Chapter 3: Internal Affairs
884 Words
The flight back to Manila was quiet.
Too quiet.
Kaia sat by the window, hood pulled low, eyes reflecting nothing but black sky. Her mission report was already drafted in her head — every movement, every shot, every anomaly.
Except him.
She hadn’t decided what to say about him yet.
If anything.
The moment the plane touched down, her encrypted device vibrated.
Directive: Report directly to Headquarters.
No debrief delay authorized.
No rest. No cooldown window.
That wasn’t protocol.
Her pulse steadied instead of racing.
Good.
If something was wrong, she’d rather face it head-on.
Echelon Headquarters wasn’t marked on any map.
Beneath a high-end tech corporation in Makati’s financial district, three biometric checkpoints and a retinal scan later, Kaia descended into the underground command floor.
White lights.
Glass walls.
Agents moving with mechanical precision.
But something felt… off.
Conversations stopped when she passed.
Eyes lingered a second too long.
Two internal security officers she’d never seen before stood near the elevator bank.
Observing.
Not guarding.
Her instincts sharpened.
She entered the debrief room.
Waiting inside was Director Valen.
Mid-40s. Immaculate suit. Calm, unreadable eyes.
He didn’t stand when she walked in.
“Agent Phoenix,” he said smoothly. “Report.”
Kaia remained standing.
“Asset was terminated before extraction. Unknown hostile presence. Communications severed prior to detonation. Mission parameters compromised.”
Valen steepled his fingers.
“Unknown hostile presence?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Describe.”
She held his gaze.
“Highly trained. Military-level coordination.
Not corporate security.”
“Did you identify affiliation?”
A beat.
“No, sir.”
That part wasn’t a lie.
She hadn’t confirmed Black Veil.
Only suspected.
Valen studied her for a long moment.
“You were alone.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Do you believe that was a mistake?”
There it was.
Not concern.
Assessment.
Kaia kept her voice steady. “I believe someone anticipated my arrival.”
Valen’s expression didn’t change.
“Are you suggesting internal compromise?”
“I’m suggesting,” she said carefully, “that someone knew my route, my timing, and my entry point.”
Silence settled between them.
Then—
A file slid across the glass table toward her.
Her name glowed on the screen.
PHOENIX – PERFORMANCE REVIEW
Her stomach tightened — just slightly
.
“Your last three missions,” Valen said evenly, “have shown increased deviation from protocol.”
She blinked once.
Deviation?
“You neutralized targets instead of capturing them.”
“They were about to detonate an EMP device.”
“You chose to improvise rather than wait for instruction.”
“There was no time.”
Valen leaned back.
“You rely heavily on instinct.”
“That’s why I’m alive.”
A faint smile.
“Yes,” he said. “For now.”
The words weren’t accidental
.
They hung there.
Cold.
Precise.
A quiet warning.
Kaia felt it then — not fear.
But confirmation.
Something was shifting.
And she was at the center of it.
Valen tapped the table.
“You’re suspended from field operations pending internal review.”
The words hit harder than gunfire.
“On what grounds?”
“Operational instability.”
Her jaw tightened.
“With respect, sir, I completed—”
“You survived,” he corrected. “That is not the same thing.”
There it was again.
Survival framed like failure.
Like inconvenience.
He stood.
“Turn in your field credentials. Effective immediately.”
Two internal security officers entered behind her.
Not escorts.
Watchers.
Kaia removed her sidearm slowly and placed it on the table.
Then her tactical access band.
But as she did—
She noticed something reflected in the glass wall behind Valen.
A secondary screen.
Half-visible.
Her profile.
And below it—
Termination Authorization – Pending
Her breath didn’t hitch.
Her pulse didn’t spike.
But inside—
Everything locked into place.
Orion’s voice echoed in her mind.
If you go back to your agency tonight… you won’t stay that way.
He knew.
Which meant—
This wasn’t just suspicion.
It was execution in progress.
Valen extended his hand.
“Take the week off, Agent Phoenix. Clear your head.”
A trap disguised as mercy.
Kaia gave a small nod.
“Of course, sir.”
She turned and walked out without another word.
Calm.
Measured.
Unbothered.
But the moment the elevator doors closed—
Her eyes hardened.
Suspension meant vulnerability.
Vulnerability meant opportunity.
If they were planning to eliminate her, it wouldn’t happen inside headquarters.
It would happen where there were no witnesses.
Her apartment.
A “random” accident.
A staged robbery.
She stepped out into Makati’s night air, neon
lights flickering above rain-slick streets.
Her phone buzzed.
Unknown encrypted source.
One line.
They’re moving faster now.
Her pulse finally shifted.
That wasn’t Echelon encryption.
And there was only one person who would know.
Orion.
She typed back before she could second-guess herself.
Then stop them.
Three dots appeared.
Disappeared.
Then—
Meet me. If you want to live.
Kaia stared at the screen.
Every instinct screamed this was reckless.
He was still technically an enemy operative.
But tonight?
Her own agency was the greater threat.
She slipped her burner phone into her jacket.
Rain began to fall.
And somewhere across the city—
A sniper adjusted his scope.
- Writer
