Chapter 8 - Who Lies Shall Dies
1201 Words
Far beyond the borders of any ordinary city, hidden beneath mountains that appeared untouched on every satellite map, there existed a place that officially did not exist.
No roads led there.
No aircraft flew over it.
No government admitted knowing its coordinates.
The entrance was buried beneath layers of reinforced rock and steel, protected by biometric scanners, armed checkpoints, underground surveillance systems, and enough military hardware to wage a small war.
Inside, however, was something far more terrifying than a military facility.
It was a kingdom built for killers.
The corridors stretched endlessly beneath the earth.
Black steel walls.
Reinforced glass.
Cold white lights.
Rows of weapons secured behind biometric locks.
Armored vehicles rested inside enormous underground hangars. Helicopters stood beneath maintenance cranes. Soldiers moved between training chambers while elite assassins disappeared through security doors, each carrying weapons that ordinary people would never even know existed.
There were no flags.
No national insignia.
No names.
Only numbers.
Orders.
And men who had learned long ago not to ask questions.
At the lowest level of the facility, however, there were no soldiers.
No weapons racks.
No voices.
Only silence.
A single corridor descended deeper beneath the base.
At its end stood a steel door.
Behind it was the interrogation chamber.
The man strapped to the chair had stopped pretending to be brave a long time ago.
His breathing came in short, frightened gasps.
One eye was swollen.
His shirt was torn.
His wrists strained uselessly against the restraints.
Across from him stood a man dressed entirely in black.
The Wraith.
He stood perfectly still.
No mask.
No expression.
No visible anger.
That was what frightened the captive most.
The Wraith didn't look angry.
He looked patient.
On the metal table beside him lay several instruments of interrogation, but the Wraith hadn't needed many.
Pain had a way of making people talk.
Fear had an even better one.
The Wraith looked at the captive.
“Twelve years.”
The man swallowed.
“I don't know what you're talking about.”
A pause.
Then the Wraith walked closer.
“You know exactly what I'm talking about.”
“I swear—”
The Wraith struck the table beside him.
The metallic c***k echoed through the chamber.
The captive flinched violently.
“Names.”
“I don't know any names.”
“The operation.”
“I wasn't involved.”
“The location.”
“I don't know.”
“The child.”
The captive's expression changed.
Only for a fraction of a second.
But the Wraith saw it.
He always saw it.
The room became silent.
The Wraith leaned forward.
“You remember.”
The captive shook his head frantically.
“No.”
“You just lied.”
“No, sir.”
“You lied again.”
“I don't know anything!”
The Wraith studied him.
Then he reached for the restraints.
The captive immediately began pleading.
“Please.”
The Wraith ignored him.
“Please, I can explain.”
“You've had twelve years to explain.”
“I was following orders!”
“Whose?”
Silence.
The captive's breathing became heavier.
“I can't.”
“You can.”
“If I tell you, they'll kill me.”
The Wraith's expression remained emotionless.
“They already found you.”
The captive stared at him.
“What?”
“They're the reason you're here.”
The man's face drained of color.
The Wraith stepped closer.
“You were abandoned.”
“No.”
“You were erased.”
“No…”
“You were useful until you weren't.”
The captive shook his head.
“Please.”
The Wraith's voice remained almost unnaturally calm.
“Who ordered it?”
“I don't know.”
“Who was there?”
“I don't remember.”
“What happened twelve years ago?”
“I don't know!”
The Wraith stared at him.
The captive began crying.
“I swear to God, I don't know!”
The Wraith's eyes hardened.
“You've sworn three times.”
The captive said nothing.
“And lied every time.”
“Please…”
“I'll give you one final opportunity.”
The Wraith placed both hands against the edge of the table.
“Tell me the truth.”
The captive stared at the floor.
For several seconds, nothing happened.
Then he whispered,
“I can't.”
The Wraith straightened.
“Then you have chosen.”
The captive's eyes widened.
“No.”
The Wraith turned toward the door.
“Wait!”
He stopped.
“Please! Please, I'll tell you!”
The Wraith slowly looked back.
The captive was shaking uncontrollably.
“I'll tell you everything.”
“Then speak.”
The man opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
The Wraith waited.
The captive lowered his eyes.
“I…”
Another silence.
Then—
“I don't remember.”
The Wraith's face became completely still.
The captive realized his mistake.
“No…”
The Wraith walked toward him.
“Please.”
The captive began begging.
“I'll give you money.”
No response.
“Names.”
Nothing.
“Information.”
Nothing.
“Anything.”
The Wraith stopped directly in front of him.
“You had your chance.”
The lights above them hummed.
The captive closed his eyes.
The Wraith moved.
What followed was quick.
Merciless.
And final.
When the door opened several minutes later, the room was silent.
The Wraith walked out without looking back.
A subordinate waiting in the corridor immediately straightened.
“Sir.”
The Wraith continued walking.
The subordinate hurried after him.
“There is something you should know.”
The Wraith stopped.
The subordinate hesitated.
“That man was our only confirmed lead.”
Silence.
“In twelve years,” the subordinate continued carefully, “we've found nothing else. No documents. No survivors. No reliable witnesses.”
The Wraith looked at him.
“And now?”
The subordinate swallowed.
“Now the only lead we had is dead.”
The Wraith said nothing.
The subordinate lowered his voice.
“Perhaps we should have kept him alive.”
A long silence followed.
Then the Wraith turned his head.
His expression was frighteningly calm.
“Perhaps.”
The subordinate waited.
The Wraith looked down the dark corridor.
Twelve years.
Twelve years of searching.
Twelve years of blood, broken alliances, dead men, false names, and unanswered questions.
And now their only lead was gone.
Yet there was no regret in his eyes.
Only certainty.
“Who lies…”
His voice was quiet.
Almost cold enough to freeze the air.
“…shall die.”
The subordinate said nothing.
The Wraith continued walking.
Behind him, the interrogation room remained locked.
Another name had disappeared from the list.
Another answer had died.
But the question remained.
What had happened twelve years ago?
And why was the Wraith willing to destroy anyone who knew the truth?
Somewhere above them, the facility continued to operate.
Soldiers trained.
Assassins prepared for deployment.
Weapons were loaded.
Orders were issued.
The world continued as though nothing had happened.
But deep beneath the earth, the Wraith kept walking through the darkness.
Searching.
Waiting.
And remembering.
Because there were some ghosts that even death could not bury.
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