Married By Mistake

Chapter fourteen: A Trail of Lies

"HELLO, MIRABEL."

The words blinked once, then again, steady and deliberate.

Cole stepped closer, jaw tightening. "It’s live. Someone’s watching."

Triumph’s voice was hoarse. " No… someone’s waiting."

The screen flickered, lines twisting into a distorted face Leona’s.

Mirabel’s breath caught. “It can’t be…"

The image smiled faintly. " You’re late."

Then the screen went dark.

“TRUST NO ONE."

Her stomach twisted. “That’s her handwriting."

Cole leaned in. “You sure?"

“Yes,” she whispered. “Leona used to tag her field notes like this."

Triumph stepped closer, his jaw tightening. “If she left that message, she’s alive. But she’s warning us which means someone’s close."

Before anyone could answer, a faint click echoed through the trees the sound of a safety being released.

“Drop it,” a voice ordered from the shadows.

Mirabel turned slowly. Three figures emerged from the fog, dressed in tactical gear with the insignia of the old agency scorched across their shoulders.

Cole cursed under his breath. “Ghost units. I thought they were all wiped out."

“Guess not," Triumph muttered.

One of the soldiers stepped forward, mask glinting in the dim light. “You shouldn’t have come back, Triumph."

Mirabel’s heart stopped. “You know him?”

The man’s laugh was hollow. “Know him? He made us. We were his final project."

Triumph’s face hardened, a storm gathering in his eyes. “Project Zero.”

The soldier smiled beneath his mask. “You remember."

He pointed his weapon at Mirabel. “And this must be the reason you broke your silence."

Cole raised his gun, but Triumph lifted a hand — a silent warning.

“Let them talk,” he said. “I want to hear how deep this lie runs."

The soldier took off his mask, revealing a scar that mirrored Triumph’s own. “You trained us to erase the truth, and now we’re the ones finishing your job. The directive never died it just changed faces."

Mirabel’s pulse raced. “Then who’s running it now?”

The man’s grin widened. “You already know."

Before Triumph could react, the soldier tossed a data drive at his feet the same kind Triumph had carried.

“This one’s newer,” he said. “You should see what’s on it before you decide which side you’re on."

Cole snatched it up, glancing at Triumph. “Trap?"

“Definitely,” Triumph said. “But maybe one worth springing."

The sound of engines roared in the distance reinforcements.

Cole looked around. “We need to move. Now."

Mirabel hesitated, eyes on the drive glinting in Triumph’s hand.

“Every lie leads somewhere,” he said softly. “Let’s see where this one takes us."

They disappeared into the mist as gunfire cracked behind them, the forest swallowing the sound.

And in the fading static of the abandoned relay, one final message blinked across the screen before dying out completely:

“THE TRUTH IS A TRAP."

They ran until the forest opened into a clearing the smell of salt and smoke chasing them like a ghost behind the wind Triumph stumbled but Cole caught him before he hit the ground Mirabel bent beside them her breath sharp her hands trembling as she pressed against the bleeding wound on his side

“You need to rest” she whispered her eyes wide with worry

Triumph shook his head his voice rough “We don’t have time they’ll track the heat signatures they’ll find us in minutes"

Cole knelt beside them already pulling out a compact signal scrambler from his belt he flipped a switch and the faint hum of static surrounded them “This should buy us five maybe ten minutes no more"

Mirabel helped Triumph lean against a fallen log his face pale his eyes clouded with exhaustion she pulled the small data drive from his hand turning it between her fingers “You think it’s real"

He looked at her the corner of his mouth lifting in something that wasn’t quite a smile “Real enough to burn for"

Cole was already setting up his portable interface a small cracked tablet patched with wires and light “Let’s find out"

The moment the drive connected the screen flickered lines of encrypted code racing across the display before settling into a dark interface with one word pulsing at the center

“PROJECT MIRROR."

Mirabel frowned “That’s not the same project name as before was it"

Triumph’s hands tightened on his knees “No Project Zero was mine this one—” he stopped his gaze distant “this one looks like a continuation”

Cole typed a few commands the screen shifted and images appeared blueprints photos old agency reports names faces Triumph recognized too easily

Mirabel leaned closer and froze when she saw her own photograph flash across the screen tagged with a classification code

“Subject M3 – Mirror Host Viable.”

She whispered “What does that mean”

Triumph stared at the screen his voice barely audible “It means you weren’t supposed to survive the last mission you were supposed to replace someone else”

Mirabel felt the world tilt her pulse pounding in her ears “Replace who”

He looked at her then away the silence between them said more than words could

Cole cursed softly “They didn’t just study you they cloned you experimented with memory mapping they used your neural patterns to build false operatives”

Mirabel shook her head stepping back “No no that can’t be true I would know if—”

But then fragments began flashing on the screen security footage voices orders and at the center of it all a woman who looked exactly like her standing beside Leona in a facility marked Mirror Site Two

Cole whispered “That’s not you”

Mirabel’s voice cracked “But it is”

Triumph’s eyes were hollow now “They built a lie around you Mirabel around all of us I thought I shut it down years ago”

He pushed himself to his feet staggering but refusing help “They turned my failure into their success”

The wind picked up scattering leaves around them the forest groaning as if the earth itself knew the truth they’d uncovered

Cole looked up “We can’t stay here too long they’ll track the signal even through the jammer”

Triumph nodded “There’s an old dock east of here if we can reach it before sunrise we might get to the outpost”

Mirabel followed silently her mind replaying the footage over and over every step heavier than the last

As they reached the ridge overlooking the sea she spoke at last “If that woman isn’t me then who am I”

Triumph stopped turning toward her his expression unreadable “You’re the reason I broke my silence the only thing that feels real in all this mess”

Cole cleared his throat breaking the weight of the moment “We move in two minutes signal just spiked they’re coming”

They slid down the rocky path toward the dock waves crashing hard against the wooden planks the horizon bruised with the first light of dawn

Mirabel turned to Triumph “What happens when they catch up”

He loaded the last round into his pistol “Then we stop running”

Cole connected the drive to his wrist comms sending a burst transmission “I’m sending the data to the satellite grid if we go down someone will still see it”

Triumph gave a single nod “Good we need the truth out no matter what it costs”

The roar of engines grew louder above the cliffs helicopters circling the coastline soldiers rappelling down with cables their shouts echoing through the mist

Cole yelled “They’re here move”

Gunfire erupted shattering the quiet the dock splintered under the impact of bullets Triumph fired back covering Mirabel as she sprinted toward the small boat moored at the edge

“Start the engine” he shouted

Mirabel grabbed the controls her hands shaking as the motor sputtered then roared to life Cole jumped aboard returning fire while Triumph limped after them blood streaking his shirt

Just as he reached the boat a shot rang out hitting the railing beside him he lost his footing and fell hard Cole pulled him up dragging him onto the deck

The boat lurched forward cutting through the waves the wind whipping at their faces Triumph lay on the floor breathing hard his hand clutching Mirabel’s sleeve

“Don’t let them rewrite it again” he said his voice fading “Promise me”

She nodded tears burning her eyes “I promise”

Behind them the coastline burned the agency’s helicopters circling the flames but ahead the ocean stretched endless and wild the horizon waiting like an unanswered question

Cole looked at her then at the drive glowing faintly in the light “You really think the truth will set us free”

Mirabel stared at the water her voice barely a whisper “No but it will stop the lies from winning”

The wind carried their silence across the sea and somewhere in the static of the transmission the data upload completed a faint signal pinging into the sky

Project Mirror — Data Released.

And far away in another city a woman who looked exactly like Mirabel opened her eyes

And far away in another city a woman who looked exactly like Mirabel opened her eyes the room around her humming with the soft rhythm of machines White walls blinding lights and the faint scent of antiseptic filled the air Her vision blurred for a moment before sharpening on the glass panel in front of her A reflection stared back—her own face but colder sharper eyes void of fear

She sat up slowly wires tugging at her skin the monitors beeping faster A voice came through the intercom smooth and detached “Welcome back Subject M3 the transfer was successful”

She blinked “Where am I”

The voice ignored her question “Cognitive sync at ninety-eight percent physical integrity stable memory alignment incomplete"

Memory alignment She frowned fragments flashed in her head waves a man’s voice her own name whispered in the dark Triumph The name made her heart stutter

She swung her legs off the bed ignoring the pain and the cables still attached to her The door slid open on its own Two guards stood waiting rifles in hand One of them spoke flatly Dr Leona wants to see you"

That name triggered another rush of images a burning base the smell of smoke Mirabel no the other her screaming her name She pressed a hand to her temple the pain sharp and real

“Move” one guard ordered

She followed down a corridor lined with glass every room revealing figures suspended in tanks half-formed faces floating in pale liquid She stopped before one tank and gasped It was another her not alive not dead just waiting

“Clones" she whispered

The guard gave a short nod “You’re the only complete one so far"

They reached the end of the hallway where the glass gave way to a wide chamber Dr Leona stood there in her white coat her smile as precise as a scalpel "You’re awake earlier than expected"

The woman who looked like Mirabel stared at her "Why did you make me"

Leona tilted her head “Because the original went rogue and the world still needs her version of hope controlled and perfect"

The clone’s jaw tightened "Then you made a mistake"

Before Leona could respond the lights flickered alarms began to blare and a voice crackled through the speaker "Data breach detected Project Mirror compromised"

Leona’s calm vanished “They found us"

And the clone Mirabel’s mirror finally understood what she had to do