Chapter 159: Eyes Everywhere
Chapter 159: Eyes Everywhere
The forest clearing no longer felt safe.
A few minutes earlier it had seemed peaceful — sunlight spilling through the trees, the river moving gently beside us, birds returning to their morning songs.
Now every sound felt like a warning.
Every rustling leaf.
Every distant crack of a branch.
The idea that someone might already be watching us made the air feel heavier.
Aidan stood near the edge of the clearing again, his sharp eyes sweeping across the tree line like a guard dog ready to strike.
Dominic paced slowly back and forth, his mind clearly racing through possibilities.
Elena remained beside Talia, though her focus had shifted from the girl to the forest itself.
Callum sat on the fallen log, but even he had stopped joking.
Which meant things were serious.
Very serious.
\---
I crossed my arms and stared at the river.
Marcus’s voice still echoed faintly in the back of my mind.
They are already watching you.
It didn’t feel like a threat anymore.
It felt like a fact.
Dominic stopped pacing.
“We need to move.”
Aidan nodded immediately.
“Agreed.”
Callum raised a hand lazily.
“Seconded.”
Elena looked up.
“But where exactly are we moving?”
Dominic didn’t hesitate.
“Somewhere the Creed can’t reach us easily.”
Callum snorted.
“Does such a place exist?”
Aidan answered bluntly.
“No.”
Callum sighed.
“Fantastic.”
\---
Talia shifted weakly on the blanket.
Dominic immediately knelt beside her again.
“How are you feeling?”
The girl looked exhausted.
“Better.”
Her voice was still soft, but stronger than before.
Elena helped her sit up carefully.
“You shouldn’t push yourself too hard.”
Talia shook her head slowly.
“They’ll track me.”
My heart skipped.
“How?”
Talia looked nervous again.
“They implanted something.”
Dominic’s expression darkened instantly.
“Where?”
The girl lifted her sleeve slightly.
A small scar marked the inside of her arm.
Elena leaned closer to examine it.
“Micro-tracker,” she murmured.
Callum groaned.
“Of course they did.”
Aidan muttered under his breath.
“Damn it.”
\---
Dominic stood immediately.
“We need to remove it.”
Elena nodded.
“But we’ll need tools.”
Callum spread his hands.
“Let me guess — we left the surgical equipment back at the exploding laboratory?”
Dominic ignored him.
“There’s a small town about ten miles west of here.”
Aidan raised an eyebrow.
“And how exactly do you know that?”
Dominic shrugged slightly.
“I’ve hunted in this region before.”
Callum blinked.
“That sentence raises several questions.”
But Aidan nodded.
“It’s our best option.”
Elena added quietly,
“If the tracker stays inside her, they’ll eventually locate us.”
Talia’s small hands clenched the blanket.
“They always find their experiments.”
\---
The words sent a chill through the group.
Dominic’s voice softened slightly.
“Not this time.”
But the determination in his eyes wasn’t just reassurance.
It was a promise.
\---
We packed quickly.
Elena carefully wrapped Talia in a spare jacket to keep her warm.
Dominic carried her again since she was still too weak to walk.
The rest of us gathered what little equipment we had salvaged from the compound.
Which, unfortunately, wasn’t much.
Aidan slung his rifle across his back.
Callum stretched his arms like someone preparing for a long hike.
“Well,” he said, “ten miles through a possibly hostile forest while being hunted by an evil science cult.”
He grinned faintly.
“Just another Tuesday.”
I rolled my eyes.
“You’re insufferable.”
Callum bowed dramatically.
“Thank you.”
\---
We began moving west.
The forest grew thicker as we traveled, dense branches weaving together above us like a natural ceiling.
The deeper we went, the darker the path became.
Dominic walked ahead, carefully navigating the terrain while carrying Talia.
Aidan stayed slightly behind him, scanning the area constantly.
Elena walked beside me.
Callum trailed near the back.
Every few minutes Aidan stopped to listen.
Every few minutes Dominic changed direction slightly.
We weren’t just walking.
We were avoiding being followed.
\---
After nearly an hour, Callum finally spoke again.
“So.”
He kicked a small rock along the dirt path.
“I’ve been thinking.”
Aidan sighed.
“That’s never good.”
Callum ignored him.
“If the Creed built multiple labs…”
He gestured vaguely.
“…and they’re all connected by this ‘Shadow Network’ thing…”
He looked at Talia.
“Then who’s actually in charge?”
The question hung in the air.
Because we had all wondered the same thing.
Marcus Hale had been powerful.
Dangerous.
Brilliant.
But even he had answered to someone.
Elena spoke slowly.
“I read some of the Creed files before the explosion.”
Dominic glanced back.
“And?”
Elena frowned slightly.
“There were references to something called ‘The Council.’”
Aidan raised an eyebrow.
“That sounds ominous.”
Callum nodded.
“Very villain-organization-like.”
I looked at Elena.
“Did it say who they are?”
She shook her head.
“No names.”
“Just titles.”
Dominic’s expression hardened.
“Which means they operate in complete secrecy.”
\---
Talia suddenly spoke again.
“They’re not human.”
We all stopped walking.
Dominic looked down at her.
“What?”
The girl’s face looked pale again.
“The scientists used to talk about them.”
Elena knelt beside Dominic.
“Talk about who?”
Talia whispered the answer.
“The Council.”
My pulse quickened.
“What did they say?”
The girl’s eyes filled with fear.
“They said the Council has been watching the supernatural world for hundreds of years.”
Aidan blinked.
“That’s… impossible.”
Talia shook her head slowly.
“They control everything.”
Callum muttered quietly,
“I officially hate this story.”
\---
Dominic looked troubled now.
“Watching the supernatural world…”
He turned toward me.
“That means werewolves.”
Elena added,
“And probably vampires.”
Callum groaned.
“Oh great, more monsters.”
I narrowed my eyes.
“Speak for yourself.”
He raised his hands quickly.
“Present company excluded.”
\---
We continued walking.
But the conversation had changed the mood completely.
The Creed wasn’t just a rogue organization anymore.
It was part of something far larger.
Something ancient.
Something organized.
Something powerful.
\---
Two hours later the forest finally began to thin.
Through the trees we could see open fields stretching toward a small town in the distance.
Smoke rose from chimneys.
Cars moved slowly along narrow roads.
It looked normal.
Peaceful.
Aidan studied the town carefully.
“Looks quiet.”
Callum tilted his head.
“That’s suspicious.”
Dominic adjusted Talia in his arms.
“We’ll go in quietly.”
Elena nodded.
“Find medical supplies.”
“Remove the tracker.”
“Then disappear again.”
Aidan added,
“And gather information.”
Callum smirked.
“You mean spy.”
Aidan shrugged.
“Same thing.”
\---
As we approached the edge of town, I felt something strange again.
That same faint pulse of energy.
But this time…
It wasn’t coming from Talia.
I stopped walking.
Dominic noticed immediately.
“What is it?”
I looked toward the town.
“I feel something.”
Aidan tensed.
“What kind of something?”
I focused carefully.
The energy felt…
Familiar.
But different.
Stronger.
Older.
Elena frowned.
“Another experiment?”
I slowly shook my head.
“No.”
My voice came out quieter than I expected.
“Something else.”
Callum looked nervous now.
“That doesn’t sound comforting.”
\---
Then I saw him.
Standing across the street near a small café.
A man in a dark coat.
Watching us.
Completely still.
His eyes locked onto mine.
And when he smiled…
My blood turned cold.
Because I had never seen him before.
But somehow…
I knew exactly what he was.
Aidan followed my gaze.
“Roxanne?”
His voice dropped.
“Who is that?”
The man slowly stepped off the sidewalk.
Walking toward us calmly.
Like he had been expecting us all along.
My heart began pounding.
Because deep down…
I already knew the answer.
And it was far worse than I wanted it to be.
I whispered the words quietly.
“Someone from the Council.”