The air inside Rebecca's small house felt stifling, the weight of unspoken words pressing down on them. Samuel stood in the center of the room, his eyes locked on hers, but she could sense his mind racing, struggling to piece together the fractured memories of their shared past. It wasn't just Mercer that haunted them; it was everything that had happened after.
Samuel broke the silence first. "You don't understand, Rebecca. Mercer hasn't just been watching us—he's been orchestrating everything from the beginning."
Rebecca's heart pounded. The words felt absurd, but coming from Samuel, she couldn't ignore them. She had spent so long running from the truth, convincing herself that she had escaped. Now, she wasn't sure if she had ever really been free.
"You're saying Mercer knew where I was this whole time? That everything I've done since leaving Ashgrove—" her voice cracked "—was part of his plan?"
Samuel nodded, the lines in his face deepening with the weight of his knowledge. "He's not done with either of us. I thought I could handle it on my own, but I was wrong. He's still out there, Rebecca. And he's playing a long game."
Rebecca swallowed hard, memories flashing before her eyes—the way Mercer had always seemed to know what people were thinking before they did, the way he had pulled strings in the shadows, manipulating lives with terrifying precision. She had believed, foolishly, that her distance had severed his control.
Her voice came out a whisper. "What do you need from me?"
Samuel's gaze softened, as if he could sense her fear. "I need you to help me piece it together. I need to know what Mercer did to you before you left. If he left something behind—some way of keeping control."
Rebecca recoiled at the thought. "No. No, I would know. I got away from him. I made sure of it."
"Are you sure?" Samuel's voice was low, his words deliberate. "He got into my head, Rebecca. He made me believe things that weren't real. He could have done the same to you."
A cold dread settled over her, creeping in like a fog she couldn't escape. What if Samuel was right? What if she had never truly been free, just a puppet in some larger plan she couldn't understand? She shook her head, refusing to accept it.
"I would know," she repeated, her voice steadier now. "I've had control of my life for years, Samuel. Mercer hasn't touched me."
Samuel's jaw tightened, but he didn't push. "I hope you're right. But if you're not, you need to be prepared. Because Mercer—he's not just some puppet master anymore. He's something worse."
Rebecca felt the chill of those words wrap around her like icy fingers. She wanted to deny it, to laugh it off as another one of Samuel's paranoid delusions, but deep down, she knew better. Mercer had always been more than just a man. He had always been something darker, something that slipped between the cracks of normalcy and planted seeds of fear.
"I don't know what he wants," Samuel continued, pacing the room like a caged animal. "But he's not going to stop until we're all his."
Rebecca flinched. "What do you mean, all?"
"There are others," Samuel said, stopping to face her. "I've been tracking them—people like us, people whose lives Mercer destroyed. They don't know it yet, but they're all connected."
Rebecca's mind spun. "Connected how?"
Samuel hesitated. "I don't know all the details, but there's a pattern. Mercer didn't just target us at random. There's something linking us together—something he needs."
The room felt colder, the shadows stretching longer as if they were listening. Rebecca wanted to dismiss it, but the look in Samuel's eyes told her he wasn't lying. Mercer had always operated on a level beyond comprehension, manipulating people like chess pieces, bending fate to his will. If Samuel was right, then there was something much larger at play.
Rebecca took a step back, crossing her arms protectively over her chest. "So, what do we do? If Mercer's pulling the strings, how do we cut them?"
Samuel's expression hardened. "We go after him. We stop him before he can finish whatever it is he's started."
Rebecca's heart skipped a beat. "You're talking about killing him."
"I'm talking about ending this," Samuel said, his voice cold and firm. "Mercer doesn't leave loose ends. If we don't take him out, he'll take us out. And he won't stop there."
Rebecca stared at him, her mind reeling. She had spent years running from this nightmare, hoping it would never catch up to her. Now, it seemed like there was no escape. No matter how far she ran, Mercer would always be one step ahead, always waiting in the shadows.
For a moment, she considered refusing, telling Samuel to leave and never come back. But then she remembered what Mercer had done to Samuel—what he had done to her. The fear, the pain, the endless manipulation. If there was any chance of stopping him, she had to take it.
Rebecca took a deep breath, steeling herself for what was to come. "All right. I'm in."
---
Samuel and Rebecca set out that afternoon, leaving her small house behind as they drove toward Ashgrove. The sky remained a dull, lifeless gray, casting the world in muted tones. The farther they traveled, the more oppressive the atmosphere became, as if the town itself was anticipating their arrival.
The drive was mostly silent, each of them lost in their own thoughts. Samuel gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles white as he focused on the road ahead. Rebecca stared out the window, her mind swirling with memories of the past—of Samuel, of Mercer, of the life she had tried so hard to forget.
As they neared Ashgrove, Samuel broke the silence. "There's one person who might know more about what Mercer's planning."
Rebecca turned to him, curious. "Who?"
"A man named Adrian Wells," Samuel said, his voice grim. "He used to work for Mercer, back when we were all under his thumb. He was closer to him than any of us. If anyone knows what Mercer's endgame is, it's him."
Rebecca's stomach churned. Adrian Wells. She had heard his name before, whispered in dark corners, always in connection to Mercer. He had been Mercer's right hand, his enforcer, the one who carried out his dirtiest work. If Adrian was involved, things were worse than she had imagined.
"Do you trust him?" she asked, her voice tinged with skepticism.
"No," Samuel admitted. "But he's the only lead we have."
Rebecca nodded, though unease settled in her gut like a stone. If Adrian Wells was their only hope, they were walking straight into a nightmare.
---
When they arrived in Ashgrove, the town looked just as it always had—small, quiet, and unremarkable. But now, it felt different. There was a tension in the air, a sense that something was watching them from just out of sight.
Samuel parked the car outside a rundown bar on the outskirts of town. "This is where Adrian hangs out," he said, shutting off the engine. "Stay close."
Rebecca followed Samuel inside, her eyes adjusting to the dim light. The bar was nearly empty, save for a few old men nursing drinks in the corner. The bartender glanced up briefly, but quickly looked away, as if he didn't want to acknowledge their presence.
At the far end of the bar sat a man—Adrian Wells. He was older now, grizzled and hardened by years of working in the shadows. His eyes were cold and calculating, and when he saw Samuel approaching, a thin smile curled across his lips.
"Well, well," Adrian said, his voice smooth and dangerous. "Look who crawled out of the woodwork."
Samuel didn't respond, only motioned for Rebecca to sit beside him. Adrian's gaze flicked to her, studying her for a moment before returning to Samuel.
"I assume you're not here for a friendly drink," Adrian said, leaning back in his chair. "So, what do you want?"
Samuel didn't waste any time. "Mercer. We know he's planning something. We need to know what."
Adrian chuckled, the sound low and humorless. "You're still chasing ghosts, Harker? I thought you'd have learned by now. Mercer's always a step ahead of you."
Samuel's expression darkened. "Not this time. Tell me what he's planning, Adrian, or I swear—"
Adrian held up a hand, cutting him off. "Easy, easy. No need for threats. I'll tell you what you want to know."
Rebecca leaned forward, her heart racing. "What is it? What's Mercer after?"
Adrian's smile faded, replaced by a look of cold seriousness. "Mercer's after more than just control. He's after something bigger. Something that goes beyond you, me, or even Ashgrove."
Samuel frowned. "What are you talking about?"
Adrian leaned in, lowering his voice to a whisper. "Mercer's been gathering people for years—people like you, like her, like me. He's been building something, a network of sorts. And when he's ready, he's going to unleash it."
Rebecca's blood ran cold. "Unleash what?"
Adrian's eyes gleamed with dark intent. "Chaos."