Chapter 31
Mila
Location: Holding Facility — Unknown
Time: Unknown
The guard shifts his weight for the third time in two minutes.
Impatient.
Bored.
Careless.
That’s what gets people killed.
I keep my breathing slow, even, like I’m still half out of it. My head lolls slightly to the side, eyes unfocused, body slack against the restraints.
But inside?
I’m counting.
Timing.
Waiting.
The moment his attention slips again, I move.
Fast.
My wrist twists sharply, the small piece of metal I worked loose from the underside of the table biting into the restraint seam. It’s not much—but it’s enough.
The strap gives.
Just a fraction.
Then more.
The guard doesn’t notice.
He’s looking at the other guy, muttering something under his breath.
Big mistake.
The restraint snaps loose.
I don’t hesitate.
I surge forward, grabbing the first guard by the collar and slamming his head down onto the metal table. The crack echoes through the room. He drops instantly.
The second one reacts—too slow.
I pivot, rip the weapon from his hand, and fire.
One shot.
Clean.
He hits the ground.
Silence crashes in.
I’m already moving.
I grab the keycard, unlock the rest of the restraints, and swing my legs off the table. The room tilts for half a second, the drug still lingering, but I force it back.
Not now.
Not yet.
I move to the door, press the card—
Access denied.
Of course.
I exhale slowly.
“Alright,” I mutter.
Plan B.
I turn, scanning the room again. Cameras. Angles. Weak points.
There.
I fire once into the camera above the door. Sparks burst, the feed cutting out.
Then I step back, raise the weapon—
and fire into the control panel.
The door jerks.
Then slides open.
I move into the hallway.
Dark.
Quiet.
Too quiet.
My instincts spike.
Something’s off.
Jase
Location: Perimeter — Target Site
Time: 04:42
We don’t go in loud.
Not at first.
Ronan signals from the ridge, two fingers up, then forward. Clear perimeter. Minimal external guards.
That’s wrong.
Too easy.
I don’t like it.
“Trap?” Cal murmurs.
“Probably,” Ronan replies.
I don’t slow down.
“Doesn’t matter,” I say.
“She’s in there.”
That’s all that matters.
Ethan taps into the external system, working fast. “I’ve got partial access. Cameras are looping—but not clean. Someone’s already disrupted internal feeds.”
My chest tightens.
Mila.
“She’s moving,” Ethan adds, voice sharpening.
That’s it.
No more waiting.
“Go,” I order.
We move.
Fast.
Silent.
Lethal.
Jason and Lance take the rear. Cal and Jonah flank. Ronan stays high, overwatch locked in.
I hit the side entrance hard.
Door gives.
We breach.
Mila
The hallway stretches in both directions.
Too many doors.
Too many unknowns.
I move left.
Always trust the instinct that pulls.
Footsteps echo in the distance.
Coming closer.
I press into the wall, weapon raised.
Two men round the corner—
I fire before they even register me.
Both go down.
I don’t stop moving.
Turn the corner—
And freeze.
Because at the far end—
Ford.
Watching.
Waiting.
Gun already in his hand.
“Impressive,” he says calmly.
“Most people don’t make it this far.”
I lift my weapon.
“Most people aren’t me.”
He smiles slightly.
“I know.”
Then he raises his gun—
Jase
Gunfire.
Inside.
Close.
My heart slams.
“That’s her,” I snap.
I take off.
No hesitation now.
No stealth.
Just speed.
We push deeper into the building, clearing rooms fast, efficient, ruthless.
Bodies hit the floor.
Doors splinter.
Time compresses.
Everything narrowing to one thing—
Find her.
Now.
Mila
I fire first.
He moves.
Too fast.
My shot grazes his shoulder instead of center mass.
He doesn’t even flinch.
Returns fire.
The bullet slams into the wall beside my head.
I duck, roll, come up firing again.
He advances.
Controlled.
Relentless.
Closing the distance.
“No escape this time,” he says.
“Not for you.”
My pulse steadies.
“Good,” I fire back.
“I was getting tired of running.”
Jase
We hit the main corridor—
And I see him.
Ford.
And—
Her.
Alive.
Fighting.
Everything inside me detonates.
“FORD!”
My voice tears through the space like a weapon.
His head snaps toward me.
That one second—
That’s all it takes.
Mila
The moment Ford looks away—
I move.
I fire.
This time—
He takes the hit.
Clean to the side.
Not fatal.
But enough.
He stumbles back.
Jase
I close the distance.
Fast.
Too fast for my injuries—but I don’t care.
I don’t feel it.
I don’t feel anything except—
Her.
“Mila!”
Mila
That voice.
It hits me like impact.
I turn—
And there he is.
Blood still seeping through his shirt.
Eyes locked on me like nothing else exists.
Like I’m the only thing that matters.
My chest tightens.
Hard.
“Jase—”
Jase
I reach her.
Hands on her arms.
Checking.
Searching.
“Are you hurt?”
Mila shakes her head.
Barely.
“You shouldn’t be here,” she whispers.
My jaw tightens.
My forehead presses briefly to hers.
“Yeah,” I murmur.
“I get that a lot.”
Gunfire erupts again behind us.
The team engages.
Chaos explodes around us.
I pull back just enough to look at her.
Really look.
Alive.
Still fighting.
Still her.
Relief hits.
Hard.
Sharp.
Almost enough to take me down.
But not yet.
“Can you move?” I ask.
She met my eyes.
Steady.
Certain.
“Try and stop me.”
A breath almost turns into a laugh.
Almost.
“Stay with me,” I say.
“Always,” she fired back.
And just like that—
We move.
Together.