Chapter <b>74 </b>
Adrian’s <b>POV </b>
The engine reared as Rydes pashed our vehicle to its limits, the needle on the speedometer edging dangerously in the red one. The desert lindispe blurred past our windows, tacti and tock formations melting into indistinct shadows under the moonlight.
“You’re sate you femember the way? Rydes asked, his eyes never leaving the road as he navigated a sharp turn,
Take the unmarked exit after the next ridge, I instructed, studying the satellite imagery Garrett had sent to my phone. From there, we go off–road.”
My visit to Gravestone teritory years ago had been brief- formal introduction when I’d first established Dasisben. Even then, Kane’s predatory nature been evident, his cold she never reaching his eyes as he’d sred me with false hospitality. I should have trusted my instincts then. Perhaps if I wouldn’t be in this situation betur.
The detailed satellite map showed the fortress like pound of Ginestone Pack<b>—</b>a sprawlingplex of stone buildings nestled against sheer cliff faces<b>, </b>surrounded by open desert with virtually no cover, Kane had chosen his territory well; approaching undetected wild he nearly impossible through conventional means.
“Everyone clear on the entry point?” I asked, dressing not just Ryder but the there warriors in the back determined
seat. All nodded, their expressions grim yet
The drainage system,” Ryder confirmed, ‘Garrett found it on the municipal ns. Apparently, it’s a remnant from when hunam tried developing the area decades ago.
I nodded, tracing the faint line <b>on </b>the map with my finger “It’s our best option. Kane’s security will be <b>focused </b>on standard approaches–the main road, the eastern ridge, even the westem canyons. But <b>this</b>…” I <b>tapped </b>the semen. This runs directly beneath their northern perimeter.”
The drainage tunnel had been built when developers had hoped to transform them into housing developments. The project had been abandoned when they’d discovered the water table was too low to sustain amunity. Now, decadester, the concrete <b>tunnel </by forgotten, its entrance concealed by years of erosion and desert nt growth.
“It’s <b>risky</b>,” wamed Elias, one <b>of </b>our strongest warriors. “If Kane’s security chief is half as thorough as Marcus, they’ll have sensors or guards patrolling even abandoned entry points.”
That’s why we’re dropping two kilometers out.” I replied. “The rest of the approach will be on foot, using the ravine for cover.
Twenty
ty minutester, we pulled off the main road, continuing on a <b>barely </b>visible <b>track </b>until we reached the codedinates Garrett had provided. The other SUV carrying our remaining two warriors parked behind us, engines silenced.
“You two,” I addressed the drivers, “stay with the vehicles. Be ready to move the moment we call. If were not <b>back </b>in three hours, or if you <b>don’t </b>hear from us, return to Oasisborn and execute contingency n Delta.”
They nodded solemnly, understanding what <b>that </b>meant–a full <b>evacuation </b>of our territory, with Venus leading <b>out </b>people to safety while Marcus prepared <b>our </b>defenses for all–out war.
<b>We </b>moved silently through the desert night, our enhanced werewolf vision allowing us to navigate without shlights. The terrain grew increasingly treacherous as we approached Gravestone’s borders–jagged rocks giving way to steep drops, the ground itself seeming <b>hostile </b>to intruders.
After nearly an hour of careful progress, we reached the ravine that would lead us to the drainage tunnel. Its steep <b>walls </b>offered cover from watchful eyes, but the narrow passage forced us to move in single file, making an vulnerable if discovered.
This is it,” I whispered, crouching beside what appeared to be merely a <b>pile </b><b>of </b>rocks and scrub brush. Carefully, we cleared away the debris to reveal a circr concrete opening<b>, </b><b>just </brge enough for a person to crawl through. The stale air that wafted from its depths carried traces of dampness and decay.
“Smells <b>like </b>something died in there,” <b>Ryder </b>mitered, wrinkling his nose.
“Probably deliberate,” I replied grimly. “Kane would leave carcasses hear any potential breach points to <b>mask </b>approaching scents.
One by one, we entered the tunnel, our ments cautious and measured. The concrete <b>walls </b>were cracked and discolored, decades <b>of </b>neglect evident every surface. asional scurrying sounds suggested we weren’t alone–desert rodents had imed this abandoned <b>space </b>as their domain.
<b>172 </b>
<b>-The </b>passage narrowed as <b>we </b>progueried, foreing us Thicker, heavier with moisture that seemed out of
crawl on hands and knees through sections where the calling
the arid environment.
“ording to Garrett’s calctions, we should be directly beneath their perimeter now,” I whispered, checking the digitalpass on my phone three hundred meters and well reach the ess point that leads up to their central courtyard
As we approached the final stretch, I talked my hand, signaling everyone to halt. My heightened senses had detected something–a subtle disturbance in the air currents, a sound so faint it barely registered.
<b>Movalent</b>.
1 gestured for silence, every muscle in my body tensing as I strained to identify the sauce. Il wasn’ting from ahead of us, but from behind -something or someone was approaching through the tunnel we had just traverseil.
Had we been followed? Had Kane somehone anticipated our approach?
The sounds grew closerbored breathing, irregr footsteps suggesting Injury or exhaustion. Whatever wasing wasn t trying to be stealthy. I motioned for my team to press against the walls, creating an ambush position.
As the figure turned the corner, moving with desperate <b>spred </b>despite apparent distress, I sprung forward. My hody collided with theirs, driving them to the <b>ground </b>with enough force to <b>knock </b>the wind from their lungs. A feminine gasp escaped them as we tumbled together.<fn5c8c> The source of th?s content is f?ndnovel</fn5c8c>
I pinned the intruder beneath me, one hand at their throat, the other rained to strike–and froze.
Silver hair, matted with dirt and blood, framed a <b>face </b>I knew better than my own.
<b>“</b>Skye?” I whispered, disbelief and relief warring within me.
Her green eyes widened in recognition, unfocused with <b>pain </b>and exhaustion. “Adrian?” Her <b>voice </b>was barely audible, cracked and dry.
In the dim light filtering through grates above, I finally took in her full condition. My stomach <b>lurched </b>with horror and rage. Her body was covered in cuts and bruises, dried blood forming crusted patterns on her skin. She waspletely naked, her exposed flesh bearing marks of what could only have been torture.
“<b>Skye</b>,” I breathed, immediately removing my tactical jacket to cover her. “What happened? How did you escape?”