CHAPTER 38

Buried Secrets

The safe house was nothing more than a forgotten storage bunker buried beneath an old factory. The air smelled of rust and damp concrete, and dust coated every surface like a film of neglect. It wasn't much, but after the last seventy-two hours of running, bleeding, and barely breathing, it felt like a sanctuary.

Riley dropped her bag with a heavy thud and exhaled sharply. "We'll be safe here. For now."

I ran a hand over my face, exhaustion pressing down on me like lead. My ribs still ached from the last fight, my knuckles raw from too many close calls. Every muscle in my body screamed for rest, but my mind wouldn't let me stop. Not yet.

Something was wrong.

I felt it like an itch at the base of my skull, a whisper just out of reach.

I slumped into a chair, rubbing the bridge of my nose. "Julian's playing a long game. This isn't just about killing us. He's digging at something deeper."

Riley crossed her arms. "And you think it has to do with me."

I met her gaze. "I know it does."

Her lips pressed into a thin line. She hated not having answers as much as I did. Maybe more.

I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees. "You said you worked for The Oath. You don't remember how, but you remember Orion. If Julian thinks you still have buried intel, he won't stop until he gets it."

Her expression darkened. "And what if I do? What if there's something locked away in my head that I can't even reach?"

"Then we find a way to unlock it before he does."

She sighed, dragging a hand through her hair. "That's the problem, isn't it? Every time I try to remember, it's like hitting a brick wall. I get flashes—words, places—but nothing concrete."

"Memory blocks," I muttered.

Her eyes snapped to mine. "You think they tampered with my mind?"

"It wouldn't be the first time The Oath used neural conditioning." I exhaled. "They don't just kill threats, Riley. They rewrite them."

A chill ran through the air between us.

She swallowed hard. "If they did that to me, then… what else have I forgotten?"

I had no answer.

Silence stretched, thick and heavy. I could see the way her fingers twitched at her sides, her breathing just a fraction too fast. She was afraid, and Riley wasn't the kind of person who scared easily.

Neither was I.

But right now, fear was curling in my gut too.

Because something wasn't adding up.

I'd spent years fighting The Oath, running from Julian's hunters, tearing apart every lie they built. But in the last few days, things had shifted. The way Julian had framed me so flawlessly. The way Riley was suddenly a target, her past tangled in the very secrets we needed.

And the worst part?

The nagging feeling that I was missing something.

Something huge.

I pushed up from my chair. "We need to go through everything we have. Every scrap of intel, every lead. There's something we're not seeing."

Riley nodded, already pulling out a small tablet from her bag. "Agreed. But first, get some rest. You look like hell."

I smirked faintly. "Thanks."

She gave a half-shrug, but there was something unreadable in her expression. Something careful.

I ignored the flicker of unease in my chest and turned away.

I didn't notice the way she lingered, watching me.

---

Hours passed. The dim glow of an old desk lamp was the only thing keeping the darkness at bay as I sifted through files, notes, and intercepted transmissions. My vision blurred at the edges, exhaustion pressing against my skull like a vice.

None of it made sense.

Julian was methodical. He never made a move without reason. So why now? Why this elaborate setup to paint me as a traitor? Why frame me for a public attack when he could've just eliminated me quietly?

Unless…

It wasn't about killing me.

I frowned, my fingers tightening around a worn folder.

It was about controlling me.

The realization sent a shiver down my spine.

Across the room, Riley sat on the edge of the cot, scrolling through files. Her face was illuminated by the tablet screen, brows furrowed in concentration.

Then she went still.

I didn't notice at first, too lost in my own spiraling thoughts. But then I heard the sharp inhale. The kind of breath someone takes when they've just seen something they weren't supposed to.

I looked up.

She was staring at the screen, unmoving.

"Riley?"

Her fingers trembled slightly as she turned the tablet around. "Nathan… what is this?"

I pushed to my feet, crossing the space in seconds. When I saw the document on the screen, my stomach dropped.

PROJECT ORION – MEMORY ALTERATION TRIALS

The file was old. Classified. Redacted in places, but the meaning was clear.

It wasn't just about her memory.

It was about mine.

My pulse pounded. Words blurred together as I scanned the document. Test subjects. Experimental conditioning. Tactical asset reprogramming.

Then, at the very bottom—

Subject N-017: Vale, Nathan.

My blood ran cold.

I stumbled back a step, the room tilting around me.

"No," I breathed. "That's not—"

Riley's expression shifted. The doubt in her eyes sharpened into something colder. "You don't remember this, do you?"

I met her gaze, my chest tightening. "I wouldn't forget something like this."

Her voice was quiet, but unshakable. "Maybe you already have."

The weight of her words crashed into me like a freight train.

I shook my head. "No. That's not—" I gritted my teeth. "Julian's manipulating us. He's always three steps ahead. This file could be fake."

"Or it could be the truth."

Silence pulsed between us.

I clenched my fists, breathing uneven. "You think I was part of this? That I—what? Used to work for The Oath?"

She hesitated, and it hurt.

Because for the first time since we'd met, Riley wasn't looking at me like an ally.

She was looking at me like a question.

A dangerous one.

I shook my head, swallowing back the raw frustration clawing at my throat. "This is exactly what Julian wants. For us to doubt each other. You know me, Riley."

Her jaw clenched. "Do I?"

A beat of silence.

Then she stood. Stepped back.

And it felt like a chasm was splitting open between us.

I forced myself to hold her gaze. "We are not the enemy here."

She exhaled sharply, rubbing her temple. "I need air."

She turned, heading for the bunker door.

I wanted to stop her. To prove that this file meant nothing.

But a single thought burrowed into my mind like a parasite.

What if Julian wasn't lying?

What if I'd been his all along?

The door clicked shut.

And for the first time in a long time…

I wasn't sure if I trusted myself.