Page 27 of Once Vanished
We should talk.
The call was from ShadowCipher.His digital accomplice, who rarely initiated contact unless something significant had developed.
The abandoned building creaked around him as he moved to the portable workstation he’d carefully arranged.The room was dimly lit, the windows covered to conceal even that slight illumination from anyone outside.
The power station hummed quietly, feeding electricity to his equipment.A small luxury, but a necessary one.Leo adjusted his chair and opened his laptop, the screen casting harsh white light across his features.
The building had no internet service, of course—a feature, not a flaw, in Leo’s estimation.Invisibility was essential.But ShadowCipher had helped him piggyback onto an unsecured network from a nearby business.Not ideal for most people, but perfect for his temporary needs.
Leo’s fingers moved efficiently across the keyboard, accessing the encrypted messaging platform where he and ShadowCipher conducted their business.He’d never met the hacker in person—had no idea if ShadowCipher was male or female, young or old.It was irrelevant.What mattered was competence, and in that regard, ShadowCipher was exceptional.
I’m here.What news?Leo typed.
The reply came almost instantly, as if ShadowCipher had been waiting.
Officer Stanley Pope is alive.
Leo paused, his hands hovering above the keyboard.This was unexpected.He’d been so meticulous with that box—everything precisely calculated to provide just enough oxygen to stretch out Pope’s suffering without delivering a quick release through death.The timing had seemed perfect.
Are you certain?He typed.
I hacked DC police reports.He was found barely conscious but survived.Transported to Georgetown University Hospital.Critical condition initially, now stabilized.
Leo leaned back in his chair, processing this information.He hadn’t anticipated that particular development, but it wasn’t entirely unwelcome.
Who found him?Leo asked, though he suspected the answer.
Special Agent Riley Paige.According to internal communications, she figured out your location based on the clues you left.Arrived just in time to save him.
So Riley had found him in time after all.Interesting.Leo smiled as he imagined Riley’s desperate race against time, her frantic efforts to save a man she barely knew.The mental image was almost as satisfying as if Pope had died.
I hope you’re not disappointed,ShadowCipher wrote.Your plan for him failed.
Not at all.Death was never the only objective.The fear, the helplessness, the pure animal terror of slowly suffocating in darkness—Pope experienced all of that.And Riley experienced the desperation of nearly failing to save him.That’s almost better than if he’d died.
He paused, then added:Though I wouldn’t have been displeased if she’d found him a few hours later.
What’s your next move?ShadowCipher inquired.Another box?
No,Leo typed.I never repeat performances.My next target won’t survive.And Riley will feel it all—the guilt, the helplessness, the knowledge that she failed to see what was right in front of her.
Who is it?The question appeared almost too quickly, betraying ShadowCipher’s curiosity.
Leo’s hands stilled.He’d worked with ShadowCipher for months now—the hacker had proven invaluable, providing access to Riley’s personal records, helping infiltrate her home security system so he could open that back door, creating digital breadcrumbs that would keep investigators running in circles.But every relationship had its boundaries.
That information is on a need-to-know basis,Leo wrote at last.And you don’t need to know.
The silence stretched for nearly a minute—an eternity in digital conversation.When ShadowCipher finally responded, the message was curt.
I see.I thought we were partners.
We’re business associates, Leo corrected.I pay you well for your services.
Partners share information.Trust each other.
Leo’s jaw tightened.I trust your abilities.That’s sufficient.
Another long pause followed before ShadowCipher’s final message appeared.