The frigid air in the warehouse bit at Gray's skin as she blinked through the dim light filtering through cracks in the decrepit walls. Her wrists were bound tightly to the arms of the chair, her body sore and stiff from the injury on her stomach. Mireille sat a few feet away, trembling, her eyes wide with terror.
Gray's sharp mind raced. She had to remain calm—for herself, for Mireille. There was no telling how long they had until rescue, if it would come at all. The weight of their predicament bore down on her, but she wouldn't give up. Not now.
The door to the room creaked open, revealing two figures: Eleonora, her posture regal yet cruel, and her first-born son, Lander Thorne. They stepped inside with an air of calculated confidence.
"Well, well, the celebrated Dr. Gray Montclair," Eleonora drawled, her voice a venomous mix of mockery and satisfaction. "The thorn in my side. I must say, you're far more resilient than I gave you credit for."
Gray met her gaze, unflinching. "I could say the same about you. You've spent years hiding in shadows, and this is what it's led to? Targeting your husband's daughter and your stepdaughter? How pathetic."
Eleonora's expression soured, and she stepped closer. "Watch your tongue, girl. You're in no position to insult me. You're not my husband's daughter"
Lander smirked, his dark eyes flicking to Mireille. "Mom, I must admit, it's amusing to see her so defiant even now. But we'll see how long that lasts."
They pulled Gray's chair forward roughly, causing her injury to jolt painfully. A makeshift medic approached, his hands filthy as he prepared to treat her wound. Gray glanced at Mireille, her expression hardening. She wouldn't scream. Not here. Not in front of her.
The needle punctured her skin without warning, the crude stitching pulling at her open wound. Gray's hands clenched into fists against the restraints, her teeth grinding together. Her breaths came in sharp bursts, but she refused to let a single cry escape her lips. Her mind anchored itself on one thing: keeping Mireille calm.
Mireille whimpered, tears streaking her face. "Gray, please… just stop them…"
Gray forced herself to speak, her voice hoarse but steady. "It's… okay, Mireille. It's nothing. Just… close your eyes."
The crude procedure ended with a final tug, and Eleonora leaned in close, her smile wicked. "Let's see how long you can keep that strength. You'll both be staying here for a while. Enjoy the darkness."
With that, the two villains left, leaving Gray and Mireille bound in the cold, damp room. The door slammed shut, and the lock clicked ominously.
---
Back at the palace, the atmosphere was tense. Lira, Gavin, and Blake had worked tirelessly to recover footage from the palace's compromised surveillance system. When Lira finally managed to extract a viable night vision clip, the room fell silent as the footage played.
Gray's skill was nothing short of astonishing. The grainy video showed her fluid movements as she took down multiple armed attackers with precision and ingenuity. Even wounded, she was a force to be reckoned with.
"She's… incredible," Gavin muttered, shaking his head in disbelief. "And terrifying. Imagine if we were on her bad side."
Blake crossed his arms, his jaw tightening. "Thank God she's not. But seeing her like that… It's only a matter of time before they push her too far. We have to find her."
A soft ping drew their attention to Lira's laptop. She straightened, eyes narrowing as she scanned the new data. "I've got something. A lead on their location."
Gavin leaned over her shoulder. "Where?"
"Border of Valyshire. An abandoned warehouse complex," Lira replied. She quickly uploaded the coordinates to their comms system. "We need to move now."
---
At Elara Memorial Hospital, Dale's eyes fluttered open, the haze of sedation lifting as he groggily registered the familiar faces of Rhys and Axel. He immediately noticed the tension in their postures.
"What's… happening?" he croaked, his voice thick with exhaustion.
Rhys hesitated before stepping closer. "Gray and Mireille… They've been taken."
Dale's sluggish mind snapped into sharp focus, his pulse quickening. "What? When? Where?"
Axel placed a hand on Dale's shoulder to keep him from sitting up too quickly. "Easy, Captain. It happened last night. We've got a lead on their location, and the team's already mobilizing."
"I'm going," Dale said immediately, his voice firm despite the pain still radiating through his chest.
Rhys shook his head, his expression conflicted. "You can't. The King ordered you to stay here. Your condition—"
"I don't care about my condition!" Dale barked, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed despite Axel's protests. "That's my wife and sister out there! You expect me to just sit here while—"
Rhys stepped in, his voice lowering. "Dale. Listen to me. The King gave strict orders. You're in no shape to fight, and you know it."
Dale glared at him, his fists clenching. "I'll never forgive myself if something happens to them."
"And you think Gray would want you risking your life right now? She'd kill us for letting you out of this room after leading your operation," Axel said, attempting a softer approach. "Stay here, Captain. Let us handle this."
Dale's shoulders sagged in frustration, his jaw tight. He finally relented, slamming his fist against the bed in anger. "You better bring them back," he said through gritted teeth. "Both of them." He remembered the words of the men who abducted Mr. Volstein. A woman close to him.
---
In the dark confines of the warehouse, Gray worked to loosen the ropes around her wrists, her mind racing with escape plans. Mireille's quiet sobs broke her concentration, and she turned her head to speak softly to her.
"Mireille," Gray whispered, her voice soothing despite the situation. "Listen to me. We're getting out of here. I promise."
Mireille sniffled, her voice trembling. "How? They're everywhere, and you're hurt…"
Gray gave her a small, reassuring smile. "I've been through worse. Trust me."
Her fingers finally found the knot binding her wrists. It wasn't perfect, but she could feel it giving way. As she worked, she mentally mapped out the warehouse based on the sounds of footsteps and distant voices. They would have one chance to escape, and she wasn't going to waste it.
---
The rescue team arrived at the edge of the warehouse complex as the sun reached its zenith. Dressed in tactical gear, Lira, Gavin, and Blake coordinated silently as they assessed the building's layout.
Blake spoke into his comms. "No sign of movement outside. Likely a trap."
Lucian nodded. "We go in quietly. Priority is Gray and Mireille. If we engage, make it quick and clean."
As they moved toward the entrance, the weight of the mission pressed heavily on them. Time was running out, and they knew Gray's resilience could only hold out for so long.