Controlled Assets

The rain had stopped, but the humidity still clung to the air, thick and heavy. Inside the safe house, the glow of laptop screens and scattered papers turned the space into something resembling a war room.

Jessica leaned against the counter, arms crossed, watching Olivia type at a relentless pace. Leanna stood beside her, reviewing notes, her sharp eyes flicking over the data with precision.

It had been hours since Olivia had started cross-referencing names, dates, and financial records. The picture forming wasn’t just disturbing, it was calculated.

Jessica exhaled. “Tell me we have something.”

Olivia didn’t look up. “Depends what you define as ‘something.’”

Leanna smirked, but there was no amusement in it. “Give us the short version.”

Olivia sat back, rubbing her eyes. “It’s a financial maze, but the pattern is clear. Over the last two election cycles, certain shell corporations, companies that technically don’t exist, have been funneling money into PACs supporting the President.” She gestured at the screen. On-screen, a lattice of digital lines pulsed in red. Names blinked into place. Shell corporations. Lobbyist fronts. Olivia followed with a million dollar question, “And guess who has ties to almost all of them?”

Jessica already knew the answer, “Vanguard.”

Olivia nodded. “Directly or through subsidiaries. They’ve been feeding money into the system in ways that don’t trip alarms. It’s dark money, legally untouchable.”

Leanna frowned. “So what’s the endgame? Vanguard backs politicians all the time, but this feels... different.”

Jessica tapped a finger against the counter, thinking. “It’s not just about influence. It’s about control.”

Leanna raised a brow. “You think they’re rewriting people?”

Jessica met her gaze. “I think Olivia’s onto something. If the same technology that made me who I am has been refined…” She let the thought hang.

No one spoke. The weight of the possibility settled over the room.

Leanna was the first to break the silence. “We need proof.”

“Already on it.” Olivia cracked her knuckles and turned back to her laptop. “I can dig deeper into campaign finance records, see if there are any direct links that haven’t been erased.”

Leanna nodded. “I’ll look into foreign intelligence chatter. If there’s a shift in policy that benefits a particular party, someone’s noticed.”

Jessica exhaled. “And I’ll start reaching out to old contacts.”

Olivia glanced at her. “You thinking D.C.?”

Jessica hesitated, then nodded. “We’re going to have to see him in person.”

Leanna’s jaw tightened. “You think that’s a good idea?”

Jessica shrugged. “No. But it’s the only move we have.”

---

Later that night, Jessica found Sam at his usual spot, his back porch, whiskey in hand, the scent of salt in the air. He was watching the horizon, as if the ocean might answer whatever unspoken questions he carried.

Jessica sat beside him, stretching her legs out. “Got a minute?”

Sam smirked. “I’ve got a bottle.That close enough?”

Jessica exhaled. “I need to say this out loud to someone who isn’t neck-deep in it.”

He nodded, patient as ever.

She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. “What if they’ve figured out how to reprogram people? Not just experiments, not just controlled subjects, but people in power. What if the President isn’t him anymore?”

Sam swirled his whiskey, watching the liquid catch the light. “And you think Vanguard’s behind it?”

Jessica nodded. “Money trails lead back to them. And we know they’ve worked on altering consciousness before.”

Sam took a sip, considering. “The question is what do you do with that?”

Jessica’s throat felt tight. “We go to D.C.”

Sam turned to her, eyes steady. “That’s dangerous.”

Jessica met his gaze. “So is doing nothing.”

He studied her for a long moment, then nodded. “Then you already know what you have to do.”

She exhaled. “Yeah. Just needed to hear it.”

Sam poured her a glass, pushing it toward her. “Then drink up. You’re going to need it.”

---

By the time she returned to the beach house, Olivia and Leanna were still at it, connecting dots, pulling threads.

Jessica leaned against the doorframe and stared at the map on Olivia’s tablet. Washington looked like any other city. But she knew better. It was where ghosts wore suits and truth bled out in secure rooms.

“We’re going to D.C.” she said. The words tasted like ash.

Olivia grinned. “I’ll get my press credentials in order.”

Leanna sighed. “I’ll look into flights.”

Jessica rolled her shoulders, the tension settling in. They weren’t ready. But they never would be. It didn’t matter because the game was already in motion.