2025-08-13 23:26:18
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Relocation
Butcher exhaled slowly, his voice dropping lower as Dane and Jane stepped closer.“It’s good they’re back,” he said, almost to himself. “Even if I never knew who they really were… it doesn’t matter. They survived.”He turned to them fully now, his expression hardening.“Listen carefully. I’ll tell you both the plan before I tell the others. I don’t trust many people here. Some I’m meant to trust, but I can’t. If even one loose tongue slips, Leo will know everything. I won’t risk that.”Dane and Jane exchanged a glance but stayed silent.“Leo might make his move tomorrow—or the day after. We have to be ready. This ship is no longer safe. Every man, every weapon, every piece of equipment will be moved.” Butcher’s eyes narrowed. “We’re relocating to one of my mansions. The largest one I own. Three hundred rooms. Built like a castle. Big enough to fit everyone on this ship, and then some.”Jane blinked, startled. “Three hundred rooms?”Dane frowned. “Boss… you’re serious?”Butcher’s lips
Betrayers Always Die
Butcher pushed the door open, his presence filling the medic room.“You’re already back,” he said, his gravelly voice carrying both relief and weight. “I heard word you’d returned.”Dane and Jane, still catching their breath, stepped closer to the beds where Sofia and Luca lay motionless.“Yes, sir,” Dane replied. “We’re back.”Butcher’s sharp eyes flicked over the two unconscious figures. Their hollow faces, their skeletal bodies—it was almost unbearable to look at. “They look horrible,” he muttered, then straightened. “Forget it. The important thing is, they didn’t die. Three years… and still, they didn’t die. That’s enough.”A nurse entered quietly, moving to Butcher’s side.“They’ll remain like this for about two days,” she explained. “They’ve been given an overdose of sedatives. Their vitals are stable, and they may wake earlier, but two days is the safest estimate. We’ve already begun treatment.”Butcher gave a short nod. “Good. Not dead yet.”The nurse left, and Butcher turned
Through the Window
“I think we should find it in one of these drums or something—the key,” Dane said.Jane laughed under her breath. “Seriously? You can’t really use your head, can you? If it’s a car key, it’s not going to be buried in a drum. It’ll be by the desk.”Dane scratched his neck and chuckled. “Well, you’re right. That wasn’t the first thing that crossed my mind.”He strode to the desk, shoved aside a crate, and there it was—a small hook with four keys dangling from it. Rolls Royce. Jeep. Toyota. Hummer.“The Hummer,” Dane said with a grin. He plucked it off the hook and tossed it once in his palm. “I’ve got the key.”“Good,” Jane replied.Dane hurried back, crouched, and lifted Sofia into his arms. He eased her carefully through the small window, making sure not to bump her head. Outside, he climbed out himself, gently lowering her onto the ground. Then he carried her to the Hummer, opened the back door, and laid her across the seat.He returned inside.“Now, Luca,” Jane said firmly.“What do
Key to Survival
“So… how do you wake them up?” Dane asked, voice low. “Don’t tell me they haven’t eaten in the past three years.”“They… they eat sometimes,” Nico rasped. “But not regularly. Maybe three times a week.”Dane’s jaw flexed. “Alright. Final question—who sent you? We already know, but we want it from your mouth. Jane—record this.”Jane pulled out her phone, camera pointed straight at Nico’s bloodied face.Nico shook his head violently. “No. I can’t say it. He’s always watching. I’ll never—never—”“Speak,” Dane growled. “You’re bleeding out. You’re seconds from dying. Talk, and I’ll save you.”Nico’s eyes darted between them, panic warring with fear of someone unseen. “Okay… okay, save me now. I’ll tell you the name of my boss—the one who told me to capture them. The one who made me betray—”BANG!Blood sprayed across the floor. Nico’s head snapped back, his body going limp. Jane froze, still holding the phone, eyes wide.“Contact!” Dane barked, yanking his gun free. He spun toward the soun
Doses
Jane dropped to a crouch, straddling Nico’s stomach. Her weight pressed him into the cold floor as she yanked out her gun and jammed the barrel against his forehead.“How dare you,” she snarled, her voice trembling with rage. “How dare you do that to them… to my comrades?”Her hands shook—not from fear, but from the boiling fury she could barely hold back.Dane stepped forward, tense. “Jane. Don’t do what you’re about to do. Don’t shoot him.”“He has to die,” Jane hissed, eyes wet. “He has to.”“This is the first time I’ve ever seen you cry,” Dane said quietly.Jane’s breath caught. She swiped the tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand, still holding the gun on Nico.“He has to die,” she repeated.“Wait.” Dane’s voice hardened. “Not yet. I want him to say his boss’s name himself. We already know, but I want to hear it from his own mouth. Don’t let your emotions control you. You know what happens to people who do that.”Jane’s jaw tightened. She finally lowered the gun, standi
Pale Faces
Dane dragged Nico into the room, Jane following close, her eyes sweeping every shadow in case anyone tried to intervene.The door slammed shut and locked behind them.The space was huge, with dim light spilling over stacks of crates and heavy metal drums. A battered desk sat in the far corner, a worn chair pushed up to it. The air smelled of oil and dust.The crates were piled high in uneven towers, some marked with faded symbols, others sealed tight with chains. Drums lined the walls, their lids bolted down, silent and ominous.“This place… how is it so big?” Jane muttered, her voice echoing. “From the outside, you’d never guess. It looked small, but this is massive.”“You’re right,” Dane replied. “Feels wrong somehow.”Jane’s eyes flicked toward the desk. “Dane, we don’t have time to admire the architecture. Ask him where Luca and Sofia are. Which room are they in?”“You heard her, Nico. Talk.” Dane’s voice was flat, cold.Nico said nothing, his jaw clenched, blood seeping from both
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