Page 5 of Broken Oath

This time, it didn’t last.

Rook felt it again.

That pressure.

That nagging sensation crawling between his shoulder blades.

He shifted his rifle and looked out the door.

The feeling stayed.

Years of combat had taught him that instinct wasn’t magic. It wasn’t some mysterious sixth sense.

It was experience.

Thousands of tiny details the brain noticed before the conscious mind could identify them.

And right now, every instinct he possessed was quietly screaming.

Something’s wrong.

Across the cabin, Fathom suddenly stopped typing.

His fingers froze over the tablet.

Rook noticed immediately.

So did Sniper.

“What is it?” Sniper asked.

Fathom zoomed in on the screen.

Then he zoomed in again.

His expression tightened.

Rook moved closer. “Talk to me.”

“The satellite feed updated.”

“What changed?”

Fathom rotated the screen.

The compound appeared exactly where it should have been.

Stone buildings.

Outer wall.

Storage structures.

Vehicle yard.

Then Rook noticed the timestamps.

Yesterday, the compound had been active. Heat signatures moved among the buildings. Vehicles traveled between the main gate and the surrounding roads. Armed guards followed predictable patrol routes.