As they suspected, Meiko's mentor wasn't Frederick Vane.
Her true mentor was spearheading a deeply sinister research initiative.
Meiko hadn't just wanted to drag Claire to Sundara because of her mathematical genius; it was her unparalleled medical expertise they were after.
For someone her age, Claire was a once-in-a-generation talent.
If she could be coerced into joining their illegal bio-trials, they would undoubtedly achieve a terrifying breakthrough.
And if she proved too defiant? They would simply use her as a test subject.
Either way, securing Claire was a massive tactical win for Sundara.
Meiko's mentor was also the biological father of her child, which was why she had been too terrified to defect.
Still, under intense interrogation, she had coughed up a massive roster of Sundara sleeper agents embedded across Solenia. Thanks to her intel, Silas had just orchestrated the bust of his career.
As for Frederick, Silas had shattered his resolve by leveraging the truth about his hometown.
Mrs. Vane wasn't dead; she had wept until she went completely blind.
Her husband had been murdered by Sundara operatives decades ago, a blood debt she never forgot.
When she discovered her son had sold out to the very regime that destroyed her husband, she personally demanded the clan leaders strike Frederick's name from the family registry.
To her, her son had died the day he turned traitor.
Yet, part of her had spent years waiting for him, praying he was a deep-cover operative rather than a defector.
That prayer had gone unanswered.
Over the years, her family had gone from commanding the village's sympathy to enduring its absolute disgust.
Mrs. Vane lived in squalor. Neighbors crossed the street to avoid her, and there were frequent petitions to run her out of town.
Still, she stubbornly clung to her rotting home, waiting for her boy to return.
What Silas deliberately withheld from Frederick was the terrifying reality of why she was waiting.
Mrs. Vane wasn't holding onto hope
for a tearful reunion. She had
resolve
that the moment her,
ressed to treason, she
would
execute him herself.
She refused to let such an abomination taint their family's legacy.
His crimes had turned their entire lineage into town pariahs.
Whether Mrs. Vane's heart was fueled by love or pure venom was anyone's guess. Because of Frederick's infamy, his three sisters had seen their marriages destroyed. The fierce devotion they once held for their little brother had curdled into venomous hatred.
Silas actually counted his lucky stars that Frederick hadn't attempted a homecoming
tour.
If he had, his own family would have slaughtered him before the feds even got a ping on his location.
Taking all his valuable intel to the grave with him.
"Silas wanted to debrief you in person," Dane continued, his expression.darkening, "but there's been a critical development. Frederick Vane was assassinated in his holding cell. A smuggled explosive. Luckily, Silas had already
secured his full confession."
Claire gasped, a chill running down her spine. The sheer audacity of the Sundara syndicate was staggering.
And their intelligence network was terrifyingly fast.
It was one thing to realize a key asset had been compromised, but to pinpoint the
location of a black-site prison within hours?
"Is there a mole in Silas's unit?" she asked, her pulse accelerating.
"Not a mole," Dane said, piecing it together from Silas's cryptic updates. "They had eyes on the docks the night of the arrest."
Because the situation was rapidly
devolving, Silas had opted to cut et
contact with Claire immediately to ensure she wasnt dragged into the crossfire.
"Once the dust settles and you're back in Cabinda for university, I guarantee he'll
reach out again," Dane noted, a thoughtful glint in his eye.
"Actually, Silas might have the clearance to locate your parents."
Claire immediately shook her head. "I don't want to know."
Radio silence was the greatest shield she could offer her parents.