The small private plane touched down on the hidden airstrip, kicking up dust and gravel. Naomi emerged, her auburn hair tousled by the wind. She turned to the pilot, handing him a thick envelope. "Excellent work, as always," she said. "Until next time old friend."

  The pilot nodded, tucking the envelope into his jacket. "Always a pleasure, ma'am."

  Naomi helped Kazuki, Masumi, Hiro and Ai disembark, guiding them towards her sleek black car idling nearby. She pulled out a small handheld device. "One moment. Need to ensure no one left us any unwanted presents while we were away."

  She ran the sensor over the vehicle's exterior. It emitted a soft beep. "We're clear." Naomi ushered them inside, programming the autopilot for Toyone.

  As the car merged onto the highway, Naomi swivelled to face them, her expression stern. "Listen carefully. When I drop you off, under no circumstances are you to contact me. For any reason. If I need you, I'll find you. Is that clear?"

  Ai leaned forward, opening her mouth to speak, but Naomi silenced her with a sharp look. "Not a word about what transpired in America. They have ways to listen in, if you mention this you're bound to have an accident. Is that clear?"

  They nodded mutely, worried looks on their faces. The rest of the ride passed in heavy silence, each lost in their own thoughts, the events of the past days had drained them.

  Finally, the car rolled to a stop on a nondescript street in Toyone. Naomi popped open the doors. "This is where you get out." Everyone moved to the door but Naomi stopped Hector. "Not here, we have to make your kidnapping look real remember?" Hector nodded and remained seated.

  Hiro, Ai, Masumi and Kazuki stepped out onto the sidewalk, blinking in the bright sunlight. The car sped off before they could utter a thank you, leaving them standing there, unsure of what they were supposed to do next.

  Ai turned to Hiro, hugging him. "So I guess we just go back to campus now? Pretend like none of this ever happened?"

  Hiro met her gaze, returning the hug. "For now, we don't have a choice. You're probably safer on campus anyway. Their security will protect you."

  Masumi nodded in agreement. "Hiro's right. We need to go back to campus, we already missed two days of classes. Another day and they'll be looking for us."

  With reluctant nods, they parted ways, leaving Hiro alone on the sidewalk. They made their way to the closest bus stop, hoping they would make it back before dusk.

  Inside the car speeding towards Kyoto, Naomi glanced over at Hector. "We are going through with the plan from the plane. Everyone will believe it, without question. As long as you don't deviate from the story."

  She reached beneath her seat, revealing a set of handcuffs and a black blindfold. Hector eyed them warily for a moment before giving a curt nod. Naomi snapped the cuffs around his wrists.

  "We're heading to an abandoned office building," she explained as she secured the blindfold over his eyes, shrouding him in darkness. "I'll leave you there, bound, and post an encrypted message on the dark web about a certain genius programmer being held for auction. Should lend credibility to your abduction story."

  "And then what?" Hector asked, his voice steady despite his growing unease.

  "Then your task force will find you, hopefully, sooner rather than later, given the chill at night." He could hear the smirk in Naomi's voice. "Pleasure working with you, by the way. I don't suppose you'd mind if I borrowed that clever program of yours?"

  Hector tensed. "Who exactly are you trying to find with it?"

  "That's classified, I'm afraid," Naomi replied smoothly. "But if my search proves fruitful, I'll be back in touch. You have my word."

  Hector considered for a long moment. This woman was an enigma, her true loyalties impossible to discern. But something told him she was his best chance at getting the answers. Answers about the truth behind the Mach program.

  "Alright," he agreed. "The access code is Daedalus-0311. Good luck, I suppose."

  The car rolled to a stop. "This is it." Naomi guided Hector out and into the building. "For what it's worth, I hope your people locate you expeditiously. It wouldn't do for that brilliant mind of yours to catch a chill."

  With that, she was gone, her footsteps echoing down the empty corridor. Hector slumped against the wall and settled in for a long, cold wait, hoping he hadn't just made a deal with the devil herself.

  Within the hour Naomi arrived back at the Mach facility. The sound of her heels clicking against the polished floors echoed through the sterile hallways of the base. As she approached her office, a familiar figure emerged from the shadows, her icy blue eyes narrowing.

  "You're late," Mao stated, her voice sharp as a razor's edge. "Care to explain your tardiness in checking in?"

  Naomi met her gaze unflinchingly. "I was following up on a lead from an informant. Time-sensitive matter."

  "Is that so?" Mao arched a perfectly manicured eyebrow. "And you didn't think to share this lead with your superiors?"

  A slight shrug. "It's still in the early stages. I didn't want to bring it to your attention until I had something more concrete."

  Mao tilted her head in judgment. "Don't play coy with me, Naomi. I've given you considerable leeway, but my patience has its limits."

  Naomi leaned in, her voice lowering conspiratorially. "It concerns the whereabouts of the two remaining Canadian Mach pilots."

  That caught Mao's attention. "Go on."

  "I'm still piecing together the details," Naomi hedged. "But I believe I'm close to locating them."

  Mao's gaze hardened. "Well speaking of missing Machs, you failed to bring Nori back into the fold."

  Naomi shrugged nonchalantly. "It was clear from the start that Nori had no intention of listening to reason."

  "Reason?" Mao scoffed. "The entire point of bringing you on board was your uncanny ability to get under people's skin. To exploit their weaknesses and bend them to your will."

  A smirk tugged at the corners of Naomi's mouth. "There's only one thing that makes Nori tick. And I'm afraid it's not me."

  Mao rolled her eyes. "Hiro."

  "Who else?"

  Mao waved a dismissive hand. "No matter. That particular problem will be dealt with shortly."

  Naomi gave Mao a concerned look. "Eliminating Hiro would be a grave miscalculation. It would only serve to push Nori over the edge. He'd stop at nothing to avenge his death, even if it meant burning the world to ash."

  "Then what would you suggest?" Mao demanded, frustration evident in her tone.

  Naomi pushed off from the wall, straightening her jacket. "I'm afraid that's above my pay grade, Director."

  With that, she strode down the hallway, leaving a seething Mao in her wake. As she walked, Naomi felt concern building in her gut. She was onto something big but if Mao acted now, she wouldn't have time to get her answers.

  The door to Naomi's office clicked shut behind her, the soft sound echoing off the bare walls of the room. She slid into her chair, the leather creaking under her weight as she leaned forward to boot up the holodeck she had built herself. The screen flickered to life, casting a bluish glow across her sharp features.

  Before diving into her work, Naomi reached into her pocket, retrieving a small, nondescript device. With a flick of her wrist, she activated the bug scanner, its soft hum filling the air as she methodically swept the undersides of her desk. A telltale beep alerted her to the presence of an unwanted listener.

  "Gotcha," she muttered, plucking the spider-like device from its hiding spot and crushing it between her fingers.

  Satisfied that her office was now secure, Naomi returned her attention to the screen. A notification blinked urgently across it, indicating that the footage from the destroyed lab had been successfully restored. With a quick click, the video sprang to life.

  Naomi watched intently as Mary and Yutaka sought refuge within the crumbling walls of the office. The camera's angle shifted, following Mary as she led Yutaka out of frame before reappearing moments later, a gun clutched tightly in her hand. The door burst open, and armed men poured into the room, their weapons trained on the shaking woman.

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  Mary opened fire. Two men crumpled to the ground, but it wasn't enough. A hail of bullets tore through the air, finding their mark in Mary's chest. She staggered, then fell, her lifeless eyes staring into the void.

  Naomi paused the footage, her heart heavy as she watched the end of the Canadian scientist's life. Hiro's mother had fought back but it was never going to be enough. With a few deft keystrokes, she copied the video and sent it off to Kimiko, along with a terse message:

  "I decoded the video. Afraid it's only the view from one of the offices and not much else."

  Turning her attention back to the frozen image on the screen, Naomi zoomed in on the armed assailants. Their uniforms were nondescript, devoid of any identifying markers or insignia. Hired guns, to look like military. A countermeasure in case the footage ever leaked, she thought.

  Naomi leaned back in her chair and pressed play to watch the aftermath. The men stepped aside and a new face entered, one she knew all too well. "You son of a bitch." she muttered as she watched the rest of the scene unfold.

  ---

  The chill seeped through Hector's clothes, his body shivering involuntarily as he sat bound and blindfolded in the abandoned office. Time seemed to stretch on endlessly, each passing moment made him wonder if the task force would find Naomi's hidden message.

  What if they can't decode it? What if someone else finds me first?

  The thought sent a fresh wave of panic coursing through his veins. He strained his ears, listening for any sign of life in the desolate building.

  Footsteps. The sound was faint at first, echoing from somewhere on the lower floors. Hector's heart hammered in his chest as the steps grew louder and closer. The door to the office creaked open, and suddenly there were hands on him, tugging at his blindfold.

  Light flooded his vision, and Hector blinked rapidly, his eyes struggling to adjust. A familiar face swam into focus above him.

  "Tess?" he croaked, happy to see her.

  Tess didn't respond, her nimble fingers making quick work of the cuffs that bound his wrists. She hauled him to his feet, her grip firm.

  "Save the thanks for later," she said brusquely. "We need to move. Before whoever put you here comes back."

  Hector nodded, falling into step behind her as they hurried out of the room and towards the waiting car. Hector felt a wave of guilt wash over him, Tess looked more than worried, she had no clue the danger wasn't real.

  The car sped through the streets, weaving in and out of traffic as it guided itself to its destination. Hector glanced over at Tess, noting the tense set of her jaw and the way her fingers drummed restlessly against the steering wheel.

  "Tess, I'm ok," he gave her a reassuring look. "They didn't torture me or anything and I didn't tell them anything. I swear,"

  Tess's eyes flicked to him briefly before returning to the road. "Not now, Hector. We'll debrief you when we get to base. You know how these things go."

  Hector frowned, looking down at the floor. "Right, protocol. So we'll talk when I get into one of those lifeless grey interrogation rooms of ours."

  A flicker of realization crossed Tess's face, and she opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, the car veered sharply to the right, heading towards the docks.

  "Wait, why are headed to our emergency site?" Hector asked, a sinking feeling in his gut.

  He looked over at Tess, who didn't bother to look over at him. At that moment he knew something terrible had happened while he was away.

  "Tell me what happened," he breathed, his voice barely above a whisper. "We wouldn't be headed to the docks if nothing happened."

  Tess didn't answer, but her silence spoke volumes. The car pulled to a stop in front of a nondescript shipping container, and Tess climbed out, motioning for Hector to follow.

  The container door swung open, revealing a hidden staircase that led down into the depths of the pier. Tess guided Hector inside, her hand resting lightly on the small of his back as they descended into the underground base.

  The space was dimly lit and sparsely furnished, a far cry from the sleek, high-tech headquarters Hector was used to. Tess led him to a small white room with a metal table and two chairs.

  "Wait here," she said, her voice clipped and professional. "I'll be back with fresh clothes and food. Then we'll begin the debriefing."

  Hector sank into one of the chairs, something had gone terribly wrong. Were they found out? Did everyone make it to safety? And most importantly, who had figured out they were in the country besides Naomi?

  He closed his eyes, trying to calm the rising tide of panic that threatened to overwhelm him. He tried to think of other reasons they would have moved here, ones that didn't mean people had died.

  The door creaked open, and Hector's eyes snapped up to see Tess entering the room, a bundle of clothes in one hand and a tray of food in the other. She set them down on the table, sliding into the seat across from him.

  "Before we start," she said, her voice calm and measured, "I want you to know that this debriefing will be recorded."

  Hector shook his head. "I know how this works. Tess, why are we—"

  "That's not the focus of this debriefing," Tess cut him off, tapping on the glass top table to pull up a file. "Once we're finished here, we can discuss our move. But right now, I need you to tell me exactly what happened the night you disappeared."

  Hector leaned back in his chair, feeling the weight of her gaze boring into him. He took a deep breath, he knew he had to be convincing.

  "It all started when my holodeck activated on its own," he began, his hands trembling. "There was a woman there, and she told me she knew who I was and what I was doing. She said if I didn't follow her instructions, she'd bomb the school and kill as many people as she could."

  Tess watched the words appear in the file as it jotted down his words, her face an unreadable mask. Hector swallowed hard, pushing past the lump in his throat.

  "She told me to meet her at Toyone station. Said if I tried to contact anyone, she'd hurt civilians and expose me as an American spy. I didn't have a choice, Tess. I had to go with her."

  Tess nodded, reading the transcript to ensure there were no mistakes. "And what happened after you got on the train with her?"

  Hector's mind flashed back to the moment Naomi told him she needed him to save Hiro. "She wanted my computer expertise to find someone. A woman named Mary Kobayashi." he sputtered.

  Tess paused, her eyes snapping up to meet his. "Mary Kobayashi? Hiro's mother?"

  Hector nodded, his throat tight. "That's right. She forced me to search for her. But I couldn't find anything, Tess. If I can't locate her, it means she's likely..."

  "Dead," Tess finished for him, her voice soft. "And the woman who took you? What did she do when you couldn't find Mary?"

  Hector's fingers clenched into fists, his stomach tied itself in a tight not as he lied. "She tied me up and left me there to die. I'm just lucky you found me first."

  Tess watched the words appear on the table, before closing the file. Hector's mind raced, trying to figure out if she believed him.

  She could think the Japanese and Canadian governments knew of the task force's existence and tried to use him to find Mary. Hopefully, this was just enough information to lead her away from Hiro and the others. But he still needed an answer to the question that was driving him wild.

  "So now it's your turn to talk," Hector said, his voice low and urgent. "Why are we here? What happened while I was kidnapped?"

  Tess met his gaze, her eyes glittering with fear. "You just got back, are you sure you are ready for this?" Tess stopped the recording, her gaze never leaving Hector's face.

  "Tell me."

  She paused as if searching for the right words. "The same night you were taken...we were attacked."

  Hector felt the air leave his lungs in a rush. "What? How is that possible? We were completely off the grid, our security would have picked up any chatter about a possible attack."

  "Well, they didn't." Tess's voice was grim. "Somehow, someone found us. It was a bloodbath, Hector. We lost twenty agents."

  A chill raced down Hector's spine as he thought about what could have found them without being detected. "A Mach," he breathed. "It had to be. And the woman who kidnapped me...you think she orchestrated the attack?"

  Tess nodded, her eyes hard. "It's too much of a coincidence. She takes you, forces you to search for someone connected to the Machs, and then our base is attacked? It's all connected."

  Hector's mind spun, Tess couldn't be more far off. But then again Naomi could have been lying from the beginning. Used him while the Japanese government launched an assault. But then why would she just let him go when it was all over? Hector's head started to throb.

  Tess leaned forward, her gaze searching his face. "What are you thinking, Hector? I can see the gears turning in that brain of yours."

  He tried to arrange his features into a neutral expression. "Nothing. Just...shocked, I guess. Trying to process it all."

  "Are you sure that's it?" Tess questioned, raising an eyebrow. "Because I think you are keeping something from me. And if you don't come clean right now, I'll have no choice but to lock you up for treason."

  "Okay, okay." He could feel the sweat building as he tried to think of something to say. "I think...I think the Japanese government might have been telling the truth. About Masato stealing the Machs."

  Tess scoffed. "That's ridiculous. Our intel suggested it was just a cover story, a way for them to deflect blame."

  "I know. But I think our intel was wrong." Hector leaned forward, his voice low and urgent. "Tess, the Japanese government has no idea we're even here. And the Canadians have been forced out, back to their own turf. If they didn't attack us, and it wasn't Hiro..."

  "Then who?" Tess demanded. "Hiro still has a Mach, and there are others unaccounted for. He could've--"

  "No." Hector's voice was firm. "Hiro's never attacked anyone unprovoked. His fights have always been defensive, and reactionary. He's not the type to strike first."

  Tess laughed, but there was no humour in the sound. "People change, Hector. You can't be naive enough to think--"

  "He's not a criminal!" The words burst out of Hector before he could stop them.

  Tess's eyebrows shot up. "Careful. You're starting to sound like you're on his side."

  Hector forced himself to take a breath, to calm the riot of emotions swirling within him. "That's not what I'm saying. All I mean is...I think we need to consider the possibility that there's a fourth player on the board. Someone we haven't accounted for."

  Tess stared at him for a long moment, her gaze inscrutable. Then she sighed, running a hand through her dark hair. "You've been through a lot. You're exhausted, and not thinking straight. Get changed and get some rest, and we'll pick this up in the morning." She stepped out of the room to give Hector some privacy.

  But as Hector changed into warm clothes, his mind continued to race, his appetite vanishing. Someone else had to have a Mach, he convinced himself. He stepped out of the room, following an agent to his bunk. Hector's footsteps echoed in the empty hallway, the metal walls felt like they were pressing in on him from all sides.

  If Masato really did have Machs, no one had been watching him for over a year now, he could have been building an army right beneath their noses. The attack on the task force wasn't the Japanese. They would have known the kidnapping would draw agents away from the base and therefore there would be survivors, something they wouldn't have risked.

  He needed some air to think but as he reached for the door handle, a figure stepped into his path, blocking his way. "I'm sorry, sir," the guard said, his voice firm but not unkind. "I've been instructed to ensure your safety. I can't allow you to leave the premises after dark."

  Hector's heart sank, even as he forced a smile. "Of course. I understand. Just needed some air, but I'll be fine."

  He retreated back into his room, the door closing behind him with a soft click. As soon as he was alone, he let out a string of curses, his frustration boiling over.

  They were watching him now, closer than ever. Every move, every word, every breath would be scrutinized and analyzed. And with the task force on high alert, there was no way he'd be able to slip away unnoticed.

  Hector paced the length of the small room. There had to be a way to get a message to Naomi or Hiro about the task force being attacked. But with the eyes of the task force upon him, any attempt at communication could result in him being locked up forever.

  He sank down onto the edge of the hard bed, his head in his hands. For the first time in his life, Hector felt truly helpless. But even as despair threatened to overwhelm him, a small, stubborn ember of determination flared to life in his chest. He was Hector Gorth, the boy genius, he graduated with a master's in computer science when he was fourteen. He could figure out a way to sneak out a message, he just needed time.