The Safe Zone - Reckoning (Book 2)

Chapter 8: The Unseen Enemy

Lena:

The camp was in ruins by the time we got back.

I froze when we stepped through the narrow entrance to the underground base, my heart lurching as I took in the devastation around me. The once bustling tunnels, filled with the sounds of quiet conversations and people going about their tasks, were now eerily silent, the only sound the distant dripping of water from somewhere deep within the maze of corridors. Bodies lay strewn across the floor, their faces pale and lifeless, their eyes open in shock.

For a moment, I couldn't breathe. My legs felt like they were made of lead, my entire body rooted to the spot as my brain struggled to process what I saw.

We were too late.

"Lena." Ethan's voice was sharp, cutting through the fog in my mind. His hand gripped my arm, pulling me back into the present. "We have to keep moving."

I tore my gaze away from the bodies, forcing myself to focus on the mission. We had to find Callum. He was the only one who could tell us what happened, the only one who might still be alive. But with each step deeper into the tunnels, my hope dwindled.

The camp had been attacked; that much was clear. But this wasn't just a random raid. The precision of the attack and the way the bodies were laid out strategically all pointed to one thing: the Enforcers.

"They knew," I muttered, my voice thick with disbelief. "They knew where to find us."

Ethan didn't respond, but I could see the tension in his jaw and how his shoulders were set. He was thinking the same thing I was: Someone sold us out.

We moved deeper into the heart of the base, stepping over the wreckage of what had once been a small community of survivors. The lanterns that lined the walls flickered weakly, casting long, jagged shadows that made the scene even more nightmarish. My fingers tightened around the grip of my rifle, my eyes darting around the darkened corners, half-expecting more Enforcers to step out at any moment.

But the Enforcers were long gone. They'd done what they came to do.

The footsteps echoed faintly from somewhere up ahead, and Ethan and I exchanged glances. We moved in unison, slipping into the shadows as we crept toward the noise. My heart pounded in my chest, the blood roaring in my ears, but I forced myself to stay calm, to focus.

We turned a corner, and that's when I saw him.

Callum.

He was slumped against the wall of the main chamber, his face pale and streaked with blood. His left leg was twisted at an unnatural angle, and his chest rose and fell with shallow, labored breaths. He looked up as we approached, his eyes glassy with pain.

"Callum," I breathed, rushing to his side. My hands hovered over him, unsure of what to do. He was hurt—badly—but there was no time to assess his injuries. "What happened? Who did this?"

Ethan knelt beside me, his face grim as he glanced around the chamber. The destruction here was worse than in the tunnels. Debris littered the floor, and the walls were scorched with blast marks. Whatever had happened here, it hadn't been quick.

Callum coughed, blood splattering his lips as he tried to speak. "The... Enforcers," he rasped, his voice barely audible. "They... they knew..."

I clenched my fists, anger boiling in my chest. "How did they know? Who told them?"

For a moment, Callum didn't answer. His eyes flicked to Ethan, then back to me, and something passed between us—something I couldn't quite place. A look of regret, maybe. Or guilt.