Chapter 4 - The Long Shadow of the Orchard
We were three hundred miles away, parked on a dirt road deep in the mountains. The adrenaline was fading, replaced by the crushing weight of reality. June was shivering, so I wrapped her in an old wool blanket from the trunk.
“Why did you save me?” she asked, staring into the dark woods. “You could have just disappeared when you saw them.”
“Because I couldn't save them,” I said.
“Who?”
“My team. Six years ago, we were tasked to secure an orchard in Afghanistan. It was a setup. We were sold out by our own command for a political payout. I was the only one who walked out.”
I pulled up my sleeve, revealing the jagged scar on my shoulder. “I spent years hating myself for surviving. When I saw you, I didn't see a witness. I saw a chance to fix the tally.”
June reached out and touched my wrist, tracing the faded ink of the Trident. “You’re not a clerk, Callie. You’re a guardian.”
“I’m a liability,” I corrected.
Just then, a light flickered in the distance. A vehicle. I knew those headlights. It was Voss.
He didn't bring backup this time. He walked alone toward the cabin, his hands raised. He looked tired. Not the tired of a clerk, but the tired of a man who had seen too many secrets rot.
“I didn't lead them here,” he said as he reached the porch. “But they followed my GPS tracker. They’re ten minutes behind me. A cleanup crew.”
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“Why tell me?” I asked, rifle leveled at his chest.
“Because I’m tired of the lies, Callie. I helped build the machine that killed your team. I’m the one who needs to break it.”
