Page 21 of Psycho Boys

Addy stands her ground, doing everything she can to shield me with her body.

“What the hell are you doing? Get back, Addy!” I hiss at her, feeling a surge of protective instinct that pulls me forward.

I won’t let her take the fall for my escape; I will fight. But before I can fully emerge from the shadows, an explosion rattles through the air, shaking the foundation beneath us. The lights flicker, and dust rains down from the ceiling as the walls tremble.

Chaos ignites. Gunnar stumbles back, shocked, while Addy grabs my arm. Together, we plunge forward as the barricade of confusion clouds the hallway—a moment of chance.

The two of us dash away, adrenaline coursing through our veins, throwing ourselves down another narrow corridor, pulses racing with the promise of freedom. We round another corner and suddenly slam into someone big and muscled, a hulking figure blocking our path. I recoil, ready to scream, but the moment I see the face, confusion gives way to relief as Rhode’s fierce gaze meets mine.

“Stay behind me,” he snarls, moving to shield us as he quickly unlocks the broken chains still secured around my wrists, dragging along the filthy ground just as more footsteps clash in the distance.

His voice cuts through the air like a knife, his gaze feral as he rushes to the other side, flanking us as Gunnar gets even closer. A sudden crash reverberates through the hall as the door bursts open, releasing a group of shadowy figures coming to take me back. My heart sinks as I realize Mitchell is among them, his eyes blazing with rage, chase lingering in each step.

“Cali!” he yells, his voice echoing, but I turn to Rhodes, scrambling for direction, eyes wide as I take in the chaos separating us, still confused as to why he might be helping me.

“Run!” He barks, and I don’t hesitate.

I grab Addy’s hand, and we flee past him, racing down the corridor where light flickers from a doorway at the end. Hope surges through my veins, and for the first time, I believe we can escape this hell. But then a loud crash announces more intruders, their laughter cutting through the adrenaline-fueled haze, and I realize the path won’t be easy.

The moment we slip through the doorway, I feel a weight lifted—only to come face-to-face with freedom and the pursuit that lies beyond. We’re not just running for our lives; we are fighting for our chance to reclaim the strength that’s been stolen from us.

We’re warriors in our own right, and together, we’ll dismantle the very monsters that seek to shackle us.

“Let’s go!” I shout, the fire igniting within me as we burst into the light of the outside world, determination propelling us onward, away from chains and prison, toward vengeance and liberation.

No longer do I feel lost. I feel free. I feel strong. And I know I need to not only feel determined, but I need to be determinedbecause now that I've escaped again, there's no telling how many people are going to be hunting me until I'm found.

Let's play a game of hide and seek, shall we? I can guarantee that I'll come out as the fucking winner.

I was once the one doing the hunting, but now it seems as though I am the hunted, and they're not going to stop until they fucking capture me. But I refuse to let that happen. Welcome to the chase, motherfuckers. Let's see how well you can hide... from me.

EIGHT

HOPELESS

NEVER TAKE FRIENDSHIP PERSONAL: ANBERLIN

FIVE

Thick smoke fills my lungs and blurs my vision, while chunks of concrete spiral through the air from the explosion. The masks covering our faces offer scant protection from the debris whirling around us, but they do conceal our identities from the armed men inside, who unleash a torrent of gunfire as we push forward, splintering off in search of Calista.

We know she’s somewhere here, but are we too fucking late?

As we dodge bullets and frantically check each room, disappointment weighs down on us—there’s no trace of her. But then, as I enter a room at the end of a dimly lit corridor, my gaze lands on a tattered old bed. The fresh bloodstains marring the mattress tell a harrowing tale, and a chunk of concrete with a metal plate hints that she was here not long ago. But where the hell could she be now?

“Faster! Come the fuck on, or you’ll get caught!” Dom’s voice rushes into my ear, monitoring our every move from a nearby car, his laptop streaming live feeds from our body cams.

“I can’t fucking find her!” I shout over the relentless gunfire that surrounds us.

Killian’s panicked voice crackles through the earpiece, echoing my frustration—he, too, can’t locate Calista. My heart sinks as I pull away from the room I suspect she once occupied, desperately trying to retrace my steps. I collide with Ash and Killian in the hallway, seeing their empty hands drain away the last remnants of hope I clung to as we reluctantly head back outside into the bitter cold, the battle still raging within the house.

“Nothing?” Ash asks, pushing his mask up onto his forehead, the red glow of his LED lights still blinding my eyes even though they're not even that bright.

I shake my head in defeat, mirroring Killian’s expression. The three of us sprint down the street a few blocks to where Dominic waits in the car. I fling open the door and slide in, slamming it shut behind me.

“FUCK!” I scream as Killian turns the key, and the engine roars to life, speeding us away as if we’re being pursued.

But when I glance back, no one is following us—only darkness settles like a blanket around us.

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