Page 129 of Convict's Game

Kane drove another vehicle, the stubborn fucker refusing to wear a skeleton mask over his face like he didn’t care if he was identified. He’d have no choice over the masks we’d wear once inside. Gas masks dangled from straps around our necks, ready to deploy.

I sat with my elbows on my knees, my head pounding a fast beat.

I couldn’t stop thinking about her. Mila in that cage. Mila saying,Love is earned, not demanded.

It had gutted me worse than any blade to the ribs.

I’d thought I could handle tonight. Thought I could lock my shit down and give the crew my all. But her voice kept looping, a taunt and a truth in equal measure.

And underneath that, something worse.

Memories clawing for the surface.

Her face. Perfect, beautiful Mila in the time I couldn’t remember. Why did I know her? If it was real and not some trick of my amnesia, why didn’t she remember me?

Or was that the biggest lie between us?

“Stay on the planet,” Shade muttered.

I blinked. He’d caught me zoning out. “I’m fine.”

“Do that when an asshole with a machine gun is running at ye then tell me everything’s grand.”

Arran leaned forwards and commanded everyone’s attention.

“Listen up. Salter’s rabbit warren has multiple choke points. We’ve got no reliable blueprints, but from intel, we know it’s underground. There are two main air shafts leading to the back of the complex, plus one central staircase that feeds the sublevels.”

Shade tapped a chunky black briefcase. “We’ll drop gas through the shafts. The chemical mix I’ve rigged is a fast-acting, temporary KO agent. That’ll give us five to seven minutes of free movement before it starts wearing off.”

Arran grinned dangerously. “Salter will be running scared. Bastard has a habit of using his people as human shields. But this time, we bottleneck the fucker.”

Shade looked at me. “Convict, you’re with Manny and me. No solo hero shit. Arran’s leading the main breach with the others.”

I flexed my fists. “Understood.”

Liar.I didn’t agree. I wanted blood. I wanted answers. I wanted to rip something apart just to quiet the screaming in my skull.

But orders were orders.

Arran gave the final rundown: three teams, one to secure the main floor, the others to lock down the tunnels.

“If we funnel him, we can push Salter towards the old maintenance tunnels on the west side. No cameras. No exits. That’s where we take him.”

The vehicle jerked to a halt.

“We’re on.”

We jumped out, weapons ready.

I jammed the mask over my face and followed them out into the dark.

The complex sprawled low and wide, an old pet food factory converted into a fortress. Steel walls gleamed with damp under the streetlights.

Tyler’s crew peeled off first, heading for the air shafts. A rope drop had been pre-set earlier by a scout team. I followed Shade and Manny around the side. We reached a narrow service entrance with a keypad.

Arran’s voice buzzed in our earpieces. “On my mark. Hold until gas is deployed.”

I crouched, my breath misting the mask.