I hammered my fists against the steel until the skin on my knuckles hurt, my voice growing hoarse, but no response came through the insulation. Just dead, mocking silence. Tears finally spilled over my cheeks as the claustrophobia pressed down on my chest all over again, heavy and suffocating. I screamed until my throat burned, until my voice cracked into nothing but silent, ragged sobs against the cold iron.
They were going to pay for this. Every single one of them.
When the deadbolts finally clicked open hours later, it was Hunter standing at the door. The moment the seal broke, my muscles gave out, and I practically tumbled out onto the basement floor. I lay there for a second, my chest heaving as I dragged in the fresh air, my limbs shivering from the hours spent in the pitch black.
