She stopped shooting and pulled a flash grenade from her belt.

"Close your eyes!" she yelled to the girls before tossing it.

BANG.

A bright flash and a loud bang filled the hallway

The three guards staggered, blinded and disoriented.

Linda and Layla jumped into action.

They took out the guards while they were still disoriented.

All three fell to the ground.

"Let’s go! Now!" Linda ordered.

The girls quickly got to their feet and took off running.

They passed more bodies, more blood.

The exit was right ahead: a metal door with a red light above it.

They were almost there. Almost free.

Suddenly, four more guards showed up, blocking the door.

One of the guards grabbed the dark-haired girl who had talked earlier and pulled her in front of him, using her as a shield. He shoved a gun to her head.

"Drop your weapons!" he yelled.

Linda and Layla froze.

The girl was crying and shaking.

"Please," she begged. "Please don’t let him—"

"Shut up!" the guard barked. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

Layla shot a look at Linda, and Linda looked back. No words were needed.

Now.

Layla made the first move, dropping down and rolling to the right.

The guard followed her with his gun, having to shift the girl around to keep her in front of him. That gave Linda a chance.

She took her shot, one clean aim don’t miss, looking for the tiny gap between the girl’s head and the guard’s. The bullet hit his eye and came out the back of his head.

He went down, and the girl screamed, tumbling forward.

Linda lunged forward and caught her before she hit the ground. "You’re okay. You’re okay. Just breathe."

Meanwhile, Layla took out the other three guards fast and smoothly. Throat shot. Headshot. Center mass.

They dropped one after another.

The way was wide open.

Linda kicked the door wide.

Cold night air rushed in.

They burst out into the parking lot.

And there, waiting in the shadows, were three black vans.

Engines were running. Doors were open.

Sarah stood by the first van, her hair tied back and looking determined.

Charles was next to her, ready and on guard.

Six of Zayden’s guards were spread around the vans, keeping watch.

Sarah quickly counted, "Fourteen?"

"Yeah, fourteen," Linda replied. "One’s hurt, a graze on her arm. It’s nothing serious."

"Get them loaded," Sarah said firmly. "Now."

She moved to the first girl, helping her toward the van. "You’re safe now. I promise no one’s going to hurt you anymore."

The girl was trembling. "Wh-who are you?"

"Someone who should’ve done this a long time ago," Sarah said quietly.

Charles was loading the others, five girls per van.

Some were still crying, while others just stared in shock.

The hurt girl was breathing too fast.

Layla got in with her. "Look at me. You’re going to be okay. We have doctors at the tower who will take care of you. But I need you to breathe. Can you do that?"

The girl nodded, trying to focus.

Layla held her hand. "Great. In through your nose. Out through your mouth. That’s it. You’re doing awesome."

Linda took one last look around and glanced back at the building.

The alarm was still going off, the lights were flashing, but there were no more guards coming out. They were all done, twenty-two in total.

Sarah hopped into the driver’s seat of the first van, Linda got in the second, and Layla took the third. Charles stayed outside and said, "You three head out. I’m sticking around."

Sarah looked at him through the window and asked, "Is that from Zayden?"

"Backup. Just in case things go south inside," he replied.

Sarah nodded. "Just be careful."

"Always am," he assured her.

The vans rolled out without any drama, just three vehicles pulling out like it was any other night.

Charles watched them fade into the night before turning to Zayden’s guards. "We’re setting up a perimeter. Find hidden spots and keep an eye on all the exits. Nobody leaves this building without us knowing."

The guards melted away into the shadows, and Charles followed, staying low and ready for whatever might happen next.

*****

In the lead van, Linda grabbed her phone and shot a quick message to Azalea.

"All set. We’re heading to the tower."

After hitting send, she put down her phone and took a look at the girls in the back using the rearview mirror.

Five young faces looked back at her, showing fear and trauma. But they were alive. They were free.

One of the girls, the dark-haired one, caught Linda’s eye in the mirror.

"Thanks," the girl said softly.

Linda swallowed hard. "No problem. You’re safe now."

The vans rolled through the night, making their way toward safety and a future that these girls had almost missed out on.

Behind them, the auction hall’s lights shone brightly.

Meanwhile, Alpha Dark had no clue that his merchandise was already gone. He didn’t realize his guards were dead or that his empire was about to fall apart.

But he’d find out soon enough. Really soon.

*****

Azalea’s phone buzzed.

A message from Linda read, "All set. We’re heading to the tower."

Azalea let out a breath, a wave of relief hitting her.

The girls were safe.

She quickly forwarded the message to Zayden.

"Girls secured."

He replied in seconds.

"👍"

Then he sent another message: "Check Alpha."

Azalea’s fingers flew over her keyboard as she pulled up the CCTV feeds from the auction hall.

So many cameras. So many angles.

She clicked through them until she found what she was looking for.

Alpha Dark was still in his private office.

He was sitting behind his desk with his golden mask pushed up on his forehead while sipping his whiskey.

Maksim Karza was across from him, a silver mask lying on the desk next to him.

Both men looked tense.

Aylin leaned over and asked, "Audio?"

"Already on," Azalea replied.

She turned up the volume.

Alpha’s voice came through the speakers.

"—can’t mess up again tonight. Hazard King has already hit your operations. If he shows up here—"

"He won’t," Maksim cut in. "This place is secure. We’ve got forty guards and top-of-the-line security. He’d be nuts to attack here."

"You said your penthouse was secure too."

Maksim’s jaw tightened. "That was a different story."

"Was it?"

A heavy silence hung in the air.

Alpha let out a breath. "Forget it. We really need to focus on tonight: the auction."

Maksim replied, "Fifteen girls—all top picks. We should make at least five million."

"Could be more if we play it smart," Alpha nodded. He pulled out a folder and opened it. "I’ve been thinking about how we distribute them."

"Distribute?" Maksim asked.

"Not all of them need to be sold tonight."

Maksim raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Alpha leaned in. "Senator Harrison is coming, and so is Governor Mills. They’ve been... a pain lately, blocking our shipments and causing headaches."

"So?" Maksim said.

"We should give each of them a girl—just for them. Let them have some fun. Keep them happy and on our side."

Maksim thought it over and then nodded slowly. "Smart move. Which girls are we thinking?"

Alpha flipped through the photos in the folder. "This one for Harrison: a blonde, fourteen. She’s his type."

He slid the photo across the desk.

Maksim checked it out. "And for Mills?"

"This one. A brunette, fifteen. She’s shy and scared; he likes them like that."

He showed another photo.

Maksim nodded. "So, that leaves thirteen for the auction."

"Right. We kick off the bidding at a hundred grand each, ramp it up, create some buzz, and drive the prices higher."

"What about the shipment from Romania? The weapons?"

Alpha smirked. "All set. Harrison will clear it through customs, and we’ll give him his usual cut. The weapons will be here next week."

"And the girls help keep him on board."

"Exactly."

They clinked their glasses.

In the van, Azalea felt a bit queasy. Monsters.

Aylin looked pale. "They’re giving kids to politicians as gifts."

"We always knew they were monsters," Liam said softly. "But hearing it—made it worse."

"Just makes it all real," Azalea added.

She locked eyes with Aylin.

Aylin gave a slight nod.

Azalea started typing fast, her focus sharpening.

Message to Zayden, "Alpha and Maksim are planning to give two girls to politicians (Senator Harrison and Governor Mills) to secure a weapons shipment from Romania. The auction kicks off in 90 minutes. Thirteen girls will be sold. Two will be given away. They’re trying to figure out which girls to give to which politician based on ’type preferences.’ Got it all on audio. Evidence is secure."

She hit send and waited.

Zayden replied quickly.

"Change of plans."