need to know if you're involved."

Her mouth dropped open in shock. "Involved? Are you serious?"

His expression didn't change. "You received a message, didn't you? You're the only one in the company who did."

"How-how do you know that?" she stammered.

"I'm very good at what I do," he replied, leaning against his desk, his arms crossed. "I know more than you think."

Ava's pulse quickened. How much did he know? And why was she the only one targeted?

"You're not going to tell me what it said, are you?" Damien asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Ava hesitated, wondering if she should trust him. Something about Damien felt dangerous, but he was the only one in the room who seemed to understand the gravity of the situation. She decided to take a chance, though she'd reveal as little as possible.

"It was a threat," she admitted, her voice steady despite the knot tightening in her chest. "Someone said I was already too late. And then I got a phone call. A voice said, 'tick-tock, Ava.'"

Damien's face darkened, but he didn't seem surprised. "I thought so."

Ava's heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean?"

"There's a pattern," he said, his voice dropping to a near whisper. "Other companies I've worked with have experienced similar breaches-strange messages, targeted individuals, escalating threats."

"So, you think it's the same person?"

"I'm not sure yet," Damien admitted, pacing slightly. "But what I do know is that whoever's behind this, they're dangerous, and they don't stop. Once they set their sights on you, it's only a matter of time."

The words sent a chill down Ava's spine, but she refused to show it. "So, what now? Am I supposed to just sit around and wait for the next creepy message?"

"No," Damien said firmly, his eyes locking onto hers. "You're going to help me catch them."

Ava blinked, taken aback. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," Damien said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "I need someone on the inside who can keep an eye on things-someone they won't suspect."

"And you think that's me?"

"You're already in their sights," he pointed out. "They've chosen you, for whatever reason. That gives you an edge. You might be the only one who can get close enough to find out who's behind this."

Ava stared at him, incredulous. This was insane. She wasn't some secret agent-she was just a data analyst who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"I don't think you understand," she began, but Damien cut her off.

"I understand perfectly," he said, stepping closer, his voice lowering dangerously. "You can walk away right now, pretend this isn't happening, but it will get worse. Whoever this is, they're playing a game, and you're already a part of it. The only question is, are you going to sit on the sidelines and let them win, or are you going to fight back?"

Ava swallowed hard, her mind racing. Part of her wanted to walk out of that office and never look back, but another part of her-the part that refused to be a victim-knew Damien was right. She couldn't just sit by and let this happen. She had to fight back, even if she didn't fully trust him yet.

"All right," she said slowly. "What do I have to do?"

Damien's lips curved into a slow, almost predatory smile. "Good. First, we're going to look through your emails, your files, and everything you've worked on recently. There's something in there they want-something they've already tried to take."

Before she could respond, the door to Damien's office flew open, and Patrick stormed in, his face flushed with anger.

"What the hell is going on here?" Patrick demanded, his eyes darting between them. "Ava, why are you in here? Damien, this wasn't part of the plan."

Ava stood quickly, her stomach twisting. "Patrick, I-"

"This isn't your concern, Patrick," Damien interrupted, his voice calm but icy. "Ava and I are discussing something important."

Patrick glared at him, his hands balled into fists. "She's my employee, Hart. If there's something going on, I need to know about it."

Damien stepped forward, his expression hardening. "Not this time."

The tension in the room was palpable. Ava felt like she was standing between two ticking bombs, waiting for one of them to go off. But before she could say anything to defuse the situation, her phone buzzed again.

She looked down at the screen and froze.

Another message.

"You're running out of time, Ava. It's already begun."

Her blood ran cold as she looked back up at Damien, her voice barely above a whisper.

"It's happening again."