Chapter 102

The sterile, fluorescent lights of the makeshift medical facility flickered overhead as Amanda and Ron paced the hallway, their footsteps echoing through the empty space. The tension between them was thick, a silent acknowledgment that Nathan’s survival was uncertain and their mission had just become more dangerous.

“He’s barely hanging on,” Ron muttered, rubbing his hand across the back of his neck. “We can’t wait for him to recover. We need that journal.”

Amanda nodded, her mind already whirring with possibilities. Nathan had mentioned the journal was their key to unlocking whatever was hidden in that vault, but they had no idea where he had stashed it. The only thing they knew for sure was that time was running out—both for Nathan and for them.

“Do you think it’s at his place?” Amanda asked, breaking the silence.

“Could be,” Ron replied, his brow furrowing. “Or he could have hidden it somewhere else. Given how careful he’s been, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s somewhere we’d never think to look.”

Amanda sighed, frustrated. “We don’t have time for a scavenger hunt.”

“I know,” Ron said quietly. “But it’s all we’ve got.”

A soft knock on the door interrupted them, and a young doctor stepped out of Nathan’s room, removing his gloves. He looked tired, but his expression was calm.

“He’s stable, for now,” the doctor said, glancing between Amanda and Ron. “But he’s not out of the woods. He needs rest, and more importantly, he needs time. If you need to talk to him again, it’ll have to wait.”

Amanda nodded her thanks, but inside, her frustration deepened. Nathan was their only link to the vault, and if he didn’t pull through soon, the trail could go cold.

“We need to move,” Ron said, his voice low but urgent. “If they know Nathan’s alive, they’ll come for him. We don’t have the luxury of waiting here.”

Amanda agreed. Staying at the facility was too dangerous. Their enemies would stop at nothing to find them. But without Nathan’s journal, they were operating in the dark.

“I think I know where to start,” Amanda said suddenly, her mind flashing back to the last conversation she’d had with Nathan before the chaos erupted. “He mentioned something about an old cabin—his family’s cabin. He said it was his safe place, somewhere no one else knew about. If the journal’s anywhere, it could be there.”

Ron considered this for a moment, then nodded. “It’s our best shot. Let’s go.”

***

The drive to the cabin was long and tense. The road wound through dense woods, the trees towering over them like silent sentinels. The deeper they drove, the more isolated the world became. There were no lights, no signs of civilization—just an endless stretch of wilderness that seemed to swallow them whole.

Amanda gripped the steering wheel tightly, her mind racing. She couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched, that someone—or something—was tracking their every move. The forest was too quiet, too still, and the darkness pressed in on them like a living thing.

“You think anyone knows about this place?” Ron asked, breaking the silence.

“If they do, we’re in trouble,” Amanda replied grimly. “But Nathan said it was off the grid. No one’s supposed to know it exists.”

Ron nodded but kept his eyes on the road ahead, scanning for any signs of movement. They had learned the hard way that their enemies were always one step ahead, and they couldn’t afford to let their guard down now.

Finally, after what felt like hours, they reached the clearing. The cabin stood alone, its wooden frame weathered and worn but still standing strong. It was small, barely more than a shack, with thick ivy creeping up the sides and a roof that sagged slightly under the weight of the years.

Amanda killed the engine and stepped out of the car, her boots crunching on the gravel. The air was crisp and cold, and the scent of pine filled her lungs. She glanced around, half expecting to see someone lurking in the shadows, but the clearing remained eerily empty.

“This has to be it,” Ron said, moving toward the cabin. “Let’s hope we’re right.”

Amanda followed him, her hand resting on the pistol holstered at her side. Every nerve in her body was on high alert, ready for an ambush. She reached for the door and turned the handle slowly, the old wood creaking under her grip.

The inside of the cabin was sparse. A few pieces of worn furniture were scattered around, and a thick layer of dust covered everything. It looked as though no one had been here in years. Amanda’s eyes scanned the room, searching for anything that might hint at where Nathan had hidden the journal.

“We need to be thorough,” Ron said, already moving toward the small desk in the corner. “If it’s here, it won’t be out in the open.”

Amanda nodded and began her own search, carefully rifling through the old books stacked on a shelf and the drawers of a weathered cabinet. Minutes passed in silence as they tore the place apart, but there was no sign of the journal.

Frustration clawed at Amanda. What if they were wrong? What if Nathan had hidden the journal somewhere else entirely? Time was slipping away, and every second they wasted brought their enemies closer.

Just as she was about to give up, Amanda’s foot caught on something. She looked down and saw a small, loose floorboard near the hearth. Her heart skipped a beat.

“Ron,” she called softly. “I think I found something.”

He rushed over as she pried the floorboard loose, revealing a small, weathered leather journal tucked beneath it. Her fingers trembled slightly as she lifted it out of the hidden compartment.

“This is it,” she whispered, flipping through the pages.

The journal was filled with notes, codes, and diagrams. At the very back, scrawled in Nathan’s familiar handwriting, were the coordinates to the facility and the combination to the vault.

Ron peered over her shoulder, his face set with determination. “This is the key. We’ve got what we need.”

Amanda closed the journal, her resolve hardening. The vault was their next destination. But as they prepared to leave the cabin, a low rumble echoed through the trees—engines, closing in fast.

“They’re here,” Ron said grimly, drawing his weapon.

Amanda tightened her grip on the journal. The game wasn’t over yet.

They had the key, but now they would have to fight to survive.