Chapter 19: The Signal
Declan's office was lit with nothing but the glow of screens. Elara paced while Declan pulled up the new satellite logs and surveillance footage Nadia had handed over. Coordinates. Code fragments. Encrypted data dumps.
"She wasn't lying," he muttered. "Damon's got an offshore facility. South Pacific. Remote island under a shell company."
Elara leaned in. "And that's where the other subjects are?"
Declan nodded. "If what she said is true—yes. And Damon's trying to wipe the servers clean before anyone finds out."
"Then we don't wait," she said firmly. "We go now."
Declan blinked. "Elara, this isn't a rescue mission. It's a war zone. You're not ready."
"I'm not the same girl who woke up not knowing her name," she said. "I'm going. With or without you."
Declan exhaled. "You'll need backup."
She nodded. "Then call Killian."
Declan stared. "Are you sure?"
"No," she said. "But I trust him. And right now, I need someone who knows how Damon thinks."
Later that night, the three of them stood around a digital map.
Killian looked at the blinking red marker. "That's where he's hiding?"
Declan nodded. "And where Elara was made."
Killian looked at her. "Are you ready to end this?"
Elara's voice didn't waver. "I'm ready to set everything on fire."