A Month Of Wild Games

002: The Game Begins

Cara couldn’t shake the feeling that the walls were closing in. The sudden message from the unknown number still burned in her mind. We’ve been watching you. We know everything about you. And now, you’ll play by our rules.

Her fingers trembled as she tried to steady the phone in her hand, the text haunting her like a ghost she couldn’t escape. She glanced at Michael, whose cold, calculating gaze seemed to pierce through her, and then back to the now-empty room where Z had just disappeared.

“You’ve been keeping secrets, Michael,” Cara said, her voice stronger now, but still laced with an edge of uncertainty. She couldn’t ignore the growing dread. “What’s going on? Who’s Z, and what does any of this have to do with me?”

Michael’s eyes flickered to the door, but he didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he crossed the room, his movements slow, deliberate. The tension between them thickened with each step he took, until he was standing right in front of her. She could feel the heat of his presence like a magnet pulling her closer, despite her better judgment.

“You really don’t get it, do you?” His voice was low, smooth, but there was an edge of frustration there. “This isn’t just about us, Cara. It never was.”

Cara clenched her fists, her jaw tight. “Then why drag me back into it? After everything? After two years of silence, you just—”

His hand shot out, grabbing her wrist with a grip so firm, so commanding, it took her by surprise. Her breath hitched, her pulse spiking as his face drew close.

“Because,” Michael said, his voice softer now, almost a whisper, “there are people who want to destroy us both. And you’re the key to stopping it.”

Cara blinked, confusion settling in her chest like a heavy stone. “What do you mean I’m the key?”

He released her wrist but didn’t take a step back. Instead, he reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out another folder, this one smaller than the one from before. His gaze never left hers as he slid the folder toward her on the table.

“Open it,” he ordered.

She hesitated, but the curiosity gnawed at her. She picked up the folder, the paper thick and heavy under her fingers. Inside, there was a photograph—her photograph. The same one that had appeared in the file earlier. But this time, there was something different. A series of numbers was scribbled on the back in a scrawl that didn’t belong to anyone she knew. Along with it was a map—a map with several locations circled in red. Each marked with a symbol she couldn’t understand.

Cara’s heart began to race again. “What the hell is this, Michael? What’s going on? Why are these people targeting me?”

Michael’s eyes flickered with something—something dark. He exhaled slowly, the weight of his words sinking in. “It’s not just you they’re targeting. It’s everyone who’s connected to the life you left behind. Your family. Your friends. Everyone.”

A cold chill washed over her. The people she loved—could they be in danger too?

“But why now?” she demanded. “Why me? Why this? Why now after all this time?”

“Because,” Michael said, his voice hardening, “Z’s been watching you, Cara. He’s been waiting. And whatever game he’s playing… you’re in it now, whether you want to be or not.”

Suddenly, the sound of tires screeching outside echoed through the room. Cara’s heart skipped a beat. She couldn’t tell if it was just nerves or something more—something dangerous. Michael tensed, his hand already reaching for his phone.

“What’s happening?” Cara whispered, her eyes darting around the room.

Before Michael could answer, the door to the office slammed open again. This time, it wasn’t Z who entered. It was someone else—a tall figure in a black coat, a hood obscuring their face, their presence like an ominous shadow in the doorway.

“I see you’ve finally figured it out,” the figure said, their voice cold and emotionless. “But you’re too late. Z’s plan is already in motion.”

Michael’s face paled, a rare reaction that sent a jolt of unease through Cara. “What the hell are you talking about?” he snapped.

The figure stepped forward, revealing a set of icy blue eyes that seemed to pierce through her. “You really think you have control over this, Michael?” the stranger said, their lips curling into a knowing smirk. “You’ve already lost. It’s only a matter of time before Cara’s role is fully realized.”

Cara’s stomach churned, her mind reeling. What role? What were they talking about?

“Who are you?” she demanded, her voice wavering.

The figure didn’t answer. Instead, they pulled out a small device and pressed a button. A low hum filled the room as a strange glow appeared on the walls—a map, the same map she had seen earlier, now pulsing with a light that seemed almost… alive.

“You’re too deep in this now, Cara,” the figure continued, their voice smooth and cruel. “There’s no way out.”

As the stranger leaves with the eerie map, the lights in the room flicker again, casting long shadows. Michael’s phone buzzes once more, but this time, it’s a message from Z. Cara’s heart races as she reads it aloud:

“It’s too late for you to walk away, Cara. You’ve already chosen your side. Welcome to the game.”

Her pulse quickened. The realization hit her like a brick wall. She wasn’t just being dragged into this—it was inevitable. The game had already started. And the only way out was to play.

The stranger stepped back into the shadows, and the eerie glow from the map on the wall flickered out. The atmosphere in the room felt charged with an unsettling energy. Cara’s pulse was a frantic drumbeat in her ears, and her chest felt tight with the weight of too many questions she had no answers to.

Michael’s face was grim, his jaw clenched tight. He stared at the spot where the stranger had stood, but his mind clearly wasn’t there. He was somewhere else—mentally calculating, plotting. She had no doubt that this situation was far bigger than anything she could have anticipated.

“What the hell is going on, Michael?” Cara demanded, feeling the heat of frustration rising in her chest. She didn’t have time for cryptic answers anymore. She needed to know what was happening—and why she was suddenly so deep in the middle of it.

He exhaled sharply, clearly holding something back. For a moment, she saw a flicker of vulnerability in his eyes, before he masked it again with his usual cold, confident façade. “Cara, I’m trying to protect you from something bigger than you realize,” he said, his voice tense. “Z isn’t just some shadowy figure. He’s… he’s more dangerous than you can imagine. And if you’re not careful, you’ll become his next target.”

The words sent a chill down her spine. Cara had always known Michael to be someone who thrived in the chaos of danger, but now, he was scared. That fact hit her harder than anything else.

“Z has been controlling this game for years,” Michael continued, pacing across the room. “What you don’t understand is that this isn’t just about you or me. It’s about a power play that spans across an entire underground world—one that we both got caught up in. The question is, Cara,” he paused, his eyes darkening, “are you ready to play?”

His question hung in the air like a challenge, but there was an underlying edge to it. She could see it in his eyes—the frustration, the concern, and the desperate need to get her on his side, all wrapped up in one.

“I didn’t sign up for any of this,” Cara snapped, her voice trembling slightly. “I left that life behind. I don’t want anything to do with it.”

Michael stopped pacing, his eyes softening for a moment as he looked at her. “You can’t escape it, Cara. You were a part of it the moment you married me. And now, there’s no going back.”

Her heart thudded in her chest. “You think I’m just going to walk into this again? Like everything’s fine?”

“It’s never been fine,” Michael said, stepping closer. “But it could be. If you work with me.”

“Work with you?” She laughed bitterly, the reality of the situation sinking in deeper. “You want me to help you defeat a man who’s playing with lives like they’re chess pieces? You think I’m the answer?”

He reached out and placed his hand gently on her shoulder, the warmth of his touch both comforting and unsettling. “You’re the only person who can stop this now. It was always you, Cara. Always.”

Her throat tightened. She wanted to pull away from him, to scream that she wasn’t the same naïve woman who had once fallen in love with him, but the look in his eyes held her captive. She could still see the remnants of the man she once knew, the man she had trusted. But now… now she wasn’t so sure. Could she trust him again? Or had he become just another player in a much bigger game?

Before she could respond, her phone buzzed again. She fumbled to grab it, already knowing who it was.

“Z,” she muttered, glancing at the message that had just come through.

The text was short but loaded with meaning: Time is running out, Cara. You won’t escape this. You’ll play my game. And when you do, you’ll realize the truth about everything. About me. About you. About us.

Her stomach dropped. The words were like a punch to the gut, leaving her breathless. How did Z know so much about her? Was this really the same game Michael was talking about, or was this something even darker?

Michael saw the expression on her face and cursed under his breath. “He’s trying to push you. Don’t let him. You’re stronger than this.”

“I don’t know who to believe anymore,” Cara whispered, staring down at the phone screen as the darkness of the situation began to settle over her.

There was a long silence between them, the weight of their unspoken history hanging in the air. And then, as if to break it, Michael’s phone buzzed as well. He quickly checked the screen, his face darkening as he read the message.

“Z’s made his move,” Michael said quietly, glancing back at Cara. “This game… it’s bigger than you think. And now, we have no choice but to play.”

As Cara tries to digest the enormity of everything, another knock on the door echoes through the room. Before she can react, the door swings open without a warning. Another shadowy figure steps in, this one taller, more menacing.

“We need to go now,” the figure says, voice low and commanding. “Z’s forces are closing in. They’ve already infiltrated the city. You’re not safe here.”