Still Missing
434 Words
I was ten minutes from the Morgan house when my phone vibrated.
I glanced at the screen before answering.
"Report."
"The house was empty."
My eyes stayed on the road.
"No sign of the target?"
"None. We announced ourselves several times. There was no response."
"What did you find?"
"The rear gate was open. There were fresh footprints leading away from the property."
I considered it.
"How recent?"
"We can't be certain. Recent enough that the soil hadn't settled."
She'd already gone.
I reached the next intersection and turned the wheel without thinking.
There was no reason to continue toward the house.
The target was gone.
A slow breath escaped me.
...
I frowned.
My hand drifted to the silver ring on my right index finger, turning it once before returning to the steering wheel.
Why?
The mission had just become more difficult.
That should have been my only concern.
Instead...
For the briefest moment...
I'd been relieved.
I tightened my grip on the wheel.
The feeling disappeared as quickly as it had come.
Good.
⸻
By the time I arrived at headquarters, the surveillance team had already returned.
My supervisor looked up as I entered his office.
"They briefed you?"
"On the way here."
"They missed her."
"She left before they arrived."
"So it seems."
He closed the folder in front of him.
"What do you make of it?"
I thought for a moment.
"Either she anticipated we'd return..."
I paused.
"...or she had another reason to leave the house."
He nodded once.
"Both are possible."
Neither of us spoke for a few seconds.
Then he leaned back in his chair.
"The assignment remains yours."
"I expected as much."
"You'll continue the search."
"Understood."
"We're widening surveillance."
"How far?"
"Transport terminals. Hotels. Clinics. Anywhere someone her age might go without attracting attention."
Reasonable.
If she had no destination...
She'd eventually have to stop somewhere.
"We'll notify you if anything develops," he continued.
I gave a single nod.
"I'll start with the surrounding districts."
"Good."
The conversation was over.
I left the office without another word.
⸻
The corridor was quiet.
People passed me in both directions, each focused on their own assignment.
Everything around me was familiar.
Predictable.
Orderly.
I preferred it that way.
Outside, I unlocked the car and sat behind the wheel.
The engine remained off.
For a moment...
I simply sat there.
The target had escaped.
The mission would continue.
Nothing had changed.
So why did it feel like something had?
My fingers brushed the ring again.
It turned once.
I looked through the windshield.
...
What's wrong with me?
- Writer
