Page 191 of Fractured Loyalties

Mara’s hands hover near the shackles, waiting. “We can cut him out.”

“Do it fast,” I say.

The stranger starts laughing. Low at first, then louder, like something about this moment amuses him more than it should.

“What’s funny?” Lydia asks, her tone flat.

“You think getting him out changes anything?” he says. “Volker let you find this room.”

I step closer. “Then tell me why.”

“To put you right where he wants you,” the man replies. “And you just walked in.”

Kinley swears under his breath. “We need to move. Now.”

The panel the stranger was reaching for blinks to life on its own, lights scrolling in sequence. A countdown starts.

I shove the man toward Lydia. “Drag him. We’re not leaving him behind.”

Mara frees the last shackle, and Jori stumbles forward, catching himself against the wall. I grab his arm. “Stay with me.”

The countdown ticks lower. Somewhere above us, the deep groan of shifting metal starts.

Whatever Volker’s trap is, we’re in it now.

The sound grows—metal locking into place, walls compressing with mechanical finality. A faint hiss follows, and the air turns sharp, chemical. Kinley yanks his collar up over his mouth. “Gas.”

“Move!” I snap.

We bolt down the corridor, dragging both the prisoner and Jori. Lydia’s ahead, scanning for exits, her light bouncing off steel bulkheads. Mara keeps pace beside me, her hand gripping the back of my jacket like a tether.

A door seals shut behind us with a clang that vibrates through the floor. The countdown bleeds into a steady alarm now, each pulse reverberating in my bones. Every turn feels tighter, the air heavier.

“There—service hatch!” Lydia shouts.

It’s half-hidden behind a fallen panel, but Kinley’s already shoving it aside. I push Jori through first, then Mara, then ourcaptive. Kinley follows, and I drag myself in last, my injured shoulder screaming as I pull the hatch closed.

The noise dampens instantly. Only our ragged breathing and the dull thud of my pulse remain.

“We’re not clear yet,” I say. “This tunnel loops back toward the generator room. We use it to get out—fast.”

In the dim glow, Mara’s eyes search mine. “And if Volker’s waiting at the other end?”

I let my hand rest briefly on her jaw, the contact grounding both of us. “Then we stop running.”

Chapter 32 – Elias - Through the Core

The tunnel slopes downward, the air warming as we draw closer to the generator room. The metal walls carry the hum of machinery, a low vibration that climbs into my teeth. My injured shoulder throbs with each step, but I keep pace at the front. Mara is directly behind me, one hand hooked into my belt as though letting go would mean losing herself in the dark. Jori follows, unsteady, Kinley shadowing him. Lydia brings up the rear with our captive, his wrists bound tight.

Every intersection we pass looks the same—corridors veering off into darkness, doors sealed with locking mechanisms we don’t have time to test. Volker’s architecture is a study in control; even down here, he has narrowed our choices until the only path is his.

"We’re close," Lydia mutters, glancing at the map flickering on her handheld. "Two turns and we hit the access platform."

"And then?" Kinley asks.

"Then we see what’s waiting," I answer. I don’t soften it. There’s no point.

Mara’s fingers tighten against my side. "If this is another trap—"