Zara's grip on her knife didn't waver as the stranger stepped closer, her boots crunching softly on the forest floor. Callum, leaning heavily against a tree, eyed the newcomer warily, his pistol trembling in his grasp.
"I just saved your life," the woman said casually, lowering her rifle. Her sharp eyes flicked between Zara and Callum. "If I wanted you dead, I'd have let that thing finish the job."
Zara didn't lower her weapon. "People don't help without an angle. What's yours?"
The woman shrugged, her smirk unwavering. "Let's just say the Syndicate and I don't get along. I've been tracking their movements for weeks, and when I saw their squads closing in, I figured I'd lend a hand. The enemy of my enemy, right?"
Zara narrowed her eyes. The woman was calm—too calm for someone supposedly fleeing the Syndicate. Her gear was high-tech, well-maintained, and her sniper rifle had the Syndicate's insignia scratched off the barrel. A defector, maybe, but that didn't make her trustworthy.
"What's your name?" Zara demanded.
"Vera," the woman replied, slinging her rifle over her shoulder. "And you're Zara Kincaid. The Syndicate's golden goose gone rogue. They're throwing everything they've got to catch you."
Zara's stomach churned at the confirmation. "How do you know so much about me?"
"I know a lot of things," Vera said cryptically, pulling a small device from her pocket. It projected a holographic map, showing the forest and the Syndicate's positions. "Like the fact that you've got less than an hour before they surround this entire area. Your little jammer worked, but it won't last. If you want to live, you'll follow me."
Callum groaned, his face pale. "Zara, we don't have much of a choice. I can't… I can't keep moving ."
Zara hesitated, her instincts battling her logic. Trusting Vera was a gamble, but staying put was a death sentence.
"Fine," Zara said finally, sheathing her knife. "But if you try anything—"
"You'll kill me," Vera interrupted with a grin. "Noted. Let's move."
With Vera leading the way, the trio navigated the dense forest. Vera moved with practiced ease, avoiding traps and pointing out Syndicate patrols before they got too close. Zara kept one eye on Vera and the other on the shadows, her tension mounting with every step.
"Where are you taking us?" Zara asked as they approached a jagged cliff face.
"Safehouse," Vera replied, running her hand along the rock. A hidden panel slid open, revealing a narrow passageway. "It's off the grid. The Syndicate won't find us here."
Zara exchanged a glance with Callum, who nodded weakly. They stepped inside, the passage sealing behind them.
The interior was dimly lit, filled with scattered equipment and monitors displaying live feeds from Syndicate patrols.
"Welcome to my humble abode," Vera said, tossing her gear onto a table. "Now, let's talk about how we're going to take the Syndicate down—for good."
Zara's heart raced. The stakes had just been raised, and she wasn't sure if Vera was the ally they needed—or another danger waiting to strike.