Page 10 of Echos and Empires (After #3)

FIVE

“What in the absolute hell is he thinking?” Alex cursed as he looked at the small hand drawn map in his hand. “And at this hour nonetheless.”

Despite his annoyance, Alex kept moving swiftly through the dark paths, his boots treading lightly on the soft earth.

The now cold, but somehow still humid, night air clung to his skin as he navigated the twists and turns with practiced ease.

In the distance, the endless rhythm of waves beating against the shore filled his ears.

The note had next to know info. Just ‘meet here’, with dropped coordinates and a time.

Liam was the only person he’d ever known to love directions and maps, so it was obvious who slipped the note onto his bed.

The why is what baffled him. Especially as soon as he realized no one else got notes and was slipping out of the house.

It wasn’t as if they were trying to plan a surprise for Emma as they got close to her birthday.

Which meant this was about whatever Liam thought he overheard a few months ago.

“Except the last thing Liam does is keep secrets,” Alex muttered as his foot connected with the side of a rock he couldn’t see.

Liam never kept secrets from Chris, especially not about security. The five of them were a team, bound by years of unwavering loyalty and trust forged in the hellish aftermath of the bombs, but Liam and Chris were closer.

So why had Liam asked to meet here, in the heart of the island, away from prying eyes and ears of everyone including their unit in the damn middle of the night? A knot of unease tightened in Alex’s gut.

As he approached the designated spot, Alex slowed his pace.

The rustling of leaves whispered around him, stirred by the faint sea breeze that managed to penetrate the dense foliage.

Instinctively, his hand drifted to the knife sheathed at his belt.

It wasn’t a gun any longer, but he still kept a weapon on him whenever he left the house.

Out here, one never knew what dangers might be lurking.

Ahead, the path opened into a small clearing bathed in mottled moonlight as the beams slipped through the dense trees.

Alex paused at the edge, his eyes scanning the area warily.

There was no sign of Liam, and he hadn’t been home for dinner which meant he was here somewhere.

He’d been to this spot before, with Liam, actually.

They’d wanted to show Emma the rare clearing because she’d commented about being tired of trees and bushes everywhere she looked.

Everything about this felt off, like a covert operation without his team at his back.

If this were Liam and not someone out to trick him, something was wrong.

If Chris found out about this little rendezvous, there would be hell to pay.

The man ran a tight ship and didn’t take kindly to his authority being undermined even here on the island.

That unshakable bond between brothers-in-arms meant Alex was as stupid as he was brave when it came to the unit. He was the impulsive one, so if Liam choose him, shit was bad.

Alex exhaled slowly, his decision made. With one last glance over his shoulder, he stepped out of the shadows to meet whatever lay ahead. Because if this wasn’t Liam, he was alone in the middle of the fucking jungle without his unit at his back.

Looking through the bushes as he walked through the area, Alex damn near tripped over Liam, who sat hunched over a makeshift table cobbled together from driftwood and salvaged crates just on the other side of the clearing.

The navigator’s brow was furrowed in deep concentration, his glasses reflecting the array of maps and charts spread out before him.

Even in the dim light, Alex could see the tense set of Liam’s shoulders, the way his finger traced a meandering route across the weathered paper.

“Planning a vacation without me?” Alex quipped, his voice low and tinged with unease. “And here I thought we were a package deal.”

Liam’s head snapped up, clearly startled by the sudden intrusion. For a moment, his blue eyes widened behind those familiar black frames, but then a flicker of relief softened his features. “Alex, you made it. I wasn’t sure if you’d think there was a trap.”

“Who said I didn’t?” Alex finished, not wanting to squat beside Liam for an unknown amount of time.

He leaned against the table, his gaze skimming over the maps with a growing sense of disquiet.

“When have I ever let you down, Liam? But this?” He gestured at the scattered documents.

“Meeting in the middle of the night, keeping secrets from Chris, what’s the deal? ”

Liam sighed, running a hand through his perpetually messy hair. “I know, believe me. But there are things I can’t ignore anymore. Emma is so happy—fuck, we’re all so happy. I just need to make sure I was hallucinating.”

The raw vulnerability in Liam’s voice struck a chord within Alex. This was more than just a crazy hunch or a half-baked plan. Something had shaken Liam to his core, and as his friend—his brother—it was Alex’s duty to stand by him.

“Alright,” Alex conceded, his tone softening. “I’m here, aren’t I? So, lay it on me. What’s got you burning the midnight oil and plotting escape routes by the looks of those lines on the map?”

Liam’s shoulders sagged with relief, a flicker of gratitude warming his gaze as he stood up. “Thank you, Alex. I knew I could count on you.”

Alex couldn’t shake the feeling that they were on the precipice of something dangerous. Something that could change everything. And though the prospect sent a chill down his spine, he knew that together, they’d survive this just like they’d survived everything.

Because that’s what brothers did.

Liam’s voice steadied as he delved into his rationale, though an undercurrent of concern threaded through his words.

“I’ve been hearing whispers, Alex. Whispers about Victor and this island.

Whispers that make me think he’d connected to this, which cannot be safe after the attack on the ship.

I didn’t want to believe it at first, but the pieces are starting to fall into place.

It was more than just that one night, I may have gone digging…

” Liam let his sentence trail off, daring Alex to pressure him for more information.

Alex leaned in closer, his brow furrowed in concentration as he studied the maps spread out before them. The flickering candlelight cast dancing shadows across the worn parchment, lending an eerie atmosphere to their clandestine meeting.

“What kind of whispers?” Alex pressed, his hazel eyes narrowing. “And why haven’t you brought this to Chris yet?”

Liam shook his head, a rueful smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “You know how Chris is, always shouldering the weight of the world. He’s got enough on his plate keeping everyone safe and provided for. I don’t want to add to his burdens, not until I’m certain.”

Alex nodded, understanding the delicate balance their leader maintained. “But you think there’s enough to warrant an evacuation plan?”

“I do,” Liam confirmed, his tone grave. “The peace we’ve found here…I’m worried it’s only temporary. The attack on the ship that somehow knew where to find us, the secrets the council must keep, it all points to something brewing beneath the surface. Something that could tear this paradise apart.”

Alex a growing sense of unease settled in his gut as Liam’s words sank in. He trusted Liam’s instincts implicitly, and if he believed there was a threat looming on the horizon, then there was a damn threat on the horizon.

Leaning over the stump-turned-table, Alex studied the meticulously charted evacuation routes, his mind racing with the implications.

If Liam was right, if someone truly had nefarious intentions, then time was of the essence.

They needed to be ready to act at a moment’s notice, to protect the lives that hung in the balance.

Alex’s mind raced. He knew that Liam wouldn’t propose an evacuation plan without good reason, but he needed more information to fully understand the gravity of the situation.

“Liam,” Alex began, his hazel eyes searching his friend’s face, “I trust your judgment, but I need to know more. What exactly did you hear about Victor that has you so worried? If he has a hand in this island, maybe it’s just because he stumbled onto it and wants to be safe to. Why would he want to destroy it now?”

Liam sighed, running a hand through his messy brown hair.

“It’s not about destroying the island, Alex.

It’s about control. Victor’s always been obsessed with power, even before the bombs he ran for congress.

Our freedom, I think it could be an illusion, one the council lets us have when we arrive and then removes when no one notices.

The comms I’ve heard, Victor is doing something, he’s been quietly gathering resources, making deals with the outside world.

I think he plans to turn this place into his own personal fiefdom, with all of us as his subjects.

I just don’t know how he found out about this place other than that a look in the records showed many wealthy men and women sending supplies here right after the bombs. ”

Alex’s brow furrowed as he absorbed Liam’s words.

The thought of Victor manipulating them, stripping away their hard-earned autonomy, made his blood boil.

But he knew that confronting the man directly would be a foolish move.

They needed solid evidence, a plan of action that would ensure the safety of their people.

As he stood there, the weight of responsibility settled heavily upon his shoulders.

Liam was entrusting him with this knowledge, this burden, because he believed in Alex’s strength and loyalty.

And though part of him wanted to doubt, to cling to the hope that their peace could last, he knew in his heart that Liam’s instincts were rarely wrong.