For a moment, Ivy didn't speak. Then she gave off a short and humourless laughter. "Enough," she said. "I know enough." She leaned back against the wall, then folded her arms as though that might keep her from shaking. "I know Dora was taken last night, just right outside my family's gates. And I knew she woke up chained in a dark filthy place with no idea where she is. Also, someone poured water on her like she was some ordinary plant that needed watering." Her voice hitched as she said this, one that made Derrick take a step closer to her. But she moved backward, visibly resisting his comforting presence. She cleared her throat and continued. "And Moses, who is supposedly in the custody of the police, is there with her, hurt and bleeding too." This got Derrick's attention. "What? Moses is there with her?" She nodded. "He is. And the phone she used to call was hers. It was also placed just beside her." Derrick's jaw tightened. "That was deliberate.""Look, I don't care if it

The phone slipped from Dora's fingers and hit the table with dull sound. For a brief moment, she simply stared at it, more like the device might just ring again. Her hands trembled violently, the cold from the still moist table seeping into her bare skin. It anchored her to the reality she could no longer escaped. Just then, Moses' voice cut through the silence. "I warned you about making that call. You made the wrong choice, Dora." Dora's head snapped up. "But what was I supposed to do?" she roared, her voice breaking as tears found it's way down her cheeks. "What the hell was I supposed to do?" The sound echoed back at her, warped and distorted by the walls. It was just as if the dark room was mocking her desperation. The chains around her wrists and ankles suddenly felt heavier than they had a few moments ago. Maybe it was just her body slowly giving up the struggle. She could feel the iron bit into her skin as she shifted, even her slightest movement demanding way more stren

The gates recognized the Ferrari, a soft mechanical hum rippling through the air as the metal net barricade ahead began to move. Sections slid apart with seamless efficiency, the attached steel retracting as though the field was just inhaling. They were no guards, only the quiet movement of a system doing exactly what it had been designed to do. Dominic guided the Ferrari forward without slowing. The car passed through the opening, tires rolling from asphalt onto packed earth, and the gates sealed behind them with a muted finality. Derrick noted as the field stretched out in all directions. It was vast, flat, and completely empty. But it looked like the kind used to recreational leagues and weekend crowds, as Derrick could see some faint white markings on the ground level. There were no buildings or sheds, just open land under a wide, indifferent sky. Dominic cut the engine as soon as they got to what seemed like the middle of the vast space."Alright sir," Dominic sighed as he o

Derrick stood with his hands loosely clasped behind his back, his eyes forward, and posture relaxed in a way that suggested confidence much more than ease. The very faint hum of machinery was the only sound as Dominic stood beside him. Dominic had just pressed a button, and when the doors slid open, a room was revealed. It was vast and far larger than Derrick had expected. Concrete pillars rose like buried trees, their surfaces reinforced with steel ribs. Very bright industrial lights glowed overhead, casting a clean illumination that was without a single warmth. And everywhere Derrick turned his eyes to, there were men. "This is the heart of this place," Dominic muttered loud enough for Derrick alone to hear. "It is totally sound proof, and resistant to some bombshells. But not all bombshells." Derrick nodded slowly, his eyes still fixed on the dozens of men. "I see." The men stood in organized clusters, dressed in dark, tactical gear. They held their rifles with familiarity rat

Dora stared at her phone that lay on the table like a loaded weapon. The hum of the bright lights had subtly changed pitch, and it now carried a sharper edge. Even the timer pulsed red, indicating they had just fifty four minutes left before the bomb goes off. Vincent's voice lingered in the air long after he had finished making his threats. "You can save yourself some time," he had said. "Use the phone. It's already routed to Derrick Morgan himself." Dora had screamed then, the sound tearing out of her raw throat. "I don't have his number. I never freaking did!" There was a pause. "That's been taken cared off," Vincent replied smoothly. "All you need to do is make the call." Dora's fingers curled into fists at her sides. She hadn't touched the phone yet. She even tried not to look at it. Then she whispered a cure under a breath, one that only she was meant to hear. "Go to the deepest hell, Vincent." A soft chuckle answered her. "You forget that I can hear you," Vincent said