Chapter 25 Cade
CADE
I park the truck half a mile out, killing the lights and slipping out into the darkness. The walk through the forest is slow—dense, with low visibility. Good. That works in my favor.
Pushing branches and brush aside, I hit a clearing with a narrow path that cuts through, leading toward the house. I glance up—the trees splitting just enough to reveal a clear night. No clouds. Stars spilling across the sky in sharp, silver constellations.
I creep closer to the house… but something feels wrong.
The forest is dead quiet. No crickets. No wind. No rustling.
Just… silence.
It’s fucking creepy.
Then it hits me—this… pull. A sudden, overwhelming urge to turn back, to leave. Every nerve in my body lights up, screaming that this is wrong. This is a mistake.
I turn—instinct driving my movements—only for the sensation to snap like a thread. Gone as quickly as it came.
The pendulum against my chest vibrates, buzzing faintly against my sternum, the weight settling. The panic fades.
Huh. I still have no clue what this thing does, besides tethering me to you. But that? That was new. I shake my head and continue forward.
The tree line breaks ahead and I crouch down, watching the property.
Jack’s intel checks out—three main guards with cameras on every corner. No blind spots yet. Someone’s definitely monitoring the feed.
The black Cadillac in the driveway confirms it—Benjamin’s here.
Jack dug deep—Benjamin’s family launders money through antiques auctions, art deals, dig sites, and restoration projects. Artifact smuggling. A front. How deep the Covenant ties go is… admittedly still unclear. But I know this much—
He’s Rosa’s right hand. He’s brutal, rich, and untouchable as the head of Teller Enterprises.
I shift, angling my head, but freeze, my eyes narrowing as I focus.
A faint shimmer wraps the house. Thin and glistening in the night air, like heat waves off asphalt.
What the hell is that?
A knot tightens in my gut. This isn’t paranoia. This is magic.
I remind myself to breathe. Wait for Jack’s all clear. The plan is for him to loop the camera feed and catch the next guard rotation.
Get in and get out.
“Cameras are set.” Jack’s voice filters through my earpiece, right on time. “Two guards at the front. One east by the alley. You have an entry point on the west side—first-floor window.”
Two in front. One east. Nothing on the back or west, despite the cover.
They’re not expecting me. But they are expecting someone. That’s clear as day.
I move up slowly, slipping behind a tree. Dry leaves crunch underfoot as I drag the mask up—a matte black half mask stretched into a sharp-toothed, demonic grin, covering just enough to hide my scar.
“A ski mask would’ve sufficed,” I mutter into the coms, feeling ridiculous.
“C’mon—it’s Halloween,” Jack shoots back, voice grinning in my ear. “I even convinced Calli to dress up. She’s at that downtown festival. The girl needed to get her mind off… well, you know…”
My chest tightens and I still. “She went alone?” I growl, almost ready to turn back just to throttle him.
“Nah.” He sounds far too casual about my sister’s safety. “Some guy she met from the gas station picked her up. Killer costume, too. Chill—her phone’s being tracked. Be grateful she’s not in our ears right now giving both of us hell.”
I release a sharp breath. “Yeah, because you know what’s good for her, isn’t that right,” I concede grudgingly.
“No, I don’t. But I care about both of you.”
“Drop it, Jack.”
“You started it.”
I roll my eyes—this is no time to be petty. At least she’s distracted.
I shove the worry and bitterness down and set my sights back on the house.
The cool wind stirs the trees, muffling my steps as I creep around to the back.
“You got eyes inside?” I ask, my voice barely a whisper.
“Only four cams. Front and back. No movement… but keep an eye out.”
I crouch under the west window and test the latch.
It’s unlocked.
My stomach twists.
No one leaves a window unlocked out here. Not unless they’re sloppy… or it’s a trap.
Carefully, I shove the window open. The wood sticks, groaning, but gives enough for me to slip through. My feet land on thick, plush carpet.
I stay crouched, looking around to find an empty room with a bookshelf and two lounge chairs.
I turn to shut the window—and a shadow cuts across the glass. My breath stalls for a moment, but no one comes.
I lock the window, backing further into the room. A light is on. A dull golden glow spills from the hallway ahead as I creep forward.
“Hallway’s clear,” Jack says softly. “Make a right, there is a door at the end of the hall. You’ll need to pick it.”
I move quietly, wincing as the floorboards creak beneath my boots. I kneel at the door, lockpick sliding into place before I fiddle with it.
Click.
I open the door to an office, the smell of fresh paint stinging my nose. There is a desk sitting in the center of the dark room and a suitcase on the floor. A laptop sits open, waiting, casting a soft blue glow into the room.
I slip into the chair—the cushion sinking beneath me as I pull out the USB Jack provided and plug it in. Lines of code that mean nothing to me scroll across the screen.
“Give me a few minutes… oh—wait. Fuck, Cade. Someone’s coming. Find cover. Now.”
I quietly close the laptop, being sure to leave the USB where it is, and scan the room, seeing a closet with bifold doors.
I hurry from the desk on light feet and squeeze inside the small space, sliding the doors shut just as the lock clicks.
I hold my breath as the door creaks open, the sound of heavy footfalls entering the room.
“I’m almost in… stay hidden,” Jack mutters, voice strained. Tense. “We need this guy alive,” he reminds me. Again.
Through the slats, I spot him.
Not a guard.
A large man in a fitted black suit.
Clean.
Sharp.
Benjamin Teller.
He strides in, grabs the suitcase, and walks out—locking the door behind him.
“I’m in.” Jack exhales with relief.
“Wait… this doesn’t make sense…” Static chews the feed and my stomach sinks. “Cade—no—ri—Get ou—”
“We’ve be—intercept—”
Crackle. Then nothing. Silence hangs in the air until—
“Hello, Cade.” A smooth voice hums in my ear. Confident and almost bored. “I was hoping we’d run into each other.”
My stomach caves and I fling open the closet door and bolt for the window only to find it’s been sealed.
Shit.
“Not gonna talk?” He chuckles in my ear and I grind my teeth. “Credit where it’s due. It took my witch over fifteen minutes to jam your comms. You’re good. Damn good. Wouldn’t have caught it if Genevieve hadn’t spelled the grounds.”
“Benjamin Teller,” I growl, turning to face the room once again.
“Cade Halloway.” His tone softens into something like amusement. “Call me Ben. No need for formalities. I hear your name so often… it feels like we’re old friends by now.”
“What the fuck do you want, Ben,” I snarl, running a hand through my hair.
“See… my boss wants your head.”
I snort. They can join the club. “Planning to deliver it?”
“Mmm… not exactly. You’re my leverage. Now that your friend’s inside my files—he’ll figure it all out soon enough. But you… you’re going to help me.”
I begin pacing like a caged animal, trying to calculate my escape.
“Why the hell would I help you? You’re just another Covenant lapdog.” I grunt, going over to try the door. Locked.
“Yeah… about that. I’m not as loyal as you think.” He clicks his tongue, voice still amused. “Rosa? She’s unraveling. Not shocking considering her daughter is dead and her husband is rotting in the desert.”
“It was necessary.”
“Oh, I’m not judging.” He laughs, sounding almost gleeful. “Honestly? I’m impressed. You’ve got balls.”
“Get to the point,” I snap, going back to the desk and leaning against it.
“Simple. I give you what you need to finish the job… and you help me disappear. My family’s ties to the Covenant have long since soured and I’ve grown tired of them.”
I laugh, but the sound is anything but happy. “I don’t know you. And I don’t trust you.”
“Trust isn’t part of the deal. Information for freedom is.” He pauses, his voice going mockingly soft. “You do want to save your sister, right? Isn’t that what this is all about? Big brother… doing the right thing.”
I drift back toward the window, testing it again.
“And you just… want out?” I confirm, keeping him talking.
“That’s it. I don’t give a damn what happens to them.
But Rosa? She suspects my hesitance. Hence…
this fucking dump. Middle of nowhere, heavy security.
The magic barrier.” His voice lowers and then echoes in my ear and behind me at the same time.
I tense. “You’ve got someone to protect… and so do I.”
Metal clicks, cold steel pressing against the back of my skull.
“I’ll help you…” My voice turns razor-sharp as I remain stock-still, my hands curling at my sides. “But you need to let me leave.”
“Yeah… Not gonna happen.”
I twist, lunging for his wrist when pain explodes against my temple. I see stars as everything tilts and I fall to the ground. My ears ring as warm blood runs down my face.
Benjamin stands over me, revolver in hand.
And behind him… a woman holding a tire iron.
Straight red hair. Freckles. Pale as porcelain. The scowl on her face looking like a permanent feature.
Fuck. I can feel myself losing consciousness, the room going blurry around the edges.
Calli… she was right…
Benjamin crouches slightly, tilting his head as he watches me. I hold his gaze as I feel myself slowly blacking out.
“As I said… I need you as leverage,” he hums softly. “You’ll understand… soon enough.”
Something sharp pierces my neck—a cold fire racing down my spine before everything fades to black.