CHAPTER 31

A Chance Encounter

The air in the warehouse was thick with dust, the scent of rust and damp wood hanging in the silence. Every creak of the floorboards beneath my boots sent a fresh wave of tension crawling up my spine. Riley walked beside me, her sharp eyes scanning every darkened corner. Neither of us spoke, but we didn't need to—we were both waiting for the inevitable.

The message had been simple: "Come alone. Trust no one."

Well, we weren't alone. And I sure as hell didn't trust anyone.

I flexed my fingers against the cool grip of my gun, my muscles coiled and ready. The warehouse was cavernous, shadows stretching into the rafters above us, crates stacked like forgotten memories. It felt like a setup. My instincts screamed at me to turn around. But we needed answers.

Then, it happened.

Figures emerged from the darkness—silent, efficient, well-trained. Guns clicked, safeties off. Riley and I spun, back-to-back, weapons raised. My pulse spiked, but my mind remained cold. These weren't Oath operatives. Their stance was different, their movements precise but lacking the clinical brutality I knew too well.

"Hold," a voice commanded from the shadows.

A man stepped forward. Late thirties, lean but powerful, his presence coiled like a snake ready to strike. His eyes—dark, calculating—never left mine as he motioned for his men to lower their weapons. They obeyed, but I wasn't stupid enough to do the same.

"Nathan Carter," the man said, his voice carrying an edge of familiarity. "Been looking for you."

I didn't lower my gun. "Funny. I don't recall sending out invitations."

The man smirked, his stance relaxed but guarded. "Name's Marcus. We're on the same side."

Riley let out a dry laugh. "Yeah? 'Cause pulling guns on us says otherwise."

Marcus didn't flinch. "I had to make sure you weren't working for him."

A cold weight settled in my gut. "Julian."

Marcus nodded. "He's planning something. Something bigger than anything The Oath has ever done. And you're either part of the problem or the only person who can stop it."

I hated how much that last part rang true.

I studied him, searching for the lie. "Why should I believe a word you say?"

Instead of answering, Marcus reached into his coat, slow and deliberate, and pulled out a tablet. He tapped the screen, then turned it towards us.

My breath caught.

The footage was grainy, but there was no mistaking Julian. He sat at a polished table, his expression cool as he addressed the high-ranking officials surrounding him. The audio was distorted, but snippets of his voice broke through:

"—complete control. No loose ends."

"—if we execute this right, the world won't question it."

"—a necessary sacrifice."

The officials nodded, some uneasy, others with the blank efficiency of men who had long since traded their souls for power.

Julian leaned forward, his expression sharpened to a blade.

"Begin the operation."

The footage ended.

A cold silence wrapped around us. Riley inhaled sharply, her jaw tight. I forced my breathing to stay steady, but my fingers had curled into fists before I even realized it.

"Tell me this is fake," Riley whispered.

Marcus shook his head. "It's real. And this is just the beginning."

I clenched my teeth. "What operation?"

Marcus hesitated, then glanced at his men before locking eyes with me. "We don't have all the details, but we know it's global. Political. Mass manipulation on a scale we've never seen before. He's pulling strings in governments, military factions, even intelligence agencies."

I exhaled slowly, trying to keep my thoughts from spiraling. This wasn't new. The Oath had always been about control. But this? This was something else.

Riley crossed her arms, her voice flat. "And you expect us to trust you just because you gave us a video?"

Marcus took a step closer, his expression hard. "No. I expect you to trust me because you don't have a choice."

I studied him. The way he held himself, the tension in his shoulders, the flicker of something behind his eyes that looked too much like my own reflection. He'd seen things. Lost things. The kind of things that left scars deeper than flesh.

I sighed. "Say I believe you. What do you want from us?"

Marcus didn't hesitate. "I want you to help us stop him."

I let out a dry chuckle. "You think I can stop Julian? The man sees ten steps ahead before I've even taken one."

"That's exactly why he's dangerous," Marcus shot back. "He knows how you think. But he also knows you left. That means there's a part of you he no longer understands."

I hated that he had a point.

Riley looked at me, her green eyes searching mine. I could see the storm there—the same one brewing in my own head.

We were running out of time.

I turned back to Marcus. "If we do this, we do it our way. No blind trust. No following orders. We call the shots."

Marcus gave a small, knowing smirk. "Fair enough."

For the first time, I lowered my gun.

But before another word could be spoken, a deafening boom split the air.

The warehouse doors exploded inward, sending debris flying. My ears rang as I hit the ground, rolling instinctively behind a crate. Riley cursed, dragging her gun up as shouts erupted around us.

Flashes of gunfire lit up the darkness.

They found us.

A voice crackled through a nearby earpiece—cold, familiar.

"Nathan."

Julian.

My stomach turned to ice.

"You didn't think I'd let you walk away that easily, did you?" His voice was almost amused. Almost.

My jaw clenched. "Guess you're still keeping tabs on me."

"Oh, Nathan." A pause. "I've been watching the entire time."

The weight of his words settled over me like a noose.

Riley glanced at me, waiting for my next move. Marcus's men were already returning fire, but the enemy kept coming. We were trapped.

And Julian was out there. Waiting.

I gritted my teeth. This wasn't just a fight anymore. This was war.

I pressed the earpiece tighter, my voice low and sharp.

"You want me, Julian? Come and get me."

The line went dead—but I knew, without a doubt, that he was already on his way.