Chapter Twenty-Three

Ty

The door’s strength pisses me the fuck off. This is the last fucking thing I need—a door standing between me and what I came here for.

I reach into the bag slung over my shoulder, my hand brushing against the cold steel. My fingers close around the handle of the axe. There’s something satisfying about holding my weapon—the primal energy it gives me.

With a quick motion, I pull the axe free from the bag and raise it above my head. I don’t hesitate. With a growl, I swing the axe with everything I’ve got, the heavy wood biting into the door. It splinters with a satisfying crack, and I swing again, this time with more power. The wood shatters, falling apart in pieces, a massive hole opening in the door with each swing.

Another strike.

And another.

Then I give it a firm shove with my shoulder, and I burst through it, smashing into a steel trolly, pots and pans spilling onto the floor, echoing and crashing.

Fuck.

I don’t even stop to check the damage, don’t care about the fucking noise I’ve made. My focus is on what lies ahead. Raven is here. I can feel it and it’s time to cause absolute mayhem.

Welcome fucking home, Ty

I storm toward the double doors, my boots slamming against the floor, the axe still heavy in my grip. I don’t give a shit about making noise anymore. I’m done being quiet, done sneaking around.

But as I reach for the door, the sound of footsteps in front of me freezes me mid-motion. I watch as the door swings open, and there he is—the chef. His eyes widen when he sees me, the kitchen knife in his hand suddenly looking like a fucking toy in comparison to the axe I’m holding.

He barely has time to react.

I lunge forward, grabbing him by the throat with one hand, lifting him off his feet. His body struggles, his hands flapping, before I shove him, and he stumbles backward. I bring the axe down in a swift, brutal sweep. The sound of steel ripping through flesh echoes in the room. His scream is cut short as I slash across his chest, opening him up like a gutted fish.

He’s against the wall, blood spurting from the wound, but I don’t give him a chance to recover. With a savage yank, I drag him back to me, the chef's gasps filling the air before I brutally bury the axe deep into his stomach.

I pull the blade free, his blood staining my hands, and he crumples to the floor in a heap, twitching, choking on his own blood.

I barely glance at him, my eyes already searching. And there it is—a keycard, dangling from a chain around his neck.

I rip it off, slipping it into my pocket with quick, practiced movements.

One down.

I glance at the door once more, eyes burning with rage. I push through the kitchen door, stepping over the chef’s lifeless body, my mind locked on one thing—getting to her.

…

I move cautiously, each step echoes off the walls as I slip through the halls, the memories of my years spent inside here flooding back. Fifteen years. I know this place like the back of my hand—the layout, the blind spots, the cameras. It’s all second nature to me now. The only thing that’s different is that I’m not a fucking prisoner anymore.

The quiet in the halls unsettles me. Too quiet. It doesn’t sit right. When I hit the last set of doors on the top floor, the sound of muffled voices rises up ahead. Something’s off.

Suddenly, I hear shouting. Then, louder turmoil, footsteps pounding against the floor. Things smashing. I don’t wait another second.

I charge forward, my heart racing before I peer through a barred and secured door, the scene in front of me is pure chaos.

There’s a riot happening, people screaming, tearing through the hallway like they’ve lost their minds. A few staff members are rushing to contain the situation, but they’re being overwhelmed. My eyes catch a young woman sprinting after a staff member, shouting something I can’t make out.

Another woman is close behind her, and in a blur of motion, they corner the doctor against the wall. They’re attacking her, clawing at her clothes, but the doctor—a woman with a sharp, cold look—holds them back with an electric prod, waving it in front of them like she’s trying to keep some control.

And then it hits me.

No fucking way.

I squint, my heart sinking as recognition slams into me. That’s Jess. The woman of that guy I killed in the shitty toilet.

What the fuck is she doing here?

But before I can piece it together, the situation escalates. One of the attackers overpowers Jess, slamming her to the ground. The other woman isn’t far behind, searching through the pockets of the doctor. The woman with dark hair, the one holding her down, is trying to choke the fucking life out of her.

I glance around, scanning the mayhem. Staff members are distracted. I can’t waste time. I move swiftly, swiping the keycard before pulling on the barred door.

Just as I step into the main hall, where chaos is unfolding in all directions, everything slows. The sounds of screaming and frantic movement echoing around me. And then, at the far end of the hallway, a woman turns and our gazes lock.

Her blue eyes stay on mine, and for a split second, everything else fades away. My heart lurches, and I can barely. I didn’t known what to expect when I came through these fucking doors, but seeing her— my kitten —standing there, looking like a ghost but alive, it hits me harder than anything.

Before I can even process it, she’s charging toward me, moving faster than I ever thought she could move.

“Kitten,” I mutter but I barely get the word out before she’s in my arms.

I catch her as she leaps into me, her body crashing against mine. I hold her tight, squeezing her the life out of her. Her sobs soak into my hoodie, and all I can do to just hold on, not giving a fuck about anything else.

“You came for me!” she cries, her body trembling.

“Of course I fucking came for you, my kitten,” I mumble back as I bury my face in her neck.

I pull back to look at her, grabbing her face and give her kiss after kiss on her soft lips until a sudden sharp pain strikes my back. I grunt as something heavy smashes into my spine, knocking the wind out of me and my body tenses as I knock into Raven.

The rage that surges through me is animalistic. I whirl around, barely registering the man standing behind me before my axe is in flying the air, my arms moving without thought. I hear a wet sound as the blade slices through his throat. Blood explodes in a gruesome spray, and he falls to the floor, dead before he even hit the fucking ground.

I don’t waste a second. I pull Raven behind me, her hand in mine as I drag her toward the door. My senses are on fire now—everything is a fucking blur of movement and instinct. We rush through the hallway, hearing more shouting, the sounds of the riot intensifying around us, but nothing fucking matters except getting her the fuck out of here.

When we reach the door, I swipe the keycard, and it slides open with a soft beep. We’re moving again, but my mind is focused only on the stairs ahead. Down. We need to go down.

We’re running down the stairs when I notice the woman Raven was with. She’s trailing behind us, her head down, her steps keeping up with ours.

Raven squeezes my hand and whispers, “She helped me.”

I raise an eyebrow, but then I nod. There’s no time to ask questions, not now. I tighten my hold on Raven’s hand, pulling us toward the kitchen on the lowest floor.

We’re so fucking close.

As we round the corner to the kitchen, but I stop dead in my tracks, pulling Raven close to my side as I scan the room. There, near the center, standing like he owns the damn place, is Dr Moss. His icy gaze is fixed on us, and I feel the rage stir deep inside me again. The bastard’s face barely hides the malice behind his eyes.

“Ah, so you decided to make it this far,” he says, his voice smooth, almost like he’s enjoying this twisted fuck around. “Welcome home, Ty. I’ve been waiting for you. You lied to me.”

The two doctors flanking him are already positioned like a fucking wall, holding electric rods, the occasional zap snapping through the air.

I tighten my grip on my axe, my knuckles white from the pressure. Raven’s trembling fingers attempt to slip from mine, but I don't dare let go.

“Move,” I growl, the word barely leaving my lips as I step forward.

Dr Moss’s smile stretches wider, as if he’s enjoying this moment. “You really think you can just walk away?” His tone is calm. “It’s not that easy, Mr Easton.”

“Don’t fucking call me that,” I snap with a scowl, my dad’s most used name striking straight through me.

The two doctors behind him take a step forward, closing in on us. Their faces blank, detached, but I can see the threat in their stance, the way they grip their electric rods.

“You can’t leave,” Dr Moss finally says, his voice growing colder. “You both lied. You both need to be cured.”

Raven scoffs beside me, “You’re out of your damn mind creep. You need curing.”

Suddenly, the doctor on the left lunges at us, his hand reaching for something at his belt, likely a syringe full of some fucked-up drug. I don’t wait to see what it is—before he even gets close enough to jab me, I swing my axe in a wide curve, slamming the blade into his side. The sickening sound of metal meeting flesh fills the air, and he lets out a strangled cry as he crumples to the ground, blood pooling beneath him.

The second doctor hesitates for a fraction of a second, shock spreading across his face before his eyes flicker toward Moss. I see the acknowledgement in his eyes—he knows that I won’t fucking hesitate to kill his ass.

“Which one of you motherfuckers are next?” I ask, a wide grin stretching across my face, now holding my axe in both hands, shuffling on my feet.

The doctor eyes me warily, his hand still gripping the syringe and electric rod, but I don’t wait for him to make a move. With one swift motion, I bring my axe up again, the sharp steel gleaming in the harsh light as I swing it down toward him. He jumps back, narrowly avoiding the blade, but I’m already on him, closing the distance too quickly.

He stumbles, and with a sickening twist of my wrist, I drive the axe into his shoulder, spinning him around and slamming him against the counter. I don’t even think twice, I yank the blade from his shoulder, catch Raven’s hand again, dragging her toward the back of the kitchen. But before we can take another step, a sudden, cold voice slices through the tension.

“Not so fast.”

I halt, realizing I ain’t done with this fucker. I don’t even need to look, I hear the way Dr Moss’s voice oozes with malice and control. Every muscle in my body is ready to move—but before I can react, a sharp gasp rips through the air.

I turn to see Dr Moss standing there, a needle in one hand, pressing it against the throat of the dark-haired woman—the one Raven had been with, the one who helped her escape. The girl’s breath is catching in her throat as Moss holds her like a puppet, his other hand gripping her arm

“Release her,” Raven growls, but Dr Moss doesn’t give a shit, bad shit crazy cunt.

“Relax, Ty,” Dr Moss hushes, his smile thin and dangerous. “You really think you’re in control here?” He leans in closer to the girl, the needle digging slightly into her skin, making her wince. “Don’t worry, it’s just a little prick. You’ll be fine. If you’re lucky.”

I take a step forward, my axe still in hand and try to think of all different ways to fuck this cunt up.

Dr Moss looks directly into my eyes, gleaming with cold amusement. “Do you know who she is?” he asks, voice dripping with mockery. “This lovely woman? She’s your sister.”

My entire body freezes in place, and I look at the young woman, still not able to see some of her face beneath her hood as she struggles against him. My mind begins to spiral as the words hit me. Penny?

“What the hell are you talking about, old man?” I spit, stepping toward them, his heart racing. “My sister’s fucking dead.”

Dr Moss laughs, a cold, bone-chilling laugh that makes my blood boil. “Not dead, just forgotten. You see, I have a little thing for keeping people like her. Your sister... She’s not as far gone as you think, Ty. She’s been under my care since the week she went ‘missing’. She been under your nose for the last fifteen years. You two have been some of my greatest and worse experiments.”

I feel like everything’s spinning out of control, my mind racing, but before I can say anything, the dark-haired girl suddenly moves. In a desperate flash of action, she stamps down on Dr Moss’s foot, hard, with a loud crunch. Dr Moss groans in pain, his grip loosening just enough for her to break free. I reach out, grabbing her hoodie and yanking her behind me.

“Now what mother fucking cunt.” I bite out.

Dr Moss snarls, a look of pure rage twisting his features, but I don’t hesitate. I stride toward the walk-in oven, the handle cold under my hand. I yank it open, revealing the dark interior, the metal shelves inside. I don’t give it a second thought. As Moss charges toward me, eyes full of wrath, I take a swift step forward, swinging the axe high and bringing it down hard.

Dr Moss shrieks as soon as my axe slashes through him and his arm falls to the ground with a splattering thud. He grits his teeth, but before he can react, Raven lifts her leg, kicking her foot straight into his balls with all her strength, making him fall to his knees with a loud groan.

Without hesitation, I grab him by the scuff of the neck and chuck him inside the oven before closing the door and locking it with a final click. We watch through the window as Dr Moss roars in fury, scrambling toward us, trying to claw his way out of the oven.

I smack the button, turning the temperature up to max. The oven begins to hum to life, the sound of the heat starting to rise as the fire behind him comes to life. Then, he stands eerily still. He stares at all three of us expressionlessly, devoid of emotion, but I notice he digs for something in his pants. When I see it’s a button, my eyes expand slightly, knowing exactly what it is.

His voice—weak but filled with venom—echoes from inside the oven. “I never lose,” he hisses. “And I take everything with me if I do.”

“He’s going to blow this place to pieces,” I mutter under my breath, my blood turning to ice as the realization of what the fuck is happening sinks in. Without wasting another second, I grab the girls’ arms and whip around.

The sound of Dr Moss’s voice pierces the chaos. It’s louder now, twisted with manic glee. “You’ll never escape! It’s too late for us all!”

I pull the girls down the stairs, pushing forward like a man possessed before our feet pound against the old muddy ground, racing through the dark tunnel. The sound of Dr Moss’s laughter is swallowed by the thunderous roar that follows—a deafening blast shakes the entire underground like a fist slamming into the earth.

Then I hear it.

Bang!

The explosion rips through the air, the shockwave hitting us hard, a deep shudder that rattles every bone in my body. Dust rains down on us, making it harder to see, to breathe. The rumble comes next, closer and closer, the ground beneath us shaking with the fury of the blast.

I grit my teeth, my heart hammering, very muscle and the wound in my leg screams at me, but I won’t stop until we’re out. We’re so close—just a little further. A sharp crack sounds behind us, followed by a tremor that nearly knocks me off balance. I glance back and that’s when I see it, the tunnel collapsing. The walls crash and buckle, the ceiling giving way with terrifying speed.

Shit.

I pull them up the stairs, pushing with everything I have left. As soon as we reach the top, I shove them both forward, their bodies smacking onto the muddy ground of the woods as they tumble down.

Without thinking, I shield them with my body as the massive explosion erupts behind us. A shockwave blasts out of the tunnel, debris flying like shrapnel. The force is enough to knock the wind out of me as chunks of stone rain down on us. I can hear it—splintering wood, screaming metal, the thunderous roar of the collapse.

We lay there, bodies pressed into the dirt, the world shaking around us as the explosion surges. When things quiet down, I finally raise my head, eyes scanning the devastation behind us. The tunnel is gone. Collapsed into nothing but rubble, the gaping hole where it used to be is now a graveyard of stone and twisted metal.

I look down at Raven, trying to shake the dirt from my face, her hoodie pulled over her head. I move it away gently, my hands shaking from the adrenaline.

“You good?” I ask, my voice hoarse as I search her face, trying to find any sign of injury, any sign of pain.

“Yeah,” she groans, pushing herself up slowly, her body heavy from the impact. All that fucking matters is she’s alive and here. She slowly gets to her knees, trying to shake the dizziness from her head.

I take a deep breath, forcing myself to stand and offer a hand. I turn around slowly until I’m staring up at Sacred Heights through the tree’s, still looming on the hill above us. But now, it’s nothing more than a pile of crumbling stone and debris, smoke billowing into the air, black and thick, as flames flicker in the distance.

“Selfish, sick prick!” Raven screams beside me, her voice cracking as she chokes back a sob. “He killed them all…”

I pull her into me, wrapping my arms tightly around her. I kiss the top of her head, the only part of her I can reach right now. But then, instinct kicks in. I turn, warily scanning the space around us, and that’s when my eyes land on the girl standing a few feet behind us. Her head is lowered, her hands trembling as they clutch her hoodie and my eyes narrow as I size her up.

“Take your hood down,” I say, my voice steady but laced with suspicion. She doesn’t move immediately, hesitation in every inch of her, but eventually, she gently lowers it. I take in her long black hair, shining and straight. But when she lifts her eyes to mine, I feel my heart stops dead in my chest.

“Penny?” The word escapes me as a shaky whisper.

She blinks at me, and I see it in her eyes. It’s her. It’s fucking her. I don’t know what the fuck is happening. My whole world just tilted, but there she is, standing in front of me like some ghost come back to life. All those years. My eyes burn, and before I can stop myself, I grab her, yanking her into me with a force that makes her gasp.

“Penny,” I whisper again as I cradle her against me and I bury my face in her hair, my heart thundering as I realize that she’s here. She’s really here.

I grab her face, scanning her eyes frantically, “You a-fucking-live?”

She looks at me blankly like she doesn’t know who the fuck I am, like she’s trying to figure everything out. As if she’s trying to make out the features of my face.

I glance down at Raven, still beside me, and she’s staring at us both, her eyes wide with shock. The moment hangs there, and I try to calm myself, but I can’t. All the grief, all the loss, everything I thought I had buried deep inside me comes crashing to the surface.