Page 12 of Echoes and Oaths
So was he.
Together, they vanished into the wilderness, two ghosts hunting another.
“I think that guy’s a front,” Raven said suddenly, breaking the comfortable silence.
Jinx didn’t respond right away, his body mid-motion as he leaped from one rocky shelf to another along the mountainside. Gravel and loose stones scattered beneath his boots, tumbling into the deep ravine below with soft clatters.
He landed hard, crouched, then looked up and gave a curt nod.
“I agree,” he said, his voice low. “But he’s there. Somewhere.”
His gut had never failed him, not when it counted. And everything in him told him the Ghost was right under their noses, hiding in plain sight.
Only … not as the man Guardian thought.
The Ghost hadn’t just infiltrated the cartel’s structure, he hadrebuiltit. What they were watching wasn’t a drug operation. It was a military unit. Disciplined. Coordinated. Trained. Dangerous.
It was more than any cartel stronghold Jinx had ever seen. It was something else.
And whatever the Ghost was waiting for, it was big.
“Ortega is a weak man,” Jinx muttered as they descended the mountainside, picking their way through dense brush and slick stone paths.
Raven paused behind him, her boots crunching against a patch of dry earth. “How so?”
Jinx kept walking, his pace steady. Raven followed. “His eyes,” Jinx said. “There’s fear. Visible fear. I don’t know how he’s convinced people to follow him. I never would.”
Raven was quiet for several moments, letting the sounds of nature stretch between them. She listened to the birds chirping, leaves rustling, the occasional crack of a distant branch.
“Some people buy allegiance,” she said at last. “Could Ortega be one of those?”
“Maybe. But if he controls a cartel like this, there must be something else. Some angle we aren’t seeing.”
By the time they’d reached the narrow dirt road leading them to their vehicle, the midday heat had thickened, wrapping around them like a wet blanket. Raven fell into step beside him, sweat shining on her temples.
“So … why is the Ghost waiting?” she asked, pulling her canteen and taking a quick drink.
Jinx didn’t answer immediately.
“He’s looking for a weakness,” he said finally. “A way in. Or maybe he’s waiting for Ortega to show himself.”
Raven arched a brow. “What do you mean,showhimself?”
“I told you, he’s afraid. Men like that don’t leave their fortresses unless they’re forced to. If he’s holed up in Montoya’s old stronghold … it’s nearly impossible to breach.”
Raven blinked. “You think that’s where he is?”
“If I were him, that’s where I’d be.” Jinx stopped and turned to face her, his eyes serious. “No matter how trained that Ghost’s camp is, it wouldn’t stand a chance against that fortress unless Ortega comes out.”
Raven blew out a breath. “So, what would draw him out?”
Jinx shook his head. “I don’t know. Not yet.”
They reached the hidden turnoff where their old Land Cruiser was camouflaged beneath palm fronds and netting. Once inside, they both sank into the dusty seats with audible sighs. Raven pulled off her cap and ran a hand through her damp hair.
“So. Showers. Food. Sleep. Then we hit Ortega’s camp?”
“Hit?” Jinx glanced over as he shifted into gear, backing the vehicle out of its hiding place.
