Sydney, Behind the Glittering City

Echoes of Deception

The bullet missed Leo's head by an inch, hitting the wall behind him with a deafening sound. In a barely perceptible movement, Leo lunged forward, capitalizing on Amara's brief moment of shock. His hand gripped the woman's wrist, forcing the gun to point upwards just as the second shot went off.

“You don't want to do this,” Leo whispered in Amara's ear, feeling the woman's body tremble. “This is not the way.”

“You don't know anything about me,” Amara hissed, but her voice trembled. “About what I've been through...”

“Then tell me!” Leo tightened his grip. “Tell me the truth!”

Marcus' laughter echoed back from the speakers. “Oh, should we open all the cards now? Wouldn't it be more interesting to let our detective find out for himself?”

Gabriel moved toward them, his gun held steady. The Blackwater team took position, encircling from all directions. There was no escape.

“Enough games,” Gabriel said coldly. “We have a deadline.”

“Ah yes, deadline,” Marcus sounded amused. “Or rather... dead wife?”

The words hit Leo like a slap. Memories of that night came rushing back - Charlotte, his wife, lying lifeless on the floor of their apartment. The case he never solved, the one that ruined his career as a detective.

“She's innocent,” Amara said suddenly. Her voice broke. “Charlotte... she was just in the wrong place.”

“Shut up!” Marcus snapped. “Stick to the plan!”

But something had changed in the way Amara stood. Her hand holding the gun began to shake more violently.

“I'm tired of lying,” she continued. “Leo must know the truth. About Project Oracle. About Charlotte. About... us.”

Leo sensed the change in Amara's body. Slowly, he loosened his grip.

“Project Oracle isn't just about corruption,” Amara whispered. “That's just the surface. The truth is... much deeper.”

“Don't you dare-” Marcus started to threaten, but Amara ignored him.

“Charlotte found something in her research at Oracle Corp. An international money laundering network involving big names. But that's not what made them kill her.” Amara swallowed. “She found evidence that Marcus... my father... was behind it all.”

Gabriel raised his gun higher. “That's enough!”

“Charlotte tried to contact you that night,” Amara turned to Leo, her eyes glazed over. “But Marcus found out. He sent... he told me...”

Realization hit Leo like a wave. “You...”

“Yes,” Amara closed her eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I killed your wife. On the orders of my own father.”

The confession shook the air around them. Leo released Amara completely, taking a step back. His world spun.

“But I didn't know!” Amara exclaimed. “I didn't know she was pregnant back then!”

Time seemed to stop. Leo felt his knees go weak. “What...?”

“Well, well,” Marcus let out a long sigh. “Looks like we'll have to change our plans.”

Suddenly, the sprinklers on the ceiling turned on, drenching them with... something that wasn't water. It smelled sharp, chemical.

“Gas!” Gabriel shouted, but it was too late. The Blackwater team began to fall one by one.

In the ensuing chaos, Leo saw Amara move quickly. Her hand threw something - a golden flash drive that should have contained the virus.

“Catch!” she yelled before collapsing.

Leo caught the drive by reflex. On its surface were engraved words in small letters: “Project Rebirth - Charlotte Hayes.”

“Interesting turn of events,” Marcus' voice sounded amused. “But unfortunately, Leo, you won't live long enough to read the contents.”

The gas was getting thicker. Leo's vision began to blur. Beside him, Gabriel lay unconscious. Amara... where was Amara?

The sound of steps could be heard approaching. Through the gas haze, Leo saw the figure of Marcus walking casually with a gas mask on his face.

“You know what's the saddest thing?” Marcus stopped in front of him. “Charlotte didn't really need to die. If only she wasn't so... idealistic.”

Leo tried to hold on, but his legs began to wobble. “Why... why Charlotte?”

“Because she was perfect,” Marcus smiled behind his mask. “Her DNA was... compatible with Project Rebirth. We needed... the right carrier.”

“Car...rier?”

“For a new generation of secret agents. Imagine - spies programmed from the womb. Charlotte and her baby... they're the key.”

The world was getting darker in Leo's eyes. But before he lost consciousness completely, he heard Marcus whisper:

“And you know what's more interesting? The baby... survived.”

Leo fell to the cold floor of Oracle Corp with one last question echoing in his mind: If the baby survived... where is he now?

The darkness swallowed him before he could find the answer.

When Leo opened his eyes, he was in a completely different place. A luxurious room with a view of Sydney harbor spread out below. Afternoon sunlight streamed in through the tall windows, creating long shadows on the marble floor.

“Welcome back,” a voice greeted. It wasn't Marcus. Not Amara.

Leo turned his head and saw a woman sitting in an expensive leather chair in the corner of the room. Her hair was platinum blonde, her eyes ice blue. There was something familiar in the way she smiled.

“Charlotte?” Leo whispered in disbelief.

The woman chuckled. “Close, but not quite.” She stood up, her elegant black dress fluttering gently. “My name is Katherine Hayes. Your daughter.”

Leo felt the world spinning faster. Katherine Hayes - her name sounded like an all-too-real dream. He noticed the woman in more detail now - a firm jaw like his own, ice-blue eyes identical to Charlotte's, and a graceful yet alert manner of standing. There was no mistaking it, this was her daughter. The daughter she never knew existed.

“We should have met under better circumstances,” Katherine continued, walking over to the bar counter in the corner of the room. Her movements were practiced, efficient - like a predator disguised in silk. “Tea? Or perhaps something stronger?”

“How...” Leo tried to get up from the sofa he was lying on, but his head was still throbbing. “How did you survive?”

Katherine poured bourbon into two crystal glasses. “Project Rebirth has medical technology far beyond its time. They managed to... save me, even at the cost of Charlotte.” She handed one glass to Leo. “Ironic, isn't it? The program that killed my mother is the same program that gave me a chance at life.”

Leo accepted the glass with trembling hands. An expensive bourbon - a 25-year-old Macallan. His favorite drink back in the day, before tragedy changed everything. How did Katherine know?

“I watched you for years,” Katherine seemed to read his mind. “Gathered information, learned every detail of your life. Even became one of your taxi passengers a few times.” She smiled faintly. “You never recognized me.”

“Why now?” Leo finally asked. “Why show up now?”

Katherine took a slow sip of her bourbon before answering. “Because Marcus finally made a mistake. That flash drive Amara gave you - it contained more than just Project Rebirth data. It contained evidence that Marcus had betrayed many people. Including... the organization that raised me.”

“You work for them?” Leo felt anger begin to replace his confusion. “The organization that killed your mother?”

“Life is complicated, Dad,” Katherine put down her glass. “Yes, they killed Charlotte. But they also gave me the purpose, the ability, and the resources for revenge. Marcus had to pay for everything - Charlotte's death, the destruction of your life, and...” she paused, ”his manipulation of Amara.”

The name made Leo flinch. “Where is she?”

“Safe. For the time being.” Katherine walked to the window, looking out at the sun beginning to sink over the Sydney horizon. “Amara is a pawn in a much bigger game. Marcus raised her with one goal in mind - to be a tool to destroy you. But he didn't take one thing into account...”

“Conscience,” Leo finished. He remembered the doubt in Amara's eyes as she pointed the gun at him.

Katherine nodded. “And now, we have a chance to end it all. But...” she turned to face Leo, ”I need your help. Not as a former detective, not as Marcus' target, but as my father.”

Leo stared at the woman before him - the daughter he never knew, his flesh and blood raised in darkness. In her eyes, he saw the same determination that Charlotte once had. And for the first time since that night, Leo felt something long lost: hope.

“Tell me everything,” he said, gulping down his bourbon.

And under Sydney's twilight sky, Katherine Hayes begins to unveil a secret that will change everything.