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262words
Cyrus’s empire began to crumble. Even with his political ties, he was forced to flee.
He burned his estate and took his elite guards into the mountains. He took me with him.
We ended up in a fortified cabin deep in the pines. He sat me on the bed, wiping the tears from my face with a gentle touch I knew was fake, yet felt so real.
"Don't cry. We’ll fight our way out. And then, I’ll marry you. For real."
The mountain was a fortress. The agency couldn't break through without heavy casualties.
I was stuck, unable to transmit his positions.
"Miss Posie? Can we talk?"
A man named Julian, Cyrus’s newest strategist and a man who looked more like a professor than a criminal, tapped on my window one night.
"You’re a cop, aren't you?"
My heart stopped. Before I could reach for my gun, he continued.
"I saw a news clip of a police graduation back home once. You were in the background. Don't worry, I haven't told Cyrus."
"What do you want?"
"I want a reduced sentence," he whispered.
"Thorne is finished. I want to help you."
He handed me a vial.
"This will induce a massive, uncontrollable fever. Cyrus is obsessed with you. If you’re dying, he’ll have to send you down the mountain for treatment. That’s your chance to get the intel to your people. But it’s dangerous. This fever could kill you."
He left the vial on the sill. "It’s your choice, Officer."
