Shadows of Loyalty

Chapter 9

The late afternoon sun hung lazily in the sky as Quinn and Alicia pulled up to a suburban neighborhood lined with identical two-story homes and manicured lawns. Children played in the yards while the scent of charcoal and grilled meat wafted through the air. Quinn parked the car, stepping out into the cheerful hum of laughter, clinking glasses, and music filtering from the backyard of a beige stucco house.

Alicia adjusted her sundress, flashing him a warm smile. “Come on, try to have fun.”

Quinn forced a small smile back. “I’ll do my best.”

The backyard was bustling with Alicia’s coworkers and their families. Fold-out tables overflowed with chips, burgers, hot dogs, and homemade casseroles. A kiddie pool sat in the corner, surrounded by toddlers in swim diapers and distracted parents sipping beer.

The sun was high and the air thick with the aroma of grilled meat and sunscreen. The backyard was lively, the sound of laughter mingling with the distant splash of kids playing in a small inflatable pool. Alicia moved effortlessly through the crowd, her hair tied back in a loose ponytail, dressed in a light sundress that swayed as she laughed at something her coworker — Ryan — had said.

Quinn stood near the grill, holding a cold beer, trying to enjoy the warmth and buzz of the cookout, but his eyes kept drifting toward Alicia and Ryan.

Ryan was tall, athletic, and annoyingly charismatic. He worked with Alicia at the daycare — at least that’s what Quinn had been told. The way Alicia smiled at him, the way she leaned in to hear his jokes, the way she touched his arm when she laughed... It all felt too comfortable. Too familiar.

Quinn clenched his jaw and took a long swig of beer.

“Damn good burgers,” one of the other guests said, patting him on the back.

“Yeah,” Quinn replied flatly, taking a sip of his beer.

He didn’t want to be that guy — the jealous husband glaring across the party — but something about Ryan rubbed him the wrong way. He'd watched Ryan adjust the straps on Alicia’s dress when it slipped slightly. Watched him pick something from her hair with fingers that lingered. Alicia didn’t flinch. If anything, she leaned into it.

Quinn tried to shake it off. It was a BBQ. People were drinking. Laughing. Maybe he was reading too much into it. He knew Alicia loved him... or at least, she said she did.

Alicia’s laugh rang out again. She was sitting at a table now, Ryan next to her, their knees brushing. Quinn’s chest tightened.

“Quinn!” Alicia called, waving him over. “Come meet my friends!”

He forced a smile as he walked over. “Hey,” he said, nodding politely at the group.

“This is Missy, Kayla, and you’ve met Ryan, right?” Alicia asked, her eyes shining.

“Yeah,” Quinn said, shaking hands. “Ryan. Good to see you again.”

Ryan offered a winning smile. “Likewise. Alicia talks about you all the time.”

“Oh yeah?” Quinn said, tilting his head slightly.

“All good things,” Ryan replied with a grin.

Quinn chuckled, though there was no humor in it. “Well, she’s got a lot of stories. Just don’t believe all of them.”

Everyone laughed.

Alicia slid her hand around Quinn’s waist. “Babe, you good?”

“Yeah,” he said, glancing down at her, then back at Ryan. “I’m great.”

Just then, Quinn’s phone buzzed in his pocket.

He stepped away to check it.

MASON: We need to meet. Now. Urgent.

Quinn’s stomach dropped. He looked back at the table, at Alicia and Ryan laughing again.

He took a deep breath and typed back.

QUINN: On my way.

He turned back toward the house, calling out to Alicia. “Hey babe, I’ve gotta run. Work stuff.”

Alicia pouted playfully. “Seriously? Now?”

“Yeah. I’ll explain later. Don’t wait up.”

She walked over and kissed him. “Be safe.”

He nodded, brushing her cheek with his thumb. “Always.”

Then he turned, walked to his car, and drove off, trying not to look in the rearview mirror — trying not to think about how Alicia smiled at Ryan as he left.

But he saw it.

And it stayed with him the whole way to the meeting.

Ten minutes later, he arrived at the same construction site on the edge of town. The sun was dipping below the horizon now, casting long shadows between the skeletal framework of half-built structures.

He stepped out cautiously, eyes scanning the area. “Mason?”

No answer.

He turned the corner of a support beam—and caught a fist to the jaw.

The blow sent him sprawling onto the gravel, his head cracking against the ground.

He groaned and barely had time to register the slim, lethal figure above him before Sasha’s boot slammed into his ribs.

“You son of a b***h,” she said flatly, like stating a weather report. Her face was unreadable, hazel-green eyes sharp as glass. “You sold us out.”

“What—” Quinn gasped, blocking her next kick. “What the hell are you talking about?”

She lunged again, and they tumbled across the rough concrete, fists flying. Sasha was swift, precise. Her strikes were surgical, each blow designed to extract pain, not just damage. Quinn fought back, managing to land a hit to her side, but she absorbed it like it was nothing.

He tried to twist her off him, but Sasha rolled and straddled his chest, pinning his arms down with her knees.

“Who are you working for?” she asked, almost bored.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

She pressed her forearm against his throat, cutting off air.

Then, another shadow fell over them.

“Enough,” Calvin said casually, appearing above them like a specter in his long black coat. His expression was calm, curious. “Let’s not kill him yet. Not until we ask nicely.”

Sasha’s arm eased slightly, though she didn’t let Quinn go.

Calvin crouched beside them, his head tilting. “So, Quinn. Are you a traitor?”

Quinn glared at him, breathing hard. “No.”

Calvin studied him for a long moment, then slowly raised an eyebrow. “Alright. I believe you.”

“Sasha,” he said, “let him up.”

She hesitated but obeyed, rolling off and standing smoothly. She offered Quinn a hand, but he slapped it away, pulling himself up on his own.

Just then, Mason arrived, looking serious.

“We had a breach,” she said without preamble. “Around 2am last night. Someone used your clearance, Quinn.”

Quinn straightened. “What? Who?”

Before she could answer, Calvin folded his arms and asked mildly, “How much do you trust your wife?”

Quinn’s face tensed. “What does Alicia have to do with this?”

Calvin’s smirk was infuriating. “Well, someone had access to your home, your system, and your clearance. Just a thought.”

“She doesn’t know anything,” Quinn snapped. “I don’t tell her about my missions.”

“I’m sure you don’t,” Calvin said, still smirking. “Still... worth considering.”

Mason exchanged a look with Calvin but said nothing.

The sun had now dipped below the horizon, casting shadows across the site. Tension lingered like static in the air. Quinn’s mind raced, but he forced himself to stay calm.

They had enemies. And someone had made a move.

Now, they just had to figure out who.