Ethan descended into the underground chamber beneath the car shelter, the shadow guard following close behind. Five assailants lay helpless on the floor, their mouths gagged with cloth. Each of them had lost a hand or a foot. The wounds were bandaged, the bleeding stopped.
Four shadow guards stood at a distance, relaxed yet alert. They wore full black tactical gear and masks; nothing was visible but their eyes.
"Did you interrogate them?" Ethan asked.
"No. We were waiting for you after first aid," the shadow guard replied. "They're all human… but well trained."
Ethan dragged a chair from the side and walked over to the captives. He sat down casually, as though he had come for tea and conversation rather than judgement.
"First of all," he said evenly, "you are all going to die. That is certain. But what you do before that can still make a difference."
