Chapter 21 Lena
Yuri’s hands tightened around the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white.
My panic rose about ten minutes ago, the moment he turned right onto Fowler Street instead of left. I had studied the map of Falcon City enough times to know the route to AIED Headquarters.
This wasn’t it.
We were driving into Marco’s territory. The part of the city that answered to him more than Arca. He owned everything here. Everyone. The omega stash houses were scattered throughout most of this district.
“Command wants to hear it from you personally,” Yuri said, his tone too casual. “The briefing and all that.”
I nodded, keeping my expression neutral, careful not to give anything away.
But inside, panic clawed at me.
I pressed my palms together, right, then left, back and forth, grounding myself with bilateral stimulation, the way Dr. Hampton had taught me.
If I lost control now…
Yuri went on, as if nothing was off. “After what you’ve been giving us, they’re interested. Figure it’s better coming straight from you than filtered through reports.”
He glanced at me briefly, then back to the road.
“You won’t have to say much. Just confirm a few things, answer some questions. In and out.”
I nodded again, playing along.
But I wasn’t listening anymore. Not really.
I was watching.
Cataloging.
The lock on the door. Manual. Maybe I could reach it if I timed it right… but I wouldn't be able to exit at this speed.
I read the street signs as we passed them, tracking each one, mapping our route in my head. My mind worked to narrow down our possible destination with every turn he took.
The radio hummed softly in the background, low enough to blend into the silence.
Yuri's gun rested at his hip, just visible beneath his jacket. Close enough to grab if I leaned… too far to take cleanly without him noticing. Plus, I hadn't a clue how to use it.
Every detail became puzzle pieces.
And depending on which ones I imputed.
The final outcomes appeared and shifted.
If I reached for the door now, he’d notice. If I lunged for the gun, I’d have one shot and not enough time to figure out how it worked. If I stayed still… I bought time.
There was barely time to think.
Barely enough time to choose.
We were driving deeper into Marco's territory and weren't heading toward any of the known omega stash houses I'd identified. This was somewhere new, somewhere Silas and Knox wouldn't know to come looking for me.
Yuri kept talking.
“…Mallory’s been pushing for movement,” he said. “You probably felt it, right? Things are speeding up.”
I nodded again, eyes forward, letting him believe the casual conversation was working.
The car began to slow.
Ahead, the harbor came into view, docks lined with fishing boats, trawlers, and rows of shipping containers.
Marco controlled the port. I knew that much from eavesdropping. His father, Enzo, had managed it under Arca’s authority, and kept things running within their rules.
Marco hadn’t been interested in rules.
He wanted his narcotics trade unchecked, untaxed, outside of Arca’s reach. So he took the port.
And now…
He controlled everything that came through these docks.
“Sorry,” Yuri muttered, barely even trying to sound convincing anymore. “Gotta stop and drop something off before we head to AIED. Just a minute.”
This was it.
If I didn’t move now, I wouldn’t get another chance.
Marco was here. I could feel it, like an old wound splitting open.
The car turned into a paved lot, nearly empty, boxed in by towering shipping containers. As the vehicle slowed, one final outcome snapped into place in my mind with terrifying clarity.
This was my window.
Now or never.
I moved before Yuri brought the car to a full stop.
My hand shot to the lock, flipping it and then grabbing the handle for the door, yanking it open with all the strength I had. The metal flew wide just as Yuri turned, reaching for me—
Too late.
I twisted out of my seat, already halfway gone when his hand caught something.
My hair.
His fist wrapped in it, yanking hard.
Searing pain tore through my scalp, but I didn’t stop.
I threw my weight forward, ripping free as I hit the pavement, the force tearing strands from my head as I rolled clear of the car.
I collided hard with the ground, my limbs splaying out to catch myself, but the impact knocked the breath from my lungs.
I tried to move and failed.
Behind me, tires screeched as Yuri slammed on the brakes, already coming after me.
I forced myself up, ignoring the protest of my body and the intense pain as I pushed forward. I had seen the path that led to my escape for only a second, but it was enough.
I had to run.
Slipping between narrow lanes of stacked cargo containers, arranged like a maze, I zigged and zagged through the towering corridors. Yuri shouted my name behind me, his footsteps echoing as he tried to follow.
I attempted to map an exit route, but the containers were stacked too high on either side, so I couldn’t see past them or orient myself. With no other option, I just kept moving, praying I would find a way out before Yuri caught me.
I rounded a corner too fast and slammed straight into someone. A stocky, balding man with a clipboard clutched in one hand and a hard hat on his head.
“Woah—hey!” he said, steadying me. “Slow down, Miss. Are you okay? Do you need help?”
My eyes went wide. My mouth opened—
Nothing came out.
The words stayed locked in my throat.
"Shh, it’s okay,” he said, softer now. “I’m gonna call someone. You’re okay.”
He reached for my arm.
I flinched back, dodging his touch, retreating until my back hit the cold metal of a shipping container.
Somewhere in the distance, I could hear Yuri’s voice, muffled but getting closer.
The man unclipped a walkie from his belt and raised it to his mouth.
“Hey, boss,” he said. “I’ve got her over here.”
A beat of static.
Then—
“Coming.”
My blood ran cold when I heard that voice.
Marco's voice.
I tried to duck under the man’s arm, but he caught me, his thick fingers digging into my biceps, sending a wave of sharp discomfort through me.
I clawed at his grip, trying to pry myself free, but he held on, anchoring me in place.
My thoughts scattered.
His touch dragged at me, pulling me under, unraveling everything I had been holding together.
No.
Don’t touch me.
I wanted to scream it, to force the words out, but my trapped voice remained locked in my throat.
Yuri must have heard the struggle, because he came around the corner a second later, closing the distance fast. His hand clamped onto my other arm, joining the other man as they tried to pin me in place.
I fought them both, thrashing and clawing, desperation driving every movement as I tried to break free before it was—
Too late.
“My Lena.”
The sound of Marcos' voice sank into me, familiar in a way that made my chest seize. The world seemed to tilt as the air thinned in my lungs. Both men holding me froze.
“Release her. Now.”
The barked command cut through them, and just like that, their hands dropped away from me. They stepped back without hesitation, leaving me standing there, but I didn’t dare move.
I couldn’t.
My gaze stared at the ground, fixed on the cracked concrete beneath my feet like if I looked anywhere else, if I lifted my head even an inch, it would make this real.
I refused to see him. I couldn’t see him.
The thought alone sent a wave of nausea through me, my body trembling as fear tightened its grip.
Marco was close enough that I could feel him before I even saw him, his presence pressing in on me from every direction.
His scent filled the air, thick and suffocating, sandalwood laced with rage that dragged me back to a place I had fought so hard to leave behind.
It wrapped around me like a noose, invaded my lungs, making it harder to breathe or even think.
He was only a few feet away.
The moment I looked up…
There would be no denying it anymore.
He stalked forward, his shadow swallowing the light as it fell over me, blotting out the sun.
“I’m so happy to see you, my Lena,” he said softly. “I missed you.”
His hand lifted, brushing a strand of hair from my face with a gentleness that made my stomach twist. Then his fingers found my chin, tilting it upward, forcing my eyes to meet his.
They widened as his face came into view, fear shooting through every nerve. I had forgotten how beautiful he was. Not human beauty. Something more classical. Like a statue carved from marble and brought to life.
Perfect.
And cruel.
For a moment, his expression was smooth, almost peaceful, as if finally having me in front of him settled his restlessness.
Then his gaze began to move.
It traced over my skin, taking in every detail, until it caught at my neck.
His fingers slipped from my chin, pushing my hair aside.
And stilled.
On Silas’s mark.
His expression shifted instantly, rage carving deep into the lines of his face as a sneer twisted his lips. His hand moved before I could react, the back of it cracking across my cheek with a sharp snap that echoed off the cargo containers.
“Who did this to you?” he roared.
I said nothing.
My chin dropped to the ground again, locking there as I forced myself inward, falling back on the only thing that had kept me alive for the past five years. Silence. Stillness.
Butterfly tapping wouldn’t save me here.
Nothing would.
“Yuri!” Marco barked, his voice cutting through the space, dominant enough to make the air feel thin.
“My bosses,” Yuri rushed out. “One of them marked her. I don’t know which. They took a liking to her. Planned to bond her to their unit.”
Marco’s head tilted slightly, his attention sharpening.
“And who exactly are your bosses, Yuri?” he asked, his voice dropping into something far more dangerous. “I’d like to know who thinks they can sink their teeth into what’s mine.”
“Special Officers Knox and Silas Mercer,” Yuri said quickly. “They’re brothers. Twins. They run organized crime for AIED.”