Page 53 of Echoes and Oaths
"You’re damn right he is," Brando said, his voice cutting through the line. "Man, Iknowhe is. He’s the right profile. And if I'm right, he's more dangerous now than he ever was behind bars. He’s not freelancing," Brando added, voice dropping even lower. "He’s building something. Networks. Routes. Alliances. His reach is global now, and he’s using Tren de Aragua’s old playbook to do it. Only this time, there’s no leash. No rules."
Raven snarled softly, anger vibrating through the comms. "He’s playing servant to that big-nosed bastard Guardian thought was the Ghost. Always standing near. Always in on conversations. Why didn’t we see it when we were observing the camp? This guy is innocuous and almost… mousey."
Jinx reached into the rusted mailbox, fingers brushing the rough, cool metal.
"Which is his intent, and we didn’t see it because he wasn’t our focus," he said, voice clipped. A thin piece of paper rested inside the mailbox. It hadn’t been there the night before.
"Dude, the guy in the military camp isn’t a plantfor Tomás to get information," Raven said, her voice sharp with realization. "Tomás is a plant for Esteban. Esteban is the reason Tomás rose to power."
"Which means Esteban is holding all the cards, and Tomás is his puppet," Jinx muttered, pulling the paper free and folding it quickly. He tucked it into his jacket and jogged back across the cracked road, ducking under the tangled brush at the edge of the field.
He crouched low, shielding the light from his phone as he opened Simón’s message.
The words were scrawled quickly, but they hit like a bullet. “The note says Ortega will be asking for your allegiance soon.” Jinx’s blood went cold.
Raven’s voice was immediate. "Eira, Teo, and I will need to activate our exit strategy." There was a pause, filled only by the rustle of dry leaves in the night wind. Raven’s voice softened slightly. "Her mom won’t leave the aunt. Her sister is sick. The doctor said she might not get better right away."
"I can get the plane to you by noon," Brando replied without hesitation.
"Do it," Jinx said, already moving, his body on autopilot as he cut back across the field toward Eira’s ranch. "Shit’s about to get real."
The stars above seemed to sharpen, burningcolder as Jinx picked up speed, the weight of what was coming pressing hard against his chest.
The house glowed soft and golden against the heavy dark of the Venezuelan night.
The fields stretched quietly around it, the dry grass whispering under the slow press of the wind. The cattle moved slowly, a soft call reached him every now and then.
Jinx crossed the pasture while his heart screamed to stay there, just a little longer. That wouldn’t happen. Not when his family’s safety depended on action. Through the kitchen door, he saw Eira.
She was standing at the counter, humming under her breath as she wiped it clean, barefoot and comfortable in one of his old shirts. Her hair was twisted up in a messy knot, a few loose strands falling around her face. She looked soft, peaceful.
Happy.
The sight of her like that, relaxed, trusting,safe, hit him like a knife to the gut.
She didn’t know that in a few minutes, he was going to shatter her world. Again.
Jinx moved up the porch steps quietly, every creak of the old wood feeling like a sin.
He hesitated at the door, his hand on the handle,his knuckles white. He could not mention it. Give her one more night of peace.
But peace was a lie, and he couldn’t lie to her. Not anymore.
He pushed the door open. Eira turned at the sound, her face lighting up when she saw him.
"Hey, you," she said, smiling, the kind of smile that made the whole damn world fall away.
God. She was so damn beautiful it hurt to look at her. "Hey," Jinx said, voice rougher than he wanted it to be.
She crossed the kitchen to him without hesitation, sliding her arms around his waist and pressing her face against his chest.
He held her close, breathing her in, memorizing the feel of her. Every curve, every breath, because he knew what was coming.
"You’re tense," she murmured against his shirt, her fingers tracing slow, lazy patterns across his back. "Everything okay?"
"I have something I need to talk to you about," he said, closing his eyes.
For one heartbeat, he let himself just hold her. Pretend everything was normal. Pretend he wasn’t about to shatter her all over again.
