DECEIT WEB

Samantha's POV On my phone, the message might as well have been a bullet. You should not trust her. As the words blazed into my consciousness, my fingers tightened around the phone. Who forwarded this? And why today? Suddenly the air around me felt thick and stifling. Though I could just hear the faint sound of the city behind us, my whole attention was on those three words. "Sam, what is it? " Alex's voice caught me out of concentration; his forehead wrinkled in worry. With a rapid switch off of the screen, I dropped the phone into my pocket while heart pounding. Something stopped me even though my impulse was to show him the message and let him in on the suspicion now biting at me. Not without more knowledge, I did not want to excessively react. Too many unknowns already existed, hence I had to work out what this message truly meant. "Nothing," I answered, faking a smile that fell short of really visible. "Just... contemplating everything." Alex's gaze stayed on mine for a second more, as though he could feel my reluctance. But he didn't press. He was allowing me time since he knew I would tell him what was on my mind when I was ready. That trust made the untruth rest much harder on my chest. For some silent time, both of us were buried in contemplation. Every stride felt weighted, as though we were descending into the future, and with every second that went by, I could sense doubt slinking in. Was Lila actually on our side? The message had sown a seed of doubt already too rapidly growing for me to manage. "Lila's right about one thing," Alex broke the silence. Our greatest shot comes from Julian Cross. Still, he will not be easy to locate. "Where are we even starting from? Grateful for the change in topic, I asked. Though the message stayed at the back of my thoughts, just now I had to concentrate on the current work. Alex released a slow exhale, his face stiffening. "I know of certain contacts who might be aware of his location. But Julian is not the sort of man you could just call upon. For a reason, he has gone dark. And what then is the reason? Alex looked at me, as if a shadow were crossing his face. "Because he's also fleeing Marcus too." The bits began to fit one another. Julian knew the inner workings of the guy Marcus was seeking to kill, hence he was one of Marcus's most valuable pawns—not simply another player in this game. And if Julian was hiding, it suggested he had the same cause for anxiety as we had. "Do you suppose he would assist us?" With a gentle voice, I requested. Alex said, his tone dark, "If he thinks it will keep him alive." We kept strolling throughout the city, the evening air getting cooler. Now the streets were calmer, with just the sporadic flutter of headlights piercing the gloom. Trapped in this never-ending circle of risk and uncertainty, we felt as though we were the only two humans remaining on Earth. But under the anxiety, I also experienced an unusual will. Though I was plunged into a world of power plays, secrets, and treachery, I was not backing down. No more. I had let other people decide my fate and let fear guide every action for too long. But now, Alex by my side, I was ready to meet whatever lay ahead. That determination was flimsy, though. And the message on my phone continued whispering to me, pushing me to challenge all. Never trust her. Looking at Alex, I wondered whether he shared my discomfort over Lila. She had assisted us, indeed, but that did not mean she was not engaged in her own game. Everybody Marcus knew had a different objective. One of Alex's regular venues for covert meetings, a modest café on the corner was where we found him. The place was virtually deserted and the lights were low. Alex motioned toward the rear booth, and we entered away from any curious onlookers. Drawing out his phone, he added, "I'll make some calls." Try to find a lead on Julian. I observed him for a time while my brain whirled. Though the weight of the note in my pocket was getting heavier by the second, I wanted to believe him. Suppose Marcus's strategy included this as well? If Lila had set us up, keeping Marcus updated and feeding us bogus leads, things would be different. The sense that something was off persisted with me. Alex remarked, "Sam," jogging me from my reverie. "You okay?" Blinking, I realized I had been staring at the table empty-minded. Alright. Simply weary. He let it go, obviously not convinced, but briefly watched me. "We will work this out," he murmured softly. "We have traveled far already. Right now we are not reversing. I nodded, inclined to believe him. But I discreetly got out my phone and looked at the message once again as he made his calls. Never trust her. I went over the number—unknown, naturally. Not at all clear how to track it. My logical side wants to discount it as some sort of scare strategy. But the deeper side of me—that which had learnt to rely on instincts over the past several months—was shouting that this was more than simply a warning. It presented a menace. Alex hung up his phone, his face insensible, before I could think too much. His voice low, he said, "We have a lead." Julian has been seen in an old industrial section of the town. district for abandoned warehouses. Makes sense for someone wanting to hide. I felt my pulse speed up. This was it—that next action in whatever perilous game we were engaged in. But something did not feel right. "When are we supposed to go? Keeping a steady voice, I asked. Alex gave his watch a quick peek. "Today. Late enough we will not draw attention. We have to get going quickly. I nodded, slid out of the booth and trailed him to the door. But the message on my phone seemed to reverberate more in my head with each stride. You shouldn't trust her. The warehouse area was as gloomy as it sounded. Rising silently like silent sentinels, the tall, crumbling buildings watched us as we negotiated the small streets with their cracked windows. Every sound—every creak and shuffle—made my heart race faster; the air smelled of rust and decay. Alex moved deliberately, his eyes looking about for any life. I stayed close, but the discomfort I had experienced since reading the note would not go away. Something wasn't right. I could feel it. We walked up to one of the bigger warehouses; the doors there were just ajar. Alex waved for me to keep back and peered inside as he advanced. " Looks clear," he said softly. Keep near. My heart thumping in my chest, I nodded and trailed him inside. With piles of trash on the floor and damaged equipment all around, the inside was much more run-down than the outside. For someone to hide—or construct a trap—it was the ideal location. Deeper into the warehouse, the strain between us grew with every stride. The weight of the unknown was weighing down on us, the idea that we were entering someplace considerably more perilous than we had thought. Then I noticed it: a slink of motion in the darkness. Alex, wait—". Whispers aside, it was too late. A man emerged from the shadows, and in the low light I spotted him. Julian Cross here. His eyes keen, his attitude austere, he appeared exactly as threatening as I had anticipated. "You're a fool for showing here," Julian remarked, his voice low and threatening. Marcus is quite knowledgeable. The blood came out of my face like a punch from his words. Marcus knew everything? My mind flew, and the message on my phone blazed before my eyes once more. Do not believe her. Julian's eyes narrowed as he turned to stare at Alex and me separately. And now you have straight entered his trap.