Page 2 of Aftershock's Fury

They surround him and attack like a frenzied mob, beating and kicking him. Torturing him for answers. I know they want to know where I am. My dad just grins defiantly and spits in their faces.

One of the men pulls out a knife and drives it into Dad’s neck. Blood flies everywhere when he frees the blade. I cry out, turning away from the screen. The images of my dad dying are burned into my mind and flash behind my eyelids.

I turn back to the monitor as something out of camera frame attracts their attention. Then, one by one, their bodies fall to the floor. A figure steps into view—small, maybe my height. The fluid way they move makes me think it’s a woman.

My suspicions are confirmed when she stops in front of the camera and looks up. She gives me a two-finger wave, and something about her seems familiar.

She continues moving through the house, taking down the remaining men trying to breach the safe room. She pushes a button on the hidden panel outside, and her soft voice comesthrough the intercom. Only someone my father trusted would know how to use the system.

“Hello, I’m here to help you.”

I can’t respond through the intercom, but then the phone on the counter rings. I look down at it and then to her. She’s holding up her phone, shaking it and pointing at the camera.

I grab the burner phone and answer. “Hello?” My voice is ragged from screaming.

“Hello, Harlowe. I’m here to help.” She pauses and pulls her phone away from her ear. She looks at it before coming back on. “I’m supposed to tell you Low Low, Denahi sent me. He is also sending the code so I can open the door for you.”

“Rylan?” I haven’t spoken his name in years. Not only did I feel betrayed because he never called, but my father said it would be safer if no one knew about him. So I had to forget about him too.

“Yeah. Let me sweep the house, make sure these guys are all dead. Then I’ll get you out. I’m sorry I was late. I turned around and got here as fast as I could when your dad hit the panic alarm. When I let you out, pack your suitcases. Only take what is necessary. I have a vehicle waiting for us.”

“I don’t know what to say.” My voice quivers as I think of everything.

“I’ll take care of you until we send you to your brother.”

“I get to see Rylan?”

“Yeah.” She steps away, slipping the phone into her pocket and sliding an earbud into place. “This way, if you need to talk to me, I’m still here.”

“Who are you?”

“You can call me Persephone. Your brother has had me keeping an eye on you.”

“How did they find us?”

“I’m going to figure that out as soon as we get you to a safe house.”

She returns in under ten minutes. A soft beep sounds as she disengages the locks, and the door swings open. She stands there—about my height but curvier, with striking blue-gray eyes.

She hands me a gun. “I know you’ve had training with these.”

I nod, unsure what to say, then slip it into the back of my jeans.

“Pack up,” she says. “We need to get out of here before more soldiers find you.”

“My dad.” I move past her to get to him, but she grabs my arm and holds it firmly.

“I’m sorry, but he’s already gone. I’m having his body collected before we torch the place.”

“Torch it?”

“Yes. We need them to not know whether you are dead or alive.”

CHAPTER

ONE

AFTERSHOCK

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