Chapter 22
1084 Words
Riley stood in the center of the hall, every eye locked on her as Armani’s smirk slowly curved into place.
“You will be one of the new Wildcats assigned to this mission.”
The words barely settled before murmurs rippled through the room—low, uneasy, dangerous. Chairs shifted. Breath hitched. Theo rolled his eyes, already irritated.
“Silence.”
Armani’s voice cracked like a gunshot.
The hall fell dead quiet.
Lucas stepped forward, jaw tight. “The newbie hasn’t had any formal training yet.”
Armani let out a short scoff, his gaze never leaving Riley. “We all watched her take down Ex Number One Hundred and earn that spot. She didn’t survive that fight by luck. She’s trained.”
“But she doesn’t know how things work here,” Lucas pressed. “She doesn’t even know what this mission is about.”
Eyes flicked between them, tension coiling thick in the air. Riley swallowed hard.
Great. Lucas is really about to ruin this for me.
“That,” Armani snapped, finally turning to Lucas with a razor-sharp glare, “is exactly why I called this meeting. So everything can be explained. Now, unless you plan on running this mission yourself, stop interrupting me.”
Theo groaned, dragging a hand down his face. “Can you two not turn every briefing into a power contest? I’m exhausted.”
From the crowd, Serial frowned, leaning closer to Ava. Lila and Lola hovered beside them, whispering like vultures circling fresh blood.
“Why is there always tension between the triplets,” Ava muttered, “every time it involves that newbie?”
“We noticed it too,” Lila and Lola replied in unison.
Lila’s eyes widened suddenly. “You don’t think she cast some kind of spell on them, do you?”
Lola gasped, hand flying to her mouth.
Serial’s eye twitched.
“Have you all forgotten the rules?” she snapped, shooting them a scornful glare sharp enough to cut.
Lila and Lola stiffened instantly.
“Right—no talking during meetings,” they muttered, zipping their mouths shut.
From her spot near the back, Skylar rolled her eyes, unimpressed but silent.
Armani leaned forward slightly, fingers tapping against the table. “The mission is simple,” he said calmly. Too calmly. “We need seven Wildcats to retrieve a shipment of stolen drugs from an underground warehouse.”
A slow smile stretched across his face—but there was nothing warm about it.
“Some group of idiots thought it was a good idea to steal from me.”
A low chuckle escaped him, dark and unsettling. The lights overhead seemed to dim as his eyes hardened into something vicious.
“I’m going to make them understand,” Armani continued softly, “that this was the greatest mistake of their lives.”
The laugh that followed was wrong—unhinged, almost gleeful. It echoed through the hall, sending a chill down spines.
Theo finally spoke.
“The triplets will make them pay for their audacity.”
His eyes were empty now. Cold. The kind of gaze that didn’t flinch at blood or screams. The kind that had ended lives before and would do it again without hesitation.
No one argued. No one breathed too loudly.
Because when the triplets were unleashed…
there was never mercy.
“I want to go on this mission too.”
The room shifted.
Armani slowly turned, his expression unreadable before a cruel smile tugged at his lips. “No.” His voice was smooth, dismissive. “I’ll let the low ranks handle it.” His gaze flicked briefly to Riley. “And the new, weak newbie.”
A low growl tore from Lucas’s chest, his fists clenching at his sides.
Riley didn’t react.
She didn’t flinch. Didn’t defend herself. Didn’t even care.
Because behind her blank expression, relief bloomed like fire.
A mission. Outside. An opening.
For the first time since she’d been dragged into this world, fate cracked the door open.
Escape.
Riley’s room was dim, the single bulb above her flickering as she prepared for the mission.
She strapped the holster around her thigh, fingers steady despite the thunder in her chest. Every movement was careful, calculated. A knife slid into place beneath her sleeve. Another rested against her boot.
She caught her reflection in the mirror—eyes sharper now, posture different. Not the same girl who’d walked in here days ago.
This mission wasn’t just about stolen drugs.
It was her chance to run.
And if she failed…
She already knew this place would bury her without a body.
A soft knock echoed against Riley’s door.
Skylar and Quinn slipped inside, closing it behind them. The noise of the compound faded, leaving only the quiet hum of tension in the room.
“Thought we’d come wish you luck,” Quinn said, forcing a small smile.
Riley exhaled, the tightness in her chest loosening just a bit. “Thank you,” she murmured.
She stepped forward and pulled them into a hug—tight. Too tight. Like she was trying to memorize the feeling.
Skylar stiffened for half a second, then laughed softly. “Easy,” she joked. “You’re hugging us like you’re finally leaving this place.”
The words lingered in the air longer than they should have.
Riley slowly pulled back, masking the flicker of panic in her eyes with a faint smile. “Just… trying not to die out there.”
Quinn studied her for a moment, suspicion and worry crossing her face. “Come back in one piece,” she said quietly.
Riley nodded.
But deep down, she wasn’t sure if she was coming back at all.
Riley met the remaining six girls. They were already waiting for her, standing in a straight line with their weapons beside them.
“Hey everyone,” she said calmly. “I am Wildcat Number Ninety-Four. I am the leader of this mission. I hope we will all work together.”
She did not bother to say her name.
Names were not important here, Riley thought.
They began to leave the building together as a group of armed guards followed them closely. Their boots echoed loudly as they walked. No one spoke.
Outside, a black van was waiting for them.
From the top of the building, the triplets watched everything. None of them spoke.
Armani’s eyes stayed on Riley as she stepped into the van.
“Don’t die,” he muttered quietly.
- Writer
