𝟎𝟐𝟒

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A wave of nausea washed over me as I regained consciousness. My eyelids fluttered open, revealing the grimy grey walls of a prison cell. Exhaustion, not a blow to the head, must have knocked me out. Then, across a narrow hallway, I saw him.

"Spencer?"  My voice cracked, barely a whisper.

He whirled around, his face etched with a mixture of relief and panic. "Baby?" His voice echoed in the sterile chamber. He rushed towards the bars, his eyes searching mine frantically. "Are you okay?"

"Are you?" I croaked, managing a weak smile.

Just then, a strangled gasp escaped my lips. Hayley slumped lifeless in the cell opposite mine. Dread coiled in my stomach. "Hayley?" I choked out, a desperate plea hanging in the air.  Panic surged through me as my eyes darted around the room, searching for the one person missing. "Gracy?" I cried, my voice thick with worry.

"Evelyn," a gruff voice sounded from behind me. It was the Commander, his head hung low in shame. "They took her."  His words felt like a physical blow, a knife twisting in my gut.

Just as despair threatened to consume me, the heavy metal door screeched open, revealing the President flanked by the ever-smug Dr. Zola.

"Mr. President," the Commander addressed him, his voice strained.

The President turned, his gaze cold and calculating. "The word disappointment is an understatement, Commander," he thundered. "We needed that cure, you knew it! But all you did was sabotage the mission!"

The Commander remained silent, shoulders slumped in defeat.

With a surge of defiance, I defied the oppressive atmosphere. "Mr. President," I called out, my voice trembling slightly but firm. He turned towards me, a flicker of curiosity crossing his features.

"With all due respect, Dr. Zola's methods were…unorthodox," I began, forcing myself to meet his gaze. "He wanted to use the bone marrow of a child – a little girl!"

The President's expression remained stoic. "Do you think the death of one expendable child outweighs the potential to save myself?"  His words hung heavy in the air, dripping with callous indifference.

"There had to be another way!" I exclaimed, anger flickering alongside the despair in my chest.

He stared at me for a long moment, a flicker of something unreadable crossing his features. Then, he shook his head and turned away. "Your father was a good man, Thorne," he murmured, his voice surprisingly gentle. With that, he turned on his heel and left, leaving a chilling silence in his wake.

"I win," Dr. Zola cackled, a sound dripping with malicious glee. His amusement only served to fuel the fire of defiance burning within me.

Tears streamed down my face as I sank to the cold floor, burying my head in my knees. They had taken Gracy. My little girl.  A choked sob escaped my lips. "What do we do now, Spencer?" I whispered, my voice barely audible. The question hung in the air, heavy with the weight of the unknown, and the fear that threatened to consume us all.

A sliver of hope pierced through the suffocating despair. The heavy door creaked open again, this time revealing a welcome sight. Shapes emerged from the shadows, their faces gradually coming into focus.

"Dr. Nadia!" I gasped, scrambling to my feet. Relief washed over me as I saw Frank, Donny, Navin, and even Xavier standing beside her.

"Don't worry, Evelyn," Dr. Nadia said with a determined glint in her eyes. "We're here to get you all out of this."

"

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