It had been a week since the meeting at the head office. Bella and her group of friends had been fully occupied with training. On the shooting field, Officer Ethan stood nearby, watching Bella as she adjusted her stance and aimed down the range.
"Your shooting skills are getting better," Officer Ethan said, his voice calm but observant.
Cadet Bella gave a small nod, not lowering her weapon. "Thank you. It's because of your guidance and advice," she replied.
Officer Ethan gave a brief nod in return.
Just then, a sergeant came running across the field toward them, his expression tight with urgency.
"Officer Ethan," he said, breathless, "Head Ace is calling for you. He wants you in his office—immediately."
Officer Ethan took one look at the sergeant's face and instantly understood—this wasn't a routine summons. Something had happened. Something serious.
Bella caught the shift in his demeanor and felt a wave of unease ripple through her.
Officer Ethan turned to her and said, firmly but with a reassuring tone, "Cadet Bella, continue your training with the others."
With that, he turned and walked away, his strides long and quick, heading toward Head Ace's office.
Bella turned back to her target and raised her gun again, trying to steady her breathing—but her mind refused to focus. A strange knot had formed in her chest, a quiet but persistent alarm. Something wasn't right.
She missed her shot. Then again. And again.
The instructor walked over, noticing her struggle.
"Take a break, Cadet. Sit down, clear your head. Then come back and try again."
Evening arrived, and the cadets gathered in the café hall for dinner. But Officer Ethan was still nowhere to be seen. Bella kept glancing toward the door, hoping he'd appear—but he didn't.
The unease was growing.
She leaned toward Ellena and the others. "I'll be back. Just going to the washroom," she said quickly, then slipped out before anyone could question her.
She didn't go to the washroom.
Instead, she made her way toward Officer Ethan's office. As she reached the hallway, she slowed, hearing voices. Rounding the corner silently, she saw them—Officer Ethan, Officer Matthew, and Officer Neil—standing just outside the office in quiet conversation.
Bella stepped back quickly, pressing herself against the wall where they couldn't see her, but she could hear everything.
"Keep getting updates from the West Wing," Officer Neil was saying to Officer Ethan.
Bella's heart skipped a beat.
The West Wing.
Officer Matthew spoke next. "You'll have to go back to the hospital tomorrow. Chief Luke's condition is serious. The bullet's been removed, but he's still at risk of haemorrhagic shock—there's internal bleeding that hasn't stabilized."
Bella's breath caught.
Chief Luke. Her father.
She couldn't move. Couldn't think. For a moment, everything around her blurred. Then, slowly, she stepped out from behind the wall, her footsteps unsteady, her face pale.
The three officers turned sharply at the sound.
Shock registered on all their faces.
Officer Ethan's eyes locked on hers. His voice came out in a whisper, laced with guilt and worry.
"Bella…"