When Shade and Harvenn quietly left the laboratory and returned to the office, it was the peak of the night's darkness. The Special Criminal Cases Bureau was illuminated only by the dim light from desk lamps. Shade placed the file on his desk, his movements heavy and thoughtful. He sank into his chair and waited for the news from Agent Sierra.
Harvenn closed the door and turned to him. "Shade."
"I know," Shade replied, his voice tired but his mind racing. He took out his pipe but didn't light it, just feeling it in his palm. "It's a challenge. An elaborate way of saying 'we're watching you'."
"They've targeted you," the woman confirmed, moving to the other side of the desk. "But that's a sign of weakness. They take you seriously. They see you as a threat."
Shade pointed at the file. "Active Surveillance... It's not just to scare me. It's to throw me off, to cloud my judgment. Just like Miroslav said - this is a different game."
"What do you think the rules of this game are?" Harvenn asked, her voice soft but filled with curiosity.
Shade took a deep breath. "They want me to stop chasing evidence. Instead, they want me to chase my own safety... my fear." He looked up at Harvenn. His eyes held that sharp, focused expression again. "But that will be their biggest mistake."
Just then, the office door opened and Sierra entered. There was excitement on her face.
"Shade! I examined the laptop. The password was simple - 'Nightowl'. There's a video file inside, weakly encrypted. I'm trying to decode it, but... the content looks disturbing."
Shade and Harvenn exchanged a glance. After the findings in the lab, "disturbing" had a new meaning.
"What does it show?" Harvenn asked.
Sierra placed the tablet on the desk. "It's not clear yet. The footage is fragmented and corrupted. But... a room is visible. A metal table. And... someone tied down." She was trying not to let her voice tremble, but she failed.
Shade's face tightened. He thought of the table in the laboratory. "Speed up the decryption, Sierra. We need to see what they did."
Sierra nodded and left. When the door closed, the silence in the room held a different meaning this time.
Harvenn took a step towards Shade. "Are you ready to watch this video? What we see... will be personal."
Shade finally brought the pipe to his lips. "Being ready isn't important. We will do what's necessary." There was a determination in his voice. "They're trying to play a game of fear with me. But they've forgotten one thing."
"What?" asked Harvenn.
"I like working in the dark," Shade answered, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "What we need to do will become clear now. We just have to wait a little longer."
When Sierra re-entered the office a while later, her face was pale. She held the laptop in trembling hands.
"The video... it's decrypted," she whispered. "You need to watch it."
Shade and Harvenn gathered around the desk. A shaky, low-resolution image appeared on the screen.
The metal table from the laboratory. A woman was strapped down with leather restraints. Her eyes were wide with terror. An invisible person was injecting her with an unknown substance. Her body stiffened, paralyzed, but she was conscious. Then the electrodes... There was no audio, but the woman's silent scream was readable in every frame on the screen. It was as if her mind was being torn apart.
Harvenn's breath caught. "My God..."
Shade's face was stony. His fingers gripped the desk tightly.
Then the image suddenly changed. A different room - a modern, minimalist, professional studio. And sitting across from them was the tall man with his familiar mask. He was looking directly into the camera.
"You are very clever, Detective Shade. Inspiringly so." The voice had that cold, metallic tone from behind the mask, but this time it was filled with mocking respect. "You found our lab, deciphered the ledger, even uncovered Dr. Kael's name... It's inspiring."
Shade didn't move, as if nailed to the screen.
"I have very special plans for you," the masked man continued. His head was tilted slightly, as if studying Shade. "A simple execution would be too mundane for a man of your talents. Wasting the potential of a mind like yours... that simply wouldn't do."
The screen went black, then lit up again. This time, it showed footage from a hidden camera in the corridor outside Shade's office. Shade could be seen talking to Harvenn.
"As you can see," the masked man's voice whispered, "I am everywhere. And you, Detective, will be my most valuable project. The Architect's final masterpiece."
The image changed one last time. Shade's youthful photo—taken from the file—appeared on the screen.
"We will meet very soon."
The video ended.
There wasn't a sound in the room. Sierra was still trembling. Harvenn's face showed deep concern.
Shade slowly stood up. He put his pipe in his pocket. His face showed neither fear nor anger. Only an absolute, icy calm.
"Good," he said, his voice filled with a clarity that filled the room. "Now we can talk face to face."
Harvenn looked at him. "That's exactly what they want, Shade. They're provoking you personally."
"No," Shade corrected her. His eyes were focused. "They've given me an advantage. Now I know their target. And most importantly... I now know they are as afraid of me as I am of them."
As Shade moved towards the door, Harvenn's voice stopped him. It was stern, sharp, and unusually loud.
"No, Shade! Don't take another step!"
Shade turned, pausing. The woman had stepped out from behind the desk, standing with an urgency and anger in her eyes that the detective had never seen before.
"This isn't a challenge, it's a threat!" Harvenn continued, her voice trembling. "An overt, personal, and extremely dangerous threat. That man wants you as a test subject. Don't forget what we saw in the lab!"
Shade responded with a calm but resolute expression. "That's exactly why I have to act, Harvenn. They've come out to hunt me. This is our best chance to catch them."
"It's your best chance to commit suicide!" Harvenn shot back, slamming her fist on the desk. Sierra and the others flinched. "Listen to me, Shade. For once, set aside that damned stubborn pride of yours. You've seen who these men are, what they're capable of."
Shade took a step towards her, his voice low but unshakable. "And I know that this is the only way to stop them. We will use me as bait."
"No!" Harvenn's voice held an irresistible finality. Her eyes were trembling, an incredible sign of vulnerability for her. "I... with the Ministry's authority, am immediately assigning you a dedicated protection team. 24-hour surveillance. This is not a discussion, it's an order!"
Two strong wills clashed within the room. Sierra held her breath.
Shade looked into Harvenn's eyes. He saw her fear, her anger, and the deep concern behind it. He softened his voice.
"Harvenn. Protection teams will only make me a bigger target. They operate in the shadows. I must do the same. But I'm not alone." His eyes shifted to the team. "As the Shadow Bureau."
The young woman took a deep breath. "Yes, we will get through this together, but you will be protected. Constantly. I won't take no for an answer." Shade looked at her for a moment longer. Then, for a brief second, at Sierra. He took a deep breath. "Fine. Have it your way."
He opened the door and stepped into the darkness of the corridor. Behind him, he left Harvenn's worried gaze and a heavy silence. War had been declared. And Shade felt himself walking right onto the front line.
As he walked towards his car, his mind was uncharacteristically empty. It wasn't the first time he'd been threatened, but this one felt different, more formidable. He slowly inhaled the smoke from his tobacco. Then, pressing the key fob, he unlocked his car, got in, and drove off into the night.