Apocalypse Trade Monopoly
Chapter 72: : The Devil’s Bargain

Chapter 72: : The Devil’s Bargain

Lucas exhaled, golden eyes gleaming in the dim light. "Well, Captain, this is an interesting dilemma."

Locke didn’t speak. Didn’t move. But Ava could see the tension in his stance—a soldier weighing risks, calculating the angles.

Lucas grinned."You came all this way to warn us. But let’s be honest, Locke—you don’t give a damn about me."

Locke’s gaze flicked toward Ava. "She’s the one they want."

Ava’s grip on her knife tightened.

Lucas let out a low chuckle."That’s the problem with being valuable, Beauty. Everybody wants a piece."

Ava ignored him, eyes locked on Locke. "Who exactly are we dealing with?"

Locke’s expression was unreadable. "I don’t have names. But Angel answers to someone outside the military chain. Private. Powerful." He hesitated. "And they’re watching."

Lucas hummed. "That’s flattering."

Locke’s gaze hardened. "You should be worried."

Lucas tilted his head, considering. Then—"Alright, Captain. Let’s make a deal."

Locke’s posture didn’t shift, but Ava saw the flicker of calculation in his eyes.

Lucas’s smile widened."You don’t trust Angel anymore. That’s why you’re here. But you’re running out of options."

Locke’s silence was answer enough.

Lucas stepped closer."You want out? I can arrange that. I have routes Angel doesn’t control, contacts she hasn’t bought."

Ava shot him a sharp look. "You’re offering to help him?"

Lucas didn’t break eye contact with Locke. "I’m offering him a trade."

Locke’s voice was steady. "And what do you want in return?"

Lucas’s grin sharpened. "Simple, Captain. You work for me now."

Ava’s pulse jumped.

Locke’s jaw clenched. "You want me as one of your assets?"

Lucas chuckled. "’Asset’ is such a cold word. I prefer... ally."

Locke exhaled, his mind clearly calculating the cost.

Ava watched him carefully. He wouldn’t agree easily. He was still a soldier, still wired to resist people like Lucas. But he also knew he was already compromised.

Finally, Locke spoke. "I won’t betray my people."

Lucas smirked. "Then you’d better decide who your people really are."

Silence.

Ava watched as Locke processed the choice before him.

Risk everything with Angel—or take Lucas’s offer.

Lucas’s voice was silk and steel."Clock’s ticking, Captain. What’s it gonna be?"

The silence stretched, heavy with calculation, unspoken decisions hanging between them.

Ava watched him, watched the way his jaw tightened, the way his hands curled into loose fists at his sides—not out of anger, but restraint.

He was considering it.

Lucas smirked, but didn’t push.

Ava exhaled, breaking the tension. "Why me?"

Locke’s dark eyes flicked to her.

She folded her arms. "You said they want me. Why?"

Locke didn’t hesitate. "Because of your system."

Ava’s pulse jumped.

Lucas hummed. "Now we’re getting somewhere."

Ava kept her face unreadable. "Explain."

Locke’s expression was steady, but his voice lowered slightly, like saying it out loud made it real. "It’s different, isn’t it?"

Ava said nothing.

Locke continued. "The way it adapts. The way it... evolves." His eyes sharpened. "That’s not normal."

Lucas chuckled, tilting his head toward Ava. "Beauty, I think you’ve got a fan."

Ava ignored him, locking eyes with Locke. "And you know this how?"

Locke’s jaw tensed. "Because I’ve seen a system like yours before."

Ava’s breath hitched.

Lucas’s smile widened."Now that is interesting."

Ava stepped forward. "Who?"

Locke’s voice was flat."Someone who didn’t survive."

Ava’s fingers twitched at her sides.

Her system pulsed, running rapid calculations, but none of it mattered if she didn’t have answers.

Lucas exhaled, still amused, but watching Locke carefully now."Let me guess. You don’t know what made her different, but the people you used to work for did."

Locke didn’t confirm it. Didn’t have to.

Ava’s mind raced.

Lucas grinned. "Well, Captain. Now I really need you to pick a side."

Locke exhaled slowly, his gaze locked on Ava. "They want you because your system isn’t like the others."

Ava’s heartbeat was steady, but her mind was racing.

Lucas leaned against a rusted pillar, arms crossed, golden eyes gleaming. "And you, Captain? Where do you fall in all this?"

Locke’s jaw tightened. "I’m not a Shifter."

Ava frowned. "You’re military."

Locke nodded. "Trained. Enhanced. But not one of them."

It was subtle, but there was weight behind the words.

Lucas chuckled, pushing off the pillar. "Ah. So you’re saying Angel and her people? Not yours."

Locke’s voice was flat. "No. They never were."

Ava’s mind clicked through the implications. Angel was a Shifter. A high-ranking one. Which meant Locke had been surrounded by them—commanded by them.

And now he was here, standing across from them, saying he wasn’t part of it.

Ava folded her arms. "Then why did they let you get that close?"

Locke’s stare was unreadable. "Because they thought I could be controlled."

Lucas let out a low whistle. "That’s the thing about soldiers, isn’t it? Everyone assumes they’ll follow orders."

Locke didn’t rise to the bait.

But Ava saw it now—the way he had been calculating, the careful way he had been stepping through this conversation. He wasn’t just warning them about Angel. He was warning them about what she represented.

Ava exhaled. "So tell me, Captain. If Angel and her people aren’t yours..."

Her gaze sharpened. "Then who are?"

Locke’s answer was simple. "Not them."

Lucas grinned. "Good enough for me."

Locke’s words hung in the air, measured and final.

"Not them."

Ava watched him carefully, scanning for the unspoken weight behind his answer. He wasn’t just cutting ties—he had never been one of them to begin with.

Lucas, ever amused, tilted his head. "Interesting. You’re telling me Angel kept you close, trusted you with her business, but you were never actually hers?"

Locke’s jaw tightened. "Angel is a Shifter. I’m not."

Lucas’s golden eyes flickered. "Ah. So that’s what this is about."

Locke’s expression didn’t change. "Mating for Shifters is different." His voice was even, controlled. "I was never compatible with her. Never going to be."

Ava blinked. That... explained a lot.

Shifters operated on instinct and hierarchy. When they mated, it wasn’t just about choice—it was a bond, something biological. Angel had picked Locke to be close, but he had never been an option.

Lucas exhaled, shaking his head with a grin. "Well, that’s awkward."

Locke ignored him. His gaze flicked to Ava, then back to Lucas.

"I have classified information."

Ava’s pulse jumped.

Locke’s stare was steady. "And you’re a trader, Bai." He folded his arms. "I give you something valuable, and you make me a value-based offer. That’s how this works, right?"

Lucas’s smirk widened. "Oh, Captain. Now you’re speaking my language."