Chapter 5: A Deal with the Devil
The underground tunnel felt colder now, the weight of the city pressing above them. Water dripped from unseen cracks, the air thick with the scent of damp stone and something older—like the ghosts of a thousand forgotten secrets.
Jasper Hawke kept his gun trained on the woman.
“You’ve got five seconds,” he said, voice edged with steel. “Who are you?”
The woman smirked, unfazed by the barrel aimed at her. “You can call me Evelyn.”
“That’s not an answer.”
Evelyn’s dark eyes flicked between Jasper and Idris. “You were set up,” she said simply. “That arms deal? It was never about weapons. Karim was never the real player—just another pawn on the board.”
Jasper’s mind worked fast, sifting through the layers of deception. “And you know this because…?”
She took a step closer, her movements slow, deliberate. “Because I was supposed to kill you.”
Silence.
Idris inhaled sharply, stepping back. Jasper didn’t move. His grip remained steady, finger brushing the trigger.
“Yet here you are,” he said. “Breathing.”
Evelyn tilted her head slightly. “Call it professional courtesy.”
Jasper wasn’t in the mood for games. “Try again.”
Evelyn sighed, crossing her arms. “You’re not the only one looking into this operation, Hawke. Karim’s buyers? They’re working with someone inside a Western intelligence agency. Someone powerful.”
Jasper’s jaw tightened. “Who?”
“I don’t know. Yet.”
Idris, still catching his breath, muttered, “So now we have rogue spies in the mix?”
Evelyn smiled faintly. “You say that like it’s new.”
Jasper lowered the gun—just slightly. “And what do you want?”
“To make sure we both stay alive.”
Jasper studied her, reading between the lines. She was calculating, confident, but something in her stance told him she wasn’t lying. Not completely.
Still, trust was a currency he spent sparingly.
“We need to get out of this tunnel,” Jasper said finally. “And you’re coming with us.”
Evelyn’s smirk returned. “You sure you can keep up?”
Jasper motioned for Idris to move. “Let’s find out.”
The Docks of Tangier
They emerged into the salt-heavy air of the docks, stepping into a world of flickering lamps and the rhythmic clang of metal on metal. Cargo ships lined the piers, their hulking silhouettes cutting against the dark horizon.
Evelyn led them through a maze of stacked containers. “There’s a freighter leaving for Spain within the hour,” she said. “You need to be on it.”
Jasper studied the ships, his instincts buzzing. “And where will you be?”
Evelyn glanced at him. “That depends. You planning on getting yourself killed?”
Jasper smirked. “Not tonight.”
Evelyn nodded. “Then I’ll see you in Madrid.”
Before Jasper could respond, a sharp whistle cut through the air. The sound of boots.
Men were closing in.
Jasper grabbed Idris, pushing him toward the nearest gangway. “Go. Now.”
Evelyn spun, pulling a small pistol from a concealed holster. “We’ve got company.”
Jasper didn’t need to be told twice.
The night exploded with gunfire.
Escape or Elimination
Jasper moved fast, weaving between crates as bullets sparked against metal. He fired back, dropping one of the pursuing men with a clean shot. Another returned fire from the shadows.
Evelyn was already in motion, moving with the precision of someone who had been in this game too long. She fired twice, striking another enemy before vanishing behind a stack of cargo.
Jasper sprinted up the freighter’s ramp, yanking Idris behind him. “Get below deck!”
Idris didn’t argue. He disappeared into the ship’s belly.
Jasper turned just as Evelyn took cover beside him.
“This your idea of a quiet escape?” she asked, reloading.
Jasper smirked. “Could be worse.”
Evelyn peeked out, firing two more shots. A man collapsed near the dock. The rest were pulling back—reorganizing.
“We need to go,” she said.
Jasper nodded. “Agreed.”
They moved quickly, slipping into the freighter’s dark corridors. Behind them, the engines rumbled to life.
As the ship pulled away from the docks, Jasper exhaled. Another narrow escape.
But something told him the real hunt was only beginning.
And this time, the predators were closing in.
