The forgotten code

Alex shut the laptop, their hands trembling. The email was still on their phone, the words burned into their mind: 

**"You're being watched."** 

Who had sent it? How did they know? And more importantly, why?

Alex paced the room, the questions twirling like a whirlwind. It was *Orion* who had led them and stopped two disasters within fewer than twenty-four hours now. Now, someone other than them knew what to do, someone who also did not want them to. 

No way to get rid of the feeling, Alex popped open the laptop. This time, the screen woke up as if waiting there.

This time, Alex typed in with greater hurry: 

**Who's watching me?** 

The screen went blank again and showed this message:

**INSUFFICIENT DATA.**

"Helpful," Alex muttered to herself, typing once more:

**Who sent me this email?**

Again instant: 

**UNKNOWN.

Great," Alex said, running a hand through their hair. They were about to slam the lid shut again when the screen blinked, and new text appeared:

**SECURITY ALERT: INTRUSION DETECTED.**

Alex's breath caught. "Intrusion? What kind of—"

Before they could finish, a new message appeared:

**DO NOT TURN AROUND.

Their blood ran cold. Alex froze in place, their back to the apartment door. The air felt heavier, the silence deafening. Slowly, they reached for their phone, their fingers fumbling to unlock it. 

A sharp knock broke the stillness. 

Alex jumped, nearly dropping the phone. The knock came again, louder this time. 

"Alex Carter?" a deep voice called from the other side.

They hesitated, their heart pounding. "Who's asking?" 

"I have information about *Orion*," the voice said. "You need to let me in. Now." 

Alex glanced at the laptop screen, where the word "WARNING" was flashing in bold letters. Against their better judgment, they approached the door and peeked through the peephole.

A man in a black jacket stood outside, face obscured by a baseball cap. He said, "You got 30 seconds."

Alex unlocked the door, feeling their instincts screaming against them. "Who are you?" they demanded, still holding the chain in place.

The man leaned closer. "Call me the Whisperer," he said. "And if you want to survive what's coming, you'll hear me out.