The door eased open, and a young woman entered the ward. Her presence instantly drew attention: her honey-colored hair, pulled back into a tidy ponytail, revealed a face that was youthful yet sharply focused. She wore a black police-issued jacket over a fitted white top, tucked neatly into black jeans that hugged her athletic frame, exuding an air of no-nonsense authority. A badge, gleaming silver, dangled from a chain around her neck, swaying lightly with each step. Her almond-shaped hazel eyes swept across the room before settling on the young woman lying in the bed.

  “I’m Detective Kavanagh,” she announced, her voice crisp as she flashed her badge. “I’m here to take a statement regarding a shooting incident this morning.”

  Her gaze flicked to the towering man by the bed. “Are you Colonel Sev?”

  Seven’s brow furrowed as he studied the detective, her features closely resembling someone he’d not seen in over six years. “Katherine? Is that… you?”

  Detective Kavanagh froze as she gawked at the man who’d just spoken her name. “S–Seven?”

  Seven’s eyes brightened, a grin breaking through his initial uncertainty. “K… it’s you!”

  Watching from the side, Sana’s chest tightened, her teeth sinking into her lower lip. Do they know each other? What a coincidence! Is she an ex? It seems they haven’t spoken in years...

  Unexpectedly, Seven’s smile faded almost as quickly as it had appeared, his expression shifting as if a heavy thought had suddenly weighed on him. He drew a deep breath, the initial joy of the serendipitous reunion giving way to a somber mood.

  “K, can we talk outside?” he asked, his voice was steady but edged with an underlying tension.

  Katherine hesitated, then nodded. “Sure.”

  Turning to Sana, Seven murmured, “Please excuse us for a moment, we’ll be right back.”

  Then, he gently took Katherine’s hand and led her out of the ward.

  Sana blinked, her gaze lingering on Seven’s back as the door clicked shut behind them.

  What did this woman mean to him? He even held her hand.

  She felt a prickle of discomfort, a pang of something she couldn’t quite name.

  ……

  Outside, the fluorescent lights cast stark shadows on the linoleum floor, and the distant mechanical beeping of medical equipment from nearby rooms created a background hum that felt almost lifeless.

  Seven released Katherine’s hand and gathered himself before speaking. “K… Dad had hoped to see you… before he…” The words caught in his throat.

  Katherine’s breath hitched. “Before he what?”

  Seven’s gaze dropped to the floor. “I’m sorry, K… Dad… passed away two weeks ago.”

  Katherine’s face crumpled, her hand instinctively clutching her chest as if the news had physically struck her. For a moment, she couldn’t breathe. The corridor seemed to warp at the edges, the walls closing in around her.

  From a young age, Katherine had always felt overlooked by her father. She believed his military background made him view daughters as less worthy, less capable. He had devoted countless hours to shaping Seven into an elite soldier, imparting military values, field training, and combat skills while she watched from the sidelines.

  Determined to prove herself, Katherine had secretly enrolled in the police academy right after high school. Before running away, she wrote him a letter, laying bare her frustrations and vowing not to return until she’d made a name for herself. More than six years had passed since then, and she had quickly risen to the rank of detective. Yet, she had never reconciled with him, never heard the pride or acceptance she’d yearned for.

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  She looked down, her shoulders trembling as she fought back tears.

  “I’m sorry, brother... for leaving like I did.”

  Seven just stared at her, his features softening. He remembered the naive, bubbly little sister who had vanished one day, only to reappear now, seemingly more seasoned by life.

  “It’s okay,” he coaxed, pulling her into a hug. “I’m just glad we bumped into each other. We’ve got a lot to talk about.”

  He paused, his expression growing tense. “But right now, things are complicated. I brought a civilian here without registering her; she collapsed outside our house. I’ve gotta deal with that.”

  Katherine stepped back and quickly recomposed herself. “Okay. Let’s focus on the interviews first.”

  Seven gave a tight smile. “Yeah, let’s get back inside.”

  ……

  When they returned to the ward, the atmosphere felt more subdued, charged with unspoken questions. Seven gave Sana a reassuring glance before turning to Katherine.

  “K, I’ll give my statement first,” he said, his tone calm. “It’ll be quick.”

  Katherine agreed, taking out her logbook and pen. “Go ahead.”

  Seven recalled the events with military precision while Katherine jotted down notes, her face impassive. “And that’s when you brought her here?”

  “Yes. I’m a trauma specialist here.”

  Katherine looked up from her logbook, staring straight at him. “Anything else?”

  Seven pondered for a moment, then shook his head. “That’s all.”

  “Alright,” she said, flipping to a fresh page.

  “I’m heading out to grab some chow. Take your time.”

  With that, he left the ward, the door swinging shut behind him.

  Katherine motioned to Sana’s bed, her pen poised. “Alright, Miss... what’s your name? Could you spell it in full?”

  “Yes, I’m Sana Shahi, S, A, N, A, S, H, A, H, I.”

  As Sana’s words fell, Katherine’s hand froze for a second.

  “Got it,” she said before moving on to the next question. “What’s your cell phone number?”

  Sana curled slightly, feeling the weight of Katherine’s scrutiny. “It’s 703-977-7777.”

  “Got it. Let’s start from the beginning. I need a full account of what happened.”

  Sana swallowed, collecting herself before recounting the incident. “I’d just arrived back from a trip to New York,” she began, her voice soft but clear. “Lara Wolfe, my bodyguard, and James Porter, the Director of Training at TITAN Group, were with me. TITAN is a private security company. We were on our way back to my home from Dulles Airport when we were ambushed.”

  Katherine’s brow furrowed. “Continue.”

  Sana’s fingers tightened around the edge of her blanket, a little intimidated by Katherine’s stern demeanor. “There was a spike strip on the road. I was asleep at the time and was jolted awake. I don’t know where we were ambushed.”

  Katherine’s pen danced across the page. “Go on.”

  “They wanted my laptop, so Director James told me to swap places with Lara.”

  Katherine leaned in slightly, intrigued. “The suspects couldn’t tell you swapped places?”

  “No… Lara is always disguised as me when I have to travel. We swapped clothes and seats,” Sana explained.

  “I see… Go on.”

  Sana nodded and continued, “There was a thunderstorm; visibility was really bad. I don’t know how many attackers there were, maybe 15 to 20 men. We were outnumbered. When Lara left with their people, we sprang all the doors open and started shooting.”

  “What’s the make and model of your vehicle, and what’s the license plate?”

  “Ferrari Purosangue with Virginia plates 777 777.”

  “What weapon did you use?”

  “Glock 19.”

  “Do you know how many targets you hit?”

  “I… I’m not sure, maybe five or six,” Sana’s thoughts drifted back to the harrowing scene, sending a chill down her spine.

  Katherine looked fixedly at Sana, her expression unreadable. “Did you get a good look at any of the attackers? Anything distinctive?”

  Sana shook her head. “It was dark and raining heavily, and they were all wearing masks.”

  Katherine noted this down. “So how did you end up on Seven’s driveway?”

  “When they were reloading, Director James gave the signal to run toward the bushes. I ended up there somehow,” Sana replied, frowning at the recollection.

  Katherine finished writing, then looked back up at Sana. “Do you know what they wanted from your laptop?”

  Sana paused, searching her memory. “No, I don’t,” she sighed.

  Katherine’s thoughts churned, her mind working through possibilities. “Where do you work and what do you do?” she asked, her tone softer now.

  “I work at Data Dynamics. We provide IT services and solutions to the U.S. government and its agencies. I’m a Junior Vice President there.”

  Katherine scribbled something in her logbook.

  “Alright, I think we’re done for now,” she said, slipping the book and pen back into her backpack. “Thanks for your cooperation, Ms. Shahi. I’ll be in touch if we need anything else.”

  Sana’s shoulders relaxed, as if a weight had been lifted, but the unease still coiled tightly in her chest. The questions had stopped, but the memories remained vivid, threading through her mind like barbed wire.