Chapter 92

Megan stood in front of the factory, the place swallowed in darkness.

She narrowed her eyes, just as two tall figures stepped into the moonlight.

With nasty grins and crass laughter, the two men swaggered toward her.

"Hot damn, look at this chick."

"Bet she feels amazing to touch."

Just as their hands reached out toward her, Megan struck-her high heel slammed right into one guy's crotch.

The other one went for his gun.

Megan grabbed his wrist, twisted it downward-"crack!"-his arm dislocated.

The gun dropped to the ground.

A flick of her toe sent the weapon flipping into her hand.

She jammed the barrel straight into the guy's mouth and turned to the other, now on his knees.Her voice was like ice. "How many people inside?"

"Bitch!" the man spat.

Without a flinch, Megan yanked the barrel out and shoved it into the second man's mouth. Slight angle,pull the trigger.

Blood sprayed into the wet dirt, already dull and lifeless underfoot.

The silencer muffled the shot, but the man's screams said enough.

She calmly shot through his arms and legs, leaving him crumpled on the ground, writhing.

Then she turned to the guy still standing,pressing the steaming muzzle against his temple."Talk."

He shivered violently. "Just... hostages and that crazy woman, plus ten-twelve more guys. Please,we were hired, that's all!"

Megan's brows furrowed. "Hired? You two? You're not with the rest of them?"

The guy shook his head like mad. "No, no! She's the one who paid us-to, uh, do that to the girl. We don't even know the others-"

His words were cut off.

A bullet ripped through his forehead.

His body folded backward like a broken puppet.

Megan's head snapped toward the sound. She caught a flicker of movement-someone ducking behind an old, rusted car. A sniper. That guy had been there all along.

If they'd wanted her dead, she'd be lying cold already. Who's behind this twisted game?

Her phone buzzed. Megan answered.

A distorted voice came on, almost giggling. "Tsk tsk,you're toosoft-hearted."

Megan's grip on the phone tightened. "Who the hell are you? Did you take Molly and Wyatt ? Are you using Molly to come at me? What are you even trying to do?"

Laughter spilled through the speaker. "Four questions right off the bat, impressive. But I'll answer only the last one."

"What do you want?"

"You."

Megan's tongue ran across her back teeth. Yep, this one was just screwing with her.

Her jaw twitched. "Screw off."

More laughter. "Oh, don't worry. Got a nice gift coming your way." She hung up and stepped over the body, entering the factory.

The second she crossed the threshold, the lights snapped on with a blinding glare.

She squinted against it.

Molly sat comfortably on a worn leather chair,acting like she owned the place.

Twelve men in suits stood behind her, bult like tanks.

Just above them, Chloe hung in the air, wrists bound,mouth gagged with a cloth.

"Bitch, drop the gun. Get on your knees."

Molly's eyes were venomous,filled with hate.

When Megan didn't move, she snapped.

She yelled at one of the suited men, and Chloe was hoisted another meter higher.

Now she was dangling like three stories up.

"I said get down, or I'll lift her till she drops and dies!"Megan looked up at Chloe,who was shaking her head frantically, tears gushing down her cheeks.

She gave a faint smile, tossed her gun forward,and dropped to her knees.

Molly let out a crazed laugh, quickly getting to her feet and striding straight toward Megan with an impatient look.

As she got close, the manic grin grew on her face.Standing over Megan, she raised her foot and aimed to kick her in the chest.

Megan reacted fast-she grabbed Molly's leg and twisted it hard.

With a scream, Molly crashed to the floor sideways,her voice echoing through the empty warehouse.

Megan yanked her up by the hair, forcing Molly's head back.

She pulled a handgun from the inside of her thigh and pressed it against the back of Molly's skull,hoisting her up as a shield. Using Molly as cover, Megan fixed her eyes on the suited men who had drawn their weapons. "Let the girl go. Or I shoot her right here."

One of the suited men picked up a call and put it on speaker.

A distorted voice chuckled mockingly, "Go ahead.Pull the trigger."

Molly screamed in panic. "No, wait! You still need me!I don't wanna die!"

The voice on the phone added, "Megan, this won't be our last meeting. Keep my last answer in mind."

The armed men slowly backed off, pocketing their weapons.

With a swift kick, Megan sent Molly sprawling face-first into the dirt.

Then, rapid gunfire erupted outside the warehouse.

Megan immediately thought-Tristan must be here.

She crouched down and gave Molly a sharp chop to the neck, knocking her out cold.

She rushed over to the ropes holding Chloe,loosening them bit by bit and untying the restraints around her wrists.

The ropes had left angry red marks on Chloe's wrists, the skin barely hanging on.

She had been strung up for too long, gagged and struggling to breathe.

As Megan pulled the cloth from Chloe's mouth,she gasped for air like a fish out of water.

Then, breaking into sobs, Chloe flung herself into Megan's arms. "Meg, I told you not to come! What if something happened to you?"

Megan's mind flashed back to the brutal photos she'd seen in her past life-Chloe's mangled body.That kind of end? Not this time.

She gently stroked Chloe's cheek. "Be good. Stay here-I need to go check outside."

"I'm coming with you."

Megan frowned. "No. You stay put and watch Molly."

She picked up the pistol she'd tossed earlier,handed it to Chloe, and pulled the safety. "Take this. If she so much as twitches,shoot."

Then Megan got up and bolted out of the warehouse.

The sound of bullets tearing through metal rang in her ears.

Megan ducked behind an old pickup truck.

She couldn't call Tristan. If he got distracted, he might get killed.

"Nova Tech, take me to your master."

Nova peeked out from under her skirt. "But Master said Nova's job is to keep Little Fairy safe, not bring you into dangerous places."

"Move it or I'm blasting you into scrap right now."

Nova flapped her metal wings, lifted off, circled twice overhead, and finally flew east.

Megan stayed low, running in the direction Nova flew.

The gunfire suddenly stopped.

She crouched behind a battered Volkswagen.

Nova was nowhere in sight.

The air was thick and still. A strong metallic scent of blood floated in, hitting Megan's nose and turning her stomach.

She scanned around carefully, the only sound her own breathing.

She took one slow step back-and suddenly froze.

Something cold and round was pressing hard into her lower back.