Chapter 307 THE NAME HE HID
Chapter 307 THE NAME HE HID
POV: Zuri
The jacket is heavier than it should be.
Not because of the blood.
Because I know who wore it.
I stare at the dark stains spread across the fabric. Most of them have dried into the material, almost black now. One sleeve is torn near the shoulder. There is another rip along the side, like someone grabbed the jacket and pulled hard.
My fingers tighten around it.
I know that damage.
I have seen it before.
Not clearly.
Not enough to understand.
But somewhere inside my head, behind the memories that were taken from me, I know this jacket.
“It's Samuel's,” Marco says quietly.
I look at him.
“You're sure?”
He nods.
“I saw him wearing it that night.”
My stomach turns.
“You knew he was hurt.”
Marco's face tightens.
“I knew he was injured.”
“And you never told me.”
“I didn't know if he survived.”
The words hit harder than I expect.
I look down at the jacket again.
“You didn't know?”
“No.”
“So everything you've told me about that night…”
I lift my eyes to his.
“You were guessing.”
Marco doesn't answer.
That is answer enough.
Amani steps closer to me, but he doesn't touch me.
He knows better.
This is something I have to face myself.
I turn toward Marco.
“If you didn't know whether Samuel survived, then how did you know what happened to me?”
“I knew what I saw.”
“That's not the same thing.”
“I know.”
“Then tell me the rest.”
Marco looks away.
“No more half-truths.”
His jaw tightens.
“Zuri—”
“No.”
My voice shakes, but I don't lower it.
“You already took years from me. You don't get to take another minute.”
Silence fills the room.
Outside, something crashes.
The station trembles.
Ghost looks toward the corridor.
“They're getting through.”
Amani glances at him.
“How long?”
“Not long.”
I don't move.
“Tell me the name.”
Marco closes his eyes.
For several seconds, he says nothing.
Then he looks at me.
“Gabriel Kane.”
Everything inside me goes still.
Gabriel.
The man from the photograph.
My mother.
The Silver Wolf symbol.
The man I remember standing across from her in fragments.
“You told me he betrayed her.”
“I told you he was involved.”
“You said he gave information to Antonio.”
“I believed he did.”
“You believed?”
Marco swallows.
“I was wrong.”
I stare at him.
“Gabriel wasn't the traitor.”
“No.”
“Then why was he there?”
“Because your mother trusted him.”
The answer leaves me cold.
Marco continues.
“She arranged the second route through him. Gabriel knew the safehouses. He knew the Silver Wolf network. He was one of the few people she trusted with your location.”
My grip tightens around Samuel's jacket.
“Then why did you make me believe he betrayed her?”
“Because I didn't know the truth.”
“And now you do?”
“Now I know enough to understand that Gabriel wasn't the person who betrayed her.”
Amani speaks quietly.
“Then who was?”
Marco looks at him.
“I don't know.”
That answer makes my anger burn hotter.
“You always say you don't know.”
Marco flinches.
“You don't know who took me. You don't know if Samuel survived. You didn't know Gabriel was innocent.”
I step closer.
“But you knew enough to leave me.”
His face breaks.
“I know.”
“You could have taken me somewhere else.”
“I could have.”
“You could have kept me away from Voss.”
“I could have.”
“Then why didn't you?”
Marco's eyes shine.
“I was sixteen.”
I say nothing.
“I was scared,” he continues. “I had no idea who I could trust anymore. Our mother was gone. Samuel was missing. People were already searching for you. And Voss told me he could protect you.”
My chest tightens.
“You believed him.”
“Yes.”
“And when you realized he had changed my memories?”
Marco looks directly at me.
“I should have stopped him.”
The words are quiet.
Simple.
No excuse.
No defense.
Just the truth.
I stare at him.
That was the answer I had been waiting for.
Not an explanation.
Not another reason.
An admission.
He knew.
And he failed me anyway.
A loud bang comes from somewhere above us.
Ghost turns toward the sound.
“They're inside.”
Amani finally reaches for my hand.
This time, I let him take it.
But I don't look away from Marco.
“Tell me what happened.”
Marco nods.
“Our mother arranged for Gabriel to handle the second route. Samuel was supposed to meet him and transfer you.”
“What happened?”
“Someone discovered the route.”
My breathing slows.
“They knew where I was?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“We don't know.”
“But they knew.”
Marco nods.
“Samuel stayed behind to delay them.”
I look at the blood on the jacket.
“He was protecting me.”
“Yes.”
“And Gabriel?”
“He was supposed to be waiting for you.”
“Was he?”
Marco shakes his head.
“By the time I found you, he was gone.”
I close my eyes.
A strange pressure builds behind them.
Then—
Something flashes.
A road.
Rain against glass.
A vehicle.
My hands are small.
I'm sitting inside.
My head hurts.
I'm crying.
Someone is outside.
Marco.
Younger.
Smaller.
Terrified.
And another man stands beside him.
Gabriel.
I hear his voice.
“She cannot go back to Antonio.”
Marco answers.
“Where will you take her?”
Gabriel looks toward the vehicle.
“Somewhere he will never find her.”
My heart stops.
Then headlights appear.
Another vehicle.
Marco turns.
Someone gets out.
I can't see the face.
I can't—
The memory shatters.
I gasp.
Amani steadies me.
“Zuri.”
I press a hand against my temple.
“I remember.”
Marco moves toward me.
“What?”
“Gabriel.”
His expression changes.
“He was there.”
Marco nods slowly.
“He was supposed to be.”
“He wasn't the one who took me.”
Marco freezes.
“No.”
I look at him.
“You knew.”
“I suspected.”
“No.”
My voice hardens.
“You knew.”
He looks down.
“Yes.”
The station shakes again.
Ghost rushes into the room.
“We have to move. Now.”
Amani looks at me.
“We can talk while we move.”
I don't move.
“There's more.”
Marco's face tells me there is.
“What aren't you telling me?”
He hesitates.
Then reaches into his pocket.
His fingers tremble.
He pulls out a small piece of metal.
A ring.
Silver.
Cracked straight through the band.
My breath catches.
I know it.
Not from a photograph.
From memory.
The same ring.
The person who stepped out of that second vehicle wore it.
“Who was that?” I whisper.
Marco closes his hand around the ring.
“I didn't see the face.”
“But you saw the ring.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because I remembered who used to wear one like it.”
My heart pounds.
“Someone you knew?”
Marco nods.
“That is why I was afraid.”
I stare at him.
“You thought it was someone from our family.”
“I thought it might be.”
“Who?”
Marco looks toward the tunnel.
“We don't have time.”
I step closer.
“You're going to finish this with me.”
His eyes meet mine.
I don't forgive him.
Not yet.
Maybe not for a long time.
But I am done letting him decide what I can handle.
“We leave together,” I say.
Marco nods.
Together.
The word feels strange between us.
Almost like something we lost years ago.
Amani squeezes my hand once.
Then releases it.
We move.
Ghost leads us through the tunnel.
Amani stays behind me.
Marco walks beside me.
For several minutes, none of us speaks.
Then Marco's voice comes quietly through the darkness.
“Zuri.”
I look at him.
“I am sorry.”
I wait.
“Not for losing you.”
His voice cracks.
“Not for what Voss did.”
He swallows.
“I'm sorry I stayed silent afterward.”
I say nothing.
“I should have told you. Even if you hated me. Even if the truth destroyed everything between us.”
His eyes stay on the ground.
“I convinced myself silence was protecting you.”
He looks at me.
“It wasn't.”
My throat tightens.
“I don't know if I can forgive you.”
Marco nods.
“I know.”
“But I want to know everything.”
He takes a slow breath.
“Then I'll tell you everything.”
We keep walking.
The tunnel opens ahead.
Cold mountain air hits my face.
Ghost steps out first.
He looks both ways.
“Clear.”
Amani follows.
Then me.
Then Marco.
For the first time in what feels like hours, I can breathe.
The station is behind us.
The mountains stretch ahead.
We can escape.
But Marco stops.
I turn.
“What's wrong?”
He is staring back toward the tunnel.
His face has gone pale.
“Marco?”
He doesn't answer.
Amani reaches for his weapon.
“What did you remember?”
Marco finally looks at me.
“The person wearing that ring…”
He pauses.
“They weren't there to kill you.”
My stomach drops.
“Then why were they there?”
Marco's eyes hold mine.
“They were there to take you.”
I can't breathe.
“Take me where?”
Marco looks toward the dark tunnel.
Then back at me.
“I know where they were supposed to take you.”
My heart begins pounding.
“Where?”
His voice drops to a whisper.
“Your mother's second safehouse