A cunning psychopath joins a cult targeting vulnerable women, but when they unknowingly pursue an undercover cop, their twisted scheme unravels.
Copyright © Priya Florence Shah
The bar was dim and full of shadows, which suited Rook Morrow just fine. He lounged in the corner booth, nursing a glass of whiskey, his gaze lazily drifting over the room.
He noticed a young couple laughing, two older men arguing sports, and a woman who kept glancing his way—a mouse, uncertain and eager for validation. Vulnerable.
“See something you like?” Caspian’s voice slid into his thoughts as he slipped into the booth across from Rook, the smirk on his face almost taunting.
Rook smiled, barely a twitch of the lips. “Plenty, Caspian. But I don’t think you brought me here to talk about scenery.”
“No.” Caspian leaned in, dropping his voice. “I brought you here to offer you something you can’t refuse.”
Rook raised an eyebrow, intrigued. Caspian was a fixer, a man known for his connections. If he was offering something, it would be something big.
“We could use a man like you,” Caspian continued. “Someone good at finding the right people and… taking what he needs.”
Rook leaned back, feigning indifference. “I already do well on my own.”
Caspian chuckled, unbothered. “Think bigger, Rook. Think about an organization that watches your back. All you’d need to do is… show some loyalty.”
Rook’s eyes flickered, a glint of interest breaking through his mask of calm. “And what does that loyalty look like?”
Caspian leaned forward, voice dropping to a near whisper. “Initiation. We have a woman in mind—lonely, trusting, ready for someone like you to step in. You get close, and we take it from there. We’ll provide cover, anonymity. And if you’re in, you hand over something for us to keep. Proof that we’re in this together.”
Rook’s pulse quickened, though he’d never show it. This wasn’t an offer — it was a lure, something to sink his teeth into. And he knew Caspian well enough to know this was only the beginning.
Rook lifted his glass. “I’ll drink to that.”
***
Rook didn’t waste time. His first target, handpicked by the organization, was a woman named Lila. She seemed perfect — quiet, isolated, and searching for connection.
When he messaged her through the dating app, she responded almost immediately, her replies tentative but filled with warmth and hope.
They met at a small coffee shop, the smell of fresh coffee thick in the air. Lila sipped her drink, eyes flicking nervously toward him.
“So… what made you reach out to me?” she asked, her voice soft and uncertain.
Rook leaned in, a practiced smile on his face. “I don’t know, something about you just… called to me. I like genuine people.”
She smiled shyly, and Rook could almost feel her beginning to relax. But her gaze lingered a little too long, and her smile held an edge he couldn’t quite place.
As the conversation continued, he slipped in questions, subtly fishing for details he could pass on. But she was elusive, steering the conversation back to him, her interest bordering on intense.
“You’re fascinating, Rook,” she said suddenly. “I mean, you seem like you’ve been through a lot.”
He chuckled, feigning vulnerability. “Haven’t we all? Life’s just a game of survival.”
She nodded, eyes never leaving him. “Survival… right.”
Something was unsettling about her tone, the way she looked at him as if she were reading him in ways no one else had. Rook forced a smile, brushing off the unease creeping into his chest.
As he watched her walk away after their coffee date, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was missing something.
***
Their third meeting happened in a quiet park, where Rook thought he could press for a few final details to make her vulnerable. They strolled along the path, the setting sun casting long shadows on the ground.
“So, where did you say you worked?” he asked, feigning casual curiosity.
Lila stopped, turning to look at him directly, her eyes cold and calculating in a way he hadn’t seen before. “I didn’t say. And I don’t plan to.”
Rook stiffened, the smile faltering on his face.
“You’re not very good at this, you know,” she continued, her tone sharp. “I know exactly who you are, Rook. I know who you work for.”
He felt a bead of sweat trickle down his neck, but he kept his expression neutral. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Her laugh was bitter, full of disdain. “You’re not as clever as you think. I’ve been watching you — and your little friends — for a long time now.”
Rook’s heart pounded in his chest, his mind racing. He forced himself to stay calm, to keep the mask in place. “So, what are you going to do about it?”
Lila’s gaze hardened. “You’ll find out soon enough. This is over, Rook. You and your friends… you’re going down.”
As she walked away, Rook felt a chill settle over him. For the first time, he knew he was truly out of his depth.
***
Rook sat in a dark room, facing the cult’s leader, Marion Frost. Her eyes were cold, and her expression unyielding as she assessed him. Caspian stood nearby, arms crossed, his usual smirk replaced with a look of disdain.
“You’ve jeopardized us all,” Marion said, her voice low and biting.
Rook shifted uncomfortably, forcing himself to stay composed. “I… I didn’t know. She was supposed to be an easy target. I didn’t think—”
“You didn’t think,” Marion interrupted, her tone icy. “And because of that, we’re all at risk. This operation is compromised.”
He took a shaky breath, trying to find a way to fix this. “Look, I’ll go after her. I’ll make this right. I can handle it.”
Marion’s gaze didn’t waver. “No, Rook. You can’t handle it. You’ve already failed.” She turned to Caspian, a silent command passing between them.
Caspian nodded, looking down at Rook with something bordering on pity. “We’ve decided to let you go, Rook. You’ll take the fall, clear our names. That’s the price of your failure.”
Rook’s eyes widened in horror. “No… you can’t do this to me. I did everything you asked!”
Marion’s smile was cold. “And you did it poorly.”
As they left him alone in the dark, Rook realized the truth: he was nothing more than a pawn, discarded now that he’d become a liability.
***
The tape was leaked the next morning. News stations picked it up immediately, his voice and face plastered across the screens as the horrifying details of his crimes came to light.
Rook watched it all unfold from the window of his holding cell, the sounds of news reports filtering through the hallway. His face was a mask of fury and desperation, his reputation crumbling before his eyes.
As the days passed, reporters dug deeper, exposing every lie he’d told, every person he’d betrayed. His former “friends” in the organization disappeared, leaving him to bear the weight of their sins alone.
In his final moments, as the realization settled in, Rook felt a strange emptiness inside him — a hollowness he couldn’t fill with charm or lies. The control he’d so carefully wielded had turned against him, leaving him trapped in a cage of his own making.
He sat alone, a shadow of the predator he once was, consumed by the same darkness he had once wielded against others.
***
