HIDDEN AGENDAS

Samantha's POV Lila's unwillingness felt like a cold weight in my gut. She was hiding more than any of us had imagined. The faint light of the safe house flickering above obscured her drowsy features. Alex was behind me, his silence as keen as mine, but I could sense the barely felt annoyance coming from him. Time was racing through our fingers; we could afford no more delays. Leaching forward and resting my hands on the table, my eyes never turned from Lila's face. Whichever it is, you have to tell us now. Should you fail, we are all mindlessly headed toward something we will not survive. Her gaze wandered to the door, as though she were considering running away, but then she gasped long, quiveringly. Her eyes expressed a concern that indicated this went beyond Royce's usual performance quality. This was even more profound. Even more dangerous. Her voice barely above a whisper, she added, "I don't know all of it." Royce, though, goes beyond after control. He is chasing something that will guarantee he will never lose it. Alex moved next to me speaking in a sharp but under control manner. "What does that mean, Lila? His supposed behavior is what? She bit deliberately, her hands twitching on her lap. Royce has been supporting specific initiatives—ones that initially seem illogical—for a reason. Technology; shipping; pharmaceuticals; pharmacy. Everything about it has to do with control. I drew a frown with a brow lift. "Control of what?" Lila said in a whisper, "People." Knowledge. He is creating a network that lets one affect decisions before they are ever taken. He has ways to influence the very systems operating everything: the stock markets, the economy, even political movements. He is seeking global influence. The words hung heavy in the air, their meaning sending chills down my spine. Royce was not merely a cold-blooded commercialist. He was playing an endless game that went beyond all we had ever thought about. Should he be successful, he would rule all instead of only his realm. I mumbled, shaking my head, "That's impossible," but even I didn't completely agree with the words. Royce was strong, hence this surprised me. Like something from a fantasy, everything appeared dreamlike. Lila looked at her with quiet desire. Not at all. He is already starting. The consignment we stopped at? That was included into the plan. a run-through of it. Royce has found a way to exploit flaws in key infrastructure, therefore harming companies and countries. He is just waiting for the perfect attack target. Alex clenched his palm into a fist and swore under his breath. And we just now are discovering this. "I didn't know all of it until recently," Lila remarked, her voice trembling. "I assembled it from bits of information, material Royce let go along the years. Still, I am rather clear about it now. The package we stopped was a small piece of a larger operation, some jigsaw puzzle. Royce is only starting his career. My thoughts whirled as I tried to absorb the enormity of what she was revealing to us. This transcended only destroying Royce's illegal enterprise. This involved halting something that might tear apart the very fabric of civilization. We were also running short of time. "What more Royce needs to complete his plan?" Alex asked, his voice cool even with the strain under it. "How ought we stop him?" Once more, Lila hesitated, obviously afraid. "A last bit, a piece of programming. This drives all of his business. Nothing remains cohesive without it. But it's hidden away beneath high security only Royce can reach. Alex's expression stiffened. "Where?" Lila's eyes drifted to the window, as if she expected Royce to explode right through the door at any moment. "His personal space."It's outside the city under heavy defense. You cannot walk in without setting off every alert he has set in place. Between us, there was quiet silence. Royce's mansion was notorious for its impenetrability; it was a fortification built to keep out even the most driven enemies. Should we be let in, we would have to outsmart Royce at every turn—a challenging task, to put it gently. "Then we develop a plan," I said, my voice strong despite the nervousness chewing at my stomach. "We've come far already." We cannot right now turn back. Alex nodded with a sorrowful yet focused stare. "We will need help". Not confined only to the two of us. Lila bit her lip, uncertainty throwing shadows over her eyes. "I could try to locate you some names—people who might be ready to challenge Royce. But it won't be easy. He is fixated on eyes. "Do it," Alex insisted somewhat strongly. "We will need all we can get." The next several hours were a fog of preparation and tension. Alex and I looked over every detail we could imagine—every conceivable port of access, every possible trap Royce could have in place. Lila focused on getting in touch with the few individuals she still trusted, even though every message she wrote clearly strained her eyes. The weight of what we were going to do dropped over me like a storm cloud, darkening every minute that passed. These were not easy days for operations. This was a fight from which we were not sure we could entirely prevail. But as the hours went by, I also came to realize another: I was not the same man I had been before all of this started. Not the terrified woman who had fallen into this dream, insecure and afraid of the darkness hiding all around every corner. I was changed. I had grown more strong and willful. And even with the anxiety, I came to see I couldn't avoid this conflict. Not right now, either. Alex felt my alteration as well. His way of looking at me implied an unconscious awareness between us. We had seen too much together; we were in this till the very last. The last point might be anything. We at last slumped into the little couch as the evening wore on, exhaustion straining at every muscle in my body. Alex sat next to me and looked blankly at the wall. Though it was not uncomfortable, the silence between us was weighty—heavy with knowledge of what lay ahead. Alex said softly to break the silence: "We'll figure this out." "We usually do." I nodded, but my head stayed whirling. For Alex, this feels different though. This relates not only to Royce now. It's more general. He looked at me and softened his gaze. "I understand." Still, we will work out something. Believe me, I wanted to hang on that flutter of hope. Actually, though, we both realized that our chances were set against us. Royce had spent years building this empire, and we were just two people working to pull it down. "Do you ever give what follows any thought?" My voice, softly, slightly over a whisper. For a minute Alex said nothing, his brow wrinkling as he considered my question. Said another way, "I try not to." His answer startled me even though I expected differently. Alex had always been here and now, on what right now had to be done. Still, I discovered my mind drifting to the "what-ifs." And in case we were successful? What should we avoid doing? When all of this ends, how would our lives turn out? Reversing the search to me, he asked, "Do you? Stammered, not sure what to say. "Sometimes," I answered. "But one finds it difficult to envisage life without this continuous fight. For so long all I have known is this. Alex came up front, his company warm and consoling. "then perhaps it's time we give some thought to our next move. Startled by the flimsiness of his statements, I peered at him. Alex rarely let his guard down, but in this moment I could see the cracks—the tiredness, the uncertainty, the need for something more than just survival. Maybe, I replied, inclined my head toward his shoulder. We must first, though, survive this. He nodded, his palm just touching and reaching for mine. "Exactly one step at a time." We had a plan by morning, or at least one's skeleton. A few close friends who had been burnt by Royce and ready to take the risk to bring him down, Lila had managed to contact. Though tiny, it was a start. The first beam of sunlight coming through the window brought an unexpected calm. Indeed, we were approaching the lion's lair, but for the first time I sensed a real opportunity. Royce fell short of excellence. He was vulnerable; today we knew where to attack him. Alex said, his voice steady: "We're going to leave tonight." The sooner we go, the better. I nodded, my resolve tighter now. This was the last production run. Our path had produced this moment; I was not going to turn around. not at this time. Standing by the window and peering down at the city below, I pondered what Royce may be thinking. He knew we were scheduled to see him. Did he expect our fast acting? One thing was obvious, though, independent of his views: this was far from done. Just before we headed out from the safe house, my phone buzzed again. Still another message from an anonymous phone. Samantha, you run a dangerous game. i