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A single tear slipped down her cheek, and Takeshi tensed, watching it fall. His jaw clenched as he ferociously cut through the last bindings when a figure punched him in the head, knocking Takeshi off his feet.

Her mouth fell open as the gun hidden in Takeshi’s pocket flew across the floor.

“Takeshi!” she shouted as one of the expressionless prisoners from the pod charged him. Takeshi flipped to his feet and quickly brandished the knife, meeting his attacker head-on.

The prisoner was fast—faster than humanly possible—easily dodging every strike.

Khalani gnashed her teeth, trying to wriggle free from the final binding holding her to the gurney. More punches and heavy hits echoed around the cold lab, and she yelled as she broke through the last restraint and stood on shaky feet.

The symphony in her chest raced to a cataclysmic crescendo as Takeshi grunted, wrestling with his attacker on the ground.

She bolted for the gun, snatched it up, and aimed at the prisoner Takeshi was fighting.

But she hesitated.

The prisoner might have family back in Hermes who loved him. There still might be a part of him deep inside, pounding against the cages of his mind, begging to be let free.

But Khalani steeled herself, her finger tightening around the trigger.

To protect those she cared for, she’d dowhatever it took.

The problem was, Takeshi and the prisoner’s bodies were rolling, centimeters away from one another. She wasn’t as good a shot as Brock and there was a high risk her bullet would hit Takeshi instead.

The prisoner slammed his fist into Takeshi’s face again, like a boulder slamming down, and Takeshi coughed up blood.

Think, Khalani.

Think!

Dr. Strauss was on the far side of the lab, frantically typing away on his computer. The other prisoners stood motionless, like lifeless puppets.

But with another rapid flurry across the keyboard, their blank expressions shifted. One by one, they slowly turned their heads toward Takeshi.

And they began to march forward.

Takeshi was already struggling with one of Dr. Strauss’ creations. How would he be able to handle five?

He couldn’t.

Her hands trembled around the pistol as the other prisoners got closer, their sole focus on Takeshi.

She raised her gun and without hesitation pulled the trigger. Sparks flew at the end of the room, and Dr. Strauss leaped back.

Her heart sank when she realized her bullet hadn’t struck him at all.

Instead, it hit his computer.

The prisoners continued advancing, but something strange happened. They stuttered in their steps, each one pausing intermittently as their heads twitched.

Takeshi seized the opportunity and stabbed the prisoner on top of him in the throat. He twisted the knife, ripping out a chunk of the man’s jugular. The prisoner toppled to the ground, still reaching for Takeshi, like he needed to complete his orders, even in that ruined state.

Takeshi rose, slower than usual, his chest heaving. The remaining prisoners kept advancing, despite their limbs convulsing uncontrollably.

The creepy vision would supply her nightmares forever.

She raised the gun once more, shooting the prisoner on the far right. The bullet struck him in the shoulder, and the prisoner staggered, but he didn’t make a sound of pain or even flinch. He continued advancing forward, ignoring the blood leaking from his shoulder.

“Takeshi! We need to go!”