Lyra
CHAPTER 1
LYRA POV
"let the girl be Susie. She is on verge of a break down. look at her, my baby gonna cry the next sec."
Papa snickers from the living room and me don't even ask, every Sunday my Mumma make me learn cooking. As i moved out of the house few years back and live on my own apartment. And By make me i mean drag me to the kitchen and torture me with all these greenery.
*sigh*
"Once i get done with this Pa i will not let u live in peace, your wife loves me more." I said with smirk trying to cut this zucchini in to pieces but all can i manage is large side bites.
"Susi darling I think u should rest let the lady prepare today's dinner." Pa said coming in the kitchen, back hugging my mumma who was stirring the broth.
"How will she survive in this world if she don't know to feed herself alex." Mumma glanced or more like glared at me then continue strring her thing.
"Atleast ask me if i want to learn this self preservation or not." I pouted, putting my hands on my hips, pleading mumma to let me go it's better to fight bad guys out there then making food.
Preparation of dinner was hazard as i feed most of my food to the ground. Atleast its completed, by Mom obviously. I exhale sitting on the dining chair of our not very old dining table of my parents one story cosy house and start filling my plate because a hungry woman is not a more dangerous then the man with a ak 47.
I just took a bite of my food.
" Lyra. Pray."
I hurriedly wipe my mouth before joining my hands as Mumma and Papa do the same. Reciting the same prayer we started to eat. Like this one more Sunday passed.
The cold Saturday morning air stings my face, but I barely feel it. My black jacket fits snug, every movement calculated, every step deliberate. Combat boots strike the pavement in a rhythm that echoes control, not haste. Twenty minutes to the grocery store, but I move like I'm on patrol-eyes sharp, senses alert. Old instincts don't fade, even on errands.
The familiar ringing of my phone interrupted, whatever peace I had.
LAIM'S name flashes on the screen. I quickly pick it up. "I talked to you just an hour ago. Don't you have any work to do?"
"Oh my God, Lyra, stop it. I know you miss me too, every second of the day. Stop pretending you don't," Laim snides. He's been my ONLY friend for a long time, and he reminds me of that every chance he gets.
"Anything serious?" I sigh. Watch a lady in nearby House watering plant in her lawn.
"Yes, boss guy wants your presence in today's meeting." Laim's voice sounds distant, as if he's speaking from across the room.
O.N.Y.X.
Operations for National & international Yield of eXtinction
Our organization. you could say an assassin-an officer. I took my training when I was 20, and after joining the service, I was given missions to accomplish. That's where I met Laim. A simple story.
"I got the message before you, dumbass. But thank you for being my P.A."
Did I mention how he begged me to be friends?
No. Don't tell him that i said that he's gonna throw a fit.
"What an ungrateful-" Before he can finish, I cut the call and push into the grocery store, tossing enough food into the cart to last me two weeks.
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After breakfast, I get ready for work. Once I arrive, I cut the engine and stride into the building. The building towers above most of the city, but only a handful know what happens inside. ONYX isn't written in any government file, isn't marked on any record. We exist in the shadows-where laws don't reach, and justice has no patience.
Only we know how many crimes have been stopped here over years.
With the usual bustle of people around, I press the button for the 22nd floor, and the elevator moves with a low hum. I think I know why this meeting is so urgent.
Children have been going missing for months now. Even thoes runny nose are not my favourite thing, i still pity them. Our organization hasn't been able to catch whoever is behind it. With each passing day, the number of kidnapped children grows, same as our efforts.
Stepping out of the elevator, I head to the meeting room, where the most important discussions are usually held. Opening the door, I enter.
"Captain," I say as a sign of respect. More officers and others are seated around the table. I take a seat beside Laim at the end of the table. Relaxing into my chair, I take a gulp of water from my bottle.
"What's up, jerk," I murmur, lightly bumping his shoulder with mine.
"The abductions," Laim says, as this thing here 'lovvvveeee' childern as he had said to me when he heard the news.
his tense shoulders relaxing as he looks at me. "Your hair is growing back."
I don't like long hair.
He knows that. Every time I'm on a mission, these long strands make it difficult to fight in emergencies. Talking about mission, I still remember collapsing on the mat, drenched in sweat and blood, only to be dragged up again until I learned precision.
I hum as the room falls silent. Straightening my spine, I look at the captain, who is now standing at the head of the table.
"Enough with the formalities. We all know why we're here. Eight months, and not a single move from the bastards taking our children. Silence doesn't mean safety-it means they're planning something bigger." the captain says, and we all nod.
"For the past eight months, children from our nation have been going missing. One. by. one."
Yes, 86 children have vanished, without a trace- no bodies, no ransom calls, nothing. Whoever is taking these children, they aren't killing them. Where they're taking them, God knows.
The captain pauses when Alex from our team raises his hand. "Then why now? Why weren't we aware earlier? Surely, we could've stopped this."
"You think I didn't try?" the captain snaps, stretching his hand towards his most trusted man, Mr. Wilson. "Mr. Wilson has searched everywhere-here, abroad-and found nothing." Captain flicker his fingers. "It's like these children vanished without a trace."
The captain stands. "For three months, we've chased shadows. Now, for the first time, we have a lead-and I swear on ONYX's name, we are not letting this chance slip."
The meeting ends shortly after we're briefed about
Our strategy, our roles and our plan.
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There will be teams spread across the country, but three agents are assigned to me. We'll monitor every movement, especially during the hours most kidnappings occur. As Sherlock once said: there's no such thing as a perfect crime.
Any suspicious activity, and the alert goes out to everyone. My team: Jude, twenty-five, sharp and lethal-one of ONYX's best female agents. And Sam, one of our top male officers.
Both. Stupid. Annoying.
We've all been trained to the bone. Our task is simple: follow the leads, gather intel, and report everything back to Laim.
Four days in, everything is in place. Everyone is prepared. But no one really knows what we're stepping into.
Late afternoon. We've deployed extra men to cover every corner of the country, though some areas remain untouched. For now, we're parked near a gas station, waiting.
"Why aren't these bastards making a move? Spineless insects," Sam scoffs, shifting in his seat for comfort. "When I get my hands on them, I'll show them what it's like to sit in one spot for three hours straight."
Deep breaths Lyra baby Deep breaths.
"Shut it, Sam. My ears are bleeding from your whining," Jude snaps from behind the wheel. I hum in agreement.
Slowly in -out. As i exhale with my eyes closed.
"You're not stuck where I am," Sam retorts, rolling his eyes. "So maybe you should shut up."
I sigh. For hours they've been bickering like this. They don't get along. Hell, they're practically enemies.
"Both of you, shut up-or I'll call Laim and have you escorted straight out of my shooting range. We have lives to save, for God's sake."
They glance at me like I've just told them aliens exist. Eventually, they quiet down. Jude relaxes into her seat, and Sam slouches deeper, sulking.
A dull headache pulses at the back of my head. If we don't get back to work in the next thirty seconds, I'll end up in an asylum-and I swear I'll make them pay the hospital bills.
Static crackles through the walkie-talkie.
Duty calls.
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