Page 4

The morning sun cast long shadows across the FBI field office parking lot as Rachel made her way inside. She was heading inside with no context at all. Novak had not been able to share anything with her merely because Director Anderson had given him no details to go on—only that there was a potential case he needed to see them about.

In her experience, when Anderson held his cards this close to his chest, it usually meant they were dealing with something unprecedented. Her shoes clicked against the polished floor of the lobby, the sound echoing off the high ceiling and mixing with the general murmur of agents scattered around the building. It was Saturday, so it wasn’t the usual noise of the weekdays, but there was still a feeling of anticipation in the air.

She caught sight of Novak waiting by the elevators, dressed in his typically crisp suit. His fingers drummed an irregular pattern against his thigh – a tell she'd noticed during their last case that showed he was more anxious than he let on. Apparently, the lack of information was bothering him, too.

"So, no details at all yet?" Rachel asked as she joined him at the elevators.

"None," Novak replied, jabbing the elevator button with perhaps more force than necessary. "Anderson wouldn't even give me a hint over the phone. Just said to get here ASAP. Wouldn't even tell me where we’d be headed if we were assigned the case.”

As they stepped into the elevator, Rachel felt an unsettling twist in her stomach. Even during her most active years in the field, cases that came with zero preliminary information rarely ended well. The last time Anderson had been this tight-lipped, they'd uncovered a human trafficking ring operating out of abandoned subway tunnels. That had been seven or eight years ago, but the case had given her nightmares for weeks. The elevator's quiet hum did nothing to settle her nerves, and she found herself checking her phone again, though she knew there wouldn't be any new messages from Anderson.

The doors opened with a soft ding, and they stepped out into the familiar beige hallway leading to Anderson's office. Rachel found herself falling into step beside Novak naturally, their footfalls synchronizing without conscious effort. She realized, somewhat surprisingly, that working with him felt almost normal now. Their last case, though challenging, had forged an unexpected bond. While he wasn't Jack by any means (and it wasn’t fair to make the comparison), he'd proven himself capable and trustworthy.

Rachel's mind drifted to Jack, of how they'd started as strangers, too. It had taken them nearly a year to find a groove to become seamless partners. To expect anything more of Novak was unfair—especially given that she had ended up marrying her last partner.

When they came to Anderson’s doorway, it was already opened. He heard them coming, looked up, and waved them in. The sunlight streaming through his window highlighted the grey in his hair and the tension lines around his mouth. A half-empty coffee cup sat beside a stack of files, the steam still rising in lazy spirals. “Agents, please have a seat,” he said, gesturing to the chairs across from his desk.

“Sir, is everything okay?” Novak asked.

"Yes, all is well," he said, finally directing his gaze toward them. I apologize for all the mystery," he began, folding his hands on his desk. "But this case is...unusual, to put it mildly. And there are still small bits of information coming in here and there." He paused as if choosing his next words carefully. "Are either of you familiar with a company called EndLight?"

Rachel's breath caught in her throat. She hadn't heard that name in nearly two years, not since those dark days when the cancer had been winning. The memories rushed back – lying awake at night, scrolling through medical forums, desperate for any option that might spare her family from watching her suffer.

"Yes," she said quietly, aware of both men watching her closely. "During my illness, I... researched them. They were developing what they called 'peaceful passage pods.' Though that's just marketing speak for suicide machines." She felt Novak shift slightly beside her, but kept her eyes on Anderson. "The technology wasn't ready back then. Too many variables, too many risks. They were still in the testing phase."

Anderson nodded grimly. "Well, they're ready now. The peaceful passage pods have been up and running for about two months. No wide release at all, but there have been thirty distributed around the globe. Most are here in America, but there are a few that made their way to Japan, Australia, and Iceland.”

“Does this case have something to do with the pods?” Rachel asked, her curiosity piqued.

"We're not sure just yet, but it appears so…or at least some knock-off version. Last night, one of the pods was discovered in the forests within the Shenandoah Valley. There was a woman inside of it…and based on the little bit we know, the woman did not step into it voluntarily."

He took the moment to turn his laptop around to face them. There was a single image on the screen showing a sleek white pod, almost beautiful in its minimalist design. It was nestled among fallen leaves and tall grass in what appeared to be a dense woodland area. Yellow crime scene markers dotted the ground around it. What caught Rachel's attention wasn't the pod itself, but the drag marks in the soil leading up to it. Someone had fought hard not to go in.

She leaned forward, studying the details. "This location is weird. I mean… I thought they were only placing these in medical facilities, hospice centers..."

“That’s right,” Anderson said.

“So how did it get out there, in the middle of nowhere?”

"That's just it," Anderson said, leaning back in his chair. The leather creaked as he moved. "According to EndLight's records, this pod shouldn't exist at all. All their authorized units are accounted for as of two hours ago. Which means either someone inside the company is operating off the books, or worse – someone has figured out how to replicate their technology."

He pulled out a manila folder and handed it to Rachel. The folder was surprisingly thick. "As I said, the pod was found in the Shenandoah Valley area, about two hours from here. Local PD is securing the scene, but given EndLight's desire to keep this quiet and the... unique nature of the situation, we need our best people on this." He met Rachel's eyes. "The victim has been identified as Sandra Mitchell, and preliminary reports suggest signs of a struggle. Defensive wounds. This wasn't a suicide – it was murder."

Rachel flipped open the folder, scanning the first page. Crime scene photos showed scuff marks on the pod's pristine surface, a smear of blood on the control panel. "Has EndLight been cooperative?"

"So far," Anderson replied, but his tone suggested he didn't expect that to last. "Their CEO is flying in from California today. But here's what concerns me most – their chief engineer claims this pod is pretty much a direct copy of their design.”

Novak spoke up for the first time since entering the office. "So we could be looking at more of these out there? Underground assisted suicide facilities?"

"Or worse," Rachel said, her mind already racing ahead to darker possibilities. "If someone's willing to use one of these as a murder weapon once..."

Anderson nodded. "Exactly. The coordinates to the Shenandoah Valley site are in the file. I need you two to head out there now. Find out what happened, and more importantly – if there are more of these things out there.”

Rachel stood, folder clutched in her hand, mind already racing through possibilities. “Yes, sir.”

“Keep me posted, and take whatever time and resources you need on this…not just to figure out what the hell is going on, but to keep it as quiet as possible, too.”

As she and Novak headed for the door, she couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the beginning of something much darker than even Anderson suspected. The sick feeling in her stomach had only grown stronger. End of life pods as a murder weapon? It was morbid. She could only hope that this case would turn out to be a one-and-done affair.

"I'll drive," Novak said as they headed back to the elevator. "You can fill me in on everything you know about EndLight on the way."

Rachel nodded, but her thoughts were already two years in the past, to those long nights when she'd researched EndLight's pods, wondering if they might offer an escape from the pain and helplessness that was consuming her life. She had never seriously considered it, but there had always been an odd sort of comfort in knowing such a thing existed.

She'd never imagined she'd encounter one of their devices like this – as a murder weapon. Someone had taken a technology meant to ease suffering and turned it into something monstrous.

The elevator doors closed with a soft click, and Rachel took a deep breath, pushing away the memories of her illness and focusing on the case ahead. They had a crime scene to process, a company to investigate, and a killer to catch – one who had found a terrifyingly new way to murder. And she also had a family to reach out to, informing them that she wouldn’t be home right away…that she may be gone for a while.

Again.