"Sasha, the mission has been compromised. We need to abort and find an alternative escape route," Leon transmitted over the communicator, ignoring the irritation evident in her voice.Sasha's serious expression on the monitor indicated that she was aware of the seriousness of the situation. Nevertheless, she insisted:"You must break into the secret room. You must replace the real box with the fake one. That's an order!""But-""I said it's an order!"As if to affirm that he would not go back on what he had said, Sasha switched off his own communicator. The monitor of the communicator watch was now dark.The red lights kept flashing. Stunned, the colleagues under Leon's charge looked at each other. "We should leave," said one of the girls, looking back. "It's too dangerous.""It'll eat us alive if we come back without the damn box," complained another."How did that happen? She promised we'd be safe, that doesn't make any sense!" a dark-skinned, curly-haired boy was gasping with anxi
As they ran, Alex cast a worried glance at Leon. "The others scattered down the corridors when the guards showed up. I don't know where they went. We need to find a way out and then try to track them down."Leon nodded, focusing on keeping up the fast pace. His ears were alert for any sign of danger, and his hands held tightly to the fake box he was carrying."How much time do we have before we need to get back to headquarters?""We don't have time. We have to get there immediately.""But the others could be in danger now.""They can take care of themselves!"If they had been in any other situation, Leon might have immediately stopped running and demanded answers from Alex. As if guessing his thoughts, the boy with the flame-colored hair looked at him for a brief second. Understanding shone in his eyes before he said:"I'm worried too, Leon, but this mission depends solely and exclusively on replacing the boxes.""I know. It's done.""Then let's go."They approached an emergency doo
Leon didn't dare say anything or do anything. Alex, pale and equally mute, also remained motionless.The two of them were sitting in iron chairs, heavily guarded by at least three henchmen each. In front of them was the madwoman who, grinning like a demon, seemed to be terribly amused by what she was doing.The sound of screams was bad enough, but nothing was worse than the acrid smell of blood and pain. Nauseated, Leon stared at his own hands, trying not to freak out, scream or do anything equally stupid.Lying on iron beds, chained up so they couldn't escape, were the others... Those who had tried to escape when everything went wrong; those who had taken the chance and the chaos to get out of that putrid captivity.Sasha tore at the chest of one of them, delighting in the sound of agony that came from the boy's lips. Then, as if remembering that she had an audience, she slowly turned her face to the two men in the chair."Enjoying the view?" the woman asked, her eyes twinkling with
Leon felt a knot forming in his stomach as he gripped the crowbar. Seconds of silence passed, the boy's hands trembled. This wasn't just a game.It was done on purpose to drive him mad, to drive him so close to insanity that, when he confronted himself, he wouldn't be able to tell what marked him out as good or bad.Alex, still being held by the goons, looked at Leon with eyes full of despair and pleading. It was an impossible dilemma, a decision that no human being should be forced to make.Sasha watched, amused by their internal conflict. Her lips were frowning in a thin line, but it was clear that she was enjoying herself. It was the glint on her lips that denounced the cruelty she found in the situation. Leon felt such a surge of anger that he almost vomited."You have two minutes. If you don't do anything, I'll take care of it myself," threatened Sasha, showing a digital timer. "It's your choice."The boy looked at Alex again, and they both knew there was no other option but to
Leon's disappearance was alarming, to say the least.But for Brittany, who was in a position of total servitude to her ex-boyfriend who had decided to humiliate her, it was a tragedy.Not because she really cared about the boy. Despite having a good heart, the boy was a loser. A blackmailing loser who liked to play the god after winning a lot of money. And he was cruel to her. He liked to see her like that, cleaning, cooking and serving him like a little maid.But...Now he was gone. Without a trace.The police, according to Mr. Juan, his father, were "doing their best." The last people to see him had no idea what had happened. Security cameras from the event Leon had attended showed nothing unusual either.Like dust; that's how her ex-boyfriend had disappeared.Staring at the newspaper in her hands, the girl tried to find anything that might clue her in to the poor rich boy's possible whereabouts.Brittany flipped through the paper, each headline and news item seeming like a jigsaw
Leon hated every second of the day.He hated having to get up on time for his morning exercises. He hated eating his meals. He hated looking around at Sasha's men and seeing that they were all waiting anxiously for trouble.Men who loved violence, men who loved to see the blood of the innocent dripping from their hands.The boy no longer spoke to Alex after the misfortune they had both committed. No, he no longer had the courage to look into his eyes, even though neither of them had had a choice.Leon could still hear the girl's scream in his ears, the way she begged him with her eyes to stop.Tortured. She had been tortured by Leon, and even if it wasn't his fault, even if he had no choice but to continue, the boy hated himself.As he stared at the wall of the cafeteria, barely able to swallow the cardboard-tasting food they always handed him, the boy heard footsteps coming towards him.A slim girl with short black hair close to her head, small eyes of the same color and medium heigh
Leon's eyes met hers, and for a moment, the weight of what had happened between him and Alex seemed suffocating. He nodded slowly, understanding the pain shared by both of them."I understand," Leon murmured. "We're all in this hell together."Before he could say anything else, however, a shrill alarm sounded. Then Sasha's voice came over the loudspeakers, summoning everyone to a meeting."I can't wait to finish this bitch off," muttered Christina, amid the commotion of people leaving their seats.Leon said nothing, just stared at her for a few seconds before answering Sasha's call.As they passed through the corridors, Leon caught a glimpse of Alex at the far end, walking as fast as he could. His face was severely haggard and pale, and dark circles took over his face, as if he hadn't been able to sleep.The events of that night had really taken a toll on him. It was obvious to anyone.Leon didn't approach him. He didn't know if he could find the courage to look him in the eye, especi
Alex didn't stay in the same group as Leon.But Christina was.He and eight others now faced the back of a building in the city center. Everyone was hidden by the shadow of the alley, hooded and properly equipped.Leon sighed, tense. It wasn't just the mission he was on that worried him. It was Sasha's coldness in executing that boy.What would stop her from executing Leon's father when it was all over? Or worse still, getting rid of all the men and women who had done her dirty work for her?Christina, standing next to Leon, saw the anguish in his eyes."You're thinking about that boy, aren't you?" she whispered, keeping her gaze fixed on the building opposite.Leon nodded, unable to hide his concern. "I can't let this happen to all of us. We need to find a way out of this, to end her tyranny."The woman placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Let's focus on the mission now. We have to be quick and precise. Then we'll think about what to do next."But Leon couldn't help glancing