02:00 PM | N.P.U. Headquarters, Briefing Room
The room smelled of stale coffee and old paperwork, a scent Adrian had long since stopped noticing. Fluorescent lights hummed overhead, casting everything in harsh, unflattering white.
Elias spread three manila folders across the table like cards in a deadly game.
"Three names left from Marcus's journal," he said, tapping each folder. "Dr. Sarah Chen. Miguel Santos. Yuki Tanaka."
Adrian leaned forward, scanning the files.
Dr. Sarah Chen: Virologist. High-clearance access. Deep in Nexo's executive hierarchy. Constant surveillance, building security, personal detail, encrypted communications. Risk assessment: extreme.
Miguel Santos: Maintenance supervisor. Access to every building on campus. Undocumented worker, terrified of deportation, won't talk even under witness protection guarantees. Risk assessment: high.
Yuki Tanaka: Data analyst. Marcus Varias's friend, mentioned repeatedly in journal entries. Still employed at Nexo. Lives alone in Metro City neutral zone. No family, no security detail. Risk assessment: moderate. Emotional leverage via Marcus connection.
Adrian's finger stopped on Yuki's file. "Tanaka," he said quietly. "She knew Marcus personally. That matters."
Aveline's response came immediately, clinical and certain.
"Agreed. Emotional connection creates motivation. Chen's surveillance makes her suboptimal. Santos's immigration status creates compliance barriers."
Elias frowned. "She's still employed. If Nexo traces her connection,"
"They will eventually," Aveline interrupted. "Timeline favors immediate contact."
Adrian looked at Elias. "We move now. Before they realize Marcus wrote her name."
Elias hesitated. "Fine. But if this goes sideways,"
"It won't," Aveline said with absolute certainty.
02:47 PM | Yuki Tanaka's Apartment, Metro City
The building was modest but maintained. Fourth floor. Clean carpet. Soft lighting.
Aveline scanned the hallway with the same clinical precision she applied to everything.
"No external surveillance. Building security minimal. Egress routes: three. Optimal for extraction if necessary."
Adrian glanced at her. "We're not extracting her. We're asking."
Aveline tilted her head slightly. "Semantics."
They stopped outside Apartment 412. Adrian knocked gently. "Ms. Tanaka? My name is Adrian Cole. Nemesis Protocol Unit. I knew Marcus Varias. I need to speak with you about him."
Silence.
Then a voice, muffled and trembling: "Marcus is dead."
"I know," he said softly. "I was there. I tried to help him. That's why I'm here. To finish what he started."
Long silence.
Then click. One lock. Click. Two. Click. Three.
The door opened.
Yuki Tanaka stood in the doorway, backlit by soft light. Petite, black hair in a messy bun, glasses, oversized sweater, leggings. Eyes red-rimmed from crying.
"You're him," she said. "The agent Marcus talked about."
"He mentioned me?" Adrian asked.
Yuki nodded. "He said you were stubborn. Wouldn't quit even when you should. He believed you could stop them."
Adrian's throat closed. She stepped aside, gesturing them in.
The apartment was small but lived-in. A laptop sat on the coffee table, work files scattered. A mug of cold coffee.
But the photos stopped Adrian in his tracks. Yuki and Marcus. Office party, hiking trip, lunch. They had been close.
Yuki followed his gaze. "We were friends," she whispered. "He was good. One of the only good people left in that place."
Adrian gestured to the couch. Aveline remained standing, cataloging everything.
Adrian explained the investigation: illegal human experimentation, need for witness testimony, evidence collection.
"We need someone still inside," he said. "Someone who knew Marcus and understands what he died trying to expose."
Yuki shook her head. "No. I can't"
"I understand it's dangerous," Adrian began.
"Dangerous? Marcus testified and they killed him. Dursley tried to help and" She stopped. "He's dead too, isn't he?"
"Yes," Adrian said quietly.
"Everyone who talks to you dies," she whispered.
Aveline stepped forward, voice flat. "Emotional response understandable. Also irrational."
Yuki looked at her, shocked. "Excuse me?"
"You're already a target. Marcus documented your name. Nexo will trace connections eventually. Survival probability decreases daily regardless of cooperation."
Adrian felt ice slide down his spine.
"Testifying doesn't change your risk. It changes whether your death serves a purpose."
Yuki stared at Aveline. "You're saying I'm already dead."
"Probability analysis suggests yes," Aveline confirmed.
Yuki turned to Adrian. "Is she always like this?"
"Unfortunately," he said.
Yuki sat quietly. Then, with the weight of someone stepping off a cliff: "Marcus believed in you. He died believing you could stop them. So I'll do it. For him."
Recording Setup
Adrian set up camera and audio. Aveline monitored encryption protocols. Yuki sat fragile and brave.
"Whenever you're ready," Adrian said.
Yuki took a breath and began.
Yuki's Testimony
Human test subjects confirmed: janitors, disposal workers, low-level staff. Abducted from night shifts, never seen again.
Serum VX-1.089: yellowish-green, injected, violent mutations, organ failure, fatality rate 99.7 percent.
Executives involved: Serena Kovacs (CEO), James Vale (CFO), Damien D'Aramond (Head of R&D), Cassian Rhein (Legal Counsel). All aware and complicit.
Mass distribution imminent: police, federal agencies, private security. Timeline: two to three weeks before rollout.
Critical: buyers unaware of failure rate. Police think super-soldier serum. 997 of 1000 die horribly.
Adrian's blood ran cold.
"If that hits the streets," he began.
"It's not if," Yuki said. "It's when. Unless you stop them."
Encrypted File Transfer
Yuki sent everything she could access. Files transferred encrypted through seven proxy servers.
Aveline watched, confirming progress. Transfer complete. No acknowledgment.
Adrian made a mental note to thank her later.
Adrian looked at Yuki. "Stay inside. Don't go to work tomorrow. Protective custody tonight."
"How do I know you can protect me?" she asked.
"I can't guarantee it. But I'll die trying."
Yuki paused. "Marcus said you were reckless."
"He wasn't wrong," Adrian said bitterly.
Hallway of Yuki's apartment.
The door closed behind them. Adrian exhaled.
"We move her tonight. Safe house."
"Agreed," Aveline said. "Nexo's response time: six to twelve hours. Estimate six hours for planning, four for caution."
Adrian turned to her. "Could you try to be reassuring?"
Aveline blinked. "Why provide false comfort? Counterproductive."
"Never mind."
Elevator
They descended in silence. Adrian broke it. "You really don't feel anything, do you? When you told Yuki she was already dead?"
Aveline considered this, head tilted. "I feel satisfied when accurate assessments lead to optimal outcomes. She agreed to testify. The objective was achieved."
"She's crying in there. Terrified. Mourning Marcus."
"Yes. Emotional state was evident. But emotions don't change probability matrices."
Adrian stared at her. "You're terrifying. You know that?"
Aveline tilted her head, curious. "Is that observation or criticism?"
"Both."
"Acknowledged."
The elevator doors opened. They walked to the car in silence.
Driving Back to N.P.U. Headquarters
City lights blurred past the windows. Neon signs, streetlamps, the glow of lives being lived by people who didn't know how close they were to catastrophe.
Adrian's hands gripped the steering wheel.
"We'll move Yuki tonight. You and I, rotating shifts until we can get her to federal witness protection."
"Inefficient use of primary operatives," Aveline replied. "Should delegate to security detail."
"She agreed because I asked. I'm not handing her off to strangers."
Aveline processed this. "Emotional obligation. Suboptimal for operational efficiency but I'll comply."
Adrian glanced at her, surprised. "Thanks. I think."
"Compliance isn't gratitude. It's tactical flexibility."
Adrian almost laughed. "Of course it is."
They drove. Two more witnesses dead. One still alive. For now.