章節 18: Chapter 18: The Struggle Inside
Time passed slowly in the cell, each day blurring into the next. Cole had never been one for patience, but there was nothing he could do but wait. Wait for Helen to make her moves, wait for the system to grind through its slow, agonizing process.
In the meantime, Cole's thoughts were consumed by his friends. Zack, Ty, and Lina. He had no idea where they were, whether they had managed to escape or if they were still hiding somewhere in the slums. The not knowing gnawed at him like a constant, dull ache.
He replayed the events of that night over and over in his head—the fight, Crenshaw's death, the decision to turn himself in. He had made the right call. He knew that. If he hadn't, they all would've gone down. But that didn't make the weight of his choice any easier to bear.
One night, as he lay on the cot, staring up at the ceiling, the door to the holding area clanged open, and he heard the familiar sound of heavy footsteps. But this time, they weren't coming for him.
A guard's voice echoed down the corridor, gruff and impatient. "In you go."
There was a shuffle of movement, and then the sound of a cell door slamming shut. Cole sat up, peering through the bars, his curiosity piqued. He couldn't see much from his angle, but he caught a glimpse of a figure being shoved into the cell across the hall.
"Keep your mouth shut, and maybe you'll survive the night," the guard muttered before walking away.
Cole frowned, straining to get a better look at the newcomer. It wasn't unusual for people to be brought in during the night, but something about this felt different.
"Who are you?" Cole called out, his voice cutting through the silence.
There was a pause, then a soft chuckle. "Who's asking?"
Cole narrowed his eyes. The voice was familiar, but he couldn't place it. "You're in my line of sight, so I think I have the right to know."
The figure shifted, moving closer to the bars. As they stepped into the dim light, Cole's eyes widened in surprise.
"Lina?"
Lina's face was bruised, and she looked exhausted, but she managed a weak smile. "Hey, Cole."
Cole rushed to the bars, his heart racing. "What the hell happened? How did they get you?"
Lina shrugged, wincing slightly as she moved. "Got sloppy. We were trying to lay low, but Crenshaw's men were still out there, looking for us. They found me."
Cole's stomach twisted. "Are the others okay? Zack, Ty?"
Lina nodded, though her expression was grim. "They're fine. They got away. I led the cops on a chase to give them time."
Cole's hands tightened around the bars. "You shouldn't have done that. They'll come after you too."
"I wasn't going to let them take all of us," Lina said quietly. "Besides, I'm the one they wanted."
Cole's heart ached as he looked at her, the weight of everything they had been through crashing down on him. Lina had always been the glue that held them together, the one who kept their small, ragtag group from falling apart. And now she was here, locked up with him.
"We'll get out of this," Cole said firmly, though even he didn't fully believe it.
Lina met his gaze, her eyes filled with a mixture of fear and determination. "We have to."
每周推薦票狀態
-- 推薦票
榜單 
-- 推薦票