Page 3 of When 're Silent

“Stop,” Finn said abruptly, holdingout an arm to halt Amelia’s advance. He crouched down, the muscles in his legstaut as he inspected the wet footprints and the accompanying drag marks thatscarred the dirt floor. There was no mistaking the pattern—the staggeredimprints of a man’s heavy boots and the erratic trail of something—or someone;being pulled along.

“Vilne,” Finn growled, the nametasting like bile on his tongue. The realization hit him with the force of ablow. Max had been here, had dragged Demi through this very tunnel. Theevidence was fresh, the earth still damp beneath his fingertips. It was asilent testament to the struggle that must have played out in the darkness.

“Looks recent,” Amelia noted, hervoice steady, but Finn could hear the underlying edge of concern.

“Too recent.” The words were barelya whisper, a reflection of the cold dread that settled in Finn’s stomach. MaxVilne was close, perhaps closer than they imagined. The game of cat-and-mousewas reaching its critical point, and Finn felt the familiar burn of adrenalinefueling his resolve. He would not let this monster slip through his fingersagain—not with Demi’s life hanging in the balance.

With a nod to Amelia, Finn rose tohis feet, his jaw set in firm lines. The chase was on, and he would follow thetrail wherever it led. It was more than just a mission; it was a promise, adebt owed to the past and to the woman who had once held his heart. He wouldfind her or die trying.

Finn’s pulse hammered in his ears,a rhythm that matched the urgency of their pursuit. The flashlight’s beamdanced over the slick walls of the tunnel, casting shadows that seemed towrithe in anticipation of what lay ahead. He could feel Amelia’s presencebeside him, her breaths coming fast but measured, a testament to her trainingand resolve.

“Be careful,” she warned, her voicebarely rising above the sound of their footsteps echoing off the stone. “Thiscould be exactly what he wants us to do—walk right into a trap.”

He shot her a glance, his blue eyesglinting with an intensity that reflected the gravity of their situation.“There’s no time for caution, Amelia,” Finn countered, his tone laced withdesperation. “Every second we hesitate, Demi’s chances get slimmer.”

Without waiting for a response, hehastened his pace, his boots sliding on the damp ground as he navigated throughthe tight space. Amelia kept up, her own determination matching his stride forstride. The darkness seemed to close in around them, a suffocating blanket thatthreatened to smother all hope. But Finn wouldn’t allow it; he couldn’t. Thiswas more than a search; it was a race against the ticking clock of a killer’stwisted timeline.

Their breaths came out in puffs ofwhite, merging with the cold air of the underground passage. The tunnelstretched on a relentless path that seemed to mock their efforts with itsnever-ending twists and turns. Finn's mind raced, thoughts colliding with eachother—the possibility of losing Demi, the haunting echoes of past failures, andthe burning need for justice that had become his life's fuel.

And then, without warning, he sawit—a splash of crimson against the earthen floor. His heart lurched, the sightof the blood sending a jolt of fear through him so potent it was almostphysical. It was fresh, too fresh, and it painted a story more harrowing thanany words could convey. His gaze followed the trail, and there, just metersaway, stood an open door.

The thunderous sound that reachedhis ears was incongruent with the silence they had been enveloped in justmoments before. It was rhythmic and heavy, like machinery or... or somethingworse. His throat tightened at the thought, the image of Demi lying lifeless onthe other side flashing before his eyes.

“Amelia—” he started, but theurgency clawing at his insides left no room for discussion. With a surge ofadrenaline, Finn bounded towards the door, leaving unfinished warnings andstrategies behind. There was only one thing that mattered now: Demi.

As he neared the threshold, hishand reaching out to push the door wide, the world seemed to hold its breath.Finn stepped through, into the unknown.

CHAPTER TWO

The stale air of the LondonUnderground wrapped around Finn Wright like a suffocating blanket as he andInspector Amelia Winters emerged from the shadows into the dimly lit tunnel.His boots scuffed against the concrete, the sound echoing off the walls with ahollow persistence that matched the pounding in his chest. The fluorescentlights flickered sporadically overhead, casting an otherworldly glow on thelabyrinthine network of tunnels that snaked beneath the city’s pulsing heart.

Finn’s senses were on high alert,his eyes scanning the depths of the tunnel for any sign of movement. Despitethe chill of the subterranean passage, sweat beaded on his brow, a mixture ofanticipation and the remnants of fear. Here, in the bowels of London, everyshadow seemed like it could conceal Max Vilne’s hulking, vengeful outline.

A glint of metal caught his eyefrom down the tracks, and Finn instinctively reached back to ensure Amelia wasclose. She was there, her presence a silent reassurance. They moved forwardcautiously, their combined experience keeping them vigilant yet ready to act ata moment’s notice.

And then they saw them. Not thirtyyards ahead, where the tunnel curved gently out of sight, Max Vilne’s gauntfigure was illuminated by the harsh lighting. He was half-dragging,half-choking, a woman whose desperate gasps for air sang a discordant melodywith the distant rumble of an approaching train. Demi.

“Amelia,” Finn breathed, tensioncoiling like a spring in his gut. His former fiancee’s face was contorted inpain and terror, her elegant features marred by the brutal grip of Max’s handaround her slender throat. Every protective fiber within him screamed to sprintforward, but years of training held him back. A direct approach would riskDemi’s life even more.

Max’s head snapped up, his deadeyes locking onto Finn’s with a predatory intensity. There was no mistaking themalicious satisfaction that twisted his lips. Demi’s eyes were wide, pleading,silently begging for rescue that Finn wasn’t sure he could provide fast enough.

“Stay behind me,” Finn murmured toAmelia, though he knew she was already calculating the best course of action.Together, they advanced, careful to avoid the telltale third rail that ranparallel to the tracks — a silent, deadly barrier between them and Max’smenacing form.

As they closed the gap, Finn kepthis gaze fixed on Max, trying to read the intentions of a man whose intellectwas rivaled only by his capacity for cruelty. The atmosphere grew heavier witheach step, the tension between predator and prey crackling in the air likestatic before a storm. Finn’s mind raced, searching for an opening, a weakness,anything he could use to save Demi without triggering Max’s violent impulses.

“Vilne!” Finn called out, his voicesteady despite the tempest inside him. Max’s response would decide the fates ofall four individuals on this desolate stretch of the Underground, and Finnbraced himself for the confrontation that would follow.

The chill of the London Undergroundseeped into Finn’s bones as he and Amelia navigated the dimly lit tunnel, theirsteps echoing off the walls in a haunting cadence. The air was thick with thescent of metal and stale electricity, a constant reminder of the city thatpulsed above them.

“Careful,” Amelia’s voice camethrough sharp and clear, slicing through the oppressive silence. “Remember, therails are live. Touch one, and it’s over.”

Finn nodded, his eyes never leavingthe scene unfolding before him. Max had positioned himself on the far side ofthe electrified rail, Demi’s slender form wracked with sobs, her breaths comingin short, panicked gasps. The steely grip Max maintained around her throat wasa silent threat, an unspoken promise of violence that hung in the damp airbetween them.

“Max!” Finn called out again, hisvoice reverberating off the curved walls. The evil in Max’s eyes grinned backat him with a snide arrogance that sent a surge of anger coursing throughFinn’s veins.

“Ah, Finn, always the hero,” Maxtaunted, his words dripping with disdain as he tightened his hold on Demi,eliciting another whimper from her lips. “But what can you do? Step over theline, and you fry. Stay there, and she dies. Quite the dilemma, isn’t it? Don’tyou love the drama of it all?”

The fluorescent lights flickeredoverhead, casting erratic shadows across Max’s face, giving him an almostdemonic appearance. Finn’s hands clenched into fists at his sides, every musclecoiled and ready to spring into action.

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