00:10 AM
Mickey Mannix was fast asleep like everyone else, recharging for the day ahead.
But...
"..."
In the darkness of his room, with the lights off, the boy's eyes opened. His instincts—honed through years of operative training—had awakened him.
It wasn't a sound that roused him.
Nor movement.
It was a scent.
Something unfamiliar had drifted into his room.
Sniff... sniff...
Just two quiet inhales—and the seasoned spy could identify the aroma lingering in the air.
For most Westerners, this smell would be unrecognizable. They'd be left confused, unable to pin it down.
But Mickey knew it.
He had two Thai friends.
He'd encountered this scent before.
It was nam ob—traditional Thai floral water.
"...."
It was in his room.
Not strong, but definitely not faint either.
"...."
He didn't turn on the light.
Didn't panic.
Didn't even bother investigating.
Instead, Mickey calmly shifted into a new sleeping position—
And went back to sleep.
No matter how strong the scent grew...
5:25 AM
Jody Johansson's eyes fluttered open from her second round of sleep.
It had only been five hours since she got back to her room.
Really, she only managed about three hours of actual sleep.
What happened tonight had left her tossing and turning. She couldn't stop thinking.
"....."
A sigh escaped from her nose.
She sat up in bed.
She tried to sketch the image of the red-haired woman she'd seen in her dream.
But nothing came.
The face… the details… it was all too hazy.
Jody couldn't even remember the actual events in the dream anymore.
Just that she saw a red-haired woman… and Sid.
"...."
She rubbed her eyes and clutched her forehead.
She tried, but... nothing.
She couldn't recall a thing. And she still couldn't fall asleep.
[...There was! She's been with us since the airport! When the four of us fought the bad guys in the bakery! The red-haired lady was with us too!]
[I saw her doing something weird around here earlier!]
"...."
"...Four people… Four, huh…"
Jody clasped her hands together and sighed deeply.
That moment shook her more than she cared to admit.
Sally might be bratty—but she wasn't a liar.
Never had been.
That little girl... had always believed there were seven of them in the group?
That was the issue.
A big one.
Jody couldn't come up with a single reason why Sally would make something like that up. What would she gain?
And Jody wasn't someone prone to superstition. She didn't believe in ghosts, religion, the supernatural, or any of that nonsense.
But the things that had happened—
Tonight…
And back at Sid's house in London…
They defied logic. She couldn't explain them.
Her thoughts hit a wall.
Jody's entire worldview—based on logic and reason—couldn't explain this.
Was she just psyching herself out?
Tricking her own mind?
No…
She didn't think so.
"..."
Even if her mind wasn't afraid… her body clearly was.
Her hands trembled. Sweat beaded down her palms.
Her instincts were screaming.
Whatever it was…
It hadn't hurt her.
But it had manifested—through sound—as if to let her know it was there.
Was it really the one Sally had seen?
A ghost?
A spirit?
Was it real?
Everything inside her was spinning.
Her beliefs were starting to crumble.
She didn't sleep again after that.
"..."
She considered telling Sid about all of this in the morning.
But she knew how he thought—very logically, like her.
She wouldn't be offended if he called her delusional or nuts.
In fact, if the roles were reversed, she'd probably say the same thing.
Still… there was one person she definitely didn't trust anymore:
Jade.
"That woman… she'll claim it was just side effects from the drugs they gave Sally."
It was a convenient excuse.
Far more reasonable.
Far more believable.
And Sally?
Just a child…
A child who'd been experimented on by Enlighten.
Who would believe her?
That left Jody with two choices:
Tell Sid → Bring Sally in to confirm → Mention the dream → It's just words, no proof → Jade counters with the drug theory → Jody gets branded crazy → No one believes her → Reputation damaged → Mission compromised.
Say nothing → Wait until things become clearer → Secretly talk to Sally or someone she really trusts.
Clearly, Option 2 was the smarter choice.
"...."
Decision made.
Jody would stay quiet for now.
And tomorrow—on the final rest day before they flew out—she would get her mental health checked.
Just to be sure...
That she was still sane.