Rain hammers the windshield as the black sedan closes in behind Devlan. The rearview mirror catches its tinted windows, steady and patient, like it wants them to notice.
Devlan Mitchel
That is not a tail I like. Sally, Elias, stay ready.
Elias
Pull over. If they want Sally, they are coming through us first.
Devlan swears under his breath and signals into a dim side street. The muscle car slides to a stop beneath a flickering streetlamp, rain streaking across the open door and the torn folder page on the seat.
The sedan stops too. A woman in a gray federal coat steps out, holding up a wet, sealed envelope. She does not reach for a weapon.
Moran
Sally, I need you to see this before anyone else decides for you. Your file was moved tonight.
She holds the envelope toward Sally. Across the front, in block letters, is a containment number that matches the documents Devlan showed her.
Moran
If you want the truth about the lab, take it now.
✓ Quest Accepted
Take the sealed envelope
“I keep my eyes on the woman and slowly take the envelope from her. Who are you?”
SUCCESS (Good Perception, rolled +0)
Sally keeps the woman in the gray coat in her sights and takes the envelope with a careful, steady pull. Rain beads on the waxed paper as it leaves the woman’s hand.
Moran
I am Federal Liaison Moran. Just Moran, tonight.
Sally
Who are you?
Moran
A courier, technically. A witness, more honestly. I have been trying to get this to you before it gets buried.
Devlan’s eyes flick from Moran to the matching containment number on the envelope, then back to Sally. Elias holds his position by the open door, tense but listening.
Moran
Your file was moved out of the lab system tonight. Someone wanted it gone before sunrise.
The envelope feels heavier in Sally’s hand than paper should. Moran does not step closer, but she keeps her gaze on Sally like she is waiting for permission to say the rest.
Quest Complete
Take the sealed envelope
+ New Item Acquired
Sealed Federal Envelope
“i ask Moran what shes talking about? than i explain to her that i have no memory of anything before the lab just minutes ago”
SUCCESS (Fair Persuasion, rolled +1)
Sally
What are you talking about? I do not remember anything before the lab, just minutes ago.
Moran absorbs that without blinking. The rain ticks on the sedan roof, and her shoulders ease by a fraction, like Sally has finally named the right door to open.
Moran
Then listen carefully. You are not a random patient, and you are not the only missing piece. Your file was pulled from a federal holding chain, not a local hospital. That means somebody with authority wanted you hidden.
Devlan’s grip tightens on the wheel, but he stays silent. Elias watches Moran instead of the street now, his protection turning into attention.
Moran
I was sent by a friend who still has contacts inside the system. He said if I found you first, I should put this in your hands before anyone else could rewrite it.
She taps the sealed envelope with one gloved finger, then glances at the torn page Sally already saw in Devlan’s folder, as if the two scraps belong to the same wound.
Moran
If you want the plain answer, the lab was not the beginning. It was where they kept you after something went wrong.
The words settle between the four of them, heavy and cold. Moran leaves the next choice hanging in the rain, waiting for Sally to ask for the name, the date, or the reason.
✓ Quest Accepted
Find a safe place to rest
“I ask Devlan to drive us away from here immediately. this is becoming too much and i need to lye down”
SUCCESS (Good Agility, rolled -1)