2025-05-04 16:09:54
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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
Hostage Control
Dane’s grip on the pistol didn’t waver. I’ve done this a hundred times… and in a hostage situation, I always control the board. Their boss’s life is in my hands—no way they’ll risk it.But the soldiers kept coming.“I said move back!” Dane barked.They didn’t. Their boots echoed closer, step by step.Nico’s smile spread like a crack in stone.What the hell…? Dane thought. First time ever I’ve seen men ignore the hostage taker. They should be scared for him—why aren’t they?Jane rose to her feet, her pistol snapping up toward the advancing men. Still, they didn’t slow. The circle tightened. They were betting on numbers—and they were winning.Nico chuckled. “Good for you. Well… now you see. You’re going to get killed.”Jane’s lips curled into a sudden grin.BANG!Nico’s leg buckled under him, the shot echoing through the warehouse.“I said shift back,” Jane snapped, voice hard. “Or I blow his head off.”The men finally hesitated. Nico screamed, clutching his leg.“You bastard! You dare
From Fear to Defiance
Dane and Nico traded blows like two fighters carved from the same mold—each punch answered with another. Their breaths came heavy now, chests heaving. Blood dripped from Dane’s mouth, mirrored by the crimson streak on Nico’s chin.They broke apart, circling, both showing the strain.“You’re the first person to push me this far,” Nico said between breaths. “I congratulate you for that.”“I might say the same,” Dane replied, wiping his mouth, “but I know you’re going to lose your life here. Best advice for you—surrender now. Save yourself.”Nico’s smirk was sharp. “Aren’t you pushing your luck?”They clashed again, fists slamming into ribs, jaws, temples. Every strike landed with desperate force.This ends now, Dane told himself. This last face-off is going to finish it.He caught Nico by the head and drove his knee hard into his skull. Nico hit the ground, dazed.Dane’s eyes flicked toward Jane—still locked in her own brutal fight. “Jane, you’re doing right!” he called.“Yes, I am! Go
The First to Fall
Dane’s eyes darted to his pistol—it lay several feet away, glinting faintly under the warehouse lights. He locked eyes with Nico.Neither man spoke.They bolted.Just as Dane was about to reach it, Nico grabbed a fistful of his trousers from behind, yanking him back hard. Dane stumbled, then—crack!—a fist smashed into his face.Dane recovered fast, swinging back. The two traded brutal punches, blocking and weaving, fists slamming into ribs and jaw. Dane drove a shot into Nico’s stomach, folding him slightly, but Nico seized his collar and smashed a headbutt into his brow.Another blow to the face sent Dane reeling.He shook it off and caught a glimpse of Jane. She and the suited woman were circling each other, eyes sharp as knives. Then they lunged—Jane blocking a swing, the woman countering with a kick. The two women clashed fiercely, neither giving an inch.It was clear to all four of them—the first one to drop was finished. Whoever stayed standing would make a break for the gun.Th
