Jonah’s mind raced as the alarms blared, each deafening pulse serving as a reminder of how deeply they had been drawn into Lucian’s game. He stared at the monitor where the figure—a perfect doppelgänger of Lucian—stood just beyond the perimeter of their command center. Every detail, from the posture to the face, was a mirror image of the man they’d been hunting. But Jonah knew better. Lucian wasn’t sloppy. This was another illusion, another move in his elaborate game of deception.

“We’ve got movement,” Elias said, his voice tense as he pulled up the feed on a larger screen. “It looks like him, but something’s off.”

Jonah crossed his arms, focusing on the screen. His gut told him this wasn’t Lucian. Lucian didn’t just walk up to a fortified command center. That wasn’t his style.

“It’s a diversion,” Jonah said, eyes narrowing. “He wants us to waste time chasing shadows while he makes his real move somewhere else.”

Ryu nodded, already checking the other feeds. “He’s not here to attack. He’s here to distract us. Should we send someone out to confront him?”

Jonah shook his head. “No. That’s exactly what he wants. If we focus on this, we’ll miss what’s really happening. Stay here. Let’s see how this plays out.”

Elias furrowed his brow as he tapped into the security logs. “I’ll run a facial recognition scan, but I’m guessing it’ll come back clean. If Lucian’s going to use a decoy, he’s not going to make it easy to trace.”

Jonah stepped away from the monitor, pacing as he tried to think. Every part of his body was screaming to act, to chase down this lead, but his mind knew better. They were missing something crucial, something bigger. And if they weren’t careful, they’d fall right into Lucian’s trap.

Suddenly, the command center's comms buzzed to life again, and Jonah’s breath caught in his throat when Lucian’s voice filled the room.

“Well done, Jonah. You’re smarter than I gave you credit for.”

Jonah felt his blood run cold. Lucian’s voice was calm, smooth, the perfect balance of mockery and condescension. It was almost as though he were congratulating them, watching them squirm with satisfaction.

“I assume you’re watching the man outside your little fortress? Tell me, Jonah, what do you think he’s going to do next?”

Jonah’s jaw clenched. “You’re not fooling anyone, Lucian. We know it’s a decoy. Whatever game you’re playing, it won’t work.”

Lucian’s laugh was soft, unsettling. “Oh, Jonah, always so self-assured. But this isn’t about deception, not anymore. This is about choices. You see, your focus has always been on catching me, but you’ve missed the point entirely.”

Elias glanced at Jonah, confusion and unease written on his face. “What is he talking about?”

Jonah ignored Elias, his eyes still locked on the monitor. “What do you want, Lucian?”

“I want to see how far you’re willing to go,” Lucian’s voice purred through the speaker. “I’ve already given you all the clues. The man outside isn’t the only one you should be worried about. While you sit here debating, people are dying. Innocent lives, Jonah. Tick tock.”

Jonah’s stomach twisted. Lucian’s words hit him like a physical blow. He knew Lucian was capable of horrific things, but this time it felt different. The game wasn’t just about catching him anymore—it was about manipulation, about making them question everything, making them doubt their every move.

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Jonah straightened, his voice sharp. “What are you talking about? Where?”

Lucian’s response was chilling. “Oh, you’ll figure it out soon enough. But by then, it’ll be too late. Your clock is ticking, Jonah.”

And just like that, the line went dead.

Jonah slammed his fist onto the table, the frustration boiling over. He turned toward Elias and Ryu, both of whom were staring at him, waiting for orders.

“Get me a trace on that call!” Jonah barked, though he already knew it was useless.

Elias nodded, quickly running through the system. “I’m trying, but you know how he is. It’s probably bouncing off half a dozen locations.”

Ryu stepped forward, concern lacing his tone. “What do we do now? We can’t just sit here and wait.”

Jonah’s mind whirred with possibilities, but none of them felt right. Lucian had given them a choice, and the worst part was, they didn’t even know what it was yet. How many lives were on the line? What was Lucian’s endgame?

“Elias, keep working on the trace. Ryu, I need you to increase surveillance on all the high-profile locations we’ve identified. If Lucian is planning an attack, we need eyes everywhere.”

Ryu nodded and immediately got to work. But before he could issue orders, the alarms flared again. This time, it wasn’t just a decoy at the perimeter. There was a breach—a small explosion had been detected at one of the city’s main electrical grids.

Elias turned toward Jonah, his face pale. “We just lost power at Grid 19. That’s one of the key locations we marked earlier. It’s not close to the command center, but it’s a major hub for the city’s power supply.”

Jonah’s heart sank. *Lucian.*

“It’s starting,” Jonah muttered. “Lucian’s making his move.”

Emily’s voice suddenly crackled through the comms, cutting through the tense silence. “Jonah, we’ve got a situation. I’m at the meeting point outside the city. We spotted Lucian—or at least, someone who looked like him. But it wasn’t him. It was another decoy. He’s playing us, Jonah. We’re running in circles.”

Jonah’s grip on the comms tightened. “I know, Emily. We’ve got an electrical grid breach in the city. Lucian’s targeting critical infrastructure. We need to split our efforts. Can you handle the decoy?”

Emily’s voice was firm, despite the obvious tension in her words. “We’ve got this. But Jonah… something feels wrong. It’s too easy.”

“Stay sharp,” Jonah ordered. “We’ll deal with the grid and regroup. Be careful, Emily. This is exactly what Lucian wants.”

As the comms went silent again, Jonah turned to Elias and Ryu. “This isn’t just about infrastructure. Lucian’s setting us up for something bigger.”

Ryu glanced over at the monitors, his brow furrowed. “He’s spread us thin. If this keeps up, we’ll lose track of him completely.”

Jonah nodded. “That’s the point. We need to get ahead of him. Lucian wants us scattered and chasing phantoms.”

Elias, still working furiously at his station, spoke up. “Jonah, I think I’ve got a lead on the next target. The communications we decrypted earlier—there’s another location flagged, an old pharmaceutical plant on the far side of the city. It hasn’t been operational in years, but if Lucian’s using it…”

Jonah’s mind raced. “It’s isolated. If he’s hiding there, he could be planning something big without drawing attention.”

Ryu crossed his arms, considering the possibility. “If Lucian’s been using that place as a base, we might finally have a shot at catching him. But we’ll need to move fast. He’s probably expecting us.”

Jonah’s eyes narrowed. “That’s exactly why we’re going. He wants us to play into his hands, but we’re not going to give him the satisfaction.”

He turned to Elias. “Keep monitoring the city and alert us to any changes. Ryu and I will head to the plant. If Lucian’s there, we’ll take him down.”

Ryu grabbed his gear, ready to move. “What about Emily’s team?”

“We’ll leave them on the decoy for now. If we find Lucian at the plant, we’ll call for backup.”

With the plan set, Jonah and Ryu left the command center, their resolve hardening with each step. The city was under siege, but the true battle was only beginning. Lucian’s web of deception was tightening, but Jonah was determined to break through. One wrong move could cost them everything, but they couldn’t afford to hesitate. Lucian had underestimated their resolve before—this time, they wouldn’t let him slip away.

As they headed out into the night, Jonah knew the confrontation was coming, and one way or another, they would face Lucian.