Chapter 102 – The Unwelcome Alliance
The air inside the abandoned house had grown heavy with the scent of old timber and the sharp tang of pine smoke that had long since gone cold. Outside, the mountains whispered in the dark, the wind threading through bare branches like the murmurs of unseen watchers.
Kairo fastened the straps of his pack with quick, economical movements. "We move in ten," he said without looking up.
Rinaldo stood by the table, his gloves back on, scarf pulled high again, watching without speaking. He had the stillness of someone who knew the value of letting others fill the silence first.
Elira lingered near the doorway, eyes flicking between the men. Her instincts screamed that Rinaldo was a problem—not because he was openly hostile, but because he wasn't. The most dangerous lies, she knew, were the ones dressed in cooperation.
"You know they'll be expecting us to take the main road down," Rinaldo finally said. "It's the fastest, the most visible—and the most easily trapped."
Kairo's glance was brief but sharp. "And you're suggesting?"
"There's a goat path behind the sawmill at the edge of the village. Narrow, steep, and ugly in the dark, but it cuts two hours off the descent and puts us on the far side of the river before dawn."
"Which you just happened to know," Elira said flatly.
Rinaldo met her gaze. "I've had three days to watch this place. I make it my business to know exits before I choose an entrance."
Kairo zipped his coat and adjusted the pistol under his arm. "Show me."
They slipped into the night without another word, boots crunching softly over frost. The moon hung low, a dull silver coin partly hidden by clouds, casting just enough light to make the shadows deeper.
The village was still silent, every boarded window and nailed-shut door like a blind eye turned away from them. Kairo moved ahead, his steps soundless despite the frozen ground. Elira followed close, her senses pricked for movement, her hand brushing the hilt of her dagger with every other step. Rinaldo brought up the rear, his gaze sweeping over rooftops, alleys, and the tree line beyond.
They reached the sawmill at the village's edge. Its skeletal frame loomed against the pale sky, the blades long rusted, the air heavy with the faint metallic tang of old iron. Behind it, just as Rinaldo had said, a narrow path cut into the slope—a strip of packed dirt and frost barely wide enough for one person at a time.
"This is it," Rinaldo murmured.
Kairo took the lead again, testing the first steps. The path fell away sharply to the left, a dark drop into tangled trees. "Watch your footing," he said without turning.
They moved in single file, the silence between them broken only by the scrape of boots and the occasional hiss of breath when the wind caught them. The trail twisted sharply, forcing them to grip roots and frozen rocks to keep balance.
Halfway down, Kairo stopped, raising one hand. Elira froze instantly. Rinaldo, two paces back, stilled as well.
From somewhere below came the faintest click—a metallic sound, small but unmistakable.
Rinaldo's voice was a whisper. "Tripwire."
Kairo crouched, scanning the darkness ahead until he caught the thin glint of metal strung across the path, almost invisible in the dim light. Beyond it, a small mound half-buried in frost.
"Claymore," Kairo murmured. "Directional."
Elira's stomach tightened. "Feretti's men?"
"Or someone else with the same idea," Rinaldo said.
Kairo traced the wire to its anchor point, fingers moving with practiced care. A snip from the small cutters he carried, and the wire went slack. He motioned them forward again, stepping over the trap without touching the device itself.
As they moved on, Elira leaned close to his shoulder. "They're not far, are they?"
"Closer than I want them to be," he said. "And they're not guessing our route. They know it."
She didn't need to ask what that meant. Someone had already been talking.
The path began to widen as they descended into a shallow ravine. The river's distant roar grew louder, promising both cover and escape if they could reach it. But Kairo's eyes kept scanning the high ground on either side, his instincts telling him that any moment now, the night could break open with gunfire.
Behind them, Rinaldo said quietly, "You know they'll try to take you alive. At least at first."
Kairo's reply was flat. "They can try."