FAR GONE

Chapter 20

The door slammed open under my grip, banging against the wall.

The smell hit me, sharp, chemical, mixed with the faint, coppery tang of blood.

Inside, five men froze mid-motion. They were crouched over a wide table, their hands busy wrapping something in black nylon. The sound of the crinkling plastic stopped the second they noticed me.

All their eyes cut to me at once.

One of them straightened, his face mean and weathered. “Who the hell are you? Identify yourself.”

My gaze flicked to the ground—Mia’s shoes. Lying on their side near the corner like she had been dragged away. My pulse stuttered. My mind went blank, then flooded with panic. Did they? No. No. She’s alive. She has to be alive.

I stepped forward, every muscle in my body strung tight.

A big man with broad shoulders, his chest puffed out like he owned the air swaggered towards me. He jabbed a thick finger in my chest. “I said, who the f**k are you?” His voice was thunder, his breath heavy with alcohol.

He reached out to grab me.

I moved before he could. My hand snapped up, clamping onto his wrist. With a violent twist, I wrenched it sideways.

CRRRRACK!

The sound echoed in the room, sharp and sickening.

The man screamed, his knees buckling, his face twisted in agony.

Two others dropped what they were doing and charged.

I pivoted fast—ducking the first swing, then slamming an elbow into the man’s ribs. He folded, coughing, before my fist cracked across his jaw. The second man rushed me with a shout; I caught him by the collar and drove my knee up into his gut. He gagged, spit flying, before collapsing backward against the table.

The nylon bundle shifted as his body hit it.

My chest heaved as I reached for it, yanking the plastic open with trembling hands.

What I saw stopped my breath cold.

It was the girl from earlier. The same one who had run out earlier, screaming for help. Her lifeless face stared back at me, pale and slack, her hair matted with sweat.

For a moment, my knees threatened to give out. I pressed a hand against the table, trying to hold myself upright. Rage and grief boiled in my chest. Too late…

I started to push myself back up—

THWACK!

Something heavy slammed into the back of my skull.

Pain exploded white-hot, radiating through my head. My vision blurred as he floor tilting beneath me. My knees buckled.

The last thing I felt was the cold concrete against my cheek as darkness swallowed me whole.

I came to with a stabbing ache splitting the back of my skull. My vision swam before the shadows hardened into walls. There was a bare lightbulb buzzing overhead. The smell of damp cement and rust clawed at my nose.

My arms were pinned. I tugged hard, rough rope bit into my wrists, scraping skin raw. They had me lashed to a metal chair, my legs bound tight.

For a moment, I couldn’t even place where the hell I was.

Then my eyes caught her.

Mia.

She was slumped against the far wall, her head lolled sideways, chest rising slow, shallow. She looked like a discarded doll.

“Mia!” I shouted, my voice cracking in the hollow room. I thrashed against the ropes, pulling until the metal frame screeched across the concrete floor. “Mia! Wake up!”

Nothing. She didn’t stir.

My breathing turned sharp, ragged. Don’t tell me they—

The door groaned open.

Boots scuffed against the floor, heavy and deliberate. Four guards poured inside, their faces were carved in stone. Between them strolled a man in a white suit, his smirk curling like a knife.

Valerino.

He spread his arms, mocking courtesy. “Well, well. The great Kael. What is it like, huh? A lowlife crawling into my motel, thinking you can disrupt my night?” His eyes glittered as he leaned in closer. “Tell me how’s the chair? Comfortable?”

I locked my eyes on him. “Where’s Raven? What did you do to Mia?”

Valerino wagged a finger. “One question at a time, soldier boy. As for the girl…” He glanced toward Mia, “Don’t worry. I did nothing terrible. I just gave her a little something to… help her sleep. Long nap, that’s all. She won’t die. Though—” His grin sharpened. “Might take her a while to wake.”

The ropes creaked under my grip. “And Raven. Where the hell is he?”

The answer came in a voice I knew too well.

“Why so eager to see me, soldier?”

Raven stepped through the doorway, casual, hands in his pockets like he’d just strolled in from the street. His smile was thin, but his eyes was so cold.

Rage surged in my chest. “How does a bastard like you even crawl back into this country?”

He tilted his head, studying me like I was a puzzle. “I’m just a man trying to survive. Why do you loathe me so much?”

“Trying to survive?” I spat. “By selling human flesh for coins? That’s your definition of survival?”

He chuckled low. “One way or another, everyone pays a price to live. You, fighting wars for a government that threw you away the second you were no longer useful. Tell me, Kael, who’s the bigger fool? The dog serving his master, or the man feeding himself?”

“Feeding yourself?” My voice was a growl. “You’re rotting the world. Trafficking people, destroying lives. Don’t call that survival.”

His smile faded. “And running into battlefields, getting shredded by bullets for strangers… that’s noble?” His eyes narrowed. “At least I make sure my family’s secure. What about yours, Kael? Ever think how your choices drag them into danger? How your so-called heroics put them in the line of fire?”

The words landed heavy. My jaw clenched, my teeth grinding. “Don’t you dare lecture me.”

Raven studied me for a long beat, then shook his head like a man tired of repeating himself. He turned toward Valerino.

“I’m leaving.”

Valerino’s smile widened as he leaned back. “Don’t forget my message to the boss. Remind him I want to meet with P-man.”

The name hit me like a stone to the chest. P-man? I’d never heard of it. But the way they said it… the weight in Valerino’s tone… it was no ordinary name.

Raven gave a lazy nod. “I’ll deliver your words.” He shot me a final glance before walking out, his steps echoing until the door shut behind him.

“Where the hell do you think you’re going, Raven?!” I roared, the chair screeching as I dragged it forward. “Get back here!”

But he was gone.

Valerino stepped closer, his smirk curling like a snake. “Now, Kael… how about a little game?”

My brows knitted. “What game?”

“Look up.”

I raised my head. Above, bolted to the ceiling, was a water tank. Pipes fed into it, and just beneath the frame, a red timer ticked down—merciless, steady.

Valerino crouched beside me, lowering his voice as though he were sharing a secret. “Here’s how it works. You’re tied to a metal chair. The room is wired. Once that timer hits zero, water begins to drip. Electricity and water…” His grin was sharp as glass. “Not a pleasant mix, is it? If you’re still sitting here when the water flows, you and your little girlfriend—” he flicked a finger toward Mia— “will fry.”

The blood in my veins turned to ice.

He straightened, dusting his jacket. “So… best of luck, soldier. Prove to me if you’re really worth the stories whispered about you.”

He gestured to his guards, and together they filed out, the heavy door slamming shut behind them.

“Get back here!” I roared, jerking against the ropes, the chair groaning under me. “Valerino! You bastard!”

Only silence answered.

And the timer above ticked down.

The rope burned against my skin as I was trying again and again to force them free. My shoulders ached, the chair scraped against the floor. The timer kept ticking.

I pulled harder, ignoring the sharp sting cutting into my skin. My veins bulged, sweat slid down my temple, and with one desperate wrench—CRAAACK!—the wood of the chair leg gave way. The sudden force sent me crashing sideways onto the floor with a painful thud. For a moment, my lungs emptied, but I didn’t stop. I twisted my wrists again, teeth gritted.

Snap!

The rope finally gave in. The sound of freedom was the sweetest thing I’d ever heard. I scrambled to my knees, eyes flicking up to the timer. Just seconds. The tank above groaned under pressure, drops of water already forming on its underbelly. If I didn’t get us out now, we were finished.

“Mia!” I rushed to her, shaking her gently at first. “Mia, wake up!” Her head lolled, her breath shallow. The d**g Valerino gave her was stronger than I thought.

“No, no, no… not now,” I muttered, panic clawing up my throat. I tapped her cheeks, called her name louder. Still nothing.

With no choice left, I hooked my arms beneath her and hauled her onto my back. Her weight pressed heavy against me, but I gritted my teeth and stood. Every step was a fight, but I pushed forward, toward the door.

The metallic stench of the room clung to me as I stumbled, Mia’s arms dangling over my shoulders. My pulse thundered in my ears as I reached the door, slammed my shoulder against it, and twisted the handle—

Clunk.

It didn’t budge.

“No… no, no, no!” I rattled it harder, slamming my palm against the wood. The timer above clicked down another second. My heart sank.

We were trapped.

My fists pounded against the door so hard. The wood splintered under my knuckles. BANG! BANG! BANG!

“Valerino!” I roared, my voice breaking with fury. “Open this damn door! You hear me? Open it now before I rip you apart!”

I slammed my shoulder against it, the echo reverberating through the room, mixing with the relentless tick of the timer above. My chest heaved, every nerve in my body screaming with rage and fear.

“I swear—if you don’t open this door, I’ll kill every last one of you!” I bellowed, spit flying with the promise. “Do you hear me? I’ll kill you!”

My throat burned, but I didn’t care. I hit the door again, my knuckles raw.

Then… a faint sound behind me.

“...Kael…”

I froze. My heart clenched as I turned. Mia’s eyes fluttered open, heavy and hazy, her lips barely moving as she whispered my name.

I hurried closer, crouching with her still slung against me. “Yes, Mia—I’m here. I’m listening.” My voice cracked softer now, desperate to keep her awake.

Her gaze searched mine, fragile and full of fear. “Kael… are we… are we going to die?”