Page 105

The sensation is immediate and overwhelming.
Cold metal against sensitive flesh, the whir of tiny mechanics burrows into my ear canal. Bile rises in my throat as the drone works its way deeper. My muscles strain against the restraints, every instinct screaming to shake the intrusion free.
“Easy, Blaze.” Mitzy’s voice whispers directly into my brain, clear as day. “We’ve got eyes on you. Blink once for yes, twice for no. Are you able to respond?”
One blink.
The effort makes my swollen eye throb.
“Good. Multiple hostiles in the building. We’re examining entry points.”
“Blaze,” Mitzy’s voice, now tight with concern. “We’re having trouble locating Ember.
Are you aware of her location?”
Two blinks. Every muscle in my body goes rigid. The Zip Ties bite deeper as my wrists strain against them.
“We’ll find her.” Mitzy’s tone leaves no room for doubt. “But we need you focused. Can you hold it together?”
The rage burns hot and bright, threatening to consume everything. Ember could be anywhere, suffering God knows what. The need to tear this place apart with my bare hands overwhelms rational thought.
One blink, but it’s a lie.
They know it too.
“Listen to me.” Mitzy’s voice carries an edge of desperation. “We’ve got drones sweeping every possible location. You’ll be the first to know the minute we get a hit on her position, but if you lose it now, you’re no good to her. Understand?”
The truth of her words cuts through the red haze of fury. One blink, steadier this time.
Footsteps approach in the hallway. Heavy boots, multiple sets.
“They’re coming back,” Mitzy warns. “Hold position. We’re working on?—”
The door crashes open. Bruiser and Smiley return, a new energy in their movements.
“Miss us, hero?” Bruiser’s brass knuckles glint under the fluorescent lights.
The rage simmers beneath my skin, barely contained. Each blow they land fuels the inferno building inside me. But I hold it in check, storing it like a weapon.
“Something’s different about him.” Smiley circles behind my chair. “Look at his eyes.”
“Good.” Bruiser laughs, landing another hit to my ribs. “I like it when they have some fight left.”
Let them think it’s defiance. Let them believe it’s stubborn resistance.
They don’t understand what’s coming.
The tiny drone shifts in my ear canal, a constant reminder that help is near. But without Ember…
Another hit lands. Then another. I take them all, banking the pain, feeding it to the rage that grows with each passing second.
When the time comes, there won’t be enough left of them to identify.
Mitzy’s voice cuts through the pain. “Hold on, Blaze. Just hold on.”
I do. For now. For Ember.
But God help them all if we don’t find her soon.