The Final PlanThe warehouse reeked of oil and sweat, a fitting backdrop for the gravity of our mission. Dim lights flickered overhead as Riley spread out the schematics of The Oath’s headquarters on a metal table. The air was thick with tension, each of us acutely aware that tonight would decide everything.I leaned forward, my fingers drumming against the edge of the table, scanning every detail of our plan. "We go in through the east service tunnel. Minimal security there, but once we breach the inner perimeter, it’s a straight shot to the command center. That’s where we take them down." My voice was steady, but my gut twisted."Assuming they haven’t reinforced since our last intel," Carter muttered, arms crossed. He was our weapons expert, always thinking two steps ahead. His sharp gaze met mine, daring me to reassure him.I exhaled through my nose. "Then we adapt. We've come too far to hesitate now."Across from me, Riley's eyes flickered with something unreadable. "And if someth

Ghosts of the PastPain flared through my skull as consciousness clawed its way back. My ears rang, the aftermath of the explosion leaving my senses scrambled. Smoke choked the air, and somewhere in the distance, alarms shrieked their fury.I groaned, pushing myself up from the cold floor, my vision swimming. My fingers found my sidearm instinctively, my body moving on training alone.“Tessa? Jensen?” My voice was hoarse, rough like gravel.A cough—then Tessa’s sharp reply. “Still breathing. Can’t say the same for them.”I followed her voice, pushing through the haze. Jensen was already on his feet, wiping blood from a cut above his brow. A few feet away, bodies lay crumpled in the wreckage—Oath soldiers who hadn’t been fast enough.Riley’s voice crackled through my earpiece, urgent. “Nathan, what the hell happened?”“Change of plans,” I muttered, scanning the damage. “We ran into Voss.”Silence. Then—“Did he see you?”I met Tessa’s gaze.“He knew who I was before I even said a word.”

The Mastermind’s ShadowJulian’s presence loomed over everything. Even in his absence, he was there—woven into every thread of chaos, a ghost haunting my every step.The room was dimly lit, the air thick with anticipation. Screens flickered on the walls, a security feed looping through the corridors of the underground facility we had infiltrated. Riley stood beside me, tense, her sharp eyes scanning for any sign of movement. I clenched my fists, my pulse a slow, dangerous drumbeat against my skull.Then, the screen in front of us crackled. The static hissed like a serpent before resolving into an image.Julian.Smirking, composed, and entirely too pleased with himself.“Ah, Nathan,” his voice oozed amusement. “You’re right on schedule.”Rage burned through me, white-hot and merciless. I took a step closer, my jaw tightening.“I should’ve known you’d pull something like this,” I spat.Julian leaned forward, folding his hands under his chin. “Of course you should have. But knowing and s

Divide and ConquerThe red emergency lights pulsed like a dying heartbeat, illuminating the corridor in flashes of crimson. My breath came sharp and quick, my pulse hammering against my ribs as I moved, keeping my body low.“Riley, status?” I whispered into my comm.Static.Damn it.I pressed forward, gripping the sidearm tighter. Every corner, every doorway, was a potential deathtrap. The Oath wasn’t going to let us waltz out of here. And with Riley deeper in the facility, yanking every last bit of encrypted data before wiping their system clean, she was a sitting target.We’d made the choice to split up. Not because we wanted to. Because we had to.The failsafe system was ahead—one last shot to either shut The Oath down or turn their own weapons against them. But that meant leaving Riley behind enemy lines.I hated it.A flash of movement—shadows shifting beyond the glass panels to my right. I flattened against the wall, gun raised. Footsteps. A security team, moving in a tight form

The Ultimate DecisionThe steel door hissed open, revealing the core chamber.A massive server system hummed at the center, cables snaking across the floor like veins feeding the lifeblood of The Oath. This was it—the failsafe. The heart of their entire operation. Everything we had fought for, bled for, led us here.And then—A shrill beep cut through the air.A screen to my left flickered, flashing in bold red:Failsafe Protocol Engaged5:00A countdown.Julian had set the system to wipe itself if we breached it.Five minutes.That was all I had.My pulse hammered. The room seemed smaller, the walls pressing in.Destroy it. Take control. Two choices. One decision.Riley darted forward, scanning the monitors. “Damn it, Nathan, it’s rigged. If this thing completes its wipe, every bit of intel they’ve ever stored—gone.”I already knew that.I clenched my jaw, forcing my mind to sharpen. The failsafe wasn’t just about information. It was power. If I could override the system, I could con