Shadows of the General

Chapter Three – Called Into the Fire

The black sedan idled at the curb outside Selene’s apartment, its tinted windows reflecting the pale light of dawn. Two men in dark suits stood by the rear door, their posture sharp, precise, not hired bodyguards, but military.

Selene clutched her coat tighter around her shoulders. Every nerve screamed at her to run back upstairs, lock the door, and pretend none of this was happening. But the weight in the air, the cold authority in the voice that had called her, made it clear she didn’t have a choice.

The taller of the two men opened the door. “Mrs. Carter. Please.”

Her feet moved before her mind could catch up. She slid into the leather seat, heart pounding, the scent of polished steel and antiseptic sharp in the air.

The man beside her shut the door, the locks clicking into place with finality. The sedan pulled away from the curb.

“Where are you taking me?” she asked, her voice steadier than she felt.

“Headquarters,” the man answered simply. No explanation. No reassurance.

Selene’s throat tightened. Headquarters. Of all the places she never imagined she’d be invited, or dragged, this was at the top of the list.

The ride was silent. Too silent. Selene’s thoughts swirled, each one heavier than the last. Adrian’s face. His warning. Damon’s voice at her door. And now this.

By the time the sedan turned into a secured compound, her palms were damp. Fences topped with razor wire gleamed in the morning light. Guards with rifles flanked the gates, saluting as the car rolled past.

The vehicle stopped before a building of glass and steel that loomed like a fortress. Selene’s stomach flipped as the door opened again.

“Inside,” one of the men instructed.

She stepped out, her heels clicking against the pavement, her every movement scrutinized by eyes that made her feel more like a suspect than a guest.

The room they led her into was bare, metal table, two chairs, a faint hum of fluorescent lights. She sat stiffly, the cold from the steel seeping into her skin.

Moments later, the door opened.

A woman strode in, tall, composed, her tailored uniform pristine. Her eyes were sharp, calculating, the kind that missed nothing. She placed a folder on the table, then sat across from Selene.

“Mrs. Carter,” the woman said. “I’m Director Hale.”

The name struck a chord. Selene had heard it before, Vivienne Hale. Wealthy, powerful, a name whispered in her family’s circles.

Selene’s pulse stumbled.

“Why am I here?” she demanded.

Director Hale’s lips curved in a faint smile. “Because Adrian Kane trusts no one. But for reasons we can’t yet explain… his enemies trust you.”

Selene’s stomach dropped. “Enemies?”

“General Kane has been compromised. His movements, his communications, his mission, all under threat. And we believe someone close to you may be the link.”

The words struck like lightning. Someone close to her?

Her mind raced through names, her mother, her father, Nathan, each possibility worse than the last.

“That doesn’t make sense,” Selene whispered. “I don’t”

“You divorced him,” Hale cut in smoothly. “You’ve distanced yourself. You’re the perfect blind spot. Which is precisely why you’re now a target.”

Selene’s skin went cold.

The door swung open again.

Selene’s breath caught.

Adrian.

He filled the doorway, broad-shouldered and commanding, the weight of his uniform like armor. But his eyes, those eyes. burned straight through her.

She rose instinctively, her chair scraping back, her mouth opening, but no words came.

He stepped into the room, shutting the door behind him with deliberate force. The silence stretched, unbearable.

“Adrian” she finally breathed,

His expression was unreadable, carved from ice. “Why are you here?”

“I was brought here!” Selene snapped, her voice breaking under the tension. “I don’t know what’s happening, I”

“You shouldn’t be here,” he said flatly, his tone cutting her off.

Her chest tightened, the same way it had the night he signed the papers without a fight. Always controlled. Always shutting her out.

But his next words shattered her.

“You’ve already made your choice, Selene. Don’t drag yourself into mine.”

The sting was sharp, but before she could respond, the director rose smoothly.

“General Kane,” Hale said, “with all due respect, Mrs. Carter’s involvement may no longer be optional. Damon Locke has taken an interest in her.”

The name hit the air like a curse, Adrian’s eyes snapped to Selene, his jaw tightening.

Selene’s heart thudded painfully. “I told him I wasn’t interested”

“That won’t matter,” Adrian cut in. His voice was low, dangerous. “When Damon Locke wants something, he takes it.”

The air thickened.

Selene’s skin prickled under the weight of his gaze. She wanted to demand answers, about Damon, about the mission, about everything, but the fury simmering beneath Adrian’s controlled exterior made her words die in her throat.

For a moment, they only stared at each other, the chasm between them wider than ever.

Then Adrian leaned forward, his voice quiet but lethal.

“If Damon has touched you, Selene…” His hands curled into fists against the table. “I swear, I will kill him.”

Selene’s breath caught.

Because in Adrian’s eyes, she saw it, an edge sharper than love, darker than hate, And for the first time, she wondered if the man she had once called her husband was capable of far more than silence.