All Chapters of Beneath The Steel And Silk: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

The black SUV tore through the winding backroads, its tires kicking up dirt and gravel as Elias pushed the vehicle to its limits. Sage sat in the backseat, her body pressed tightly against the door as she fought to catch her breath. Damian was beside her, one hand gripping the door handle and the other cradling his gun. His sharp gaze flicked between the rearview mirror and the road ahead.“Did they follow?” Sage asked, her voice shaky.“Not yet,” Damian replied, his tone clipped. “But it’s only a matter of time. Bancroft doesn’t let loose ends escape.”Elias shot them a glance through the rearview mirror. “We’ve got about twenty minutes before we hit the next town. If they’re tracking us, that’s where they’ll corner us.”Damian shook his head. “We won’t make it to the town. Take the next left.”Elias frowned but didn’t question him, wrenching the wheel sharply. The SUV swerved onto a smaller, less-traveled dirt road, its uneven surface rattling the entire vehicle.Sage clutched the s

The faint light of dawn barely touched the dense canopy overhead as Damian and Elias prepared to leave the lodge. Their movements were swift but deliberate, checking gear and weapons with military precision. Sage stood by the table, watching them. The weight of her decision to stay in this fight pressed heavily on her chest.“You’re sure about this plan?” Sage asked, breaking the tense silence.Damian glanced at her while securing a knife to his belt. “It’s the best option we have. Maya will connect us with her contacts, but we need to secure leverage before we meet them. Bancroft’s empire isn’t just built on money—it’s built on secrets.”“And you think those secrets are at the storage site?” she pressed, her skepticism clear.Elias smirked as he holstered his sidearm. “Trust me, every powerful person has a vault somewhere. Bancroft’s isn’t just physical—it’s digital. We crack into his personal records, and we’ll have the ammunition we need to bring him down.”“And if it’s a trap?” Sa

The cave fell into an uneasy quiet as Maya worked on decrypting the tablet. The faint glow of the screen reflected off her sharp features, her fingers moving quickly across the keyboard. Damian leaned against the wall near the entrance, his watchful eyes scanning the forest outside. Sage sat apart, her back pressed against the damp stone wall, trying to make sense of the night’s events.Something felt wrong. It wasn’t just the eerie quiet that had followed their ambush—it was the lingering sense that they were being played.“Almost got it,” Maya muttered, her voice breaking the silence.Damian straightened, his attention shifting from the cave entrance to the makeshift workstation Maya had set up. Sage didn’t miss the flicker of anticipation in his eyes.“You’re sure this is safe?” Sage asked, her voice sharper than she intended. “Bancroft’s people could’ve put tracking software on that thing.”Maya didn’t look up. “I’ve already scrubbed it for trackers. Trust me, I know what I’m doin

The room felt like it was closing in as Sage stood her ground, gripping the small device she had found in Maya’s bag. The tension between them was palpable, crackling in the air like a live wire.“You’ve been lying to us,” Sage said, her voice low but laced with accusation. “What is this?”Maya crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing. “You wouldn’t understand.”“Then explain it to me,” Sage snapped. “Because from where I’m standing, it looks like you’ve been playing us this entire time.”Maya sighed, her expression a mix of frustration and something else—guilt, maybe. “It’s a tracker,” she admitted.Sage’s stomach sank. “You’re working with Bancroft.”“No!” Maya’s voice rose sharply, her composure slipping for the first time. “I’m not working with him. I’m trying to stop him. But I needed leverage—something that would make him think I was still useful to him.”“And you didn’t think to tell us?” Sage demanded, stepping closer. “You didn’t think we deserved to know that you’ve been leading

Pain was the first thing Sage registered. It seared through her side, sharp and unrelenting, like fire licking through her ribs. Her breath hitched as she opened her eyes, the world around her a blur of shadows and chaos. The scent of smoke and gunpowder filled the air, stinging her nose.She blinked, trying to focus, and saw Damian’s face above hers, streaked with dirt and worry.“Sage, stay with me,” he said, his voice rough but commanding. His hands pressed against her side, applying pressure to the source of the pain.She winced, her mind catching up with reality. The firefight. Bancroft. She’d charged forward, trying to shield Damian, and—“I’m fine,” she gasped, though the blood staining her clothes told a different story.“You’re not fine,” Damian snapped, his tone edged with frustration. “You took a bullet for me, and now you’re bleeding out.”Sage tried to sit up, but he pushed her back down gently. “Don’t move. Elias is setting up a diversion. We need to get you out of here.