Page 115 of Shadowed Hearts: Frost
"Moving to the extraction point. Two minutes," Remy responds immediately.
Another guard appears, blocking my retreat. Walls close in from both directions.
"Ma'am, this is a restricted area. You're going to need to come with us."
Two exits, both blocked. Windows too high. Ventilation too small. Options dwindling fast.
A metallic sound draws our attention, something rolling from a side passage. Small canister comes to rest between us, releasing fine mist that expands rapidly.
The first guard lunges. "Don't move!"
Instinct makes me hold my breath, but too late. The chemical hits my system immediately. Colors intensify, sounds sharpen to painful clarity. My dress fabric transforms to sandpaper against hypersensitive skin.
At the corridor's end, a figure appears. The masked man reaches for a control panel, and fire alarms shriek to life, drilling into my skull.
"Run." The voice comes digitally distorted before he vanishes.
What the hell? Is he helping me or trying to kill me?
Sprinklers activate, water raining down. Guards shield their eyes momentarily. I push past the first one, racing down the corridor on unsteady legs.
"Target moving... east service hall," one guard reports through radio static.
"V, status update!" Asher's voice sounds like he's shouting through a tunnel.
My feet slip on the wet floor as I round a corner.
"I can't—" Words feel thick, wrong.
Whatever was in that mist is spreading fast. Neural disruptor? Hallucinogen? Focus, Vanessa.
But focus becomes impossible as the chemical spreads. Vision blurs at edges, hands shake uncontrollably. Each step requires conscious effort.
Slate's betrayal. The masked man's warning. None of this makes sense.
I slam into the exit door with my shoulder, the metal bar giving way with rusty protest. Storm hits me immediately. Each droplet feels like tiny needles stabbing me, the cold water amplifying every nerve ending instead of providing relief.
Lightning cracks overhead, illuminating everything in a harsh white. For one split second, I see him again, the masked man on the opposite rooftop. Watching. Completely still, despite the storm.
Our eyes lock through his mask before darkness swallows him.
Who are you? Why did you help me?
"Target compromised," I gasp into my comm, tongue feeling too large. "Chemical... exposure."
Asher's voice transforms instantly. Ice cracking to reveal something raw underneath. Like he almost cares. Like maybe I matter more than the mission.
"Saint, status?" The command cuts through my disorientation.
"Moving to her position now," comes Remy's smooth response.
I try to run down the alley, but my legs refuse to cooperate. One foot catches nothing, and I stumble against a dumpster, metal vibrating through hypersensitive skin.
"Dizzy... Can't focus..."
He was right. Asher warned me about taking risks, and I ignored him.
Buildings seem to breathe around me, stretching and contracting. Each raindrop amplifies, thunder booming inside my skull rather than overhead.
