Page 95 of Beautiful Scars: Unshakeable

"Three."

"Two."

"One."

Detonation.

Chapter Forty-Two

Zane

Theexplosionrockstheearly morning air, small and controlled, but loud enough to serve its purpose. Through my scope, I watch the black SUV's brake lights flash. Garrett's moving. Pulling in closer to the house.

"Status, Ty?" I keep my voice low, watching Garrett's vehicle creep cautiously closer to the house.

"Breaking through now." Metal groans softly through the comm. "Holy fuck..."

His words makes my blood run cold. "Report."

"She's... Levi, she's..." Ty's breathing changes. "Found her. I can see her from here, but she's not... she's not responding to me."

A flash of movement catches my attention. Garrett's vehicle is parked, and he's making his way toward the house with calm, calculated confidence. It's as if the explosion never happened.

"Ty, you need to move fast. Coleman's approaching the house." I track Garrett's movement, noting how he favors his right side slightly. "Wolf, status on those pressure plates?"

"Working on it. System's more complex than we thought. Multiple redundancies."

Through the comm, I hear Ty trying to calm Sunny. Her breathing is rapid, panicked. Then a sound that might be a scream choked off into a whimper.

"It's me, Sunny. It's Ty. You're safe now." His voice is gentle, professional, but I catch the undertone of horror. "I need you to stay quiet for me, okay? We're getting you out."

"She's fighting him," Chase reports from his position. "She doesn’t recognize him."

Garrett reaches the porch steps. His movements are unhurried, almost casual. Like he's coming home after a long day at work.

"Ty," I warn, "Coleman's inside. You need to secure that room now."

"Working on it. She's... she's pretty hurt. And scared. Really scared." Ty's voice drops lower. "I've got her wrapped in my jacket but she's bleeding. Some of these cuts are fresh."

Levi shifts beside me, and I grab his arm before he can move. "Hold position," I growl. "You know he has a failsafe. If we show our hand now, he could trigger it."

"She's hurt," Levi's voice is raw.

"I know." The words are bitter. "But if we rush this, she could die. We all could die."

Through the comm, Sunny's voice finally comes through—scared, hoarse, but alive. "Ty?”

"Yeah, Sunny. It’s me. The whole team's here." Ty's relief is palpable. "Just need you to stay quiet and still for me, okay? Can you do that?"

"They came," she whispers. "You came."

The front door opens. Garrett disappears inside.

"Ty, secure that door now." My finger tightens on my trigger. "Coleman's in the house. Assume he's heading your way."

"Copy that." Metal scrapes against metal. "Door's reinforced from this side. Might buy us some time."

Wolf's voice cuts in: "These pressure plates... they're not just triggers. They're linked to something in the basement. Something with a power draw."

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