I woke up the next morning with a clear head I dressed myself in a casual wear and met my team in the conference room and debriefed them, I was a bit still buzzing from my night‑long run‑around with Alex's case. I launched into the whole story—how I'd met Sophia, the eclipse clue, Lesley's cryptic warning, the map to the lighthouse—while my team stared, eyes wide and breaths shallow. Their faces were a mix of disbelief and panic, like they'd just been handed a ticking time bomb and weren't sure which wire to cut first.
" So what's the next step, Waller?" Sarah asked me.
I met Sarah's stare and felt the weight of fourteen expectant faces settle on me. The room was quiet enough that I could hear the hum of the fluorescent lights overhead—my cue to step up.
"Alright, team," I said, keeping my voice steady, "we've got a lot of moving parts, but we can't let the eclipse become our deadline." I paced a half‑step, letting the words land. "First, we lock down everything we have on Lesley—phone logs, recent contacts, any chatter about the 'Eclipse Project.' Maya, you're on that. Second, we secure the lighthouse coordinates and set up a perimeter before nightfall. Jake, pull the city's traffic feeds and see if any unusual activity shows up near the dock. And Sarah, I need you to reach out to the informant we've been cultivating—Sophia. If anyone knows what's really happening, it's her."
I paused, scanning the room for nods or questions. "We move as a unit, no hesitation. This isn't just about Alex anymore; it's about stopping whatever they've set in motion before the next eclipse. Any thoughts or intel you've picked up, now's the time, and lastly we keep a close eye on alex_ david can you handle that?"
The nods were solemn, and the room seemed to shrink as everyone leaned in, absorbing the gravity of the situation. David's nod was the last one I saw before I wrapped it up.
"This isn't a drill, people," I added, my tone low and serious. "We're stepping into the shadows here. Let's make sure we're all watching each other's backs."
The air was thick with tension as they all stood up, murmurs of agreement and determination floating through the room. I knew they were all thinking the same thing: this was it. This was the moment they'd been training for.
As they filed out, I caught Sarah's eye. "Hey, hold up a sec," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
She lingered, her eyes locked on mine. "Yeah?"
"I want you to be careful," I said, my words tumbling out in a rush. "As it seems a lot of people involved, and some we can't trust. Keep your head down and your phone close."
Sarah nodded, a small smile playing on her lips. "You too, Waller. I've got your back."
I reciprocated the smile and left her.
As for my day I planned on going deep into it, all in.
___I walked out of the conference room with a sense of purpose, the weight of the mission settled firmly on my shoulders. The team's energy was palpable, and I knew they were all feeling the same mix of nerves and determination.
As I made my way to my office, I couldn't help but think about Alex, hoping that wherever he was, he was holding up. I grabbed my phone and sent a quick text to Sophia: "Eyes open. Be careful. We're a step closer."
The rest of the day was a blur of activity as I dove headfirst into the case, pouring over files and reports, analyzing every detail, and making calls to every contact I had. The hours ticked by in a haze of caffeine and focus, the only break being a quick lunch at my desk.
As the sun began to set, casting a golden glow over the city, I knew it was time to gear up. I slipped on my jacket, grabbed my gun, and headed out the door, ready to face whatever the night had in store.
The city's streets were alive with the hum of traffic and the chatter of pedestrians, but I tuned it all out, my focus fixed on the lighthouse in the distance, and the secrets it held.
I slipped the side door of the precinct shut behind me, the clink of the lock echoing like a promise. The night air hit me hard—cool, tinged with the salty bite of the river that cut through the city. My boots thrapped against the wet pavement as I headed for the unmarked sedan parked in the lot.
Just then a teenage boy came to me and passed me a letter and ran off almost immediately.
I opened the letter to see it read.
__" Dear Waller kindly meet me in the old lighthouse if you want to know more."
That's it no name, nothing. This is getting more complicated.
I cautiously slide myself into the car, the dashboard glowed faintly, casting a soft green over the map I'd printed earlier. The lighthouse loomed on the outskirts, a dark silhouette against the waning moon. I tapped the coordinates into the GPS and watched the route snake through back alleys and abandoned warehouses. Every turn felt like stepping deeper into the unknown, but the weight of the team's eyes kept my pulse steady.
The city blurred past—neon signs flickering, distant sirens, the occasional shout from a street vendor. I turned the radio down low, letting the hum of the engine be the only soundtrack to my thoughts. Alex's face kept surfacing—his half‑smile, the way he'd always tap his pen against his notebook when he was onto something. I clenched my jaw. He'd wanted me to see this through, and I wasn't about to let him down.
A flash of headlights caught my eye in the rearview. A black SUV lingered a few car lengths back, its windows tinted, the engine idling just enough to be noticeable. I didn't have time to wonder if it was a tail; the city was a maze of shadows, and anyone could be watching. I eased the sedan into a narrow side street, the tires grinding over broken glass, and killed the lights.
Silence settled, thick as fog. I pulled the small, folded piece of paper from my pocket—the one the eclipse kept in the crime scene I still kept it on me all the while before. The ink was smudged, but the word "Eclipse" was still legible, underlined twice. Below it, a crude sketch of the lighthouse with a red X marking a small cove on the rocks.
I slipped the paper back into my jacket and stepped out, the night swallowing my silhouette. The wind whispered through the empty warehouses, carrying a faint metallic scent—blood, oil, something else I couldn't place. My hand rested on the grip of my pistol, the cold metal grounding me.
The path to the lighthouse was a narrow, overgrown trail that wound up the cliffside. Overgrown weeds brushed my calves, and the sound of waves crashing against the rocks grew louder with each step. As I reached the base of the lighthouse, a low, gothic structure that had long been abandoned, a flicker of light caught my eye from within the cracked lantern room.
I paused, listening. A soft, rhythmic tapping—like someone drifting a finger across glass—echoed down the stone stairs. My breath caught. I knew I wasn't alone.
Taking a deep breath, I pushed the heavy wooden door open. It creaked, announcing my arrival. Inside, the air was stale, filled with the scent of old oil and sea salt. Shadows danced along the walls, and at the far end, under a shaft of moonlight that managed to pierce the grime, stood a figure.
She was tall, cloaked in a dark coat that seemed to absorb the light. Her face was partially hidden, but the glint of her eyes was unmistakable—sharp, calculating. She turned slowly, as if she'd been expecting me.
"Waller," she said, voice low and steady. "You're earlier than I thought."
I didn't waste time with pleasantries. "Who are you?" I asked, keeping my tone even. "And why are we meeting in a place like this to talk about the Eclipse Project."
She gave a faint, almost amused smile. "You've come a long way for a word. Let's see if you're ready for what comes after."
The lantern above flickered, casting her silhouette into a stark, black outline against the wall. I stepped forward, the weight of the city's dead bodies and Alex's unfinished business pressing down on me, but my resolve hardened like steel. This was the moment we'd been chasing— the truth hidden in darkness, waiting to be uncovered.
" My name is mara, it's an honor to finally meet you, Ben said quite a lot about you, this is going to be fun. Mara's smile grew, her eyes glinting with a mix of curiosity and calculation. "Ben's words, I'm afraid, were... enthusiastic," she said, her voice dripping with amusement. "But I assure you, the pleasure is all mine, Waller. I've been waiting for someone with your... particular set of skills."
She gestured to a rusted metal chair beside her, the only other piece of furniture in the dimly lit lighthouse. "Please, join me. We have much to discuss, and the night is young."
I hesitated for a moment, weighing my options, before taking a seat. Mara settled into the chair opposite me, her movements fluid and deliberate.
"So, where would you like to start?" she asked, her gaze locked on mine.
"The Eclipse Project," I replied, my voice firm. "What is it, and what's its connection to Alex's research?"
Mara leaned back, her eyes drifting to the lantern above, the flickering light casting eerie shadows on her face. "The Eclipse Project... it's a story, really. One of ambition, greed, and a desire for power that knows no bounds."
She paused, her gaze snapping back to mine. "You see, Waller, the Eclipse Project is a group of individuals who believe that the world is heading towards chaos, that society is on the brink of collapse. They've been secretly manipulating events, pushing the world towards a catastrophic event – an eclipse, if you will – that will give them the power to reshape the world in their image."
I listened, my mind racing with the implications. "And Alex?" I pressed, my voice low.
Mara's expression turned somber. "Alex was getting too close, asking the wrong questions. He stumbled upon a connection, a thread that led him straight to the heart of the Eclipse Project. They... took him, to prevent him from unraveling the entire operation."
" But he's still alive."
" Indeed, but can't get anywhere near right." She shit back.
The air seemed to thicken, the shadows closing in around us. I leaned forward, my voice barely above a whisper. "Where is he?"
" Who?" She asked.
" You just said Ben spoke a lot about me."
Mara's gaze locked on mine, her eyes burning with an intensity that sent a shiver down my spine. "He's alive, and doing well If I may add for now. But you have to understand, Waller, the Eclipse Project is just the beginning. They're just one piece of a much larger puzzle, and you're about to step into the middle of it."
The lighthouse seemed to hold its breath, the only sound the creaking of the old wooden beams. I felt a sense of trepidation creeping in, but I pushed it aside, my focus fixed on the mission.
"I'm ready," I said, my voice steady. "What's the next move?"