Code of Shadows

Chapter 5 - Trust Issues

The safe house was a nondescript building on the outskirts of the city, the kind of place you'd pass by without a second glance. Inside, it was sparsely furnished, with only the essentials—a table, a couple of chairs, a bed. It felt cold, impersonal, but it was secure. That was all that mattered.

Ethan led me inside, motioning for me to take a seat at the table. I hesitated, my eyes scanning the room, looking for anything out of place. I didn't trust him. I didn't trust this place. But I had nowhere else to go.

"Can I get you anything?" Ethan asked, his voice breaking the silence. "Water, coffee?"

"I'm fine," I said, my voice clipped. I sat down, folding my arms across my chest, watching him. He moved around the room with an ease that set my nerves on edge, as if he'd been here a thousand times before.

He sat down across from me, his eyes studying my face. "I know you have questions, Alex. I'll do my best to answer them."

I didn't respond, just stared at him, waiting. I wasn't about to let him lead this conversation. I needed to be in control.

He took a deep breath, leaning back in his chair. "Your parents were involved in a project. A project that the IMF was monitoring. They were working on something classified, something dangerous. When they realized the scope of it, they tried to pull out. But it was too late. They were silenced, and the project was buried."

I felt a chill run down my spine, my mind racing. "What kind of project?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"I don't know all the details," he admitted. "But it was big, big enough that someone was willing to kill to keep it quiet. Your parents weren't the only ones. There were others, people who knew too much."

"Why didn't you stop it?" I demanded, my anger flaring. "If you knew, why didn't you do anything?"

"I tried," he said, his voice filled with regret. "But I was just an operative. I didn't have the authority, the resources. I've been working on my own ever since, trying to piece together the truth. That's why I need you. You might have information, something your parents left behind."

I shook my head, my hands trembling. "I don't know anything. I've been searching for years, and I've found nothing."

"Sometimes, the answers are right in front of us," he said gently. "We just don't see them."

I looked away, my mind a mess of thoughts. I wanted to believe him, to trust him, but I couldn't shake the feeling that this was all some elaborate trap. I had spent years building walls, keeping everyone out. Letting him in felt like opening myself up to a world of pain.

"What's in it for you?" I asked, my voice sharp. "Why are you doing this?"

He looked at me, his eyes serious. "Because I owe it to your parents. And because I believe in what they were trying to do. They wanted to make the world a better place, and they paid the ultimate price. I can't let their deaths be in vain."

I studied him, searching for any sign of deceit. His eyes were steady, unwavering, and there was a sincerity in his voice that was hard to ignore. Maybe he was telling the truth. Maybe he really was trying to help me. But could I take that chance? Could I let myself trust him after everything I'd been through?

I turned away from him, trying to sort through my tangled thoughts. The room was too small, too quiet. The walls felt like they were closing in on me, the air thick with tension. I needed space, needed to think.

"Can I go outside?" I asked, my voice breaking the silence.

Ethan nodded, his expression softening. "Of course. There's a small garden in the back. Take all the time you need."

I stood up, my movements stiff and jerky. I walked to the door, my hand hovering over the doorknob. I glanced back at Ethan, my eyes narrowing. "Don't follow me," I warned, my voice hard.

"I won't," he promised. "But I'll be here if you need me."

I pushed open the door, stepping out into the cool morning air. The garden was small, surrounded by a high fence, the ground covered in a thin layer of frost. I walked to the edge of the garden, my hands clenched into fists, my mind racing.

I'd spent years running, hiding, always looking over my shoulder. I'd taught myself to trust no one, to rely only on myself. But now, here I was, in a safe house with a man I barely knew, a man who claimed to have the answers I'd been searching for. It went against everything I'd taught myself, everything I'd become.

I took a deep breath, my mind replaying Ethan's words. He knew about my parents, about the project they were involved in. He knew about the danger, the people who wanted me dead. He knew things I'd spent years trying to uncover. I couldn't ignore that. I couldn't walk away from the chance to find out the truth.

But I couldn't ignore the risks either. Trusting Ethan meant opening myself up, making myself vulnerable. It meant putting my life in his hands, something I wasn't sure I was ready to do. I'd survived this long by trusting no one, by relying only on myself. Letting someone in, letting Ethan in, felt like stepping off a cliff into the unknown.

I closed my eyes, the cold air stinging my skin. I needed to make a decision. I needed to choose a path and stick to it. I couldn't keep running, couldn't keep hiding. I needed answers, needed to know what happened to my parents. But I also needed to protect myself, to stay safe.

I opened my eyes, my mind made up. I would trust Ethan, but only as far as I could throw him. I would work with him, let him help me find the answers I was looking for. But I would keep my guard up, stay on high alert. The moment I felt something was off, the moment I sensed betrayal, I would be gone. No hesitation, no second chances.

I turned back to the house, my jaw set in determination. I walked inside, my eyes locking onto Ethan's. "I'll work with you," I said, my voice steady. "But on my terms. I'm not your puppet, and I'm not your friend. I'm here for one reason: to find out what happened to my parents. After that, we're done. Understood?"

Ethan nodded, his expression serious. "Understood. I wouldn't expect anything less."

I nodded, a sense of resolve settling over me. I didn't know what the future held, didn't know if I could trust Ethan completely. But I knew one thing for sure. I was done running. I was done hiding. It was time to face my past, to find the truth.

And I would do it my way.