BOOK 1: BEYOND THE ICE WALL - Chapter 23: Watched (by Clive J. Welan)

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Chapter 23: Watched

The night felt longer than usual, the sea wind never stopping as the wooden planks of the dock creaked softly, as if the place was never truly still. They didn’t return to the warehouse—it was too risky—so instead they hid in an old building not far from the outer dock, its windows shattered and walls cracked, but enough to conceal them. Inside, only a single dim light remained on. Pierre stood by the window, watching outside.

“They’re still there,” he said quietly.

Quianna sat on the floor, a small laptop in front of her, trying to reanalyze the data.

“They’re not leaving,” she replied.

Rhevan leaned against the wall, silent, but his eyes never stopped moving. Eljireh sat alone in the corner of the room, quiet, his mind somewhere else.

ROOT FAMILY
PRIORITY OBSERVATION
18 YEARS

The number kept repeating. Eighteen years. Since he was a child, before he understood anything.

Why?

“Eljireh,” Quianna’s voice was soft.

He looked up.

“You okay?”

Eljireh nodded—but not convincingly.

“Why do you think…” he paused for a moment, “…they’ve been watching me?”

Silence. Quianna didn’t answer immediately.

“I don’t know.”

It was an honest answer.

And because of that… it felt heavier.

Pierre spoke from the window,
“Maybe because you ask too many questions.”

Eljireh shook his head.
“Not for that long.”

Silence.

Rhevan finally spoke, his voice low.
“The Global Council doesn’t monitor someone without a major reason.”

The words landed heavily.

Pierre turned.
“So you think he’s important?”

Rhevan didn’t answer directly.
“I think…”
“…he’s more than he knows.”

Silence.

Eljireh looked down at the floor.

More than he knows.

What did that mean?

Suddenly, footsteps sounded outside. Everyone froze. The light was turned off. Darkness.

The footsteps grew closer. A faint radio voice.

“Check this area.”

Global Council.

Pierre whispered, barely audible,
“They’re here.”

Quianna held her breath. Rhevan signaled—don’t move.

The footsteps came closer. A shadow passed the window.

Then stopped.

Right in front of the door.

Silence.

No one dared to breathe too loudly. Seconds felt like minutes.

Click.

The door handle moved slightly.

Pierre clenched his fist.

But it didn’t open.

The footsteps eventually moved away. The radio crackled again.

“Area clear.”

A few seconds passed. Rhevan exhaled quietly.

“Not safe yet.”

The light was turned back on. Quianna looked at Eljireh.

“We can’t stay here long.”

Rhevan nodded.
“Tomorrow night, we leave.”

Pierre said,
“If they don’t catch us first.”

Silence.

Eljireh stood and walked to the window, staring outside. In the distance… the lights of the surveillance ship were still there, unmoving, waiting. In his mind… his father’s voice returned.

“One day…”
“…you will find something you cannot avoid.”

Eljireh clenched his fist.

What did his father know?
And why… did all of this feel planned?

On the other side of the harbor, inside a dark vehicle, Lucien Varkis sat quietly as an agent said,
“We’re close to locating them.”

Lucien didn’t respond immediately. He simply looked toward the dock.

“No need to rush,” he said softly.

The agent hesitated.
“Commander?”

Lucien gave a faint smile.
“They won’t get far.”

He looked at the screen—their traces, their movements—everything visible.

“Because they don’t know…” he paused for a moment,
“…that we’re already far ahead of them.”

Back in the old building, Eljireh still stood at the window, staring into the darkness, but for the first time… he didn’t just feel watched.

He felt…

known.

And that was far more terrifying.

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