The auction ended with silence.
Not applause. Not gunfire. Just a closing of curtains, murmurs of wired transfers, and a final look passed between dangerous men.
Lina and Zaid left the riad with heavier hearts than when they'd entered. The USB Zaid had swapped mid-auction now lay in his inner coat pocket. If the intel on it was real, it would expose a network of rogue agents—including the truth about her brother's new allegiance.
But nothing could prepare Lina for what came next.
Their safehouse in the outskirts of the city was quiet when they returned. The air smelled like dust and diesel. Zaid locked the door, checked the window, and immediately began decrypting the data.
Lina sat on the bed, staring at nothing, her heart flickering like a dying flame.
Minutes passed. Then hours.
Finally, Zaid's voice broke the silence. "Got it."
She came over. On the screen: photographs, voice memos, intercepted transmissions.
But her breath stopped at the last file.
It was a video.
Zaid clicked play.
A grainy feed lit up the screen. The camera angle was shaky, like it had been filmed on the move. Inside a dimly lit bunker, men in tactical gear surrounded a table littered with maps and weapons.
Then a voice.
Low. Calm. Commanding.
"Tell Salim we strike at midnight. And no more delays."
The camera turned—and Lina's heart split open.
It was Karim.
Older, harder. His beard trimmed close, his eyes colder. But it was him. Her brother. Alive. Changed.
She pressed her fingers to the screen.
"He's…" she whispered. "He's not hiding. He's leading."
Zaid's voice was gentle. "I told you."
Tears burned behind her eyes.
Then came the second voice, off-screen: "And the journalist? The sister?"
Karim didn't flinch. "She's smart. But if she tries to expose us… she becomes collateral."
Lina stumbled back like she'd been hit.
Zaid reached for her. "Lina—"
She slapped his hand away.
"My own brother…"
"I'm sorry."
She paced the room like she couldn't breathe. "He thinks I'm a threat. He doesn't even care if I die."
Zaid was quiet.
Then came a knock at the door.
Three short raps.
Zaid's eyes snapped to hers. "That's not good."
He pulled his gun. Moved to the window.
Two cars outside. Black. Unmarked. Men stepping out.
"Move," he whispered.
But it was too late.
The first explosion hit the lower floor, blowing the window inward. Lina screamed, diving to the ground as glass rained like bullets. Zaid pulled her behind the bed as another blast shook the hallway.
"They found us," he said. "It's Karim's men."
Her heart pounded. "He's trying to kill me."
Zaid looked at her, eyes burning. "No. He's trying to erase you."