Secret Warrior

1: The

like it carried her memories. Dressed in a sharp gray trench coat that shielded her from the drizzle, she stepped out of her rental car and onto the pavement of Maple Drive. The ro

rs ago as she stood bes

parked her car near the iron gate and made her way up the gravel path. She clutched a bouquet of white lilies, their petals tr

paused. Her sister's name, etc

ian

ghter, Cher

Lillian had once loved: "The stars

had gathered at the base of the headstone. She placed the

ce barely audible over the rustling lea

he teased Erica about her books, the way her eyes lit up when she spoke of her dreams. And then, the darknes

full of life. She didn't d

rief, channeling it into her studies and her work. She'd become a scientist, one of the best

r now. "Every single one of them. They thought they

ring if Lillian would approve of what she was about to do. But the image of her sist

-

illian was alive, but his career had since taken a nosedive. According to her research, he now lived in a

ibilities. Confronting Victor wouldn't be easy-she had to be strategic. As a scientist

arkable, a single-story structure with peeling paint and a sagging porch. A flicker of movement caugh

as her sister begged for mercy. The man who had testified

er grip on the

toni

spent the night devising her strategy. She reviewed everything she knew about Vict

-

ssed in black and armed with a laptop bag. Her plan was

ding. The door was locked, but she had anticipated that. With a smal

coffee table, and the television flickered with the muted glow of an old crime

ed taser she had designed herself. It was silent, efficient, and left no mar

dy jerked, and his eyes flew open, panic flooding his features

tor,"she said cold

ad, his eyes wi

But you remember Lilli

ed in his eyes,

held it up. It was a picture of Lillian, smili

er," Erica said,

d her life. Do you know what t

t her hand, and she removed it,

to happen," he stammered

But now, I'm giving you a choice. Tell me everything you know about the others-whe

for an escape. But Erica was prepared. She pulle

cal. "A single dose will paralyze you for hours. You won't b

k his head

a said. "Sta

-

ew where the next man was-Mark, a former police officer who had used his position

lso a deep sadness. No matter what she did, she couldn't bring Lillian back. But she could mak

at the dark horizon. She thought of Lillian, of the l

ght," she whispe

d hear her, but it didn't matte

et. And she wouldn't stop until every