Chapter 117 – The Last Offer
The storm had passed, but the wind still carried the scent of snow and burnt wood. The rail yard was silent except for the creak of rusted metal swaying faintly in the breeze. Tracks stretched into the distance, swallowed by drifting fog. It was the kind of place where deals were made—or where people vanished.
Kairo spotted the man leaning against a freight car, half-hidden in shadow. His coat was heavy and dark, his stance loose but purposeful. He looked like he could wait there all night if necessary. The air between them felt tense before a single word was spoken.
Elira hung back a few paces, her fingers brushing the hilt of her dagger. She had learned to read danger the way others read weather, and everything about this meeting felt like a storm was about to break.
Kairo walked forward slowly, his boots crunching on frost. His voice was steady, clipped.
"You're late."
The man straightened a little, pushing off the car. "Or maybe you're early. Depends on who set the clock."
Kairo didn't bother with a smile. "You said you had something I needed."
"I do." The man's gaze flicked past Kairo, lingering briefly on Elira before coming back. "But it's not free."
"Nothing ever is."
From his coat, the man produced a small, weathered envelope. The paper looked older than it should, as if it had been passed through many hands. He held it just out of reach. "Names. Dates. The locations of Feretti's last three secured drop points. You want to cut off his supply lines, this is your chance."
Kairo didn't move closer. "And the price?"
The man's smile was slow, deliberate. "You. Working with me when this is over. I don't care how you take him down—as long as you let me decide what happens to him when you've got him."
Elira's voice was sharp from behind Kairo. "That's not a deal. That's a leash."
The man's eyes narrowed, but his tone stayed mild. "Call it whatever you want. I've been after Feretti longer than you've been breathing clean air. This is personal."
Kairo finally stepped forward, stopping just short of the man's reach. "You're asking me to trade one enemy for another."
"I'm asking you to finish the job right," the man said. "You kill Feretti your way, and someone else takes his place. You let me… it ends."
The fog thickened around them, muting the world into shades of grey. Somewhere in the distance, a piece of sheet metal banged softly in the wind.
Kairo's hand twitched slightly toward the envelope—but didn't touch it. "If I take this, it doesn't mean I've agreed."
"Take it or don't," the man said. "But if you walk away, you'll never get this information again."
For a long moment, neither moved. Then Kairo reached out, his gloved fingers closing around the envelope. He slid it into his coat without looking at it.
"We'll talk," he said finally, his voice low. "But you should know… I don't make promises I can't break."
The man chuckled once, without humor. "That's why I like you."
Kairo turned, motioning for Elira to follow. They left the man in the fog, his silhouette fading into the rail yard's emptiness. Elira quickened her pace to match Kairo's.
"You don't trust him," she said.
"I don't trust anyone who smiles when they threaten me," Kairo replied. "But I trust his hate for Feretti more than his loyalty to me."
The wind picked up again, scattering the snow into thin, restless spirals. The envelope in Kairo's coat felt heavier than it should, and for the first time, he wondered if taking it had already set the endgame in motion.