Chapter 5: A Conversation Postponed

If we’re caught, we’re both in serious trouble,” Rhys said, his voice laced with concern. But we can’t let fear hold us back. Rhys leaned forward, his eyes fixed on Sarah. But we also need to be careful. We can’t afford to make any mistakes.” “We need to be smart, but we also need to be bold. We can’t let fear or doubt hold us back.” We need to stay one step ahead of them.” “I know it’s not easy, Rhys. But we have to trust each other. We have to rely on each other to get through this.” Rhys’ eyes met Sarah’s, and for a moment, the world outside the car seemed to fade away. “I trust you, Sarah.

I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t,” Rhys said, his voice barely above a whisper. The tension between them was palpable, but there was something else too, something that neither of them could quite put their finger on. It was a connection, a bond that was forming between them, forged in the heat of their shared mission.

Sarah nodded, her eyes never leaving Rhys’. Because we’re going to need each other if we’re going to get through this. We can’t afford to have any secrets between us. No matter how small or insignificant they might seem.”

Rhys held her gaze, his expression serious. “No secrets.

That’s a tall order, Sarah. I’ve spent most of my life keeping things to myself,” Rhys said, his voice barely above a whisper. He looked away, his gaze fixed on the city lights outside the car window.

Sarah reached out, placing a hand on Rhys’ arm. But we can’t afford to have any surprises between us. Not with what we’re up against.” She gave his arm a gentle squeeze before letting go.

Rhys turned back to face her, his expression softening. No secrets. I’ll...

I’ll do my best, Sarah. But you should know, there are things in my past, things I’ve done ... I’m not proud of them. Things that could hurt people if they came out.” Sarah’s expression didn’t change, her gaze steady and unwavering. “I’m not asking for your life story, Rhys. I just need to know that you’re not hiding anything that could compromise this investigation. Or put either of us in danger.” Rhys nodded, his eyes fixed on Sarah. And I promise, anything that could affect this case, I’ll tell you. But you have to understand, there are some things I just can’t talk about.

Things that are ... classified. Things that could get me into serious trouble if they ever saw the light of day.” Sarah’s expression turned thoughtful, her gaze never leaving Rhys’. “I understand, Rhys. I have my own secrets, things I’ve done in the line of duty that I can’t talk about. But we need to trust each other, at least enough to know that we’re not actively working against each other.” Rhys nodded, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. “Fair enough. So, where does that leave us?” Sarah started the car, pulling out into the late-night traffic. “It leaves us with a plan.

A delicate balance of trust and caution,” Sarah said, her voice steady as she merged into the flow of traffic. “We’ll start by gathering information, discreetly. And we’ll meet again, at the convention, to see if Alistair is willing to help us.”

Rhys nodded, his eyes scanning the cityscape as they drove. “And if he is? What then?”

Sarah’s grip tightened on the steering wheel. “Then we’ll need to be even more careful. We can’t afford to let anyone know what we’re doing. We’ll need to set up a secure line of communication, a safe place to meet.

I have a safe house, a small apartment downtown. No one knows about it except me,” Sarah said, her voice steady as she merged into the flow of traffic.

Rhys leaned back in his seat, his fingers drumming a steady rhythm on his knee. “This isn’t the time for jokes, Rhys. We’re dealing with serious stuff here.” I’m just trying to lighten the mood a bit.”

Sarah’s expression softened, but only slightly. “I appreciate it, but we need to stay focused.

We have a lot to do before the convention, and we can’t afford to waste time.” Sarah’s voice was firm, her gaze fixed on the road ahead.

Rhys nodded, his fingers still drumming a steady rhythm on his knee. “You’re right, of course. So, what’s our next move?”

Sarah thought for a moment before responding. “We need to start digging into the victims’ backgrounds.

Rhys leaned forward, his eyes narrowing as he considered this.

Sarah shot him a sharp look.

“We’re not breaking into anyone’s home, Rhys. We’re just ... borrowing their computers for a little while.” Rhys raised an eyebrow. “Borrowing? Sarah, that’s still illegal.” “I know it is, but we can’t afford to play by the rules here. We need to find out who’s behind these leaks, and we can’t do that if we’re stuck waiting for warrants and permissions.” Rhys leaned back in his seat, his fingers still tapping a steady rhythm on his knee. “Alright, I get it.

We need to be creative. We can’t just go around hacking into people’s computers willy-nilly,” Rhys said, his voice laced with concern. I know we’re playing with fire here. But we’re out of options. Sarah’s voice was steady, her gaze fixed on the road ahead. “We’ll start with the most recent victim, see if we can find anything that links them to the others. And we’ll be discreet, Rhys.

We won’t leave any trace behind. We’ll make it look like a simple power outage, nothing more,” Sarah said, her voice firm and determined. Rhys nodded, his eyes scanning the street ahead as they pulled up to a stoplight. We’ll start with the most recent victim, see if we can find anything that links them to the others. And we’ll do it tonight, while they’re all asleep.” Sarah’s grip tightened on the steering wheel as she pulled away from the stoplight. “Tonight? Rhys, we can’t just waltz into someone’s house in the middle of the night.

We need a plan, and we need to be smart about it,” Sarah said, her voice barely above a whisper as they sat in her car, parked a few houses down from their target’s residence. The street was quiet, the only sound the distant hum of a passing car.

Rhys leaned back in the passenger seat, his eyes scanning the dark house ahead. But we can’t afford to wait. If we’re going to do this, we need to do it now, while the trail is still fresh.” He turned to look at Sarah, his eyes reflecting the dim glow of the streetlight. “Trust me, I’ve done this before.

We’ll be in and out before they even know we were there,” Rhys whispered, his eyes scanning the dark house ahead. Sarah hesitated for a moment, her hand hovering over the door handle. “We can’t afford to take any chances, Rhys. If we’re caught, we’re both in serious trouble.” Rhys turned to look at her, his expression serious. “I know, Sarah. We need to be smart, but we also need to be bold. He reached into his backpack, pulling out a small device. “This is a signal jammer. It’ll block any incoming or outgoing signals from the house. We’ll have a few minutes to work, and then we’ll be out of there.” Sarah took the device, her fingers tracing the smooth surface. “And what about the cameras?