The Questioner System (Ask Me Anything)

Chapter 15: Threads of Betrayal

The city seemed quieter than usual, as if holding its breath. Adam paced the small safehouse while Marcus tinkered with a radio in the corner. The unease in the air was suffocating, and Adam couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to break.

Victor hadn't returned yet, and every passing minute felt heavier than the last.

The system's announcement broke the silence. Adam immediately activated it.

Adam's stomach sank. "Marcus," he said urgently, "Victor's being tailed."

Marcus straightened, his expression hardening. "How do you know that?"

Adam hesitated for a moment. He couldn't exactly explain the system, so he settled on a half-truth. "Let's just say I've got reliable intel. We need to get ready."

Marcus didn't press further. Instead, he grabbed a shotgun from a nearby rack and checked its ammunition. "Alright. If they're coming, we'll give them a warm welcome."

---

Adam tried to strategize. He wasn't a fighter, and his only real weapon was the system.

Adam relayed the plan to Marcus.

"You want to call the cops?" Marcus asked, skeptical.

"It's the only way to buy him time," Adam insisted.

Marcus grunted but nodded. He picked up a burner phone, dialed 911, and faked a panicked voice. "There's a huge fight going on at the corner of Main and Maple! Guns, knives—everything! Hurry!"

He hung up, tossing the phone into a drawer.

"That should do it," Marcus said.

---

Fifteen minutes later, the safehouse door burst open, and Victor staggered inside. He looked rough—his jacket was torn, and there was a gash on his forehead.

"They were waiting for me," Victor said, slumping into a chair. "Barely shook them off."

"They're gone now," Marcus said, handing Victor a bottle of water. "Adam cooked up a plan to distract them."

Victor glanced at Adam, a mix of gratitude and suspicion in his eyes. "Not bad, kid. But Jared's men won't stop. We need to hit them before they regroup."

---

As Victor recovered, Adam turned his focus back to the system.

Adam's blood ran cold. He knew the safehouse in question—it was where Leon stored critical documents and funds.

"Victor," Adam said, his voice urgent. "Jared's going after Leon's secondary safehouse. We need to warn him."

Victor cursed under his breath. "That place is vital. If Jared gets his hands on what's there..."

He didn't finish the thought. Instead, he grabbed his phone and dialed a number.

"Leon, it's Victor. Jared's making a move on the secondary site. You need to secure it now."

Victor listened for a moment, his face grim. "Understood. We'll handle it."

He hung up, turning to Adam and Marcus. "Leon's stretched thin. It's up to us to stop Jared's team."

---

The ride to the secondary safehouse was tense. Victor drove an old SUV, the vehicle rattling slightly as they sped through the city. Adam sat in the back, his mind racing.

"What's the plan?" Adam asked.

"We intercept them before they reach the safehouse," Victor said. "Ambush them on the way. If we're lucky, we can take them out quickly."

Adam wasn't sure how much luck they could count on, but he didn't have a better idea.

---

The ambush site was a narrow street lined with abandoned buildings. Victor parked the SUV behind a row of dumpsters, giving them a clear view of the road without being exposed.

Marcus set up a barricade using debris from the area, while Victor checked their weapons.

Adam stayed low, feeling entirely out of place. He wasn't a fighter, and the tension was eating at him.

"Here they come," Victor said, his voice low.

A black van appeared at the end of the street, moving cautiously.

"Wait for it," Victor muttered.

As the van approached, Marcus threw a makeshift spike strip into its path. The tires screeched as the vehicle skidded to a halt, and Victor opened fire.

The battle was chaotic. Jared's men spilled out of the van, guns blazing. Victor and Marcus fought fiercely, their bullets finding targets with practiced precision.

Adam stayed behind cover, his heart pounding. He spotted one of Jared's men sneaking around the barricade and shouted, "On your left!"

Marcus turned just in time, taking the man down with a single shot.

---

The fight ended as quickly as it began. Jared's men were either dead or incapacitated, and Victor's team remained standing, though not unscathed.

Victor wiped blood from his forehead, glancing at Adam. "You did good, kid. That heads-up saved Marcus."

Adam nodded, his adrenaline still coursing.

The system's glowing text appeared once more, its words heavy with both warning and promise:

Adam clenched his fists. If Jared wanted a war, Adam would give him one—but on his terms.