The Safe Zone - Reckoning (Book 2)

Chapter 15: Into the Lion's Den

Lena:

The darkness seemed thicker the closer we got to the Enforcer camp, as if the shadows were conspiring to swallow us whole. The wind was cold, biting at my skin despite the heavy jacket I wore. My breath came in shallow bursts, not from exhaustion but from the tight knot of tension that had settled in my chest when we left the camp.

We were walking into a trap. I could feel it in my bones, a gnawing certainty that wouldn't leave me. And yet, there was no turning back now. We were committed. Ethan and I had agreed to this and decided to go after Zara to stop the Directive from using her against us. But it wasn't just about Zara. It was about stopping the Directive from building more of their monstrous soldiers and continuing their twisted experiments on people.

Every step we took brought us closer to the camp and, with it, closer to whatever nightmare awaited us inside. I gripped my rifle tighter, the cold metal a comforting weight in my hands. I glanced at Ethan, who was walking a few paces ahead, his eyes scanning the darkness for any sign of movement. His face was stern and focused, but I knew him well enough to see the tension in his jaw, the way his muscles were coiled like springs ready to snap.

He was worried just like I was.

"Do you see anything?" I whispered, my voice barely audible over the wind.

Ethan shook his head, his eyes still locked on the horizon. "Not yet. But they're out there. Waiting." I swallowed hard, trying to push down the fear threatening to bubble up inside me. The Enforcers were always watching, always waiting for a chance to strike. And now, we were heading straight into their territory, into one of their heavily guarded camps, all for the slim chance of rescuing a woman who had betrayed us.

It felt like madness. But what choice did we have?

"They'll have patrols," Ethan said quietly, his voice calm and steady despite the tension in the air. "We'll need to take them out quietly before we get too close."

I nodded, my heart pounding in my chest. "And if we can't?"

He glanced at me, his eyes dark and severe. "Then we improvise."

We moved in silence after that, the only sounds being the faint crunch of gravel beneath our boots and the distant rustle of leaves in the wind. The Enforcer camp was still a mile away, hidden beyond the tree line, but I could already feel its weight pressing down on us, the oppressive sense of danger that seemed to hang in the air like a noose.

As we neared the treeline, Ethan raised a hand, signaling me to stop. We crouched low, using the dense brush as cover as we surveyed the area. The camp was just beyond the trees, hidden behind a high metal and barbed wire wall. I could see the faint glow of lights beyond the wall, the silhouettes of guards patrolling the perimeter, their rifles slung across their shoulders.

"There," Ethan whispered, pointing toward a gap in the fence near the far side of the camp. "That's our way in. If we can get through without being seen, we'll have a shot at reaching the main compound."

I nodded, my eyes scanning the patrol routes. The guards moved with the precision of trained soldiers, their patterns predictable but tight. We didn't have much room to maneuver, but we didn't need much—just a tiny window of opportunity.

"Let's move," Ethan said, his voice low and tense. "Stay close."

We crept forward, staying low as we made our way toward the gap in the fence. My heart was pounding in my chest, my breaths coming in shallow bursts as we closed the distance. Every step felt too loud or obvious, but the guards didn't notice us.

Yet.

We reached the fence, and Ethan pulled out a pair of wire cutters, quickly snipping through the metal links. I kept watch, my eyes darting between the patrolling guards and the distant towers where snipers might be stationed. Every second felt like an eternity, the tension ratcheting up with every click of the cutters.