The guards trailed Yuri until she crossed the threshold of her suite. As the door clicked shut, the team fanned out with practiced efficiency.
"I'll take the door," Antonio announced, settling into a wide, grounded stance. Julian nodded, then turned to Ethan, handing him a compact encrypted comms unit.
"Ethan, you're on roving patrol. Watch for anything—or anyone—out of place. If you sense Ms. Yuri is in danger, you alert us instantly. Clear?"
"I'll take the patrol," Ben interrupted, stepping into Julian's line of sight. Julian's eyebrows shot up. "Ethan is green, Julian. Don't throw him into a high-pressure solo post yet. He's a liability out there alone."
Julian weighed the comment for a beat. "I'm assigning him based on his capability, Ben. But fine—take the roving patrol. Ethan, you're with me; we'll be guarding Ms. Yuri during the meeting. Noah, you're on manifest duty. I want a record of every soul entering or leaving this wing."
"Julian, is all this really necessary?" Ethan asked, glancing at the hotel's uniformed staff. "The house security seems tight."
"Miss Yuri was targeted in a hotel once before," Julian said, his voice dropping an octave. "We don't take risks anymore. Better to be paranoid than sorry." He checked his watch. "Ethan, get some rest. I'm heading to the security nest to monitor the feeds."
"I'm good," Ethan replied. "I'll go with you."
Julian offered a thin, approving smile. "Then follow me."
As they walked toward the surveillance room, Ethan's mind drifted back to his last conversation with Yuri.
Does Jake know who I am? he wondered.
He remembered the way Jake used to stare at him during those first days of school—cold, suspicious eyes. At the time, Ethan had dismissed him as just another arrogant senior. Now, a cold knot was forming in his stomach.
In the security room, Julian took command, his eyes darting across a wall of monitors.
"Antonio is at the door. Ben is covering the lobby. Noah is..." Julian frowned at a screen. "Noah's doing rounds around the entire perimeter? That's too much ground for one man. I botched the strategy."
He looked at Ethan. "Can you handle the main entrance alone?"
Ethan nodded firmly. "I've got it."
Julian keyed his radio. "Change of plans. Antonio, stay put. Noah, stay on the perimeter. Ben, join Noah. Ethan is taking the main entrance."
"What about the lobby flow?" Ben's voice crackled through the comms, skepticism clear in the static.
"Ethan has it," Julian said, his tone final.
As Ethan headed for the elevators, Ben's voice came through again, softer this time. "Good luck, kid. Keep your eyes peeled."
Julian watched Ethan's retreating back on the monitor.
This kid is different, he thought. He's got gears he hasn't shifted into yet. But there's something else... something heavy behind those eyes.
"Ethan," Antonio's voice broke in over the channel. "Swap into civilian clothes. Don't give them a uniform to spot."
"Exactly. Sharp thinking, Antonio," Julian added.
By 8:00 PM, Ethan was positioned in the lobby, dressed in casual layers and lounging in a plush armchair. To any observer, he was just a bored young man waiting for a date.
The radio chirped. "Ms. Yuri is leaving her room," Antonio reported. "She's heading out to meet a friend. Get the cars ready."
"Stay sharp," Julian commanded. "Noah, Ben, move to the entrance. I'm on my way. Ethan, hold your position."
Ethan scanned the lobby, his pulse steady until he saw a familiar silhouette. His breath hitched. It was Jake.
Ethan froze, trying to maintain his cover, but his eyes followed the boy instinctively. Jake walked past him, his stride slow and deliberate. As he drew level with Ethan's chair, Jake didn't stop, but his grey eyes—sharp as flint—locked onto Ethan's.
"Normal Plane crash?" Jake murmured, his voice barely a ghost of a sound. "Was that smart?"
The words hit Ethan like a physical blow. His composure shattered. He scrambled to his feet as Jake continued toward the stairs without a backward glance.
"Hey! Jake, wait!" Ethan called out, his voice tight. He took a few steps after him, but Jake was gone into the crowd.
"Ethan?"
The sound of Yuri's voice stopped him cold. He spun around to find her standing there, flanked by the other guards. "Is everything alright?" she asked, her brow furrowed with concern.
Ethan forced a nod, swallowing the lump in his throat. "Yes. Everything's fine. Just... thought I saw someone."
Yuri lingered for a second, searching his face, before turning toward the door. "Let's go."
As they moved toward the waiting SUVs, Ethan's head was spinning. The normal plane crash? Was he talking about the one me and my father boarded?
Yuri gestured for Ethan to join her in the lead car. He climbed in silently, the heavy door shutting out the noise of the city. As the car pulled into traffic, Ethan's mind retreated into the past.
He remembered what his father told him once, years ago.
It was late at night. Ethan's eyes had drifted open to the sound of a door creaking. He was in a hospital bed, a bandage wrapped tight around his head. His entire body felt leaden and foreign, save for his left hand and his face.
A man entered, his silhouette cutting through the moonlight that bathed the room in a ghostly glow. The man's face remained in deep shadow as he sat beside the bed.
"How are you doing, my son?" the man asked.
"My father?" Ethan's voice had been a fragile rasp.
The man nodded, his hand heavy as he patted Ethan's head. "Yes. I am."
Little Ethan had smiled, a spark of relief in the sterile room. "I'm okay, Father. But what happened to me?"
The man paused, his hand continuing that rhythmic, unsettling pat. "Well, you fell from the stairs and hit your head."
"But I don't remember anything."
"You will be okay with time," his father said, his voice smooth and empty. "Remember one thing, Ethan: you have no family other than me. We only have each other."
Ethan nodded.
"Now, go to rest, my boy."
Ethan had nodded and closed his eyes. His father stayed there, a dark sentinel, until the boy's breathing evened out. Only then did the man take a deep breath.
"So, you really lost your memories," he whispered to himself, "That makes things much easier." He patted Ethan's head one last time and vanished into the hall.