The Phantom Of History
768 Words
On the screen of his laptop, Nathan watched the image unfold, caught in the darkness of the still safe house. Maya. His sister. The one he had thought he would never see again. The shock had yet to set in, but neither had the realization that this changed everything.
Across the room, Luka Varga paced, stealing glances at the boarded-up window. They had just escaped the ambush at the docks, and Orlov’s men were surely looking for them. But none of that mattered at this moment as much as whatever was on that flash drive.
Nathan gritted his teeth and made himself calm down. “This photo it was from an arms deal in Prague, two months ago.”
Luka uncrossed his arms and settled into his pacing. “That doesn’t make sense. You told me Orlov murdered your sister years ago.”
“That’s what I thought.” Nathan’s voice was tight. He had spent years tracking down the people he believed were behind her false death. All leads pointed back to Orlov’s network. But if Maya was alive … that meant someone had lied. And worse she could be embroiled in Orlov’s business.
Luka sat down opposite him. “What if she’s on his side?”
Nathan’s fists tightened. “No. She wouldn’t. Not willingly.”
Luka sighed. “Then we need to learn the truth. And we start with this.” He pointed at the flash drive. “It’s not just photos over here. I see coded messages, financial records this could be a gold mine.”
Nathan nodded and took out his encrypted laptop. It was time to crack open the files. He moved quickly, penetrating layer after layer of security while Luka stood watch. At last, a string of messages popped up.
Many were in Russian, but there was one name that kept coming up The Black Citadel.
Nathan frowned. “I heard of this a time ago… it’s a secret facility. A black site of high security Orlov reserves for ‘special’ cases.”
Luka leaned in. “If Maya’s alive, might she be there?”
Nathan exhaled slowly. “It’s possible. “And if she is, we don’t have long.”
A Dangerous Connection
A loud knock on the door came to Luka and jumped out with his gun in hand. Nathan closed the laptop and snatched his weapon.
“Who is it?” Luka called out.
A voice replied in Spanish. “It’s Diego. I have what you need. Open up.”
Nathan glanced at Luka before cautiously unlocking the door. A former intelligence officer who had transitioned into the role of informant, Diego Ramírez, entered. He was in his late forties, graying hair and tired eyes that had seen too much.
“You look like s**t,” Luka said, closing the door behind him.
Diego smirked. “I could say that about you two.” He glanced at Nathan. “Rumor has it you can just barely escape the docks in one piece.”
“Orlov’s men knew we were coming,” Nathan said. “We need to know why.”
He sat, lit a cigarette. “Because Orlov is nervous. “You’re moving assets, winding down operations you know someone is coming for you.”
“Good,” Luka muttered. “That means we’re getting there.”
Diego took a long drag. “But there’s more. The Black Citadel? It’s real. And I know where it is.”
Nathan’s heart pounded. “Where?”
Diego puffed out smoke, his face dark. “Kazakhstan. Hidden deep in the footsteps of the Altai Mountains. Getting in won’t be easy.”
Nathan leaned forward. “We don’t care about easy. We need to get there.”
Diego hesitated. “Nathan, listen to me. If your sister’s there, then she’s either a prisoner or” He didn’t finish. He didn’t have to.
Nathan’s jaw tightened. “I’m getting her out one way or another.”
The Decision
Luka gasped and rubbed at his temples. “So we’re going to Kazakhstan now?” Just like that?”
Nathan stood. “Not just like that. We require a plan, arms, transport. And we need to move fast.”
Diego stubbed his cigarette out in the ashtray. “I can take you to the border, but after that, you’re on your own.”
“That’s all we need,” Nathan said.
Luka shook his head, leaning back. “You realize this is a suicide mission, right?”
Nathan met his gaze. “Then let’s make sure we don’t die.’
The hunt for Maya had begun.
- Writer
