The heavy steel gates of Ironwood Federal Penitentiary ground open with a low, metallic groan.Outside the perimeter fence, flashing red-and-blue cruisers lined the tarmac as far as the eye could see. Overhead, five unmarked white helicopters held a tight hovering formation, their rotor wash whipping across the asphalt.The rear door of the lead command vehicle swung open, and a man in his late thirties stepped out, two silver stars gleaming on the shoulders of his dress uniform. He walked straight up to Cole Mercer, stopped two paces away, and snapped a crisp salute.The lazy, half-bored slouch vanished from Cole’s posture in an instant. His spine locked, his heels clicked together, and he returned the salute with textbook precision.Brigadier General Victor Hale had a square, chiseled jaw and eyes that carried the natural authority of high command. He reached out, clapped a heavy hand on Cole’s shoulder, and let out a rough sigh. “Talon. At the end of the day, this is on me. I faile

Moving with lightning reflexes, Cole snatched the wastebasket from beside the sofa and tilted Lily’s chin down so she wouldn’t aspirate.The blood hitting the bin was thick and tar-black, mixed with stomach acid and necrotic residue that filled the living room with a sharp, putrid stench.Victoria turned pale, clutching her chest. “W-What’s happening to her now?!”“That’s the purge,” Cole said evenly. “The dead hemophages and metabolic toxins were flushed through her gastric lining. Her bloodstream is clean now.”He pulled a handful of tissues from the box on the coffee table and gently wiped the corners of his niece’s mouth.Nathan stared at the wastebasket in disbelief. “That’s… that’s it? She’s cured?” For three months, they had flown in top specialists from across the country, only to be told to prepare for a funeral. Yet Cole had turned her around in less than fifteen minutes. Who the hell would believe it if they hadn’t seen it with their own eyes?“The immediate crisis is over,

The woman in the crimson dress glanced sideways at Cole, a spark of genuine intrigue flickering in her dark eyes. General Kane didn’t entertain ordinary guests, and clearly, this young man was anything but ordinary. Everyone in Havenport knew the Hayes family was backed by Commissioner Pendelton, yet Cole had just put the Hayes heir on the pavement without a second thought.Cole turned back to her, his expression softening into polite composure. “Sorry you had to see that, ma’am.”She offered a faint, captivating smile. “Not at all. I’m Elena Cross. Most people around here just call me Lena.”As Cole followed Lena through the wrought-iron gates, Julian clawed his way off the asphalt, spitting blood as he glared at their retreating backs. “Cole Mercer… you asked for this. You’re a dead man.” He yanked the door of the Rolls-Royce open and threw himself into the back seat.The driver hesitated, looking into the rearview mirror. “M-Mr. Julian… aren’t we still going in to see Commissioner

Back in Room 104 of the staff dormitories, Cole took a quick hot shower and stepped out of the bathroom wearing only a pair of loose board shorts, toweling his hair dry. His brow remained slightly furrowed as he replayed Elena Cross’s close-quarters combinations in his head. Something about her footwork and the angle of her throat strikes felt naggingly familiar, though he couldn’t quite place where he’d seen that lineage before.Bang! Bang! Bang!Frantic pounding suddenly rattled his door.Cole tossed the towel aside, threw an unbuttoned dress shirt over his shoulders, and pulled the door open.For a second, he just blinked.Standing in the hallway was a stunning young woman in her early twenties, wearing nothing but a thin, violet silk camisole nightgown. Her face was flushed with panic, and one delicate spaghetti strap had slipped off her shoulder, exposing creamy, porcelain skin under the fluorescent hall light.Even with Cole’s iron discipline, his throat went slightly dry.Befor