Solomon withdrew a photo from his vest, its corners worn. Even as he scanned the corridor, he studied the woman’s features. The smile looked careless and alive. He covered her hazel eyes with his thumb and held them a second longer than necessary. He flipped the photo and reread the message. The ink pressed hard enough to leave grooves.
Please save Sandra.
Peering down the hall, he saw an ajar door. He folded the photo once and slid it back into place, as if returning something fragile to a vault, and retrieved a small periscope. He brought the device to his eye and inched closer. Through the gap, he saw a filthy woman chained to the far wall. It took him seconds to see through the grime, but he’d found Sandra.
However, she wasn’t alone. In the middle of the chamber, a different woman tended a bubbling cauldron. As she stirred the contents, she tossed in fresh ingredients. After swallowing a litany of curses, he tilted his periscope toward the ceiling, revealing three crouched shapes overhead. To her left, three winged creatures dangled from the ceiling, talons hooked into makeshift perches. As Solomon’s scowl deepened, he let his gaze linger on the monsters, studying the scaled hide stretched over their bones.
Solomon stepped away from the open door as he shoved his periscope back into its place. He ejected the magazine from his rifle and tucked it under his arm as he leaned against the wall, tilting his weapon toward the ceiling. He cupped his right hand over the ejection port while he pulled the charging handle back, ejecting the round from the weapon.
After catching the bullet, he eased the breach closed and slid it into the magazine. He skimmed through the loaded magazines on his chest. When he found the one with a thin line of red electrical tape, he exchanged them. Solomon rolled his neck as he depressed the release and inserted the magazine. After removing his thumb, he tugged on the inserted mag, ensuring it was seated correctly before pulling the charging handle back to load his initial shot.
With his weapon prepared for the encounter, Solomon took a deep breath before slipping his fingers into the opening. A heartbeat later, he flung the door open and hopped into the doorway, his rifle trained on the woman standing behind the cauldron. Despite keeping his weapon trained on the wiry and deranged woman, Solomon shifted his gaze to Sandra. “You’re going to release the woman you kidnapped now.”
“Or what, you will shoot me? Your reputation precedes you. You slaughter beasts without hesitation. But you do not shoot people, even if you believe them to be wicked.” The woman added a measured pinch of powder to the cauldron. She finally lifted her eyes, filled with madness and certainty. “You’re bound by meaningless morals...
