Revenge of the Resilient

ered on the surveillance reports on the table before her. To this end, she summons the few friends she has left: Adrian, Marcus, and some mercena

s main stronghold is here." She pointed to a location on the map-a heavily fortified island estate on t

n added, his face grim. "If we take them out, the organizati

n loomed over all of them. They knew what this would mean, the f

nd what of Elena? She declined

inchpin for The Serpent and a deep-thorned spur in Elara's side, but also more tha

voice level. "She'll be there. And whe

capable of-that gut-wrenching ruthlessness, that ability to survive against impossibl

t them before they are prepared. If we can breach their defenses, we will h

old service tunnel that leads into the estate's generator. If we can get their power knocked

nce. All that weight stood against her-the weight of what lay ahead. She was fighting no more for revenge but to live

ds and the glow of security lights. But Adrian's had been good intelligence-the

he air was heavy with the smell of mildew and rust, and every sound seemed magnified in the claustro

thing in there with charges so that the entire estate would be plunged into darkness. Ela

ispered, backing of

ping her weapon mor

ghts flickered out, and above them, someone began yelli

snapped her v

state was in darkness, and guards flailed wi

re the Serpent's higher command would be. The rest of the team fanned o

ng that stood in their way. Her movements were fluid, her focus unbreakable. She was a force

The doors swung open now, and they could hear the urgent whispers

n and Marcus. Together t

rom their very bodies was palpable. Elara's gun did not waver as she navigated the room, taking out h

er. Elena Darrow stood toward the back of the room

sses, all the steps in the painful journey to revenge: They had all brought her to this point-to stand before

d, gun raised in hand

er. "Is it?" she replied calmly. "You have won the battle but by no means the wa

ound the trigger. "You chose this

. Then, with a deliberate motion, in slow

"But do not fool yourself into thinking th

pon her. Elena was right: killing her wouldn't brin

jacket. Fire flickered in her desperate eyes. But Elara beat her to it. Elara's finger ti

t now, the battle w

e it. She'd destroyed The Serpent's leadership, crippled their operations, taken her reveng

ce was t

the damage. They had won the property; they had defeated

whispered. "But w

ning through her mind all that was to come. The Serpent was cracked, but its bits

at least, the

d what she had attempted to avoid all her life: eve

as it a

-

Serpent has been slain, but vengeance has stolen everything from her: the family she lost, the husband who

ll that's left

Elara felt the weight of her choices. The

n the dark, a new

ra will

, she'll s