CHAPTER 15

I had seen death before. Felt its breath on my neck. But nothing compared to the cold terror that ran down my spine as Riley's screen flickered, glitched, and then displayed a single message in bold, chilling letters:

"You should have stayed hidden, Nathan."

My chest tightened.

Riley froze, her fingers hovering uselessly over the keyboard. The hum of her computer, usually steady, now felt like a warning. The color drained from her face.

"Shit," she whispered. "They found us."

A second later, the power cut out. Darkness swallowed the room, except for the faint red glow of the emergency battery. I reached for my gun. Every muscle in my body locked up, wired tight.

Then—

Glass shattered.

A high-pitched whine filled my ears as a bullet tore through Riley's monitor, sending sparks and shards flying. We hit the ground, my arm wrapping around her instinctively as more shots thundered through the air. The sharp scent of burning circuits filled the room.

"Move!" I barked, dragging Riley toward the heavy steel desk bolted to the floor.

Bullets rained down and drilled into walls, equipment, and the very spot where we had stood a second ago. Plaster exploded, dust clouding my vision.

Think, Nathan. Think.

"They shouldn't have found us so fast," Riley gasped, clutching her laptop. "I encrypted everything."

"Not enough," I muttered, my pulse hammering.

I peeked over the desk. Bad idea. A bullet whizzed past my ear, embedding itself in the wood behind me.

"Sniper. East side," I growled. "And at least two more inside."

Riley's hands shook as she yanked a flash drive from the remains of her workstation. "We can't leave without this."

I didn't have time to argue. I pulled her close, lowering my voice.

"On my mark, run for the back exit. Don't stop. No matter what."

She hesitated. "Nathan—"

"Mark!"

I shoved her forward just as I rolled out from behind the desk, firing at the nearest shadow in the doorway. My bullet hit home—a grunt, a body hitting the ground.

Riley sprinted toward the back door.

Gunfire erupted again. Splinters of wood and glass rained down. I kept moving, kept shooting, and kept my breathing steady.

Then—

A figure stepped from the shadows. Fast. Silent.

Before I could react, a boot struck my wrist, sending my gun flying.

Pain shot through my arm.

I barely had time to see the masked attacker before he swung again.

I ducked. Spun. My fist connected with his ribs. He barely flinched.

A professional. Great.

He attacked again, fast, ruthless. I blocked, twisted, and slammed my elbow into his throat. He staggered but recovered quickly.

A knife flashed.

I dodged just in time, grabbing his wrist and twisting until the blade clattered to the ground.

A knee slammed into my side. My lungs emptied.

He had me pinned.

"Nathaniel Carter," he said, his voice eerily calm beneath the mask. "The Oath sends its regards."

His hand shot for a sidearm.

I did the only thing I could.

Using all my strength, I wrenched free and drove my knee into his groin.

He doubled over—just enough for me to grab his gun and pull the trigger.

One shot.

He crumpled.

I didn't wait. I grabbed my gun and bolted after Riley, my heart hammering.

She was already outside, struggling to hotwire an old sedan. The city lights flickered in the distance, but I could feel the eyes watching us.

"We're not alone," I warned.

As if on cue, another shot rang out. The car's side mirror shattered. Riley yelped but kept working.

"Almost there!" she gasped.

I turned, scanning the alley. Three, no, four figures moving in fast.

Not good.

I aimed. Fired.

One went down. The others scattered.

But the delay cost us.

Something flew toward the car.

Grenade.

"Out!" I roared, grabbing Riley and yanking her away just as the explosion ripped through the vehicle.

Heat. Debris. Smoke.

Everything rang.

I pushed up on my elbows, head spinning. Riley groaned beside me, coughing.

The Oath wasn't just trying to scare us.

They wanted us dead.

We needed to disappear. Now.

Gritting my teeth, I pulled Riley to her feet. "We have to split up. You know where to go."

Her eyes widened. "I'm not leaving you!"

"You have to," I snapped. "Get to the safehouse. I'll lead them the other way."

She hesitated, then pressed the flash drive into my palm.

"Don't die, Nathan."

I smirked despite the situation. "Wouldn't dream of it."

With one last look, she vanished into the night.

I turned, shoulders squared, as footsteps approached.

A voice, smooth and familiar, echoed through the alley.

"You always were a stubborn bastard, Nathan."

My blood turned to ice.

I knew that voice.

I turned slowly.

The man stepping from the shadows made my breath catch.

Dark suit. Cold gaze. The same confident smirk I remembered from years ago.

James.

My oldest friend.

My dead friend.

Except—

He was standing right in front of me. Alive.

And aiming a gun at my head.

"You should have stayed hidden," he said, echoing the message on Riley's screen.

My world tilted.

I had escaped The Oath once.

But now—

Now, they had sent a ghost to bring me back.