All Chapters of Beneath The Steel And Silk: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

The air erupted with gunfire. The first volley ricocheted off the concrete walls, deafening and disorienting. Sage dropped to one knee, her weapon aimed toward the source of the attack. Her side burned with every movement, but adrenaline dulled the pain.Damian barked orders over the chaos, his voice sharp and commanding. "Elias, take the left flank. Sage, cover the rear. Maya—" He paused, his eyes locking on the trembling woman. "If you're not fighting, stay out of the way."Maya hesitated, her wide eyes darting between Damian and the advancing shadows. Then she ducked behind a cluster of old crates, her face pale.Sage didn’t have time to question her. The first attacker burst into view, dressed in black tactical gear, a rifle raised. Without hesitation, Sage squeezed the trigger, her shots hitting their mark. The man dropped, his weapon clattering to the floor.“More incoming!” Elias shouted from his position.Three more figures emerged, firing as they advanced. Sage pressed hersel

The forest was eerily quiet as the group left the cabin the next morning. Frost clung to the barren trees, their skeletal branches reaching out like silent sentinels. The snow beneath their boots crunched in time with their heavy breaths, a solemn rhythm that mirrored the weight of their task.Damian led the way, his eyes scanning the path ahead. He had always been their anchor, their source of unshakable confidence, but today, even he seemed burdened by doubt. Behind him, Sage trailed closely, her thoughts a whirlwind of questions. Who could they trust? And could they truly outmaneuver Bancroft, a man who seemed to anticipate their every move?As they approached the SUV, Alex adjusted the rifle slung across her back. “This bait-and-switch plan better work,” she muttered, her breath visible in the cold air. “Because if it doesn’t, we won’t live long enough to regret it.”“It will,” Damian replied, his tone leaving no room for argument.Sage climbed into the vehicle, her fingers tracin

The service tunnel’s eerie silence pressed down on Sage as she lay awake, staring at the low, concrete ceiling. The dim light from a single lantern barely illuminated the makeshift sleeping arrangements scattered across the cold ground. Beside her, Maya shifted uneasily in her sleep, muttering something unintelligible.Sage couldn’t rest. The nagging feeling that someone in their group was betraying them had only grown stronger after her conversation with Damian. It was the look in his eyes that haunted her—the cold determination to end whoever was responsible. It wasn’t anger, or even fear. It was a dangerous certainty that Damian wouldn’t hesitate to act, and that scared her more than Bancroft’s looming threat.She pushed herself up, careful not to wake Maya, and slipped quietly out of the sleeping area. Her boots scuffed lightly against the tunnel floor as she headed toward the dim glow of the fire in the central chamber. She wasn’t surprised to find Damian there, sitting alone, hi

The group convened in the main chamber of the relay station, tension coiled tight in the air. Adrian stood near the entrance, his hands still raised slightly, though no one was aiming at him directly anymore. Sage watched him with narrowed eyes, her mind racing to piece together his sudden arrival.Damian was the first to speak. “You said we have a traitor. Who?”Adrian hesitated, his gaze flicking over the group. “I’ll tell you everything I know, but only if you promise me protection.”“You’re not exactly in a position to negotiate,” Elias said sharply from the corner, his hand resting on his holstered pistol.Adrian glanced at Elias, then back to Damian. “You need me. Bancroft’s closing in on you, and if you don’t act fast, you won’t have a chance. I can give you the upper hand, but I’m not sticking my neck out without guarantees.”Damian’s jaw clenched. “If you’re lying—”“I’m not,” Adrian interrupted. “Bancroft doesn’t trust anyone, but I’ve been close enough to know his plans. An

The alarms continued to wail through the compound as Sage and Damian pushed deeper into its labyrinth of corridors. Each corner they turned felt like a gamble, their footsteps muffled by adrenaline and urgency. The chaos outside from Maya and Alex’s explosion bought them precious minutes, but Sage knew it wouldn’t last.“This way,” Damian said, his voice low but commanding. He pointed toward a staircase leading downward.“What’s down there?” Sage asked, clutching her rifle.“Bancroft keeps his secure files in a sublevel vault. If we’re lucky, there might be intel on his next moves—or the traitor.”They descended swiftly, the air growing colder the deeper they went. The sterile white walls were replaced by reinforced steel and faint echoes of distant machinery.Damian paused at the base of the stairs, motioning for Sage to stop. “Guards,” he murmured, nodding toward the corner ahead.Sage peered around the edge, spotting two men stationed near a thick metal door. Their posture was tens