CHAPTER 76

I always knew that trusting someone completely was a dangerous game, but I never imagined I'd be caught in the middle of it all. I'm sitting in my cramped safehouse when the call comes through—a voice I thought I knew well, yet somehow it carries an edge of desperation. "Ghost, we need to talk. Meet me at the usual place, now," the voice whispers. I recognize it immediately: it's Alex, my longtime ally, my friend. But something in his tone sends a chill down my spine.

I grab my jacket and head out into the rain-soaked night. The streets glisten under the weak streetlights as I hurry toward the abandoned warehouse on the edge of town. My mind churns with questions: Why would Alex call me like this? And what could be so urgent that he'd risk exposing himself in broad daylight? I'm not one to jump to conclusions, but I can't ignore the nagging suspicion that something's off.