Page 10 of Hell Breaks Loose

Bodies, body parts. It’s a fucking warzone.

“GET THEM!” Sly’s shriek reaches us from somewhere in the din, preceding several dozen shadows rushing through the mire.

“RUN!”

“No shit?”

But we don’t make it far before gunfire takes out the wall of pursuers behind us.

“Hop in, we gotta go!” a shrill voice shouts from ahead of us, and that’s when I see the row of military vehicles, bristling with artillery.

“Ora Clive! Never thought I’d be able to say I’d be happy to hear your voice!” I laugh, diving into the open van door.

“Roll out, fuckers! Quit wasting ammo,” Ora screams from her perch out the window in the front seat. The crew roars to life, filing away from the destruction in the street.

Where I see Sly standing atop a mound of rubble, waving the hoards of his druggie army forward.

“Hey, Alaya, think you can…” I snarl with more than a little satisfaction.

“Easy,” she quips, snagging the rifle out of my hands.

As our van pulls away, she braces the barrel against the door, taking aim.

One shot.

And that mask explodes, along with the head behind it.

2

HELLENA

Pain.

Relief.

The only two sides of my life for the past few weeks. Everything else is extra.

The days blur together, dark and light irrelevant in my windowless rooms, three small cells in the basement of a place I don’t remember arriving at that night. I was a mess.

I was falling apart.

Now…

The most prevalent sensation is that of disconnection. Like this is happening to someone else.

Nothing feels real. Even when they rough me up, when I sleep, when they clean me up after the rounds of mild torture.

It’s never permanent damage.

Only enough to keep me from sleeping for hours on end, never enough to push me into the sweet relief of unconsciousness from the pain.

Just enough to wear me down until I’m sobbing, curled in a ball. Then they give me good food, a comfortable bed. A hot shower. Well, comfortable and hot are relative.

Less cold water. And anything is more comfortable than the stone floor.

All to start over again as soon as I’m healed.

I know what it’s for. Marco’s plan to make me talk.

---