Page 2 of Raven's Claw
The canister clicked along the floor, each tinny strike bolstered by the thick vapor.Someone shouted — the dots scattered — but it exploded a heartbeat later, filling the room with light and sound.Damn near bringing down the roof as the entire bunker shook, more dust coming loose from the old wooden slats covering the ceiling.
The ear-piercing noise scattered what was left of her senses, tilting the room left and right as she flicked on the flashlight and stumbled toward the exit, climbing over what remained of the door.A few shots whizzed through the air next to her head, one of the men shouting her name.
Ember hit the tunnel half-running, half-tripping, the blast of cool air lifting some of the numbing haze.She took the second corridor on the right, then sprinted for the escape hatch at the far end — bouncing off the ladder when the signals didn’t quite reach her limbs in time.She gave herself a shake, climbing the metal rungs before twisting the oversized wheel above her head.
It groaned in protest, finally releasing the thick lid with a rush of air.A foggy mist veiled the surrounding forest, a hint of moonlight shining from above.
She heaved herself up and out, crawling onto the wet grass as boots pounded the hallway beneath her.She rolled, then pulled that second pin — tossed the grenade through the opening.Ember covered her head, again, as it rattled down the rungs and clattered to the floor below.
Voices rose then retreated, a moment of uneasy silence settling over the area before the canister exploded, flames shooting out the hatch.
She waited for the shaking to stop then pushed to her feet and took off.Not nearly as fast as before, but at least she was moving.Limping and falling her way to the tree line then beyond.She took what looked like a deer trail, scrambling through the underbrush until she’d put at least a mile between her and the compound.Not enough to be safe.but she needed to catch her breath — stem some of the bleeding.
Ember leaned against a moss-covered tree, doing her best to take stock.Blood soaked through her clothes, a scattering of shrapnel poking through the fabric.Her head still rattled from the combined explosions, all her exposed skin caked in soot and dirt.
Pain teased her senses, but she was too numb to register anything but the cold bite of reality.
She was burned.
Every identity.
Every resource.
Every lifeline — gone.
All that remained was the bitter taste of regret, and a series of dead-drop sites scattered across the country.Her only chance at retrieving the intel.Like the one near Raven’s Cliff, Oregon, her uncle had mysteriously gifted her when he’d been killed during a Scythe mission.What he’d claimed might provide a form of salvation, and her last hope in a lifetime of lies.
She closed her eyes, letting it all sink in, when her comms buzzed — Rook’s voice sounding through her head.
“Bravo, Ember.”
She inhaled, hating the stab of pride that warmed her chest.The part of her that still wanted his approval.To belong, even if it meant selling her soul.She scoured the forest, half-expecting the man to step out from the shadows.But nothing moved other than the odd flutter of wings.
She tapped her earpiece, all the pieces falling into place.And she couldn’t help but wonder if she’d really escaped, or if he’d simply lengthened her leash.
He chuckled, the sound hollow.Smug.“It’s EMP proof, in case you were wondering.”
She bowed her head, the truth cutting deep.“How long have you known?”
“That you had doubts?”He pushed out a long slow breath.“Since the day I saved you from that group home.Even at twelve years old, I always knew you were too smart, too unexpectedly moral, not to eventually question your place in the agency.I’d just hoped that after all this time — the years I put into beating every ounce of defiance out of you — it wouldn’t come to this.”
She grunted, blinking against the dots eating away her vision.“You didn’t save me, Rook.You recruited me.I was just too young to see the difference.But I’m seeing everything clearly, now.”
He sighed, as if her discovering his betrayal was inconvenient.“Are you sure?I’ve been five steps ahead of you this entire time.Why do you think I sent you here?It was a test.”He let out a weary groan.“Congratulations.You failed.”
“Did I?Because this feels like a victory.”
“I suppose that depends on your perspective.Like your asset.How do you know Mr.Conrad wasn’t part of the ploy?”
“Because I know you.And if that intel wasn’t half as damming as I think it is, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.Which means… You’re scared.”
He laughed.Louder.Deeper.“You’re exceptional, Ember.The best I’ve ever trained.But there’s no way you can ever win this war.No future without me and Scythe in it.”Another slow breath, this one colder than before.Any hint of compassion gone.“You’ve had your fun.Proven you’ve still got those morals buried beneath the muscle memory.Ones I intend to finally bleed out of you.But we can talk about that later.”
“There’s no later, Rook.No,us.There’s just me.”
“You know the score.No loose ends.If one ghost escapes, the whole house of cards collapses.Letting you go would set a precedent, and I can’t afford to have anyone else think they can follow in your footsteps.”He exhaled, the gruff sound bordering on a growl.“You’re either with us, or you’re dead.”
“Then, you better hope the next group of men you send are better than the last.”
