Sword of Vengeance (Bjorn and Zyro #2)[COMPLETED]

19: Stalking through the Night

Johnny Cortes moved silently through the ancient, cobbled streets of Intramuros. The towering walls loomed over him, casting long, eerie shadows as the faint glow of Manila's streetlights flickered behind the towering walls of the old city. The historic fortification, with its heavy stonework and worn statues, seemed almost alive, whispering secrets of battles long past. It was a fitting place for the unfolding drama that Johnny now found himself a part of.

Up ahead, Luke led Vanong's vampire assassins with a calculated stride, moving through the narrow archways and winding passages of Intramuros like they owned the place. Their black cloaks fluttered in the breeze, blending in with the shadows, making them seem more like specters than vampires. Their movements were swift and deliberate—no hesitation, no wasted energy. Johnny had been tailing them since they entered the walled city, keeping his distance, his eyes never leaving the group.

There was no sound save for the soft shuffle of their boots on the ancient stones, a ghostly quiet that seemed to blanket the city at this hour. The old Spanish architecture, with its intricate carvings and moss-covered walls, seemed to echo with the weight of history. Johnny passed by statues of saints and stone sentinels, their hollow eyes watching him as he moved. "Welll, the traitor is here."

Luke paused for a moment, glancing back, and Johnny instinctively slipped into a darkened corner, pressing his back against the cool stone. He stayed perfectly still, watching as Luke exchanged a silent nod with one of the assassins. They had purpose. Johnny could feel it in the way they moved, like wolves on the hunt. But what were they hunting?

The assassins moved forward again, entering one of the massive stone archways leading to an underground tunnel beneath the city. Johnny lingered in the shadows, his sharp eyes narrowing as he followed their descent. This was more than a simple mission—it felt like a critical step in whatever plan Vanong had in motion. But the specifics still eluded him.

Johnny crouched behind a crumbling pillar, hidden from sight as Luke and the others continued deeper into the tunnel. The ancient, worn passageways beneath Intramuros were a labyrinth of hidden doors and forgotten chambers, places where the walls themselves seemed to breathe with the weight of centuries.

His fingers grazed the hilt of his dagger as he watched. He wasn't here to engage, at least not yet. Bjorn and the others had already gone this way—Johnny had seen them enter earlier. They were his real target, but this... this could be useful. If Vanong's people were after the same thing, he needed to know what.

Ahead, Luke's group slowed near an iron door, ancient and weathered by time. One of the assassins reached for the handle, but Luke raised a hand, stopping him. He turned slightly, his sharp gaze scanning the tunnel, his senses heightened. Johnny remained perfectly still, his breath shallow. Even in the shadows, he was sure Luke could sense something.

Without a word, Luke gestured, and the group moved inside, disappearing behind the heavy door. As it closed with a resonating thud, Johnny exhaled slowly, easing out of his hiding place. He glanced at the door but didn't follow. Not yet. He needed to know more. Something was going down in these tunnels, and whatever it was, it involved both Bjorn's group and Vanong's assassins.

He slipped back into the shadows of the ancient city, the weight of the centuries pressing down on him as he silently vowed to unravel whatever this was—before it was too late.