The Last Signal

Chapter 5: The rules

I woke up to the sound of gunfire.

For 0.3 seconds I thought we were under attack.

My body was already moving. Off the couch. Hands sparking. Back against the wall.

Then I realized it was just the screens.

Ryker was already up. Standing in front of the wall of monitors. Coffee in one hand. Gun in the other.

Shirt on this time. Thank god. But the collar was open. I could still see the edge of the burn. Black and red peeking out.

"Morning," he said without turning. "You’re late."

"It’s 7 AM," I said. My voice was rough from sleep.

"I’ve been up since 5."

"You’re late to the briefing."

He finally turned. Looked me up and down. I was still in yesterday’s clothes. Jeans. Tank top. Bandaged hands. Hair a mess.

His jaw ticked.

"Shower’s there," he pointed to a metal door. "Clothes in the locker. We leave in 20. Team meeting."

"Team?"

"The Bureau team assigned to the Static case," he said. "They need to meet you. And they need to know the rules."

My stomach dropped. "I thought this was supposed to be secret. Off the books."

"It is," Ryker said. "Which is why you’ll follow the rules. Every single one."

He walked to the whiteboard. It was full of names. Photos. Red string. Maps of Virel.

Agent Cruz’s photo was in the middle. Crossed out with black marker.

"Rule 1," he said. Held up one finger. "You don’t talk unless I tell you to."

"Rule 2. You don’t use your power unless I tell you to."

"Rule 3. You don’t leave my sight. Ever."

"Rule 4. You don’t lie to me."

He looked at me. Dead serious.

"Got it?"

"Got it, boss," I said. Sarcastic. Throwing him a salute with my bandaged hands.

His eyes narrowed. "Don’t."

"What? Don’t call you boss?"

"Don’t test me. Not today."

Right. The burn. The 3 missing kids. The message from S.

"Fine," I said. I Dropped my hands. "Rules."

I showered fast. Hot water. It helped with the ache in my muscles. The locker had clothes. Bureau issue. Black cargo pants. Black shirt. Tactical vest. Too big.

I rolled the sleeves three times. It still swallowed me.

When I came out, Ryker was waiting by the door. Also in black. Gun holstered. Two earpieces. One for him. One for me.

Knife on his ankle. Another on his vest.

"Put this in," he said. Tossed the earpiece to me.

I caught it with my bandaged hands. Fumbled. I Dropped it.

"s**t—"

He stepped in before I could pick it up. Close again. Took my hand. Put the earpiece in for me.

His fingers brushed my ear. My neck. Lingering half a second too long.

"Can you hear me?" he asked. Low.

"Yeah," I whispered.

"Good." He stepped back like nothing happened. "Let’s go."

We are at the Bureau Mobile Command. Rooftop, Sector 4 now.

The van was armored. No windows. Smelled like metal and old sweat.

Inside were 3 other agents.

They all looked at me when I got in. Like I was a bomb.

Agent 1: Woman. 30s. Short blonde hair. Scar across her cheek. Arms crossed.

Agent 2: Guy. Big. Arms like tree trunks. Bald.

Agent 3: Kid. Maybe 22. Glasses. Looked like he should be in college.

"Everyone," Ryker said. Standing in front. "This is Galiana Torres. Echo Signaler. Civilian asset."

"Civilian asset?" Scar-face said. "She’s the one from the station footage? The one who blew up Platform 7?"

"Yes," Ryker said.

"She looks feral," Big Guy said. Looking me up and down.

I smiled. Sweet. Too sweet. "And you look like you bench cars. Nice."

"Galiana," Ryker warned.

"What? Rule 1 says don’t talk unless you tell me to. You didn’t tell me not to talk to them."

The kid snorted. Covered it with a cough.

Ryker pinched the bridge of his nose. "Everyone shut up. Briefing."

He pulled up a map on the tablet. Three red dots.

"Three Signalers missing. Last ping was here, here, and here." He tapped. "All within 2 kilometers of each other. All near power substations."

"They’re charging something," Scar-face said. "Big."

"Or someone," Ryker said. He looked at me. "They have part of her Signal. They’re using it to amplify their harvest. To find more."

All eyes went to me.

"Don’t look at me like that," I snapped. "I didn’t ask to be copied."

"We’re not blaming you," the kid said quietly. "We’re just... scared. For the others. For my sister."

The van went quiet.

Ryker broke it. "We raid the nearest substation in 10. Galiana stays in the van. With Agent Park." He pointed to the kid.

"What?" I said. "No. I can help. I can hear them—"

"Rule 2," Ryker said. "You don’t use your power unless I tell you to."

"I can track them! I can hear their Signals from here if you just—"

"You’ll get us all killed," he said. Flat. Final. "Stay in the van."

"That’s it?" I said. Voice rising. "After everything last night? After you said we fight together?"

Ryker’s eyes flashed. "That was last night. This is now. Stay. In. The. Van."

The van stopped.

Through the front windshield I could see it. The substation. Chain fence. 4 guards.

All of them had Static masks. Smooth black. No eyes.

Ryker, Scar-face, and Big Guy got out. Weapons drawn.

I was left with Agent Park.

He looked at me. Apologetic. "Sorry," he said. "He’s just... protective. Since Agent Cruz."

"I don’t need protection," I said.

"Yeah," Park said. "That’s what Cruz said too. 2 days before he died."

On the radio: `"Team Alpha. Going in. 3... 2... 1..."`

Gunfire.

Shouting.

Then screaming.

Not Bureau screaming.

Static screaming. That high, glitching sound.

Then... silence.

"Ryker?" I said into the earpiece.

No answer.

"Ryker!"

Static. White noise.

My heart stopped.

"Park," I said. "Open the door."

"You can’t— Rule 3— Vega will kill me—"

"The Null is there," I said. "I can feel him. 10 meter radius. He’s canceling comms. He’s got Ryker."

Park hesitated. Looked at the door. Looked at me.

I grabbed the door handle. "Open it. Or I’ll blow it open. And I won’t be careful."

He cursed. Hit the button.

I jumped out. Ran.

The substation was chaos. Smoke. Sparks. The smell of ozone.

Big Guy was down. He's breathing but bleeding from his side.

Scar-face was shooting, back against a transformer.

And in the middle of it...

Ryker.

On his knees.

The Null’s hand on his head.

Same as before. Static. White noise. Like a dead channel.

Ryker’s body was shaking.

"No!" I screamed.

And broke Rule 2.

Lightning shot from my hands.

Not wild.

Aimed.

Controlled.

It hit the Null in the back. He turned slowly and looked at me. He then smiled, and I saw how his mask glitched.

"There you are," he said. Voice like broken radio. "Took you long enough."

Then he was gone. Vanished into static.

The other Static members ran. Scattered.

Silence again. Just the hum of the power lines.

I ran to Ryker. Dropped to my knees. "Hey. Hey. Look at me."

He opened his eyes. Dazed. Pupils blown.

"You broke the rules," he said. Voice hoarse.

"Shut up," I said. My hands were on his face. Checking. "You’re bleeding. From your nose."

"It’s nothing," he said. But he was pale. Sweating.

Scar-face walked over. Gun still out. "You disobeyed a direct order, Torres."

"I saved him," I said. Didn’t look at her.

"You endangered the mission," she said. "You could’ve gotten us all killed."

Ryker stood. Wobbled. I caught his arm. "She’s with me," he said. "My call. My responsibility."

He looked at me. Mad. Relieved. Tired. Something else.

"Car," he said. "Now."

We're in a van and no one spoke for 5 minutes.

Until Ryker did.

"Rule 5," he said.

I looked at him.

"Don’t ever do that again," he said. "Unless I’m dying."

"I thought you were—"

"I know what you thought," he cut me off. "And thank you. But don’t."

I nodded. Stared at my bandaged hands.

"Good," he said. Softer now. "Because you’re terrible at following rules."

"And you’re terrible at dying," I said back.

For a second, he almost smiled. The corner of his mouth twitched.

Then the radio crackled.

New message. Unknown number.

`She’s learning fast. Likes to break rules. -S`

Ryker crushed the radio in his hand. Plastic cracked.

"Drive," he said.

The van pulled away.

Behind us, the substation burned.

And in my head, for the first time, I heard something new.

A whisper.

Faint.

My own voice.

But not me.

"Galiana..."

The Static had my Echo.

And they were using it.