Page 121 of Broken Oath

She hadn't said the victims.

She hadn't said the dead.

She'd said:

I knew them.

Past tense.

Personal.

Pain flickered beneath the words.

Gone almost immediately.

But there.

For the first time, Rook understood something.

The mountain hadn't only taken from him.

It had taken from her too.

Before he could ask another question⁠—

The channel died.

Static.

Then silence.

Gone again.

Like she had never been there.

"Incoming."

Fathom's voice snapped everyone back to reality.

Satellite feeds updated.

The fast boats were closing.

Fast.

Very fast.

The trap was about to spring.

Rook raised the binoculars again.

The cargo ship sat motionless.

Mercenaries onboard.

Weapons onboard.

Evidence onboard.