CHAPTER 37

Hunted

The explosion sent us sprawling.

Heat seared my back as the shockwave ripped through the alley, fire licking up the sides of buildings like hungry beasts. My ears rang, drowning out everything but the wild thumping of my pulse. I hit the ground hard, my shoulder slamming into concrete.

Riley landed beside me, coughing, eyes wide with alarm. Smoke curled around us, thick and suffocating. Somewhere beyond the flames, I heard voices—sharp, commanding. The Oath's soldiers.

They were closing in.

I grabbed Riley's wrist, hauling her up. "Move!"

We stumbled through the wreckage, bodies scattered in the street, alarms blaring from every direction. Glass crunched underfoot. My ribs ached with every breath, but adrenaline shoved the pain aside.

Riley coughed, her voice hoarse. "They were waiting for us."

No kidding. Julian wasn't just hunting me anymore. He was tightening the noose.

A spotlight cut through the smoke.

"Target located!"

Bullets shredded the ground inches from our feet. We dove behind a burnt-out car as sparks ricocheted off the metal. My mind raced. We needed an out—fast.

Riley checked her gun. "I've got five rounds left. You?"

I glanced at my own weapon. Two.

"Not enough," I muttered.

A second spotlight beamed through the darkness.

"Give up, Vale!" A voice boomed through a loudspeaker. "There's nowhere left to run."

Riley tensed. "They don't usually talk first."

That's what had me on edge. Julian's men weren't interested in negotiations.

Unless…

My gaze flickered to Riley.

Unless they weren't just here for me.

A bad feeling curled in my gut.

Riley's breathing was uneven. Her fingers flexed over her weapon. She was sharp, always had been, but right now… she looked rattled.

"They want you too, don't they?" I asked.

Her eyes snapped to mine, something unreadable flickering across her face. "This isn't the time."

But it was.

I reached out, gripping her wrist. "Riley. Why do they want you?"

Her jaw tightened. A fraction too long before she answered.

The gunfire started again—closer this time. We had seconds before they flushed us out.

"Forget it," I said, shaking my head. "We're not dying here."

I reached into my jacket, yanking out a flash grenade.

"Close your eyes," I ordered.

The second the device hit the ground, light erupted in a blinding burst. Shouts of confusion rang out as we bolted down the alley, sticking to the shadows.

My mind reeled. Riley had been acting strange ever since the frame job. She'd hesitated back on the rooftop, doubted me when she never had before. Now The Oath wanted her, not just me.

And I had no idea why.

We turned a corner, sprinting toward an abandoned subway entrance. I shoved open the rusted gate, ushering her inside. The air was thick with damp rot, the underground tunnels stretching into pitch-black nothingness.

I slammed the gate shut behind us, barring it with an old metal pipe.

For now, we were safe.

But only for now.

Riley leaned against the wall, chest rising and falling rapidly. She wiped sweat from her brow, avoiding my gaze.

Silence stretched between us.

I folded my arms. "Start talking."

She exhaled sharply. "Nathan—"

"No." I stepped closer. "No more dodging. No more 'this isn't the time.' They're hunting you now. Why?"

Her fingers twitched.

"Riley." My voice was lower now, controlled. "Whatever it is, I need to know."

A flicker of hesitation. Then—

"I worked for The Oath."

The words hit like a gut punch.

I stared at her. "What?"

She swallowed hard, finally meeting my eyes. "I don't remember much. It was before I joined the Resistance. But I was one of them."

A slow, sickening realization settled in.

She wasn't just any target.

She was a loose end.

My mind raced through every possibility, every time Julian had made moves that didn't quite add up. He'd gone out of his way to frame me, but now, he was after Riley too. Why?

"What did you do for them?" I asked, my voice controlled but sharp.

Her hands curled into fists. "I don't know."

"Bullshit."

Her gaze darkened. "You think I'd lie about this?"

I wasn't sure anymore.

I dragged a hand through my hair, pacing the narrow tunnel. "They don't hunt people unless they're dangerous. Whatever you did, it's big enough that Julian wants you gone."

She shifted uncomfortably. "I have pieces. Flashes of memories. But nothing concrete."

"Try."

She inhaled sharply, closing her eyes. "I remember… files. Data transfers. A name—" She faltered. "Project Orion."

I went rigid.

"Say that again."

Her brow furrowed. "Project Orion."

The name sent ice through my veins.

I'd seen it before. Years ago.

Back when I first started fighting The Oath, we'd intercepted fragments of intel—half-burned reports, encrypted messages. Orion had come up more than once, but never with enough context to piece it together.

"That's why they want you," I muttered. "You know something. Even if you don't remember it yet."

Her hands shook. "And if I do?"

"Then you're more than a target," I said grimly. "You're a threat."

Riley's jaw clenched, her mask of control slipping just enough to show the fear beneath. "Julian will never let me live, will he?"

I exhaled. "No. He won't."

A beat of silence. Then—

"Then we need to find out what I know before he does."

I studied her. Despite everything, despite the way her entire world had just cracked open, her voice was steady. Determined.

That was Riley. Unbreakable.

I nodded. "We'll figure it out. But first, we need to disappear."

She gave a humorless smirk. "Considering half the world wants you dead, I'd say you're already an expert at that."

I huffed a small laugh. "Stick with me, and you'll learn a few tricks."

Her expression softened. Just for a second.

Then—

The sound of boots echoed down the tunnel.

Our reprieve was over.

Riley gripped my arm, voice urgent. "Move."

We vanished into the darkness.