Chapter 13 · Grind, Loot, Survive - Chapter 13: The 24-Hour Clock

"Hand over the boy, or we burn the whole sector down with you inside it."

Selene didn't move. She just stared at the holographic projector humming on the table, the voice of her squad leader still echoing in the cramped, dim room. The ultimatum was clear. Twenty-four hours. Give up Milo, or the squad—people she’d bled with for years—would consider her a traitor.

I leaned back against the cold metal wall, crossing my arms. My heart was hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird, but I kept my face a mask of bored indifference.

"Tough crowd," I muttered. "Do they always sound that dramatic, or is it just for me?"

Selene’s head snapped toward me. In one blur of motion, she was across the room. Her hand slammed into the wall beside my ear, the impact rattling my teeth. She was so close I could smell the sharp scent of ozone and something like winter rain clinging to her gear. Her eyes were narrowed, pupils blown wide, flickering with a mix of rage and something that looked dangerously like panic.

"Shut. Up," she hissed.