Serenade in a Coffee Cup

The Calm Before the Storm

The morning sun was harsh, spilling through the blinds of the small safehouse they'd been relocated to. Ling sat by the window, her arms crossed, staring out at the empty street below. The place was eerily quiet—too quiet. After the chaos of the last few days, the stillness felt suffocating.

Orm shuffled into the room, her movements slow, drained. The bruises on her face had darkened overnight, and the cuts along her arms were still raw beneath the bandages. She paused at the doorway, watching Ling, the weight of everything that had happened hanging between them.

"They'll call soon," Orm said softly, trying to break the silence. Her voice held a fragile hope.

Ling didn't respond immediately. She was replaying the events from the hospital in her head: Kai's pale face, his weak apologies, the constant sound of machines keeping him alive. Her hand clenched around the back of the chair she was sitting in, her knuckles white.

"They'll call," Orm repeated, her voice a little firmer this time. She approached Ling slowly, taking a seat on the edge of the couch beside her. "They won't leave us hanging. You heard the general."

Ling finally turned, her expression grim. "We've heard those kinds of promises before. People always say they'll call, they'll have a plan, and then they leave us to clean up the mess." Her voice was edged with bitterness, frustration gnawing at her. "Kai almost died because we didn't move fast enough. And now we're supposed to wait again? What if they're too late this time?"

Orm reached out, her hand resting gently on Ling's arm. "Kai's alive because of you. You saved him."

Ling met her eyes, but the anger, the helplessness, was still simmering just beneath the surface. "And we lost Bright. We don't even know what Apinan is planning next. For all we know, Bright could be dead already—or worse, he could be feeding them information."

"I don't think he'd do that," Orm said cautiously. "Not after what they did to him..."

"You're giving him too much credit," Ling cut in sharply, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "Bright's not the same person we knew. He's... broken. Unhinged. And that makes him unpredictable."

Orm flinched at Ling's words but didn't argue. Deep down, she knew Ling was right. Bright's erratic behavior in the past few weeks had shown just how far he'd spiraled out of control. The manic laughter, the violent outbursts—it wasn't the man they once trusted.

Orm lowered her gaze, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. "What do we do, then?" she asked quietly. "If they don't call... if they don't come through with a plan... what do we do?"

Ling's jaw tightened as she stared back out the window. She had always been the one to push forward, to fight back. Waiting had never been in her nature. "We'll give them a little time," she said after a long pause. "But if nothing happens soon, we'll make our own move."

Orm nodded, though a sense of dread settled in her chest. "And Kai?"

Ling's voice softened. "We'll make sure he's safe. I won't let anything happen to him."

Before Orm could reply, the phone on the table buzzed loudly, startling them both. Ling lunged for it, snatching it up as if it held the answers to everything. Her pulse quickened as she answered.

"It's me," the general's voice crackled through the line. "We've got a lead."

Ling's heart leapt, her grip tightening on the phone. "What is it?"

"We tracked down one of Apinan's men—one of the guys your team captured during the ambush. He gave us something before... well, let's just say he won't be talking again anytime soon."

"What did he say?" Ling asked, her voice low, eyes narrowing in anticipation.

"He mentioned a location. Some sort of hideout near the border. We're pulling satellite images now, but we're not sure if it's where they're keeping Bright or if it's something else."

Ling paced the room, her free hand flexing as she considered the implications. "So, what's the plan?"

The general hesitated for a moment. "This is a sensitive situation. We need to be careful. If Bright's there, we need him alive. But if Apinan's got more of his men stationed there, it could turn into another firefight."

"I don't care if it turns into a firefight," Ling snapped. "We need to act. Now."

"Ling, you're compromised. We can't risk—"

"No more waiting," she growled, cutting him off. "We're coming with you, or we'll go in on our own. It's your choice."

There was a tense silence on the other end of the line. Orm watched Ling with wide eyes, her stomach churning with anxiety. Finally, the general sighed.

"Fine," he said reluctantly. "You and Orm will come, but you follow my lead. No solo acts. This needs to be a coordinated effort."

Ling's lips pressed into a thin line. "Agreed."

The call ended, and Ling tossed the phone back onto the table. She turned to Orm, her eyes hard and focused.

"Get ready. We're going after Bright."

Later that evening, they found themselves in a military van heading toward the location. The tension in the air was palpable, the dim lights casting harsh shadows over their faces. Ling sat beside Orm, her fingers tapping restlessly on her knee. Orm tried to stay calm, but her thoughts were spinning in a whirlwind of fear and adrenaline.

As the van bumped along the road, Orm shifted closer to Ling, her voice barely above a whisper. "Are we really ready for this?"

Ling glanced at her, her expression softening for just a moment. "We've faced worse. We'll be fine."

"But what if—"

"No," Ling interrupted, her hand reaching over to clasp Orm's tightly. "No 'what ifs.' We'll handle this. Together."

Orm nodded, though the unease in her chest refused to disappear. The closer they got to the border, the more the reality of the situation settled over them. They were diving headfirst into a storm, with no guarantee of making it out unscathed.

But as long as they were together, Orm knew she'd find the strength to face whatever came next.

—•

Author's Note: Heeey my babies~ how've you all been? 😏 Sooo, I've had some "me" time lately and let's just say... I've written a few really good chapters—like, seriously good ones 😌 Now, what do you think? Should I drop two chapters today or leave you hanging and give you one a day? Hmmm... decisions, decisions! 😉