Intern’s Log: Cairo, the Infiltration Specialist Who Is Absolutely Planning Something

  Date: Redacted

  Intern ID: Reynolds, J. (I have met the sneakiest creature on Earth, and I am afraid.)

  So.

  I have survived Chips’ tactical cold war, Stubby’s explosion-based humor, Lucca’s terrifying refusal to let anyone die, and Nemo’s living wall of doom.

  Now?

  Now I’m meeting Cairo.

  The infiltration specialist.

  The stealth expert.

  The one they literally designed to be a ghost.

  And now?

  Now I have absolutely no proof he exists.

  Phase One: The First Time I “Met” Cairo (Spoiler: I Didn’t)

  "Oh, you’re meeting Cairo today?" Lucca had asked me that morning, grinning.

  "Yeah," I said. "Where is he?"

  "Oh, you’ll find him."

  That should have been a red flag.

  So I walked into Cairo’s quarters, expecting to find yet another terrifyingly built, genetically enhanced supersoldier staring me down.

  Instead?

  Nothing.

  Empty room.

  No signs of life.

  Except—wait.

  Was that the faintest movement in the shadows?

  I blinked, and it was gone.

  I stood there for a good thirty seconds, waiting for something to happen.

  Nothing did.

  I sighed.

  "Well, I guess he’s not here—"

  "Boo."

  I died.

  Phase Two: Cairo, the Smugest Creature in This Facility

  I whipped around so fast I nearly dislocated something.

  And there he was.

  Standing right behind me.

  Where there had been no one before.

  Looking far too amused.

  ? Breed: Belgian Malinois

  ? Tall, lean, and way too smooth in his movements

  ? Eyes sharp and unreadable, like he’s always three steps ahead

  ? The kind of guy who never makes a sound unless he wants to

  ? Smiling. Smiling like he knows every embarrassing thing you’ve ever done.

  "Jesus—!" I gasped.

  He tilted his head.

  "Nah. Just Cairo."

  I hate him.

  Phase Three: The Walking Shadow

  "So," I said, once I had recovered from my near-death experience. "Stealth specialist, huh?"

  "You could say that." Cairo said smoothly.

  "How good are we talking?"

  He grinned.

  Then, before I could blink, he was gone.

  I spun in place, scanning the room.

  Nothing.

  "Cairo?"

  Nothing.

  "Alright, very funny, just—"

  A voice whispered directly into my ear.

  "Took you 4.2 seconds to panic. Not bad."

  I hit the ground like I’d been shot.

  And from the corner of the ceiling, Cairo laughed.

  HE WAS IN THE GODDAMN CEILING.

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  Phase Four: The Time He Stole My ID Badge and I Never Got It Back

  Cairo is not just a stealth specialist.

  He is a kleptomaniac menace.

  And I learned this the hard way when, two hours after meeting him, I tried to badge into a restricted lab…

  And my ID was gone.

  I checked my pockets. My bag. My sleeves.

  Nothing.

  Then I heard a soft chuckle from above.

  I looked up.

  And there, perched like a gargoyle on a light fixture, was Cairo.

  Holding my ID.

  Flipping it between his fingers.

  Smirking.

  "Looking for something?"

  I hate him so much.

  Phase Five: Cairo is Always Watching

  After that, I started noticing things.

  ? Things going missing.

  ? Doors being left open.

  ? Security footage glitching at the worst possible times.

  ? Conversations being just slightly overheard.

  ? The faintest flicker of movement in a hallway when no one should be there.

  And every time I turned to catch him?

  Nothing.

  But sometimes, just sometimes—

  I would hear a soft chuckle.

  Like he was always there.

  Watching.

  Waiting.

  Enjoying the fact that I could never quite prove it.

  Phase Six: The Moment I Realized Cairo is Always Three Steps Ahead

  One night, I was leaving the facility, exhausted, ready to go back to my quarters and pretend I had control over my life.

  Then I saw it.

  A note, taped to my door.

  I pulled it off, opened it, and read:

  "Reynolds—"

  "You really should lock your terminal before walking away. Password security is important."

  My stomach dropped.

  Because my terminal was restricted access.

  And Cairo doesn’t have clearance.

  I sprinted back to my workstation.

  And there, sitting casually in my chair, feet up on the desk—

  Was Cairo.

  Smiling.

  Drinking my coffee.

  "Relax," he said, before I could start screaming. "I didn’t change anything. Just… wanted to see if I could get in."

  "AND YOU COULD?!"

  "Of course."

  He took another sip.

  "I can get in anywhere."

  Phase Seven: The One Good Thing About Cairo (I Think?)

  Here’s the most unsettling part about all of this.

  Cairo?

  He’s not malicious.

  ? Chips is waiting for the moment leadership fails.

  ? Stubby is a walking war crime waiting to happen.

  ? Lucca will keep you alive whether you want her to or not.

  ? Nemo is inevitable.

  But Cairo?

  Cairo doesn’t want control.

  Cairo just wants access.

  And that?

  Might be worse.

  Because if he ever decides he does want something?

  There is nothing, and I mean nothing, that will stop him from taking it.

  Final Thoughts (I Will Never Sleep Again)

  ? Cairo is always watching.

  ? Cairo can be anywhere.

  ? Cairo can get into anything.

  ? Cairo enjoys knowing things other people don’t.

  ? Cairo stole my ID and I never got it back.

  I don’t know what he’s planning.

  But I do know this—

  If I ever wake up to find Cairo standing in my room?

  It’s already too late.

  End Log.