2025-02-21 13:00:56The moment Riley disappeared into the night, I forced my mind into lockdown.
No distractions. No hesitation. Just survival. The Oath was closing in, and I knew they wouldn’t stop at foot soldiers. They wanted me erased. And now, James—**someone I thought was dead—**was standing in front of me, gun raised. "You’re dead," I said, gripping my own weapon tighter. James smirked. "Not quite. But you might be soon." I didn’t wait for him to pull the trigger. Move. I dove sideways as his first shot cracked through the air. The bullet tore into the asphalt where my head had been a second ago. I hit the ground rolling and fired twice—but he was already gone. Melted into the shadows. Typical James—fast, precise, always one step ahead. I stayed low, scanning for movement. Where are you? A faint scuff of a boot—behind me. I twisted—just in time to block the knife swinging for my ribs. The impact sent us both stumbling, but I recovered first, throwing a hard elbow into his jaw. He grunted but smirked. "Still predictable, Nate." Then he drove his fist into my gut. Pain exploded through my ribs. I gasped but didn’t go down. Instead, I grabbed his wrist, twisting until the knife clattered to the ground. "You should’ve stayed buried," I growled. "Funny," he said, breaking free. "I was about to say the same to you." He grabbed my jacket and slammed me into the alley wall. My skull cracked against the bricks, lights bursting behind my eyes. But I’d fought James before. I swung my knee up—hard—into his ribs. He faltered. I capitalized. One quick move, and I had his gun hand locked. I twisted—his weapon hit the pavement. Then I drove my forehead into his nose. Blood dripped down his face. He wiped it away, grinning. "Damn. You still hit like a hammer." "You still talk too much," I shot back, raising my gun— Then— Engines roared. Black SUVs. Three of them. The cavalry. Doors slammed open. Armed men spilled out, moving in fast. I had seconds. James met my gaze and smirked. "Guess we’ll finish this later." Then—he vanished. I turned and ran. A shot grazed my shoulder. Heat seared my skin, but I didn’t stop. Bullets shredded the alley behind me as I vaulted over a dumpster. I had to get back to Riley. I cut through side streets, ignoring the pain in my leg. Every second mattered. If The Oath had found me this fast, Riley wasn’t safe. By the time I reached the hideout, my gut was already twisted in knots. Too late. The front door hung off its hinges, riddled with bullet holes. Smoke curled from inside. I gritted my teeth. Raised my gun. Slipped inside. Bodies on the floor. Three of them. None of them were Riley. I stepped over the wreckage, scanning the room. Her workstation was destroyed. Monitors shattered. Wires sparking. Then— A muffled struggle. Back room. I moved fast, kicking the door open just in time to see one of The Oath’s men pinning Riley against the wall. A knife to her throat. She struggled, eyes wild, but he was stronger. He leaned in. "Give me the drive." She spat in his face. "Wrong answer." He pressed the blade closer— I put a bullet through his head before he could finish the threat. His body dropped. Knife clattered to the ground. Riley gasped, stumbling forward. I caught her. "You good?" She nodded quickly, hands shaking. "The drive’s intact. But we need to move. Now." Footsteps. More coming. "Back exit," I ordered. "I’ll cover you." We moved fast, slipping through the burning wreckage of what had been our safe house. Outside, the night pulsed with tension. No way they’d let us walk away. I turned—another squad closing in. "Go," I told Riley. "I’ll meet you at the fallback point." "Nathan—" "Now!" She hesitated—but she knew me. No arguing. Then—she ran. I turned back. Exhaled slow. Five men. Heavily armed. I smirked. "Alright, boys. Let’s dance." The first one raised his rifle. I shot first—two to the chest, one to the head. He dropped. The second charged. I met him halfway, ducked under his swing, and drove my knife into his side. Twisted. Another down. The third got a shot off—clipping my leg. I hissed but didn’t stop, tackling him to the ground. His hands found my throat. I let him think he had me—then jammed my pistol under his chin. Boom. I barely had time to move before the last two opened fire. Bullets tore into the pavement. I dove behind cover. Mind racing. Then I saw it— One of the SUVs. Engine running. Perfect. I grabbed a fallen rifle, popped up, and fired. Short, controlled bursts. First guy went down. The last hesitated. That was all I needed. I sprinted, closing the gap, grabbing his wrist before he could fire. My knife found his gut. Then his throat. He slumped. I jumped into the SUV, slammed it into gear, and tore off into the night. Riley would be at the fallback point. If she had the drive, we still had a chance. But The Oath had just declared war. And James… James was alive. My grip tightened on the wheel. This was just the beginning.
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SHADOWS OF THE OAT CHAPTER 17
The engine roared beneath me as I tore through the city streets, headlights slicing through the dark. Riley had gone north—I was heading south.We needed distance. And a plan.I gritted my teeth, my pulse hammering. The Oath wasn’t going to let us walk away from this. They’d keep coming.Unless I stopped them first.My earpiece crackled. "Nathan, I made it to the fallback point," Riley’s voice came, tense but steady."Good. Stay put. I’m going to buy you time.""You mean you’re going to do something reckless.""Same thing."Silence. Then, "Just don’t get yourself killed."No promises.I cut the lights on the SUV and veered off the main road, tires skidding across cracked asphalt. The industrial district—perfect. Empty buildings. Limited exits. A damn good place for an ambush.I needed them to follow.I reached under my jacket, pulled out my burner phone, and sent a single text
SHADOWS OF THE OAT CHAPTER 18
The motel room smelled like stale coffee and bad decisions. Riley sat cross-legged on the bed, her laptop balanced on her knees, fingers flying over the keyboard. The glow of the screen illuminated her face—sharp, focused, determined.I stood by the window, watching the empty parking lot, gun resting on the nightstand beside me. My ribs ached from earlier, but pain was the least of my concerns.We weren’t safe.Not yet."Tell me you have something," I muttered, turning to her.Riley didn’t answer right away. Her eyes darted across the screen, her brow furrowing deeper with each passing second.Then she whispered, "No. No way."Something about her tone made my stomach tighten. "What is it?"She exhaled sharply, rubbing her forehead before looking up at me. Her expression was unreadable—shock, anger, maybe even fear."Nathan… you need to sit down."I didn’t. I couldn’t."Talk."
SHADOWS OF THE OAT CHAPTER 19
Rain hammered against the cracked windshield as I gripped the steering wheel tighter, my knuckles white. Riley sat in the passenger seat, her laptop open, fingers flying over the keyboard. The glow of the screen flickered across her face, but I barely saw it.All I saw was the past.Julian.A name that burned like acid in my throat."You’re spiraling," Riley muttered, her voice tight.I wasn’t.I was drowning.Julian wasn’t just another ghost in the dark. He was once my brother, not by blood but by bond. We bled together, fought together, saved each other too many times to count. And now, he was the one pulling the strings. The Oath wasn’t hunting me because I was a loose end.They were hunting me because Julian ordered it."You gonna tell me what’s going on in that head of yours?" Riley asked.I exhaled slowly, staring at the road ahead. The wipers dragged across the windshield, smearing water
SHADOWS OF THE OAT CHAPTER 20
Rain slicked the pavement beneath my boots as I stalked toward the abandoned warehouse, my pulse a steady drumbeat in my ears. Riley was three steps behind me, silent, her presence a shadow at my back.I knew this was suicide.Breaking into The Oath’s headquarters was one thing. Confronting Julian inside it? That was a death wish wrapped in arrogance.But there was no other way.The questions burned too deep. This wasn’t just about what Julian did. It was about what I did.I had spent years running from my past. Now, I was about to rip it open like an old wound.Riley’s voice was quiet but sharp. “This is insane.”“I know.”“You’re walking into the lion’s den.”“I know.”She exhaled hard, then grabbed my arm. “Then tell me why.”I turned to face her, and for a moment, I saw something in her eyes—fear. Not for herself. For me.Because she knew me well enough to understand one t
SHADOWS OF THE OAT CHAPTER 21
Echoes of the PastThe low hum of Riley’s laptop filled the dimly lit room, the blue glow casting restless shadows along the walls. She was in full hacker mode—head down, fingers a blur across the keyboard, her bottom lip caught between her teeth as she cut through layer after layer of encryption.I paced behind her, restless. My head throbbed like a live wire, a pulsing ache just behind my eyes.“Come on, come on…” Riley muttered.I pressed my fingers against my temple, exhaling sharply. “How much longer?”She huffed, her voice tight with concentration. “Do you want it fast, or do you want it done right?”The air between us crackled with impatience. I raked a hand through my hair and glanced at the screen. Strings of code unraveled in real time, revealing classified mission logs. My name was all over them. Too many times.Then—something shifted.The pain in my head sharpened, slicing through my skull like a hot blade. My vision blurred.And suddenly, I wasn’t in the room anymore.---
SHADOWS OF THE OAT CHAPTER 22
Ghost in The Code The cursor blinks at me, waiting. Taunting. My fingers hover over the keyboard, hesitant, knowing that once I start, there’s no turning back. The files in front of me—heavily redacted, barely readable—are a graveyard of secrets. Each line of text feels like a headstone, with names and truths buried under black ink meant to keep the past silent.But ghosts don’t stay buried forever.Riley’s voice cuts through the silence. “This doesn’t make sense.” Her brows pull together, lips pressed tight. That look—I know it well. Frustration. “Why would they go to this much trouble to redact everything unless they were hiding something?”I don’t answer. Not because I don’t have thoughts—oh, I have plenty—but none of them are comforting.I close my eyes for just a second. The memory rushes in, unwanted.Julian. Blood on his lips. Breaths too fast, too shallow. His fingers gripping my sleeve like holding on to me could someho
SHADOWS OF THE OAT CHAPTER 1
Darkness clings to me like a heavy blanket. My body aches, my muscles are tight, and there’s a sharp, burning pain in my side. I take a slow breath, trying to steady my head, but even that hurts.The smell of blood is thick in the air.I blink, trying to focus. The motel room around me is a disaster. Broken glass covers the floor, catching the flickering neon light from outside. A chair is overturned. Bullet holes mark the walls.And my hands…They’re covered in blood.Panic grips me. What happened?My heartbeat pounds in my chest. I press my fingers against my temple, trying to remember. But there’s nothing. A black void where the last two days should be.A sharp pain pulls my attention to my side. My shirt is ripped, dark with dried blood. Someone—me?—stitched a wound just above my hip. It’s messy but holding. I touch it, wincing. It’s real. This is real.But I have no idea how I got here.I push myself up, unsteady on my feet. I glance at the cracked mirror above the dresser. The r
SHADOWS OF THE OAT CHAPTER 2
I take a deep breath, and my body moves before I can think. There’s no time to hesitate.The motel room is a wreck—bullet holes in the walls, shattered glass on the floor, and my blood staining the sheets. I have to get out. Now.I scan the room, searching for anything useful. My fingers find something hard under the nightstand—a burner phone. But the back is open, and the battery is missing. Someone disabled it. Maybe as a warning.I reach into my pocket and pull out a small, folded note. My heartbeat pounds as I read the words written in my own handwriting:"Don’t trust your memories."A chill runs down my spine. What does that mean?Below the message, there are coordinates. I don’t recognize them, but they’re my only clue.Before I can process anything, the motel phone rings.The sharp sound cuts through my nerves like a knife.I freeze. My pulse races. No one should know I’m here.Except for the person who left me that note.The phone rings again.I pick it up, forcing myself to s
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CHAPTER 22
Ghost in The Code The cursor blinks at me, waiting. Taunting. My fingers hover over the keyboard, hesitant, knowing that once I start, there’s no turning back. The files in front of me—heavily redacted, barely readable—are a graveyard of secrets. Each line of text feels like a headstone, with names and truths buried under black ink meant to keep the past silent.But ghosts don’t stay buried forever.Riley’s voice cuts through the silence. “This doesn’t make sense.” Her brows pull together, lips pressed tight. That look—I know it well. Frustration. “Why would they go to this much trouble to redact everything unless they were hiding something?”I don’t answer. Not because I don’t have thoughts—oh, I have plenty—but none of them are comforting.I close my eyes for just a second. The memory rushes in, unwanted.Julian. Blood on his lips. Breaths too fast, too shallow. His fingers gripping my sleeve like holding on to me could someho
CHAPTER 21
Echoes of the PastThe low hum of Riley’s laptop filled the dimly lit room, the blue glow casting restless shadows along the walls. She was in full hacker mode—head down, fingers a blur across the keyboard, her bottom lip caught between her teeth as she cut through layer after layer of encryption.I paced behind her, restless. My head throbbed like a live wire, a pulsing ache just behind my eyes.“Come on, come on…” Riley muttered.I pressed my fingers against my temple, exhaling sharply. “How much longer?”She huffed, her voice tight with concentration. “Do you want it fast, or do you want it done right?”The air between us crackled with impatience. I raked a hand through my hair and glanced at the screen. Strings of code unraveled in real time, revealing classified mission logs. My name was all over them. Too many times.Then—something shifted.The pain in my head sharpened, slicing through my skull like a hot blade. My vision blurred.And suddenly, I wasn’t in the room anymore.---
CHAPTER 20
Rain slicked the pavement beneath my boots as I stalked toward the abandoned warehouse, my pulse a steady drumbeat in my ears. Riley was three steps behind me, silent, her presence a shadow at my back.I knew this was suicide.Breaking into The Oath’s headquarters was one thing. Confronting Julian inside it? That was a death wish wrapped in arrogance.But there was no other way.The questions burned too deep. This wasn’t just about what Julian did. It was about what I did.I had spent years running from my past. Now, I was about to rip it open like an old wound.Riley’s voice was quiet but sharp. “This is insane.”“I know.”“You’re walking into the lion’s den.”“I know.”She exhaled hard, then grabbed my arm. “Then tell me why.”I turned to face her, and for a moment, I saw something in her eyes—fear. Not for herself. For me.Because she knew me well enough to understand one t
CHAPTER 19
Rain hammered against the cracked windshield as I gripped the steering wheel tighter, my knuckles white. Riley sat in the passenger seat, her laptop open, fingers flying over the keyboard. The glow of the screen flickered across her face, but I barely saw it.All I saw was the past.Julian.A name that burned like acid in my throat."You’re spiraling," Riley muttered, her voice tight.I wasn’t.I was drowning.Julian wasn’t just another ghost in the dark. He was once my brother, not by blood but by bond. We bled together, fought together, saved each other too many times to count. And now, he was the one pulling the strings. The Oath wasn’t hunting me because I was a loose end.They were hunting me because Julian ordered it."You gonna tell me what’s going on in that head of yours?" Riley asked.I exhaled slowly, staring at the road ahead. The wipers dragged across the windshield, smearing water
CHAPTER 18
The motel room smelled like stale coffee and bad decisions. Riley sat cross-legged on the bed, her laptop balanced on her knees, fingers flying over the keyboard. The glow of the screen illuminated her face—sharp, focused, determined.I stood by the window, watching the empty parking lot, gun resting on the nightstand beside me. My ribs ached from earlier, but pain was the least of my concerns.We weren’t safe.Not yet."Tell me you have something," I muttered, turning to her.Riley didn’t answer right away. Her eyes darted across the screen, her brow furrowing deeper with each passing second.Then she whispered, "No. No way."Something about her tone made my stomach tighten. "What is it?"She exhaled sharply, rubbing her forehead before looking up at me. Her expression was unreadable—shock, anger, maybe even fear."Nathan… you need to sit down."I didn’t. I couldn’t."Talk."
CHAPTER 17
The engine roared beneath me as I tore through the city streets, headlights slicing through the dark. Riley had gone north—I was heading south.We needed distance. And a plan.I gritted my teeth, my pulse hammering. The Oath wasn’t going to let us walk away from this. They’d keep coming.Unless I stopped them first.My earpiece crackled. "Nathan, I made it to the fallback point," Riley’s voice came, tense but steady."Good. Stay put. I’m going to buy you time.""You mean you’re going to do something reckless.""Same thing."Silence. Then, "Just don’t get yourself killed."No promises.I cut the lights on the SUV and veered off the main road, tires skidding across cracked asphalt. The industrial district—perfect. Empty buildings. Limited exits. A damn good place for an ambush.I needed them to follow.I reached under my jacket, pulled out my burner phone, and sent a single text
CHAPTER 16
The moment Riley disappeared into the night, I forced my mind into lockdown.No distractions. No hesitation.Just survival.The Oath was closing in, and I knew they wouldn’t stop at foot soldiers. They wanted me erased. And now, James—**someone I thought was dead—**was standing in front of me, gun raised."You’re dead," I said, gripping my own weapon tighter.James smirked. "Not quite. But you might be soon."I didn’t wait for him to pull the trigger.Move.I dove sideways as his first shot cracked through the air. The bullet tore into the asphalt where my head had been a second ago. I hit the ground rolling and fired twice—but he was already gone.Melted into the shadows.Typical James—fast, precise, always one step ahead.I stayed low, scanning for movement.Where are you?A faint scuff of a boot—behind me.I twisted—just in time to block the knife swinging
CHAPTER 15
I had seen death before. Felt its breath on my neck. But nothing compared to the cold terror that ran down my spine as Riley’s screen flickered, glitched, and then displayed a single message in bold, chilling letters:“You should have stayed hidden, Nathan.”My chest tightened.Riley froze, her fingers hovering uselessly over the keyboard. The hum of her computer, usually steady, now felt like a warning. The color drained from her face."Shit," she whispered. "They found us."A second later, the power cut out. Darkness swallowed the room, except for the faint red glow of the emergency battery. I reached for my gun. Every muscle in my body locked up, wired tight.Then—Glass shattered.A high-pitched whine filled my ears as a bullet tore through Riley’s monitor, sending sparks and shards flying. We hit the ground, my arm wrapping around her instinctively as more shots thundered through the air. The sharp scent of
CHAPTER 14
Riley is too quiet.Not her usual kind of silence—the one where she’s working, focused, fingers flying over the keyboard. This is different.This is the kind of silence that makes my skin crawl. That makes my pulse stutter before my brain even catches up.I step closer. "What is it?"She doesn’t answer. Just stares at the screen like it holds something impossible. Like the words on it changed everything."Riley," I snap. "Talk to me."She flinches. Slowly, she turns to face me, and the look in her eyes hits me like a gut punch.Fear.Not the kind where something feels off.The kind that’s personal.The kind that has my name written all over it.My stomach knots. "What the hell did you find?"She hesitates, then takes a deep breath and spins the laptop toward me.At first, I don’t understand what I’m looking at. A security log. A list of names.And then I see mine.Nathan Vale.My heartbeat slams against my ribs.Next to my name: A timestamp. A location. A red warning.PRESENT AT CLASS
