Echoes of Yesterday

Part 24 - The Clockwork Lie

As I lay there, pretending to sleep, my thoughts raced, swirling around the implications of what I had just discovered. Maya's watch wasn't just some device to keep time. It was a tool, a hidden way for her to control and monitor something or someone. Was this how she kept tabs on Sarah? How far did this connection go, and who else was involved?

Tristan.

That name echoed through my mind as I tried to make sense of everything. If the body in the cave wasn't him, then where was he? And if Maya had staged everything so perfectly, could it mean she was hiding him somewhere? Or worse—did she have him trapped, just like Sarah? The thought chilled me to the core.

Beside me, Maya's breathing was slow and steady, her hand still loosely wrapped around mine. I could feel the slight pulse in her fingers, a reminder of the calm she projected. But beneath that calm, I knew there was something darker at work. And now, with the watch, I had proof.

I waited for what felt like hours, listening to the others breathe, the occasional crackle of the fire dying down, and the distant rustle of the forest outside. The weight of the cave pressed down on me, but the tension in my chest was worse. I needed to act, but I couldn't rush it.

Finally, when I was sure Maya and the others were deeply asleep, I shifted slightly, glancing at the watch again. The faint glow was still there, barely visible under her wrist. My fingers itched to reach out, to figure out more, but I had to be careful. I couldn't let her know I was onto her.

No sudden movements, I told myself.

I took a deep breath, gathering the courage to try again. This time, I decided I needed to be more precise. I had to see what else that watch could reveal. Gently, I placed my hand over Maya's, feeling the cool metal against her skin. Slowly, I slid my thumb back to the side of the watch, where the display had appeared before.

Nothing at first. The screen remained blank, the same eerie silence surrounding me. But then, as I pressed just a bit harder, something clicked. A soft beep echoed in the quiet cave, and a hidden compartment on the side of the watch opened up. Inside was a tiny screen, displaying coordinates.

My breath caught.

Coordinates. Locations.

Was this how she tracked people? I scanned the numbers, but they didn't mean much to me in that moment. I'd need to memorize them—just in case. My mind worked quickly, trying to lock in the details before the screen went dark again.

But something else caught my attention—a small notification icon pulsed in the corner of the display. I carefully tapped it, and a message flashed across the screen:

Connection to Unit Active: 1 monitored. Status: Stable.1 monitored?

Was it Sarah? Was Maya tracking her every move, making sure she didn't try to escape again? My fingers hovered over the screen, trying to make sense of it all. Before I could go further, the screen blinked once, then twice, and abruptly went dark.

I pulled my hand away quickly, my pulse racing. The device had shut itself down, leaving no trace of the display. My heart pounded as I tried to process what I had just seen.