Against All Odds (Silent Moments Series: Book 2)

Chapter 23

 "And what will you accomplish from here?" Kane asked, skepticism coloring his tone.

"Lexa respects you. Go to Tondc in my stead. I'll get there as soon as I can," I said, skirting his question and focusing on the solution.

"Kegan, wait," he called out, grasping my arm. The sudden move prompted Rider to instinctively draw his sword halfway.

"Stand down," I instructed Rider, who reluctantly sheathed his weapon.

"Kegan. Being an effective leader means knowing which battles to fight—" Kane started.

"And which ones to delegate," I interrupted, completing his thought. "I know. Please, go to Tondc for me."

After a brief pause, Kane nodded a reluctant agreement in his eyes. "Alright, I'll go," he conceded.

"Thank you," I whispered, a small wave of relief passing through me.

"What's going on?" Abby's voice interrupted as she entered the room, her expression one of concern and curiosity.

"Kane will explain everything," I said, brushing past her, eager to return to Raven and the critical tasks at hand.

Kane spoke up, "Perhaps Abby should attend the meeting at Tondc, given her position as Chancellor."

"That's why you're needed here," I replied, already moving away, my mind racing with the next steps in our plan.

I stepped back into the dimly lit command center, where Raven was intently listening to the radio. The static-filled room was filled with the distant, unsettling sound of machinery at work. "Bellamy is in the vents right now," Raven informed me, her voice low and tense.

The muffled noise of a drill filtered through the radio's speaker, adding a layer of grim reality to the situation. "Is that a drill?" I asked, though a part of me already knew the answer.

My mind raced, connecting the haunting sound to a horrifying possibility. "Bone marrow extraction," I muttered, the words heavy with implication.

Through the radio, a voice, clinical and devoid of emotion, broke the static. "You're ready for the last treatment you'll ever need, Lieutenant," it said, presumably addressing a patient.

A voice, filled with a mixture of hope and yearning, responded. "I've been waiting my whole life to breathe fresh air." The voice was unmistakably Emerson's, and a knot of apprehension tightened in my stomach.

"That's Emerson," I stated aloud to Raven, confirming her silent question.

The conversation continued, shifting to a new, authoritative voice. "Let's revisit this secret army you mentioned. Did he give you any information on their location?" The drill's persistent hum underscored the urgency of their discussion.

"Please, stop the drilling," the authority requested, a hint of impatience in their tone.

"The time frame for extraction post-mortem is critically short," the doctor explained, his voice laced with a professional urgency.

"We can continue this conversation later, outside. I just need a minute with him now," the authoritative voice insisted.

Emerson's response was laced with a hint of defeat. "He did say he was coming for you. Offered to let us live if you release his people."

The authoritative voice chuckled darkly. "Negotiating at this stage seems a little futile, doesn't it?"

A note of regret tinged Emerson's reply. "I'm sorry I failed."

The authority's voice turned cold, calculated. "No need for apologies. We're finishing this tonight. There's a war council meeting in a village. All the leaders will be there."