No words are spoken, but the message is clear - no matter what fresh hell awaits us, we're in this together until the bitter end. A lifetime's worth of love and resilience passes between us in that single look.
The SUV rumbles through the dark city streets, the scenery outside a blur of shadowed buildings and neon signs. No one dares utter a sound aside from Mercer's occasional pained grunt. The tension in the air is suffocating.
After what feels like an eternity, I sense the vehicle starting to decelerate and take a sharp turn. Out the tinted side windows, I can see us entering what looks like some sort of underground parking garage. My stomach clenches as the realization hits - we're likely being taken to one of Cooper's secret lairs.
Sure enough, the SUV rolls through an open gateway
