Chapter 108
Amanda sat in the darkness, every breath measured, every thought weighed down by the fear of the unknown. Her body ached, her side pulsing with sharp pain from the bullet wound that had been poorly tended. Her mind, however, refused to break. She had been through too much to give in now. **Ghost**, her estranged brother, had once been the source of her troubles. But now, this new enemy—faceless, merciless—was playing a far deadlier game.
The door creaked open again, and Amanda's heart jumped, but she steeled herself, not allowing the panic to show. The same man who had interrogated her earlier stepped into the dim light, accompanied by another shadowy figure. This time, however, his eyes were colder, his expression devoid of the cruelty that had danced on his face before.
"It's time to end this," he said simply.
Amanda clenched her fists, her mind racing through every possible scenario. "What do you want?" she demanded, her voice harsh from the hours of silence.
The man glanced to the figure behind him, who stepped forward. As the light caught his face, Amanda's heart sank—it wasn't a stranger. It was **Nathan**, the very man she and Ron had risked everything to protect. His once-kind eyes were now hard, unreadable.
"Nathan?" Amanda's voice was a whisper of disbelief. "What... why are you here?"
Nathan stepped closer, his gaze steady. "Amanda, I never wanted it to come to this. But you have something—something that could ruin everything."
She stared at him, the betrayal crashing over her like a wave. "I trusted you. Ron trusted you. We risked everything to help you."
Nathan didn't flinch. "I know. And I'm sorry. But you were never supposed to get involved this deeply. Ghost wasn’t after me for what I did to him—he was trying to protect you from what I’ve done.”
Amanda shook her head, struggling to make sense of his words. "Protect me? From what?"
Nathan stepped forward, lowering his voice. "There's a list, Amanda. A list of people—powerful people—who've used Ghost and his network to cover their tracks. I'm on that list. You stumbled into something much bigger than you realize."
Everything snapped into place in Amanda’s mind. The constant attacks, the betrayals, the feeling that they were always one step behind—it had never been about Ghost or Nathan alone. It was about control, about power, and Amanda had become an unwitting pawn in their game.
"You're selling me out?" Amanda's voice cracked with fury and disbelief. "All this time, we were trying to help you."
Nathan's face twisted, as if he were fighting some internal battle. "It wasn’t supposed to be like this. But once you got involved, you became a liability. They know about you, Amanda. They won’t stop until they have what they need."
Suddenly, there was the distant sound of gunfire. Ron. The thought hit Amanda like a jolt of adrenaline. He was close. He had to be.
The man who had stood beside Nathan turned towards the door, alarm flashing across his face. “We’ve got company,” he hissed.
Nathan’s expression hardened. He glanced at Amanda, but there was no time for further explanations. As the room erupted into chaos, Amanda felt her bindings loosen as one of Nathan’s accomplices tried to move her. Without thinking, she twisted her body, using the edge of the chair to yank herself free.
Pain flared in her side, but she ignored it. The sound of gunfire grew louder, closer, and Amanda ducked low as the door burst open and **Ron** appeared, his face a mask of grim determination.
"Ron!" Amanda cried, scrambling to her feet despite the pain. He quickly assessed the situation, his eyes locking onto Nathan for a fraction of a second before he shot the man who had been holding her.
Nathan took a step back, his hands raised. “Don’t—”
But Ron wasn’t interested in negotiations. “Amanda, we’re leaving. Now.”
He grabbed her arm, pulling her behind him as the remaining men in the room opened fire. Ron returned fire with deadly accuracy, and together, they made their way out into the open, the cool night air hitting them like a breath of salvation.
They ran, the pain in Amanda’s side growing unbearable, but Ron kept her moving, his grip firm. The sound of gunfire faded behind them as they sprinted toward the edge of the forest, their path illuminated by the pale light of the moon.
When they finally reached the clearing, Amanda collapsed against a tree, gasping for breath. Ron crouched beside her, his face etched with concern.
“We need to get that bullet out of you,” he muttered, tearing a piece of cloth from his sleeve to press against her wound. “But we don’t have time.”
Amanda winced but forced herself to meet his gaze. “It was Nathan. He’s been playing us this whole time.”
Ron’s expression darkened. “I know.”
Amanda blinked, confused. “You knew?”
Ron’s jaw clenched. “I didn’t want to believe it at first, but I started piecing things together. Nathan was always one step ahead of us. He used us, Amanda. But we’re not done yet.”
Before she could respond, the sound of footsteps echoed through the trees. More of Nathan’s men were closing in.
Ron helped her to her feet, his eyes hard with determination. “We end this. Tonight.”
They moved quickly, making their way toward the extraction point Ron had secured earlier. As they reached the clearing, a helicopter came into view, its rotors already spinning, ready for takeoff.
But Nathan wasn’t far behind. As Ron and Amanda approached the chopper, Nathan emerged from the trees, a gun in his hand, his face twisted with desperation.
“You can’t leave,” Nathan shouted over the roar of the helicopter. “You don’t know what’s coming next!”
Ron stepped forward, his gun trained on Nathan. “It’s over.”
Nathan hesitated, his eyes flicking between Ron and Amanda. For a moment, Amanda thought he might lower his weapon, but then his expression hardened.
“If you walk away now,” Nathan said, his voice laced with venom, “you’ll never stop looking over your shoulder. There’s more at stake than you realize.”
Amanda stepped forward, her voice cold. “We’re done with your lies, Nathan.”
Nathan’s face twisted in fury, and he raised his gun, but before he could pull the trigger, Ron fired first. Nathan’s body crumpled to the ground, his gun falling from his hand as he let out a final, ragged breath.
The clearing fell silent, the only sound the steady hum of the helicopter blades.
Ron turned to Amanda, his face softening. “It’s over.”
Amanda nodded, the weight of the last few months finally beginning to lift from her shoulders. “Yeah. It is.”
They boarded the helicopter, leaving behind the chaos, the betrayals, and the bloodshed. As they lifted off into the night, Amanda looked out over the forest below, the dark expanse of trees stretching out like an endless sea.
For the first time in what felt like forever, she allowed herself to hope that this nightmare was finally behind them.
And for the first time in a long while, she believed that they might just be free.