The winding road to the cabin was shrouded in mist and silence, the kind that whispered secrets between the trees. Samantha sat beside Luke in his SUV, her gaze fixed out the window. Her thoughts twisted with fear, doubt, and memories—each one louder than the tires grinding on gravel.
Luke kept one hand steady on the wheel and the other close to his phone, glancing occasionally at the screen. No new alerts. But the weight in his chest hadn't eased. Whoever had found them had access, intelligence, and a personal vendetta—and that meant time was running out.
They drove for nearly three hours before the forest opened into a clearing. The cabin stood modestly in the center—a two-story wooden structure with weathered walls and a front porch wrapped in vines. Isolated. Quiet. Safe… for now.
Luke cut the engine. "We'll stay here for a while. Long enough to figure out who's after you—and why."
Samantha turned to him, her eyes softer now. "You still haven't told me what Operation Revenant is."
He paused. "I will. But not yet. Let me get us inside first."
⸻
The cabin's interior was rustic but warm—stone fireplace, aged furniture, thick rugs, and the scent of cedarwood soaked into every corner. Luke moved quickly, checking the locks, drawing the curtains, and setting up the portable signal jammer from his bag.
Samantha watched him, arms folded, her mind trying to put together pieces of a puzzle she hadn't realized she was part of.
"Whoever threw that rock… they weren't just threatening me, were they?" she asked quietly.
Luke looked up. "No. They were sending a message. To me."
She walked to the fireplace, trailing her fingers along the dusty mantle. "Luke… is this about something you did before we met?"
He hesitated. "Yes. And no."
He motioned for her to sit. "Samantha, I need you to listen carefully. You remember when I told you I used to work for a private security firm?"
She nodded.
"Well, that was only half the truth. Before that… I was recruited by a black-ops group. Government-funded, off the books. Our job was to neutralize international threats—terrorists, data breaches, bio-weapons. My team was called Revenant because we cleaned up the mess no one else could."
Her breath caught. "So you were a spy?"
"A shadow," he said. "Revenant was dissolved after an operation went wrong—one that involved someone we were supposed to protect but didn't. And I made enemies."
⸻
Samantha's hands trembled. "Why didn't you tell me any of this?"
"Because I thought I'd left it behind. I never expected them to come after you."
She stood abruptly. "You dragged me into this without giving me a choice."
"I was trying to protect you!" he snapped, standing too. "I still am."
Tears brimmed in her eyes. "Protect me by lying?"
Luke ran a hand through his hair, frustration burning in his voice. "If I'd told you back then, would you have stayed?"
Silence stretched between them. The weight of the question pressed into her chest.
She looked away. "I don't know."
⸻
Hours passed.
Luke took the upstairs bedroom, while Samantha settled downstairs. But neither of them slept.
In the middle of the night, she crept out onto the porch, the cold biting into her skin, hoping the fresh air would calm her.
Then a sound.
Not loud. Just… a shift.
Samantha turned toward the trees.
A figure moved—briefly—between the pines.
She froze. "Luke?" she whispered.
No answer.
She backed slowly toward the door, heart hammering in her chest. Then, suddenly, a flash—like the reflection of a lens.
She lunged for the door and slammed it shut, locking it before she collapsed against it.
⸻
By morning, Luke knew something was wrong. Samantha's eyes were haunted.
"What did you see?" he asked.
"I think someone's watching the cabin," she said. "I saw a shadow. Something shiny… maybe a camera?"
He cursed under his breath and grabbed his duffel. "We have to leave. Now."
But before they could make a move, his phone buzzed. A private number. He answered, voice cautious.
"Luke," a familiar voice rasped. "It's Bran."
Luke stiffened. Bran was his former Revenant teammate. Thought to be dead.
"You're supposed to be gone."
"I faked it. For a reason. You're in danger. It's not just Samantha they're after."
"Then who?"
Bran's voice dropped. "You. Revenant's last mission—someone survived. And they're coming for revenge."
⸻
As the call ended, Luke turned to Samantha.
"We were wrong. This isn't just about your article or your past. It's about Revenant. It's about all of us."
"But I'm not one of you," she said, confused.
Luke met her eyes. "You are now."
⸻
They left the cabin within the hour. Bran had sent coordinates to a safe house in the city. Luke knew it was risky going back, but they had no choice. They needed information—and help.
As they drove, Samantha asked quietly, "What happened on that last mission?"
Luke didn't answer immediately. His jaw tightened.
"We were sent to stop a black-market exchange of weaponized nanotech. A rogue scientist named Seraphine Vlaar was involved. We got there too late. A firefight broke out. Most of her people were killed. We thought she died in the explosion."
"And she didn't?"
"No. And now she wants to destroy what's left of us."
⸻
They arrived at the city under the cover of night, entering through an underground parking garage. Bran waited near the freight elevator—taller, older, with a scar down his neck and eyes like weathered steel.
"You look like hell," Luke muttered.
Bran grinned. "You look worse."
Samantha stayed close to Luke, unsure whether to trust the newcomer. Bran's energy was sharp, dangerous, but steady.
Inside the safe house, Luke and Bran reviewed surveillance files while Samantha paced.
"Seraphine's been building a network," Bran explained. "Tech firms, journalists, even law enforcement. She's feeding them misinformation. You, Samantha, were a target because of your reach."
Samantha blinked. "My articles?"
"She's controlling the narrative. One by one, she's silencing the people who could expose her."
Luke turned. "We need to release the truth. You still have your old notes?"
Samantha nodded. "Back at my office."
"That's our next move," Bran said. "We retrieve the files. Expose her."
But Luke's gut twisted. "It won't be that simple."
⸻
He was right.
The next morning, as they prepared to leave the safe house, an explosion ripped through the garage.
Alarms blared.
Smoke filled the stairwell.
Luke shoved Samantha behind a wall. "They found us!"
Gunfire echoed.
Bran pulled his weapon. "We hold them here. Get her out!"
"No," Samantha shouted. "I'm not leaving either of you!"
Luke stared at her, torn. "I swore to protect you."
"Then protect me by letting me fight beside you."
Bran tossed her a spare vest. "She's got heart. Let's move!"
As the smoke cleared, they rushed into the chaos—dodging bullets, ducking behind cars.
And in the shadows across the garage… Seraphine watched from a camera feed, lips curling into a smile.
"Let the hunt begin," she whispered.