Project Prometheus Ch. 64 - Teaser (Patreon)

“You should already know why I was in Undertown,” he said, the weight of his words hanging in the air. “One of your guys was following me and my ladies earlier in the day. I’m surprised you haven’t mentioned it yet.”

The officers exchanged amused glances. The female officer let out a sharp scoff, folding her arms. “One of ours? You’re paranoid, Alex. There’s no way—”

“I know what I saw,” Alex cut in, his eyes narrowing. “This guy—he wasn’t some random street thug or bystander. He moved like a cop. Too smooth, too coordinated. He blended in with the crowd, stayed just out of sight, but never too far. He knew what he was doing.”

“And how exactly does someone ‘move like a cop,’ Alex? You’re talking like you can read minds,” the male officer snorted as he frowned. Alex shook his head, irritation bubbling to the surface as he growled out a response.

“I’ve been around long enough to know the signs. He was watching, analyzing, but always in control of the situation. Every time we took a turn, he was there—close enough to track us but never drawing attention. And when the crowds thickened, he adapted. It wasn’t just about tailing us; he was acting like he belonged, like he was part of the flow, but there was a tension to him. He was too disciplined, too deliberate in the way he moved.”

The officers’ expressions shifted from amusement to mild confusion. The female officer opened her mouth to argue, but Alex continued before she could speak.

“And the way he carried himself—it reminded me of how you cops act when you’re undercover. Sharp, calculated, always watching everything. Like he was waiting for something. I figured he was one of yours. Maybe he was supposed to shadow us, keep tabs, but it wasn’t subtle enough, considering we were able to ditch him.”

The room went silent as the officers processed his words. The male officer’s brow furrowed deeply, and the female officer uncrossed her arms, glancing at her partner. Neither of them had expected this.

“Wait a second,” the male officer muttered, looking more serious now. “We don’t have anyone assigned to you, Alex,” he said as he glanced at his partner, who gave a slight shake of her head, confirming his confusion.

“We weren’t tracking you. If someone was following you, it wasn’t from our precinct. We would’ve known about it. Are you sure about this?” the woman asked, her softened voice still carrying a note of suspicion.

Alex’s pulse quickened. If this wasn’t a sanctioned tail, then who was the man following him, Natalya and Kasumi? His instincts had screamed cop, but now the uncertainty left a knot of unease twisting in his gut.

“I’m sure,” Alex said firmly. “Whoever he was, he knew what he was doing. And if you don’t know anything about it, then you’ve got a bigger problem on your hands.”

The officers stiffened, their momentary confusion giving way to a renewed attempt to reassert control. The male officer took a step forward, looming over Alex’s bed, his voice hardening.

“Look, Alex, you’re not in a position to play games here,” he said, the authority creeping back into his tone. “You can start answering our questions now, or this situation’s going to get a lot worse for you.”

“We need to know what you were doing in Undertown. Now. You keep stonewalling us, and this could start looking like you’ve got something to hide,” the female officer stated as she crossed her arms again, her expression sharpening. Alex wasn’t moved. He shifted slightly against the restraints, his gaze never wavering. His patience for their posturing was wearing thin, and he was done answering their questions.

“You want answers? Go find out who was tailing me and my ladies. If you’re so desperate to know what I was doing, maybe you’ll get your answers that way.”

“Don’t get clever with us, Alex,” the man said, upping his bravado a bit.

“I’m not being clever,” Alex said, his voice cool and dismissive. “I’m telling you how to get what you’re after. You’ve got someone out there watching me, and you don’t even know about it. Maybe that should be your priority instead of barking at me.”