After landing beside the lake, Nick immediately released the parachute harness and dragged the canopy flat.
The wind was strong enough to pull the fabric toward the water, and he had no intention of being swept into the lake after surviving the jump.
Once the parachute was secured, he opened the sealed waterproof pouch.
It contained only two objects: a Marathon general-purpose mechanical military watch and an unmarked topographic map.
The watch was sturdy, plain, and designed to function without batteries, making it suitable for an isolated assignment where replacement parts might be unavailable.
Nick unfolded the map and compared its contours with the mountains surrounding the lake.
After locating his landing point and calculating the distance to the marked destination, he released a relieved breath.
The wind had not carried him far from the intended drop zone.
He still needed to travel roughly twenty-six miles north.
Nick had yet to understand what the organization that recruited Levi Kane expected him to accomplish, but he had temporarily ruled out an assassination assignment.
The primary weapon inside the equipment pack was an M4A1 carbine fitted with a fixed four-power optic, not the kind of precision rifle normally issued to an elite long-range sniper.
He also doubted that killing a single person would determine the survival of the entire planet.
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand had helped ignite a world war, but humanity had survived it.
Of course, if this movie suddenly introduced someone like Thanos, ordinary political logic would no longer apply.
Nick landed shortly after noon.
He traveled nearly sixteen miles before daylight began to fade, then found a shallow cave along a rocky slope and decided to stop for the night.
Based on the air pressure and his breathing, the surrounding mountains were probably below ten thousand feet.
The altitude was high enough to make climbing exhausting but not severe enough to threaten him with immediate sickness.
The date was September 12, yet patches of vegetation had already begun turning yellow.
Cold-resistant conifers such as spruce and fir dominated the forest, suggesting he was somewhere between forty and fifty degrees north latitude.
That still covered a large portion of Europe, Asia, and North America.
Nick’s luck remained surprisingly good.
No rain or snow fell during the night, and none of the surrounding bears, wolves, mountain lions, or other large predators investigated his temporary shelter.
He rolled out a sleeping bag, ate from his field rations, and rested with the M4A1 within reach.
At the first hint of dawn, Nick packed his equipment and continued north while chewing an energy bar.
The contour lines on the map warned him that the second half of the journey would be far more difficult.
That assessment proved accurate.
The final six miles involved almost constant climbing.
Several slopes were too steep for ordinary hiking, forcing him to use his hands and carefully work his way across exposed rock faces.
Even with Levi Kane’s conditioning and Nick’s own years of physical training, the ascent left his legs burning.
The heavy backpack pulled against his shoulders while the M4A1 repeatedly struck his chest whenever he climbed over a ledge.
By the time he reached the final ridge, sweat had soaked through his shirt despite the cold mountain air.
Nick pulled himself over the last section of rock and stopped.
A vast gorge stretched below him.
Dense white fog filled the entire chasm, concealing whatever lay at the bottom.
The gorge extended from north to south, measuring several hundred yards across and less than seven miles long.
High mountains blocked both ends.
Nick could not understand why the valley had not filled with water over time.
There might have been an underground river or a network of tunnels beneath the fog, but the depth made it impossible to see anything clearly.
Two enormous concrete towers stood on opposite sides of the gorge.
Each structure rose more than a hundred feet above the rocky slopes, with fortified observation bunkers built near the top.
The towers faced one another across the chasm like two silent guards watching an ancient prison.
Nick finally understood that he had reached the destination marked on the map.
He remembered Bartholomew’s one-year contract and stared at the isolated towers with growing suspicion.
Was the entire secret mission simply to remain in this abandoned mountain range for twelve months?
In his previous life, Nick had read about remote fire-lookout positions promoted as ideal jobs for people who disliked social contact.
The employee would spend most of the year alone inside a tower, watching the surrounding wilderness for smoke and receiving a generous salary in exchange for isolation.
The situation before him looked disturbingly similar.
Whatever waited here was clearly more dangerous than an ordinary forest fire.
Nick was still studying the gorge when an excited voice came from the hillside nearby.
“Welcome, my prince!
Very impressive.
You’re nearly two hours early.” The overly emotional greeting sent an uncomfortable chill down Nick’s back.
He turned and saw a curly-haired Black man descending the slope with both arms spread wide.
The stranger looked far too happy to see him.
His accent was unmistakably British.
“I’m Jasper D.
Drake, Royal Marines,” the man announced.
“Most people call me J.D.” Nick had no intention of accepting the offered embrace.
Instead, he extended his right hand.
“Levi Kane.
Former United States Marine Scout Sniper.” J.D.
seized his hand and shook it enthusiastically.
His eyebrow rose when he noticed Nick had described his service in the past tense.
“And now?” “I work for private military contractors.” Nick saw no reason to hide information that would already appear in his file.
J.D.
released his hand and turned toward the nearest tower.
“Do you know what they sent you here to do?” “Nothing.” Nick followed him down the slope.
“They gave me an unmarked map, sedated me for the flight, confiscated my phone and identification, then dropped me in the mountains.
I don’t even know which country we’re in.” J.D.
laughed loudly.
“I’ve spent an entire year here and still don’t know.” “That doesn’t bother you?” “It did at first.
Eventually, I learned not to think about it.” His cheerful expression briefly weakened.
“Questions like that will keep you awake at night, and there are already plenty of other things here capable of doing that.” Before Nick could ask what he meant, J.D.’s smile returned.
“Still, God knows I’m happy to see you.” Nick studied him.
The man did not seem naturally talkative.
His excitement was probably the result of spending twelve months without ordinary human contact.
J.D.
confirmed that suspicion moments later.
“You’re the first living person I’ve spoken to face-to-face in an entire year.” Nick looked toward the matching tower on the eastern side of the gorge.
“You were here completely alone?” “On this side, yes.” J.D.
pointed toward the western tower ahead.
“And now it’s your turn.
My assignment officially ends at midnight.” He slapped Nick lightly on the shoulder.
“Let’s go upstairs, have a drink, and I’ll tell you everything you need to know before I escape this miserable place.” The two men reached the base of the structure.
Up close, the tower looked even older than Nick had expected.
Thick reinforced concrete formed the lower section, while the upper levels narrowed before expanding into the large observation bunker.
Weather had stained the exterior, and rust marked several exposed metal supports.
J.D.’s excitement softened into something closer to nostalgia.
“This will be your home for the next year.
West Tower.” Nick tilted his head back and examined the top.
“The entire structure runs primarily on solar power,” J.D.
continued.
“There’s a backup diesel generator for emergencies, a rainwater collection and filtration system, and enough storage to keep you supplied for months.” He pointed toward a fenced section beside the tower.
“There’s also a vegetable garden.
Wildlife is plentiful, so you can hunt if the preserved food becomes too depressing.” “Sounds comfortable.” “That depends on your standards.” The upper bunker appeared large enough to contain roughly a thousand square feet of usable space.
From the outside, the tower looked capable of supporting one person indefinitely, provided the machinery remained functional.
Nick turned toward the opposite side of the gorge.
“You said you were alone.
What about that tower?” J.D.’s tone changed slightly.
“That’s East Tower.” “Is someone stationed there?” “Yes.” “Then you aren’t completely isolated.” “According to regulations, we are forbidden from communicating with the eastern watchkeeper in any way.” Nick looked across the chasm again.
The distance made ordinary conversation impossible, but signal lamps, radios, or written messages could easily overcome it.
“Why?” “No explanation was given.” “That didn’t stop you from asking.” “I asked during my first month.
Nobody answered.” J.D.
gestured toward the gorge.
“In practical terms, crossing is nearly impossible.
The entire length is protected by suspended anti-personnel mines, automated gun systems, and several other defenses I’ll show you later.” Nick examined the rocky walls.
Weapons platforms and cables were positioned at intervals along both sides.
Some were concealed beneath camouflage coverings, while others remained exposed and pointed toward the fog.
“So the restriction is unnecessary.” “That’s one way to describe it.” J.D.
looked toward East Tower with an expression Nick could not read.
“The two watchkeepers aren’t meant to meet.
We don’t cross the gorge, exchange supplies, or contact one another.” “What are the defenses supposed to stop?” J.D.
did not answer.
Instead, he opened a reinforced door at the base of West Tower.
The interior smelled of old concrete, machine oil, and stale air.
A narrow elevator occupied the center of the entrance chamber, enclosed by a rusted metal gate.
The car looked barely large enough for two men and their equipment.
J.D.
pulled the gate open.
“Don’t judge it by its appearance.
This elevator may be older than both of us combined, but it’s reliable.” Nick stepped closer and examined the worn cables and controls.
“How reliable?” “I service it every three months.” “That wasn’t reassuring.” “It hasn’t killed me yet.” J.D.
gestured for him to enter.
Nick squeezed inside with his backpack and M4A1.
J.D.
followed, forcing both men to stand shoulder to shoulder in the cramped car.
The gate closed with a metallic crash.
J.D.
pressed the button for the upper level, and the ancient machinery groaned to life.
As the elevator slowly climbed, Nick felt the structure vibrating around him.
He looked through the gaps in the gate toward the dark concrete shaft.
A hidden gorge, two fortified towers, automated defenses, and strict orders forbidding contact between the only two people stationed there.
This was not a simple observation post.
Something beneath that fog required constant surveillance.
Whatever it was, Nick would spend the next year making sure it never escaped.
A review helps a lot.
P1treon: