The Prison-Made Queen novel Chapter 888

The other guard opened his mouth to scream, but Abel moved like lightning.

His massive arm locked around the man's throat, while his other hand drove a brutal fist directly into the guard's temple. The scream died instantly. The guard let out a weak groan, his eyes rolling back in his head as he went limp, collapsing heavily to the ground.

The entire ambush was clinical, taking less than five seconds.

Dead silence returned to the jungle. Aside from the wind rustling the leaves, it was as if nothing had happened.

Callahan stepped out from the shadows, his sharp gaze scanning the perimeter.

He crouched down, calmly checking the carotid arteries of both men.

"Dead."

His voice didn't waver. "Hurry. Before anyone notices, we need to scrub this area clean."

"Drag the bodies deep into the brush and cover them."

Leilani stared at the dark pool of blood rapidly expanding in the dirt. Her throat felt tight, and she instinctively furrowed her brow.

Even though she had spent four years in prison, she rarely came face-to-face with a fresh, violent murder scene—especially one caused by the people standing next to her.

The coppery scent of blood began to taint the humid air.

Pressing her lips together, Leilani looked away, choosing to remain silent.

She knew exactly what was at stake. They were vastly outnumbered and fighting for their lives. Lethal force was the only option; there was no room for hesitation or mercy.

"Move faster."

"The local factions here run tight patrol schedules... shift change is coming up. The second they realize these men are missing, they'll know we're here."

It looked like a forgotten chess piece wedged between two mountain ridges, completely unnatural against the jungle backdrop.

The exterior walls were streaked with grime and overgrown with ivy. Several bizarre antennas jutted from the roof, pointing sharply into the sky.

"That's it."

Leaning against Bason, Payton squinted toward the building, the wrinkles around his eyes deepening.

"That location... it's much further west than the map indicated. They hid it well."

Leilani checked her watch, calculating the distance and time. "We're less than five kilometers away in a straight line. If we don't hit any snags, we should reach the perimeter before dark."

It suddenly made sense why they had encountered so many patrols. They had breached the enemy's outer defenses without even realizing it.

Callahan raised his binoculars, staring at the compound for several long minutes. When he finally spoke, his voice was dark and heavily laced with tension. "Something's wrong..."