Page 29 of Eternal

AZRA

“Risingson” by Massive Attack

Present

T wo missions in one, easy. But the huge man behind me who won’t leave me alone for more than a second is a variable I never had to worry about before.

Damir is a pain right now.

That’s okay, I have three minutes alone to find something.

I’ve studied the plan, I know the layout, at the far end of the loading dock, there’s a small office for the guards. It’s the perfect place for someone dumb enough to steal from the Zennites.

If I were reckless enough to betray my own clan’s territory, I’d hole up there to keep an eye on things. Because stealing from your own is idiotic.

And to win, I needed to think like someone reckless, someone stupid.

“We’ll approach from the south side,” I said, tracing the map with my finger. “Covered, so less traffic, fewer chances of being spotted. Nikolai’s men will cover the exits, but we’ll need to move fast once we’re inside.”

Damir stood beside me, arms crossed, focused, his eyes moved over the map in my hands picking apart every detail I presented.

“And the guards?” he asked, his tone calm, almost indifferent.

“We take them out quietly,” I replied, meeting his gaze without flinching. “If the shipment’s been moved, we’ll need one alive to talk.”

I let my finger linger over the southeast corner of the map. “Here’s where we split.”

His gaze sharpened, though his posture didn’t change. “Split?”

“Yes, here,” I tapped on it again. “You’ll sweep the main corridor, I’ll handle the loading dock and the office.”

“No.”

What?

I blinked up at him. “What do you mean no?”

His eyes were cold steel, sharp and unrelenting. “No. We don’t split.”

“This is the fastest way?—”

“I don’t care,” he cut me off. “We. Don’t. Split.”

I exhaled sharply, biting back the retort on my tongue.

Arguing with him would only waste time, and time was something I didn’t have.

“You’re my partner, not my babysitter. I’ve worked alone for longer than I care to remember.

Don’t try to prove your trustworthiness by underestimating me, if you want me to accept this partnership, you need to fucking listen to my plans. ”

I knew what I was asking for, a moment alone, three minutes to follow the real lead, if I could find something tangible, something to give the Don and Pakhan, it would all be worth it.

“And if something goes wrong?”

“It won’t.”

His eyes stayed on mine, as if waiting for me to break under his gaze.

“That’s not an answer,” he said, the faintest edge of warning in his voice.

I sighed, holding his gaze. “If something goes wrong, I’ll handle it. You’ll still have your part of the mission to finish.”

He stepped closer, the air between us crackling with tension. “This plan leaves you alone for a few minutes. That’s a weakness, you know it, I know it. So why include it in the plan?”

Damn, he’s sharp. I’d known his military background would make this tricky, a sigh slipped from me as I dropped my head down.

Think, Azra . Find a reason, a lie, something that makes sense.

Why would you need three minutes alone on a mission like this?

Think fast.

I straightened up, forcing myself to sound confident.

“Three minutes is all I need to check the office in the dock area,” I said, keeping my voice steady.

“There are a few details I need to verify, a quick scan to make sure we’re not missing anything.

If I don’t find anything suspicious, I’ll be back in under three.

Anything longer, and the whole operation’s compromised. ”

It wasn’t the full truth, but it was close enough. I left out the part about the contacts, the hidden agenda, and the things I couldn’t risk telling him just yet.

He didn’t move, his gaze still fixed on me, cold and calculating; it was like he was weighing my every word.

Then, his voice dropped lower. “You’ve planned this down to the last detail, but it’s risky, you don’t know who’s behind this deal, or how they’ll be protecting themselves.

They could be anything, bomb specialist, ex-enforcer, you don’t know. If that’s the case…”

I forced a smile and interrupted him quickly. “That’s why I didn’t ask for your opinion, Damir. You’d never let me take the risk because you think I’m weak.”

His jaw tightened. “You’re nothing but weak, and that’s why I don’t trust the risk you’re taking.”

“Then don’t trust it, just get ready,” I said, before he could reply I turned and pulled my knife, disappearing into the shadows of the warehouse before he could press further.