Chapter 95

Amanda listened intently as Lena recounted the harrowing events of the past few months. The deeper Lena delved into her story, the more Amanda realized how dangerously close Nathan had brought them all to the brink. The criminal syndicate he was entangled with wasn’t just a small-time operation—it was a sprawling network with connections in high places and a reach that extended far beyond the city. Guns, drugs, money laundering—Nathan had been involved in it all, and now, the consequences were closing in on Lena.

“They started showing up at my work,” Lena said, her voice barely a whisper. She sat on the edge of the couch, wringing her hands nervously. “Then, at my apartment. They never said anything, just stood there, watching. I knew they were sending a message.”

Ron leaned forward, his expression grim. “Did you recognize any of them? Did Nathan ever mention names?”

Lena shook her head. “No, he was always vague. But he was scared, Ron. More scared than I’ve ever seen him. He kept saying they were after him because he’d ‘crossed a line.’ I think he was trying to get out, but it was too late.”

Amanda’s mind raced. If Nathan had tried to back out of the syndicate, it would explain why they were targeting Lena—to flush him out. But what had Nathan done to provoke such a response? What line had he crossed?

“Lena,” Amanda said gently, trying to keep her voice steady, “do you know where Nathan is now? Anything that could help us find him?”

Lena hesitated, her eyes flickering with uncertainty. “He called me a few days ago, from a burner phone. He sounded desperate, said he was heading somewhere safe. He wouldn’t tell me where, but he mentioned an old place… the cabin.”

Amanda and Ron exchanged a look. The cabin. It was a small, isolated place up in the mountains that they had used once, years ago, as a safe house when things had gotten too heated in their line of work. It was off the grid, the perfect place to disappear for a while.

“We need to find him before they do,” Amanda said, a sense of urgency rising in her chest. “If he’s up there, he might still have a chance.”

Ron nodded in agreement, already reaching for his phone to make a few quick calls. “We’ll need to move fast. If they’re tracking him, they could be on their way there too.”

“Wait,” Lena said, her voice shaking as she stood up. “You can’t go alone. Let me come with you.”

Amanda shook her head firmly. “No, Lena. It’s too dangerous. You’re safer here, away from all this.”

“But what if they come after you? What if they find him before you do?” Lena’s eyes were wide with fear, but there was a determination there too, a resolve to not let Nathan face this alone.

“We’ll handle it,” Ron said, his voice calm but firm. “You need to stay safe. We can’t afford to worry about you too.”

Lena’s shoulders slumped, and she sank back onto the couch. “Just… bring him back. Please.”

“We will,” Amanda promised, though the weight of that promise settled heavily on her shoulders. She knew what they were up against—knew that there were no guarantees in a situation like this.

After ensuring that Lena was secure in her apartment with strict instructions to stay put and not open the door for anyone but them, Amanda and Ron headed back to their car. The atmosphere between them was thick with tension, but there was also a shared understanding—they were about to step back into a world they had tried to leave behind, and there was no turning back now.

As they drove out of the city, the skyscrapers gradually gave way to rolling hills and dense forests. The road to the cabin was long and winding, cutting through miles of wilderness that offered no signs of life. Amanda couldn’t help but feel a growing sense of foreboding as they neared their destination. Memories of the past, of the things they had done and the enemies they had made, bubbled to the surface of her mind. This was supposed to be behind them—buried and forgotten. But the past had a way of resurfacing, and now it had caught up to them in the most dangerous way possible.

“We’re going to find him,” Ron said, breaking the silence. His voice was steady, but there was an edge to it—a determination that mirrored Amanda’s own.

“I know,” Amanda replied, though she couldn’t shake the feeling that they were heading into something far more complicated and dangerous than they had anticipated. “But we need to be ready for anything.”

As they finally pulled off the main road onto the narrow, overgrown path that led to the cabin, the trees closed in around them, casting long shadows that seemed to stretch endlessly. The air grew colder, and Amanda’s hand instinctively moved to the glove compartment where they kept a handgun, just in case.

They approached the cabin cautiously, the small wooden structure hidden among the trees, its windows dark and foreboding. Ron cut the engine, and they both sat in silence for a moment, listening to the sounds of the forest around them. There was no movement, no sign of life.

“Do you think he’s here?” Amanda whispered, scanning the area.

“Only one way to find out,” Ron replied, his hand resting on the door handle.

Together, they stepped out of the car, their footsteps crunching softly on the gravel as they approached the cabin. Amanda’s heart pounded in her chest, every instinct on high alert. If Nathan was here, they needed to get him out fast. But if someone else had found him first…

Ron reached the front door first, pressing his ear against the wood before nodding to Amanda. She took a deep breath, her fingers tightening around the gun in her hand, and then Ron pushed the door open.

The inside of the cabin was dark, lit only by the dim light filtering through the dusty windows. It was eerily quiet, the kind of silence that made the hairs on the back of Amanda’s neck stand on end. They moved cautiously, their eyes adjusting to the gloom as they searched for any sign of Nathan.

Then, from the back room, they heard it—a faint, muffled sound. Someone was there.

Amanda signaled to Ron, and they moved in unison, inching toward the noise. As they rounded the corner into the small bedroom, they saw him. Nathan, slumped against the far wall, his face bruised and bloodied, a gun lying limp in his hand.

“Nathan!” Amanda rushed forward, dropping to her knees beside him.

He looked up at her, his eyes glazed with pain and exhaustion. “Amanda… I knew you’d come.”

Ron moved quickly to check the windows, making sure they weren’t being watched, while Amanda gently lifted Nathan’s head, her heart breaking at the sight of him in such a state. “We need to get you out of here, Nathan. They’re coming for you.”

Nathan coughed, wincing in pain. “It’s too late… they’re already here.”

Before Amanda could react, there was a sharp crack—a gunshot echoing through the cabin. Ron dove to the floor, dragging Amanda and Nathan with him as bullets tore through the wooden walls, splintering the wood around them.

“They found us,” Ron hissed, reaching for his own gun.

Amanda’s heart pounded in her ears as she tried to shield Nathan, but her mind was already racing, calculating their next move. They were surrounded, outgunned, and trapped. The shadows had caught up to them, and now there was only one way out—through the abyss.