Secrets in the Snow
1387 Words
Chapter 5
The cold bites harder than it did earlier. My breath comes out in clouds of white mist, swirling in the still air. But it’s not the cold that’s making me shiver. It’s Derek’s words.
"There are people watching us, Victoria. They're watching you."
I stare at him, waiting for him to c***k a grin and say it's all a joke. He doesn’t. His gray eyes stay locked on mine, steady, sharp, and far too serious.
“What do you mean 'watching me'?” I ask, my voice shaking more than I’d like. “Is this some twisted way of scaring me?”
“No,” Derek says, stepping closer, his eyes locked on mine. “I wouldn’t do that.”
“Then tell me what’s going on,” I demand, my heart thudding in my chest. “Start from the beginning, Derek. All of it.”
He runs a hand through his hair, his jaw tight, like he’s weighing how much to tell me. “It’s not that simple.”
“Make it simple.” I cross my arms, planting my feet like I’m daring him to try me. “If I’m being watched, I have the right to know why.”
Derek stares at me for a long time, his eyes calculating, as if he’s deciding how much I can handle. Finally, he sighs. “It started with Neo.”
“Of course, it did,” I mutter, rolling my eyes. “Why am I not surprised?”
Derek’s eyes narrow. “Listen to me, Victoria. This isn’t a game. Neo got himself involved with the wrong people. People who don’t just walk away when you cross them.”
“What people?” I ask, stepping toward him. “Stop being vague, Derek. Names. Details.”
His gaze flicks around the forest, scanning the snow-covered trees like he’s looking for something — or someone. He lowers his voice. “They call themselves The Syndicate.”
My heart stutters. The Syndicate? I’ve heard whispers about them — a group of people who run things behind the scenes, pulling strings nobody can see. People disappear around them. People change.
“Why would Neo have anything to do with them?” I whisper, hugging my arms to my chest.
Derek’s lips press into a hard line. “Because Neo thinks he can outsmart anyone. He made a deal with them, and now, they’re collecting.”
I blink at him, my heart racing. “What kind of deal?”
“I don’t know,” he says, his frustration clear. “But it’s bad, Vic. Worse than I thought. And now, for some reason, they think you’re part of it.”
“Me?” I laugh, but it’s hollow. “I’ve never spoken to anyone from The Syndicate. I didn’t even know they were real until now.”
“Doesn’t matter,” he says grimly. “They’ve seen you with us. That’s all it takes.”
I stare at him, and for the first time, I feel it — the weight of something bigger than me pressing down on my shoulders. I’m not just standing in the snow with Derek. I’m standing in the middle of something I never asked for.
“So, what do I do?” I ask quietly, my voice barely above a whisper.
His eyes soften, and for a moment, I see something I didn’t expect — guilt. “You stay close to me. To us.”
“Us?” I scoff, taking a step back. “You mean you and Neo, the two guys who started this mess?”
“Yeah,” he says simply, like it’s the most obvious answer in the world.
“No thanks,” I say, turning on my heel. “I’m not about to be a pawn in some secret war you and Neo started.”
“Victoria.” His voice cuts through the cold like a blade. I stop, but I don’t turn around. “If you walk away, you’re making yourself a target. They’ll think you’re alone, unprotected. Is that what you want?”
My hands curl into fists. I hate that he’s right. I hate it.
“You said they’re watching me,” I say, my voice flat. “How long has it been going on?”
Derek’s footsteps crunch in the snow as he walks up behind me. “A few weeks. We noticed them at the hockey game first. Then at school. Neo thought it was just some randoms hanging around, but it wasn’t.”
Weeks. Weeks, and they didn’t think to tell me? My jaw tightens as I spin to face him. “And when, exactly, were you planning on telling me?”
He doesn’t answer right away. His silence says everything.
“Unbelievable,” I say, shaking my head. “I trusted you, Derek. I actually thought you were different from Neo, but you’re both the same.”
“Stop.” His voice is firm, his hand grabbing my wrist. Not tight, but enough to make me face him. “I was trying to protect you.”
“By lying to me?” I snap, yanking my arm free. “That’s not protection, Derek. That’s control.”
His face hardens. “You don’t get it, Vic. This isn’t about control. It’s about keeping you alive.”
Those words hit me harder than any of his excuses. I stare at him, breathing hard, my chest tight. “Alive?”
He nods slowly. “The Syndicate doesn’t play fair. If they think you’re a threat, they won’t wait for you to prove it.”
---
The next few days are unbearable. I feel eyes on me everywhere I go. At school, in the hallway, even in my own house. Every sound makes me jump. Every face looks suspicious.
Neo texts me once.
Neo: Hey, you okay?
Me: No, but thanks for asking after dragging me into this nightmare.
He replies with a smirking emoji, which only makes me angrier.
Mila notices something’s off with me. She corners me by my locker after last period. “Okay, spill. You’re twitchier than a squirrel on energy drinks. What’s going on?”
“Nothing,” I lie, shoving my books into my bag.
“Victoria,” she says, blocking my way. “Don’t ‘nothing’ me. You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
I glance down the hallway and see them. Neo leaning against the wall, talking to some guys I don’t recognize. Derek is a few feet away, watching them like a hawk.
Always watching.
“I can’t talk about it,” I tell Mila, brushing past her. “I have to go.”
“Vic, wait—”
But I’m already gone. I push through the front doors and out into the cold, my heart racing like I’m being chased.
I don’t realize someone’s behind me until a voice speaks in my ear.
“Where you going in such a hurry, sweetheart?”
I spin around, heart in my throat. It’s a man I’ve never seen before — tall, sharp features, dressed in black from head to toe. He smiles at me, but it’s not a kind smile.
“Don’t scream,” he says, his voice like silk. “It’ll ruin the holiday spirit.”
My mouth goes dry. “Who... who are you?”
He tilts his head, eyes narrowing like he’s amused. “Just a friend of a friend.” He steps closer, and I step back. My breath fogs the air.
“You tell Derek and Neo,” he says slowly, each word sharp as ice, “that they owe us. No more running. No more hiding.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say, my voice trembling.
His smile widens, and it’s the scariest thing I’ve ever seen. He leans in close, so close I can smell the faint scent of smoke on his jacket.
“Sure you don’t, sweetheart,” he whispers. “But you will.”
He walks away, his footsteps crunching softly in the snow.
I stand there, heart pounding, breath shallow, fear curling tight in my chest.
I don’t know who that man is. I don’t know why The Syndicate is after me.
But one thing is clear.
I’m not safe anymore.
- Writer
