⚫ Chapter 10: A Kiss Between Shadows
🕯️ Verdale City – Outskirts, Abandoned Shipyard – 11:19 PM
The rain fell heavier than ever. Cold. Relentless. Piercing through Liana's coat like needles. But the cold wasn't what made her shiver tonight.
It was the fact that Specter was closing in. Faster than she'd ever imagined.
She crouched behind a stack of rusted shipping containers, eyes scanning the open yard. Infrared drones buzzed overhead. Armed mercenaries patrolled the perimeter, weapons locked and loaded.
Beside her, Daniel checked his ammo. "This is suicide," he muttered.
Liana's gaze didn't flinch. "Since when did that stop us?"
Suddenly — movement. A shadow flickered on the rooftop across the yard. Not a mercenary. No... too fluid. Too precise.
She tightened her grip on her silencer. "We're not alone," she whispered.
Daniel frowned. "Specter?"
"No... someone else."
---
💥 A Ghost in the Dark
From the rooftop, a figure leapt—silent, graceful. Cloaked in matte-black armor, a hood covering most of their face. A mask—half metal, half fabric—revealed only sharp green eyes that cut through the dark like blades.
Within seconds, the figure neutralized two guards — pressure-point strikes, clean, no noise. Then vanished into the shadows.
Liana's breath caught. This wasn't Syndicate standard.
Daniel cursed under his breath. "What the hell...?"
Before they could react, a low voice came from behind—smooth, accented, calm, but laced with danger.
"Relax. If I wanted you dead... you'd already be bleeding."
They spun around, guns raised—only to be met with that same hooded figure, arms crossed, leaning casually against the container.
No weapon drawn. Just absolute confidence.
"Who the hell—" Daniel started.
The stranger held up a hand. "Names... later." His gaze fixed directly on Liana. "But if you want to survive the next ten minutes, you'll follow me."
Liana narrowed her eyes. "And why should we trust you?"
A crooked smile tugged beneath the mask. "Because Specter is already here."
—
💀 The Hunter Arrives
A single sharp CRACK echoed through the yard—a sniper round.
The ground near Liana's foot exploded.
"MOVE!" the stranger barked, grabbing her wrist.
He yanked her toward an open maintenance hatch beneath the dock. Daniel followed, bullets pinging off the metal all around them.
As they slid inside, alarms screamed. Red floodlights turned the shipyard into hellfire.
Inside the maintenance tunnels, breath heavy, Liana ripped her arm free. "Start talking."
The stranger pulled down his mask halfway, revealing a strong jawline, stubble, and a smirk so devastating it could've been a weapon on its own.
"Name's Rafe. Freelancer. Ex-Syndicate... technically." His green eyes gleamed. "And let's just say... Specter and I have unfinished business."
—
🔥 An Uneasy Alliance
Liana crossed her arms, studying him. "Ex-Syndicate. Cute. That makes you... what? A ghost? A liability?"
Rafe chuckled. "A very useful liability. I've been tracking Specter for a year. You can't outrun him. You can't outshoot him."
Daniel scowled. "Great pep talk."
Rafe stepped closer to Liana — too close. His voice dropped, barely above a whisper. "But... there are ways to outsmart him."
She didn't step back. Instead, she locked eyes with him. "If you're lying..."
His smile widened, something wild sparking in his eyes. "Then you'll shoot me. And darling... I promise — you won't miss."
For a fraction of a second... something shifted. A tension neither of them expected. Not trust. Not yet. But... curiosity. A pull. An electric current dancing between threats and possibilities.
Daniel coughed awkwardly. "Ugh... should I... leave you two alone or...?"
Both ignored him.
—
💣 The Plan
Rafe knelt, pulling out a holo-projector. A 3D map flickered to life.
"Specter's hunting pattern is predictable... if you've seen it enough times. He isolates, divides, then eliminates."
He pointed to the yard. "But... there's a flaw. He's programmed for perfection. Which means... he underestimates chaos."
Liana raised an eyebrow. "You want to bait him."
"Exactly." Rafe looked up at her, eyes gleaming. "And you... you're the perfect bait."
Daniel groaned. "I hate this plan."
"So do I," Liana muttered. "But it's the only one."
—
🌪️ Storm Before the Storm
As they prepared, loading ammo, setting traps, there was a moment... brief... when Rafe paused beside Liana.
"Tell me," he said softly, "how does someone like you survive this long?"
She didn't look at him. "Easy. You stop being someone."
Rafe's smile faded. For the first time, there was something real in his voice. "Don't."
She blinked, caught off-guard. "Don't what?"
"Don't lose that fire. I've seen too many become hollow... ghosts before they're dead."
For a second... Liana didn't have an answer.
Then, from above—gunfire. Specter had arrived.
Rafe snapped his rifle up. "Ready or not... showtime."
—
🚨 End of Chapter 10
🩸 Next Chapter Preview:
Specter steps into the trap... but nothing goes as planned. Loyalties are tested. Blood is spilled. And as Liana fights for her life, a choice looms: survival... or surrender to something far more dangerous than death — her own heart.