Chapter Twelve: The Forest Ambush

The wind howled through Northwave Forest like a warning whispered from the void. Tall pine trees loomed over the hilltop as Isabella crouched in the grass beside Colonel Anthony, her heartbeat syncing with the quiet beeping of the EMP device strapped to her chest.
“This is it,” he whispered. “Five minutes until Sylas’s satellite link comes within range. If we mirror the signal, we can access every transmission from his Port Mason headquarters.”
Major Uma watched the treeline through night-vision goggles. “No movement. But it’s too quiet.”
Shadows in the Trees
The Echo Unit worked swiftly, setting up a decoy transmitter disguised as a forestry service antenna. Isabella connected her laptop and tapped furiously, decoding access layers. Her fingers didn’t tremble—until they hit a barrier.
“Encrypted shield… different from the last one,” she said. “This wasn’t Victor’s usual firewall.”
Colonel Xiaxer leaned in. “Someone else modified it.”
A sudden click behind them made everyone freeze.
Then—
BOOM!
A flash grenade burst two meters away. Shouts echoed from the trees.
“We’re compromised!” Major Uma yelled, pulling Isabella behind cover.
Gunfire erupted. Red lasers danced across the hilltop. Pikolo’s men—dressed in black, faces masked—surrounded the perimeter, moving with military precision.
Pikolo Appears
From behind a tree, a man stepped forward, calm amidst the chaos.
Pikolo.
Smirking. Confident. Dressed in a charcoal trench coat.
“Beautiful Isabella,” he said, raising his voice over the gunfire. “Did you really think this game was only between you and Victor Sylas?”
Colonel Anthony fired two warning shots.
“You’re surrounded, Pikolo!”
Pikolo laughed.
“You think you’re winning? Victor let you intercept this on purpose. He wants you distracted while he relocates his entire operation.”
Isabella stood slowly, hands raised.
“Where is my sister?”
Pikolo cocked his head. “Your sister? She left you a long time ago. The Esther you knew no longer exists.”
A chill gripped Isabella’s spine.
Narrow Escape
Smoke bombs hissed across the hill as Echo Unit returned fire. Major Uma grabbed Isabella’s arm and yelled, “Fall back! He’s baiting us!”
They retreated into the woods, leaping over roots and ducking under branches. Behind them, Pikolo didn’t chase—he watched. Observed. Smiling like a man who knew more than he should.
“Next time,” he called out. “Come alone.”
Damage Report
Back at the safehouse, Isabella paced furiously.
“They were tipped off again,” she said. “We had a secure route. This means…”
Colonel Xiaxer nodded grimly. “We have a leak. Someone inside our own network is feeding Pikolo real-time intel.”
“And Sylas too?” asked Major Uma.
“Possibly. But Pikolo’s more immediate. He’s the knife in the dark.”
Charles Peters arrived an hour later, eyes burning with fury and worry.
“Are you hurt?” he asked Isabella.
“No. But I saw him. Pikolo. He mentioned Esther.”
Charles turned pale. “What did he say?”
“That she’s… not the same.”
Silence. Heavy. Haunting.
The Secret Recording
Later that night, Isabella checked the corrupted footage from her laptop—only to discover a hidden recording that played back just before the explosion.
A conversation. Garbled, but clear enough.
Unknown Voice 1: “She’s getting close.”Unknown Voice 2 (Pikolo): “Let her come. Sylas wants to see how far she’ll go.”Unknown Voice 1: “And the girl?”Pikolo: “Esther? She belongs to him now.”
Isabella’s hands clenched.
Victor Sylas wasn’t just using Pikolo. He had Esther.
And now, Isabella wasn’t just fighting for justice—she was fighting to save what was left of her sister.

To Be Continued from Second Series. 
Read and donate to us, so we can continue sharing our stories