The days following the briefing had been a blur, but now, as I walked through the halls of the task force base, everything felt heavier. It was as though the walls themselves were pressing in on me, the weight of what I had just learned settling into the marrow of my bones. The task ahead—hunting Medusa—felt like something I wasn't fully prepared for. But the worst part? The part that gnawed at me, and that I couldn't escape, was the fact that I had no idea where I stood anymore.
Jasmine.
It had been a few days since the meeting with Ortega, and the tension in the air seemed to grow with each passing hour. I'd been keeping my distance from Jasmine, but the ache of it, the uncertainty I was feeling, was only growing.
I walked into the dimly lit room, my boots echoing in silence. Jasper stood by a monitor, arms crossed, a smug look already forming on his face. Nadia sat quietly in a chair off to the side, her usual calm demeanor in place, but her eyes were calculating.
Jasper didn't waste any time. "Sit," he ordered, his voice cutting through the tension.
I slowly lowered myself into the chair, trying to maintain a professional facade, even though I felt annoyed. I would much rather find where Medusa was than listen to him, but Ortega had given him clearance to share classified info, and as much as I hated to admit it, I knew it was probably going to help me. The only concern I had was that Jasper was too happy, which meant that this information was going to hurt me. He'd been waiting for the right moment, for me to slip, to let something slip. I couldn't let him win. Not this time.
Jasper didn't say a word. He just slid a photo onto the table in front of me. I stared at it.
It was Jasmine. Her face, younger but unmistakable, staring back at me, taken years ago—in Medusa's assassin's gear. The silver snake mask, her dark hair cascading down her shoulders. It was her.
I could feel the blood drain from my face. "What the hell is this?" My voice came out lower than I intended like I had to force the words through my throat.
Jasper leaned in, his voice cold, almost smug. "We confirmed it. Medusa is Jasmine West. You're sleeping with an assassin, Nicole. One of the world's best. We've been hunting her for years, and she's been hiding in plain sight with you. How does it feel sleeping with a murderer?"
The words hit me like a sucker punch to the stomach. I froze, my heart pounding so loud I could feel it in my chest.
"Bullshit," I muttered under my breath, but it felt weak like I was trying to convince myself as much as him.
"You think I'm wrong?" Jasper's voice hardened. "We've been tracking her for months. Surveillance footage. Intercepted communications. We have it all. She's been a ghost, but she's your favorite ghost."
"We understand it's hard. But sometimes… we don't really know the people we care about, do we?" Nadia says trying to sound sympathetic.
My pulse raced. This wasn't real. It couldn't be. Jasmine? Medusa? The woman who cooked me breakfast, who made me laugh, who held my hand as if the world were ours to take? No. No way.
Jasper continued, his eyes locking onto mine. "We have our orders, Nicole. You're compromised now. You're a liability. This operation needs to go smoothly. If you won't help us, bring her in, we'll take care of it without you."
I stared at the photo, my mind racing. "No," I managed to say, my voice barely a whisper. "This isn't her. This is manipulation."
Jasper pressed on, not backing down. "You'll help us at the mall. You can redeem yourself. You have such a promising career, and it shouldn't be finished just from this... well slip up. We'll make it easy on you. Lure her into a secure location. After that, it's out of your hands."
It was like the walls were closing in. I wasn't sure if it was the adrenaline or the gut-wrenching realization that everything, I thought I knew was a lie, but I couldn't breathe.
"Is that your plan?" I asked, keeping my voice steady. "To use me as bait?"
Jasper didn't even flinch. "Exactly. Or we can remove you from this mission if you are compromised."
"I'm a professional. If you think I'm compromised, pull me. But you know this team won't run without me," I said defiantly.
"That's exactly why this is dangerous. You'll hesitate. You'll second guess. We both know it." The way he said it, so calmly, so assured, made me feel sick. But Nadia spoke up before I could respond, her voice dripping with sweetness. "I disagree," she said, her gaze flicking to Jasper. "Nicole is more than just bait; she is the best person for this op. She knows the target personally, her team trusts her, and she's already in place. It would raise questions to pull her now."
Her words didn't soften the blow. They only added another layer of guilt. "Trust her, Jas. You owe her that much," Nadia said, her eyes lingering on me for just a second too long.
Jasper spoke up. "Nadia trusts you so you can stay on the mission. But I will be watching you closely." His gaze flicked over to me after giving Nadia loving eyes.
I wanted to scream. To throw the chair at the wall and demand they tell me this was a joke. But I didn't. I just nodded, feeling the weight of their judgment pressing down on me. I wasn't going to let them win. Not yet.
I stood there, the door swinging shut behind me, leaving the sterile meeting room behind. My mind felt like it was in a fog. Medusa? Jasmine? It didn't make sense. But the evidence was right in front of me, staring me down like a gun to my head. My heart was in my throat, and the anger, the betrayal, hit me like a freight train.
I had to get out. I had to clear my head.
The hallway was quiet. My steps echoed in the emptiness. I wasn't sure how long I'd been standing there, frozen in place before I moved again.
I needed to think. I needed to go home. But even as I thought it, I knew I couldn't go back to Jasmine like this—not after what I'd just learned. Not when everything I'd believed about her was now in question.
My mind raced. Was this all a game to her? Was I just another mark? Or was she telling the truth? Was this a setup?
I couldn't tell anyone. I couldn't even tell Logan. This was my battle. But for the first time in a long while, I wasn't sure if I was strong enough to fight it.
No, I won't let this get to me. I had to keep my head in the game. But that didn't stop the sick feeling in my stomach as I walked away, the weight of the truth pressing on me, and the cold realization that everything was about to change.