The air inside the abandoned warehouse was damp and stifling, carrying the acrid tang of rust and decay. Gray and Mireille descended the creaking staircase, Gray's steps slower than before as her injury pulsed with unrelenting pain. Despite the grim odds, she pushed forward, shielding Mireille with her body. Every fiber of her being screamed to keep the girl safe.
At the bottom of the stairs, Gray stopped, raising a hand to silence Mireille. The faint sound of muffled gunfire filtered through the walls, followed by the echoing clatter of boots. A flicker of relief crossed her face—help had arrived. But her instincts told her the fight was far from over.
"Stay close," Gray whispered, her tone low and firm. She adjusted her grip on the pistol she'd stolen earlier. It wasn't much, and she was running out of ammunition, but it would have to do.
Outside the warehouse, Prince Lucian crouched behind a rusted shipping container, his rescue team spread out in tight formation. Lira, Gavin, and Blake flanked him, each armed and ready, with an additional team of eight elite operatives providing cover.
Lucian's jaw tightened as he assessed the situation. "Two bodies are discreetly on the move," he said into his comms after scanning the warehouse through the thermal computer. "They're heading to the ground floor. It must be Gray and Mireille. Stay alert."
"We've got hostiles everywhere," Blake replied, his voice grim. "It's like a damn hornet's nest in there."
"Then we smoke them out," Lucian said coldly. "No mistakes. Mireille and Gray's safety is priority one. Understood?"
A chorus of affirmations followed. The team moved with lethal precision, slipping into the warehouse like shadows.
---
Gray and Mireille reached the ground floor, only to freeze at the sound of gunfire erupting nearby. The walls shook with the impact of bullets, and Gray quickly pulled Mireille behind a stack of crates.
"Stay down," she instructed, her voice calm but commanding. She peered around the corner, catching sight of their rescuers exchanging heavy fire with the enemy.
Through the chaos, Lucian's saw their hiding area and asked her. "Gray, do you have Mireille?"
"Safe for now," Gray replied, through sign language. "But they're closing in. We need an exit."
"Working on it," Lucian signaled back. "Stay put."
"No!" Gray said something to Mireille before talking again to Lucian. "I'll provide cover, get Mireille out first. I'll follow"
"Are you crazy?" Lucian was flabbergasted.
"On my count. 1... 2... 3, go!" Gray fire shots and Mireille run immediately towards Lucian.
The fight outside intensified. Lucian's team moved with precision, but the sheer number of arriving reinforcements was overwhelming. The enemy seemed to pour from every corner, their movements coordinated and relentless.
"This is a damn ambush," Gavin growled, firing off a series of shots. "They knew we'd come."
Lucian's face was grim as he reloaded. "We focus on the mission. Get Mireille out."
Blake ducked behind cover, glancing toward the building. "What about Gray? She's still in there!"
"She said she will follow. She'll make it," Lucian said firmly, though his expression betrayed a flicker of doubt.
Inside, Gray took down another attacker with a clean headshot, her movements precise despite the pain radiating from her abdomen. But she could feel herself slowing. Her breathing was labored, her vision threatening to blur.
A sudden shout drew her attention. She turned to see Lucian's team pushing into the room, their weapons blazing. Relief surged through her as Lira, Blake, and Gavin reached her position.
"Gray!" Lira called out, covering their flank. "We've got Mireille! Let's go!"
Gray glanced at Mireille, who was being escorted toward the exit by two operatives. But the sight of more enemies flooding into the warehouse made her heart sink. They wouldn't make it—not all of them.
"Gray!" Lucian's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. He was fighting his way toward her, his movements sharp and commanding. "We're pulling out. Let's go!"
Gray shook her head, her expression resolute. "You won't get far with me slowing you down. Take Mireille and go."
Lucian's eyes narrowed. "That's not happening."
"You don't have a choice," Gray said firmly, her voice cutting through the chaos. "They won't kill me. That I'm sure of. But they'll go after Mireille with everything they have if she's still here."
Lucian hesitated, his jaw clenched. "We're not leaving you behind."
"You have to," Gray insisted. "If you stay, this mission is over. Get her out, Lucian. They have already taken the life of your sister Elara. That is enough. Don't let them take Mireille's life from you as well. We won't make it without someone to keep them off."
Blake and Gavin exchanged uneasy glances, but they knew Gray was right. The odds were against them, and they couldn't afford to lose Mireille.
Lucian's fists tightened around his weapon, frustration etched into his features. "If we leave, you better survive this. My brother will kill me."
"I'll do my best," Gray replied, a faint smirk tugging at her lips despite the grim situation. "Tell Louise I activated it. She'll know what to do."
Lucian nodded reluctantly, signaling his team to move. "You're a damn fool, Montclair."
"So I've been told," Gray said wryly. Then, without another word, she turned back toward the advancing enemies, raising her weapon with unwavering determination.
The rescue team retreated under heavy fire, their exit covered by the operatives. Mireille screamed as she was dragged toward the waiting vehicle, her cries echoing in the night.
"NO! She'll die!" Mireille sobbed, struggling against her escorts. "We can't leave her! They will kill her!"
"She knows what she's doing, Princess" Lira said, her voice steady but pained. "Trust her."
Mireille's resistance faltered as they shoved her into the car, the doors slamming shut. Tears streamed down her face as the vehicle sped away, leaving the warehouse—and Gray—behind.
Back inside, Gray was a blur of motion, taking down enemies with ruthless efficiency. But her injury was catching up to her, her movements slower, her shots less precise.
She took cover behind a steel pillar, her breathing ragged. Lander entered the room, his presence commanding. He sneered at her, his weapon raised.
"Alone and injured," he taunted. "Not so impressive now."
Gray didn't respond, her gaze cold and calculating. She pressed the hidden switch on her ring, activating the tracker she and Louise had designed.
"I've got more fight left in me than you think, Renn" she said coolly, raising her weapon.
"You are not my anae. My only sister is Cassandra" Lander laughed, his finger tightening on the trigger. The last thing Gray saw was the flash of his gun before pain exploded in her side, and darkness began to creep in.