Decoy

Decoy
“Max, we need to talk,” Zachary’s voice was low, almost a whisper, as he caught Max alone near the outskirts of their camp. The sky above had darkened, and the distant crackle of the campfire sounded faint against the looming tension in the air. Max glanced at him, brow furrowed, sensing the gravity of whatever Zachary was about to say.

“What is it?” Max asked, still on edge from their earlier confrontation with Gabriel. His thoughts hadn’t settled, and he wasn’t sure he was ready for more revelations tonight.

Zachary’s face was serious, the lines of his usually calm demeanor hardening into something more strained. He shifted his weight, glancing around to ensure no one was within earshot before continuing. “It’s about Vera… or the woman we thought was Vera.”

Max blinked. “What about her?”

Zachary took a deep breath. “That woman isn’t Vera. She’s a decoy—created by Celeste.”

Max stared at him, not comprehending. “What are you talking about?”

“The moment she woke up,” Zachary continued, his voice steady but laced with tension, “I knew something was wrong. I’ve known Vera for years—everything about her, her movements, her presence. There are small, subtle differences, ones that you wouldn’t notice unless you’ve spent as much time with her as I have. The way she speaks, the way she carries herself… it’s not her. It’s a mimic.”

Max’s heart raced as Zachary’s words began to sink in. The possibility of yet another deception sent chills down his spine. “A decoy? How can you be sure?”

Zachary’s eyes were resolute. “I’ve dealt with Celeste’s tricks before. This is her handiwork—she planted this decoy to mislead us, to waste our time while she does… God knows what.”

Max felt a cold shudder. It made sense in a horrifying way, like a puzzle piece sliding into place that he hadn’t wanted to see before. “And Vera… the real Vera?”

“She’s still out there,” Zachary replied grimly. “Alive, or at least I hope she is. But as long as this decoy is with us, we’re chasing shadows. Celeste is playing us.”

Max exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. “So what do we do?”

Zachary’s expression darkened. “We kill her.”

Max froze, eyes wide. He had expected something drastic, but not this. “Kill her? Zach, that’s—”

“Necessary,” Zachary interrupted, his voice harder now. “This decoy is a weapon, Max. She’s meant to divide us, confuse us, and keep us distracted. The longer she’s with us, the more danger we’re in. We need to eliminate her before she causes more damage.”

Max stepped back, his thoughts swirling. The weight of the decision pressed down on him. It felt wrong—too final, too brutal—but there was logic in Zachary’s words. If this decoy was a pawn in Celeste’s game, then leaving her alive could be a fatal mistake. Still, the thought of taking her life, even if she wasn’t the real Vera, felt like crossing a line.

“I don’t know, Zach…” Max’s voice trailed off, doubt creeping into his mind. “What if Gabriel’s involved in this too? What if this whole thing is tied to him?”

Zachary frowned. “You’re still thinking about that?”

“I can’t shake it,” Max admitted. “Something about Gabriel isn’t right either. He’s been off this whole time. Maybe he’s part of Celeste’s plan too.”

Zachary sighed. “We can’t act on speculation, Max. We need to focus on what we know. This decoy isn’t Vera, and she’s a threat. Gabriel… I don’t know, but we deal with one problem at a time.”

Max clenched his fists, feeling torn. The plan Zachary proposed wasn’t just about eliminating the decoy; it was about survival. But it also meant committing to a path he wasn’t sure he could walk down. The idea of killing someone—even a decoy—without definitive proof that it was the right course of action weighed heavily on him.

Zachary seemed to sense his hesitation. “Max, I get it. This isn’t easy, but we don’t have the luxury of time. Every moment we wait, Celeste is getting closer to whatever her goal is. We can’t afford to second-guess.”

Max stared at the ground, the firelight flickering across the earth, casting long shadows. A part of him wanted to trust Zachary’s instincts, to act decisively. But another part of him still questioned everything—Gabriel, the decoy, even Zachary’s certainty.

“Fine,” Max said quietly, his voice hoarse. “We’ll do it. But we need to be careful. If we make the wrong move, this whole thing could fall apart.”

Zachary nodded, his expression grim. “Agreed.”

The two of them stood in silence for a moment, the weight of their decision settling between them. The night seemed darker now, the fire casting long, eerie shadows as the tension in the camp grew.

As they began to plan their next move, Max couldn’t shake the feeling that this was only the beginning of something much darker. The mistrust, the secrets, and the looming danger—it was all building to something that none of them could fully understand yet.

And as much as he wanted to believe they were making the right choice, a deep unease gnawed at him.

“Okay, so how do we do this?” Max asked, trying to focus. “We can’t just waltz in and—”

“Let’s keep it simple,” Zachary interrupted, glancing around the darkened camp. “We wait until everyone is asleep. Then, we take her somewhere isolated. It’ll be quick.”

Max shook his head. “It’s not that easy, Zach. What if she has allies? We’ve seen how quickly things can escalate. We don’t know who she’s connected to.”

“Then we make sure she’s alone,” Zachary replied, his voice firm. “I’ll handle it. You just need to back me up.”

Max crossed his arms, frustration bubbling up. “Back you up? And what if something goes wrong? I can’t just stand by and watch you kill someone.”

Zachary stepped closer, lowering his voice. “It’s not about watching, Max. It’s about protecting ourselves and everyone else. If she’s part of Celeste’s plan, she’s dangerous. We’re already too deep into this.”

Max sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I get it. I really do. But I don’t want to be part of something that feels so… wrong. Killing her doesn’t sit right with me.”

Zachary studied him, his expression softening slightly. “You’re not a killer, I know that. But sometimes, we have to make tough choices for the greater good.”

“Is it really for the greater good, though?” Max challenged. “Or is it just easier to eliminate the problem rather than facing the truth?”

Zachary frowned. “You’re thinking too much. Look, let’s focus on the here and now. We need to gather more information about her. If she really is a decoy, maybe we can use her against Celeste.”

Max raised an eyebrow. “How? You want to use her as bait?”

“Not exactly.” Zachary shrugged. “But if we can find a way to draw Celeste out, we might learn something. We could set a trap.”

Max considered this for a moment. “You think it would work?”

“It’s worth a shot. We need to be proactive. Just sitting here waiting for Celeste to make her next move isn’t an option.”

Max nodded slowly, feeling a mix of anxiety and determination. “Alright. We’ll gather intel on the decoy and see if we can turn this around.”

Zachary’s expression shifted to one of relief. “Good. We can still keep an eye on Gabriel while we’re at it. If he’s involved, we need to know how deep this runs.”

“Right.” Max hesitated. “But we have to be careful about how we approach him. I don’t want to make any accusations without proof.”

“Agreed.” Zachary glanced toward the campfire where a few members of their group were still awake, chatting quietly. “For now, let’s play it cool. We can’t raise any suspicions.”

Max forced a small smile, though anxiety clawed at him. “Yeah, ‘play it cool’—that’s our specialty.”

Just then, they heard footsteps approaching. Gabriel emerged from the shadows, his eyes narrowed, sensing the tension between them. “What are you two plotting?”

Max exchanged a quick glance with Zachary before speaking. “Just discussing strategy for the next leg of our journey.”

Gabriel raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. “Strategy? It looks more like you’re plotting something.”

Zachary stepped in, trying to defuse the situation. “We’re just trying to stay ahead of Celeste’s moves. You know how unpredictable she is.”

Gabriel studied them both, his expression unreadable. “You’re right about that. We can’t let our guard down.” He paused, glancing between them. “But if you have something to share, now’s the time.”

Max felt a knot tighten in his stomach. “We’re just working out some details. No big deal, really.”

Gabriel nodded slowly, but the suspicion in his eyes didn’t fade. “I hope you both know what you’re doing. We can’t afford any mistakes.”

“Of course,” Zachary replied, forcing a smile. “We’ve got this under control.”

As Gabriel walked away, Max let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. “That was close.”

Zachary shook his head. “He’s onto us. We need to be more careful from now on.”

“Agreed. Let’s focus on finding out more about the decoy,” Max said, determination rising. “And keep our eyes on Gabriel.”

“Right.” Zachary smirked slightly, the tension between them easing. “We’ll figure this out. Together.”

But even as he said it, Max couldn’t shake the unease that settled deep within him. The stakes were rising, and he couldn’t help but feel that they were standing on the edge of a precipice. What lay ahead could change everything, and with each passing moment, he knew they were running out of time.