23

Release me from myself.

Khalani dreamt of warmth brushing against her skin, the kind of heat that embraces you after a trying day.

Her bare feet cascaded through fresh dirt. A soft smile unfurled on her lips as she wandered through a beautiful garden. The tips of her fingers brushed along petals of colorful flowers that smiled back at her.

If she’d ever lived on the surface, Khalani imagined she would’ve had a garden just like this.

Laughter, bright and carefree, echoed through the air, drawing her gaze. A little girl with two brown braids ran past her, waving and giggling under the sunlight. Khalani waved back, but the girl suddenly turned toward the distant city that was filled with towering skyscrapers.

Then, a streak cut through the clouds, like a fallen star tumbling from the heavens. Khalani’s gaze snapped to the city.

One moment, everything was normal. The flower petals continued to brush against her skin, and the pleasant smile remained on her face. A split second later, blinding white light eclipsed her vision.

She covered her eyes, but the flash was so intense, so overpowering, that the bones in her hands became visible.

When the light died down, she uncovered her face, and her mouth gaped open. A massive mushroom cloud billowed from the city, like an abomination reaching out to swallow everything in its wake.

Khalani scrambled backward as the little girl vanished into thin air. Panic clawed at her throat when she realized the once-vibrant garden was now engulfed in flames.

Someone came to stand beside her. Tall. Masculine.

Her body froze in shock when Governor Huxley gazed upon the destruction with her.

“You know you can’t stop it from happening again,” he said.

Her heart dropped as the flames crept closer, the heat expanding and stretching toward her legs, burning her skin…

Khalani gasped and sat up, her hands trembling as she rubbed them up and down her thighs furiously.

“Hey.” Takeshi was in the corner of the cell, sleeves rolled up. His brows pinched together as he saw the panic in her eyes, and he immediately moved toward her, crouching down. “What’s wrong, Kanes?”

Just a nightmare.

Just a nightmare.

Khalani’s chest heaved with each shallow breath, desperately repeating the mantra.

The alarm shrieked throughout the barracks. With a whoosh, the clear door to their cell opened. Prisoners began filing out for morning inspection, and she tried to stand, but Takeshi tugged her back down, his stormy gaze piercing through her.

“Don’t worry about me. I’m fine,” Khalani emphatically stated, nearly convincing herself it was true.

But Takeshi’s scowl deepened, not buying a single word.

“Let’s go!” one of the Dealer’s yelled.

With a curse, Takeshi helped Khalani to her feet. Just as she turned to leave, he spun her around, leaning down.

“Don’t push yourself today.”

“When do I ever do that?” she attempted a light laugh, but Takeshi’s hard gaze narrowed.

“I mean it, Kanes.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll try not to stab myself with a pickaxe.”

Khalani thought she heard Takeshi mutter something about tying her up in the cell and leaving her there as they exited the building.

In the expansive cavern, they took their place in the long line of prisoners awaiting inspection. The Dealers prowled through each section, occasionally striking out with their batons or activating the shock cuffs around the inmates’ wrists.

After several minutes, the high-pitched alarm blared, and everyone around her stiffened as Dr. Strauss appeared.

But this time, he wasn’t alone.

Shocked murmurs spread among the prisoners when they saw the inmate Dr. Strauss had taken out of line yesterday, now standing directly beside him.

The male prisoner stood as tall as the Dealers, without a scratch on him. But his face was chalky pale, his cheeks were gaunt, and the light in his eyes had dissipated.

“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.” Dr. Strauss proclaimed. “How are we doing this fine morning?”

No one answered.

“That well, huh?” He laughed maniacally, chilling the already cool air.

“Seems we may need to increase our efforts to make you all more productive members of our society. And if you behave well, like this man here,” Dr Strauss gestured to the expressionless prisoner beside him, “maybe it will be less painful for you, too.”

With a nod, the prisoner stepped forward, joining the line of inmates, like he was still one of them.

Her insides prickled as one of the large, burly prisoners stepped out of line.

“When are you going to release us and send us back to our families?” he yelled, the loud tenor echoing across the vast space.

A few Dealers rushed forward, weapons drawn, but Dr. Strauss held up a hand, halting them.

“What is your name?” Dr. Strauss chuckled as he stepped forward.

“Dennis,” the man growled.

Dr. Strauss glanced down at his clipboard, jotting down a note. “Well, Dennis, you ask a great question. And lucky for you, I have an answer. You’ll all leave these walls and return to your families when you are ready.” He paused. “And clearly, you’re not quite there yet.”

Dr. Strauss made a hand gesture and Dennis began to seize, collapsing to the ground. Two Dealers grabbed his trembling body, dragging Dennis across the gravel toward the black building.

Dr. Strauss watched the scene with a smirk playing on his lips.

Silence reigned over the remaining prisoners.

They were afraid to breathe. Afraid to move even an inch.

After Dr. Strauss finally left the inspection area and retreated to his den of nightmares—her new name for it—a Dealer barked, “Get going to the mines!”

As Khalani and Takeshi trudged forward, she noticed a few men approaching the prisoner Dr. Strauss had taken the day before.

“Reno…Reno, are you okay?” someone asked.

“What the hell happened in there, man?”

“What did Strauss do to you?”

Reno didn’t respond. It was as if he couldn’t see or hear. Like he was looking through them instead of at them.

Reno turned away, ignoring the multiple questions and walked toward the mine, arms barely swaying by his side.

She rubbed her arms, trying to shake off the dread that refused to be expelled.

“This is bad,” Takeshi murmured beside her, focusing on Reno’s retreating form.

Understatement of the century.

“What did they do to him?”

“Nothing good, I can tell you that,” Takeshi glared in the direction Dr. Strauss had left but shot her a determined look. “We have to make progress today.”

She nodded, struggling to pull her gaze away from the building, knowing she needed to stay away. But a part of her almost wanted to peer inside and witness the true horrors that lay in the dark.

***

Khalani was lucky her calluses had been so built up.

She swung the pickaxe harder against the sheer rock, wincing as she noticed other prisoners’ hands leaking blood onto their tools. The moans of pain echoed around her like a chorus, but she kept pushing on.

Her eyes kept straying to Reno, who was the epitome of a perfect worker.

He didn’t talk to anyone. Didn’t complain. Didn’t tire.

He wielded the pickaxe like he was born with it, working like a madman.

After several grueling hours, her arms begged to be sliced off. She could barely feel her fingers when the guards signaled for them to get food and water.

She watched Reno leave, barely breaking a sweat. The dead look in his eyes only made her more furiously determined to find Jack and escape.

Takeshi must have been on the same wavelength because he pointed toward the back of the cavern, his sharp eyes honing in on someone.

“There.”

She turned to see Jack sitting next to another prisoner with short, spiky black hair and geometric tattoos covering his neck and hands.

Without hesitation, Khalani and Takeshi made their way forward, ignoring the curious stares from the other prisoners.

“Mind if we sit?” Khalani asked, clutching her bowl tightly as they approached Jack.

“Yes,” the spikey-haired guy prisoner said, barely glancing at her as he devoured his food. He couldn’t have been much older than Khalani but something in his posture made her want to grab a knife.

An untethered tension radiated from him. Slippery. Dangerous.

“Why do you want to sit here?” Jack studied Takeshi with a measured gaze before fixing his attention on Khalani.

“I think we have some mutual friends. They like to gamble—”

“Everyone likes to gamble,” the spiky-haired man interrupted in a harsh voice.

“And they have black hearts,” she emphasized, remembering the name of their hide-out.

Jack froze. The other man’s mouth clamped shut, but his glare remained.

“Have a seat,” Jack said coolly, crossing his arms.

Khalani and Takeshi sat on the stone floor, their backs ramrod straight, while Jack and the other man eyed them cautiously.

“So,” she swallowed hard, “We’re happy to finally meet you.”

“Happy?” Jack didn’t take his eyes off Takeshi.

“Well…I bet we’d all be happier if this place had a splash of color, am I right?” she joked, trying to ease the thick tension in the air, but everyone’s expressions remained sternly blank.

“Perhaps we can start with names,” she suggested, clearing her throat. “I’m Khalani. This is Takeshi.” She gestured to Takeshi, who continued to glare at the men, still as a statue.

“Don’t mind him,” she added. “He was punched in the head when he was younger, so he doesn’t talk much. The irritability is permanent, I’m afraid.”

Takeshi ever so slowly swiveled his glower to her. One made of fire and retribution.

“And you two?” Khalani ignored him. “I already know your name is Jack. What about you?’’ She turned to the spiky-haired prisoner.

“It’s Notyor.”

“Notyor…” she repeated.

“Not your fucking business.”

She blanched and Takeshi shifted like he was about to jam his stone bowl through the man’s eye socket.

“Apologize.”

She pulled back in surprise when Jack spoke.

“You want me to apologize?” The spikey-haired man whirled to Jack in disbelief. “For what?”

Jack simply lowered his head, fixing him with a look that could break glass. The other man’s forearms bulged, veins snaking across his black tattoos.

His jaw clenched, as if it pained him, but he turned to Khalani and grumbled, “Sorry.”

Khalani blinked, stunned that Jack had commanded an apology out of him with nothing but a stare.

How much influence did he wield?

“Now that’s out of the way,” Jack steepled his hands together, shifting his attention to her, “tell me what you know of the Black Heart.”

Taking a deep breath, she quickly explained who they were and their full interaction with Spade and the other gang members in Hermes. Surprisingly, when she mentioned their first conversation with Spade in Apollo, Jack didn’t look surprised. He nodded, motioning for her to continue. But behind his calculating eyes, she could practically see his brain racing.

When she spoke of Raziel, the other man lifted his head in surprise, increasingly invested in her story. By the time she finished detailing the tracking chip and the plan to break them out in six days, Jack’s brows drew tight in consternation.

“Six days,” Jack repeated.

“Yes.”

The spikey-haired men frowned, whispering to Jack, “What makes you think we can trust them?”

“You and your brother know everyone. Have you seen them around Hermes?” Jack asked, keeping his sharp gaze on her.

The other man’s lips pursed, his dissatisfaction growing. “Doesn’t mean they’re from Apollo. How could she cross the Death Zone and survive?”

“Careful,” Takeshi’s calm voice was laced with menace. “She has more courage in her pinky then you do in your entire body.”

“What did you say to me?”

“Do I need to repeat myself?” Takeshi asked. “Or should I add stupid and inept to your description, as well?”

“Okay, okay. Let’s get back to the plan,” she interjected, but the spiky haired guy leaned closer to Takeshi.

“If you’re not from here, let me explain how things work in Hermes,” he hissed. “Insults aren’t settled with words. They’re paid with blood. I’ll teach you that lesson in the ring tonight.”

Takeshi didn’t move a muscle, a dangerous glimmer flaring in his eyes.

Like he would love nothing more.

“Enough, Ryder,” Jack cut in abruptly. “We don’t have time for your posturing. They are who they say they are.”

“You believe us?” Khalani turned to him in disbelief.

Jack nodded, his expression grave. “I was with Spade the night you first made contact. We were the only ones who knew of Brock’s imprisonment and the plan to lead you to Hermes.”

“Why?”

“Because information in the wrong hands can be deadly. When there’s a stray chip, people get killed. Or captured,” Jack clipped, a flicker of infernal rage reflecting in his tight features.

Silence reigned and Ryder’s teeth clenched next to him.

“We must prepare.” Jack’s expression shifted, a fiery resolve shining through.

“What are you thinking?” Takeshi asked, finally moving his venomous gaze away from Ryder.

“There are several prisoners here we can trust to take on the Dealers when the Aces break in. But we need to get these off.” He gestured to the metal cuffs clamped around his wrists.

Khalani leaned forward. “How?”

“After a prisoner dies, I’ve seen a Dealer use his screen to remove the cuffs. The electric pads operate through retina scans. We’ll need to kill one of them. Once we do that, hopefully, we can get these off.”

Her stomach churned at the thought of more people dying for their freedom, but she pushed the na?ve innocence deep into the abyss of her mind, so it became a dull, muted voice.

Peace was a privilege only the free possessed.

“I don’t like that word, ‘hopefully,” she admitted.

Hope left room for disaster. She wanted assurance.

“That’s all gambling is.” Ryder scoffed. “We take the cards dealt and make the most of it.”

“What about Dr. Strauss?” she asked, glancing at the looming black building.

Jack and Ryder visibly tensed, exchanging uncertain looks.

“That spawn of the devil hides in his lair the majority of the day. The plan is to stick to our normal routine and not draw any attention to ourselves.” Jack shot a warning glare at Ryder, who raised his hands in mock surrender.

“You won’t hear any problems from me. I’m just trying to get out of here and not end up like him.”

Khalani followed his gaze to see Reno sitting alone, his back straight as a steel rod. He stared ahead, perfectly still, like he wasn’t even breathing.

“He hasn’t touched his food this entire time,” Ryder said in a low voice.

But then, Reno slowly turned his head, his lifeless gaze locking onto Ryder as if he heard him. Without taking his eyes off them, Reno put his hand in the bowl, scooped up liquid, and brought it up to his mouth, swallowing it down. He didn’t blink as he lowered his hand to do it again.

Khalani quickly turned back around, her heart racing erratically.

“How many days again?” Ryder whispered, genuine fear flashing in his eyes.

“Six days,” Jack breathed harder.

Only six days.

But with the state of the prison, it might as well have been six years.