Chapter: Chapter 83- Between Two WorldsThey hit the last stretch of road just after noon. The forest thinned into wide, rolling hills, the border checkpoint a ghostly silhouette on the horizon. Sonia’s heart hammered so loudly she felt it echo in her teeth.Eric sat forward, his eyes scanning the distant line of fences and watchtowers. The border guards were minimal mostly private security. Under normal circumstances, an easy crossing. But today, with Clara’s revelation heavy in the van, nothing felt easy.Clara hadn’t spoken again since her confession. She sat curled up, arms wrapped tight around her knees, her forehead pressed to the window. Sonia glanced at her in the mirror again and again, each time fighting the urge to stop the van and hold her.Eric finally broke the silence. “We need to decide what happens when we reach the checkpoint. If they sense her”Sonia shook her head sharply. “We’re not leaving her behind. We’re not splitting up.”Eric’s jaw flexed. “I know. But we need a plan. We can’t fight our way throug
Dernière mise à jour: 2025-07-12
Chapter: Chapter 82- BloodThe boat skimmed over the river like a phantom, slicing through the mist as the sun rose pale and tentative above the water. Sonia sat near the bow, her arm wrapped tightly around Eric. Her other hand stayed on Clara’s shoulder, grounding them both.Clara shivered, her eyes darting over the dark water. Sonia could feel her tension like static in the air.Alex huddled near the stern, Maya leaning into him, half asleep despite the trembling in her limbs. Silas crouched by the edge, scanning the riverbank behind them with sharp, restless eyes.Sonia tilted her face toward Eric. “You okay?” she asked, her voice low.He glanced down at her, his expression softening despite the exhaustion written into every line of his body. “I will be. Are you?”Sonia hesitated, then shook her head. “I don’t know how to be okay after this. But I’m still here.”His hand found hers under the blanket, fingers threading together like a quiet promise.The boat slowed as they rounded a bend, approaching a hidden
Dernière mise à jour: 2025-07-11
Chapter: Chapter 81- Long Escape The tunnel walls pressed close around them, dripping with condensation, the air damp and heavy. Sonia could feel each rescued kid trembling against her as they shuffled forward, hands brushing the rough concrete to stay upright.Eric limped beside her, his jaw clenched against the pain in his arm. She kept a hand on his back, steady and constant. Each time he stumbled, she was there.Alex walked just ahead with Maya on his back, her small arms looped weakly around his shoulders. She buried her face against his neck, as if afraid to see the darkness around them.Silas led the way, flashlight beam dancing over the crumbling floor. Every few steps, he’d glance back, eyes sharp, counting heads.“We’re almost there,” he called softly. “A few hundred meters and we hit the old maintenance exit. From there, we run straight to the river.”Sonia’s breath rattled in her lungs. She felt each second stretch like an eternity. Every scrape of shoe on concrete, every muffled sob from a rescued teen,
Dernière mise à jour: 2025-07-11
Chapter: Chapter 80-Into the Belly of the BeastThe compound’s outer fence loomed above them, coiled in barbed wire and crowned with security cameras that swept like watchful eyes. Sonia crouched low in the shadows beside Eric, Alex, and Silas. The night pressed close, thick and electric with tension.Alex tapped rapidly on his tablet, his breath coming in shaky puffs. “I’ve looped the cameras for thirty seconds. That’s all we’ve got to get over.”Silas flexed his hands, looking up at the fence. “Thirty seconds is generous,” he muttered, adjusting his gloves.Eric gave him a look, then turned to Sonia. “Ready?”She nodded. She didn’t feel ready, not really, but she’d learned that courage wasn’t about feeling fearless it was about moving anyway, even when your bones trembled.At Alex’s signal, they sprinted forward. Sonia felt the sting of the cold metal as her fingers curled around the fence, her muscles burning as she hauled herself up and swung over. She landed hard, rolled, and immediately sprang to her feet, heart hammering.Er
Dernière mise à jour: 2025-07-10
Chapter: Chapter 79- The Reckoning The warehouse on the outskirts of the city looked like any other abandoned building: rusted gates, shattered windows, vines curling around steel beams. But beneath it, Sonia knew, was the real fortress the heart of the Cartel’s new empire.Sonia stood on the roof of a nearby office building, staring at the compound through binoculars. Beside her, Alex was adjusting a small drone, his fingers quick despite the tremor of anxiety running through them.“We have three entry points,” Alex said, his voice tight. “North gate guarded, but sloppy rotation. The loading dock least guarded but leads directly to the basement labs. And the south tunnel old maintenance access, probably booby-trapped but closest to the holding cells.”Sonia lowered the binoculars, glancing at him. In the morning light, Alex’s eyes were hollow but sharp. His whole body seemed like a taut wire about to snap.“You sure you’re up for this?” Sonia asked softly.Alex didn’t look at her. “She’s my sister. I don’t get to back
Dernière mise à jour: 2025-07-10
Chapter: Chapter 78- No One To Be LeftSonia awoke to the soft gray of dawn creeping into the room. She could feel Eric’s warmth behind her, his steady breathing against her neck. For a moment, she let herself sink into it the quiet, the softness, the rare sense of safety. Then the memories flooded in: Alex’s broken confession, the missing sister, the secrets that still hung over them like a storm cloud. She turned carefully, propping herself up on her elbow. Eric stirred, eyes blinking open slowly. “Morning,” he rasped, voice low and husky. “Morning,” she echoed, brushing a lock of hair from his forehead. They stayed like that for a beat, memorizing each other’s faces, every scar and soft edge. Sonia leaned down and kissed him, slow and unhurried. When they pulled apart, Eric searched her face. “What’s on your mind?” he asked. She sighed, resting her forehead against his. “Alex’s sister. The facility. I can’t stop thinking about her. About all the others they might still have.” Eric’s jaw tensed. “We can’t
Dernière mise à jour: 2025-07-09
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