Chapter 29 Midnight Mission

• The grenade at Valentina’s feet hissed, its metal shell vibrating with heat. Time stretched, each heartbeat loud in her ears. She kicked it with all her strength toward a gap in the wall. The blast erupted mid-air, shaking the ground and raining chunks of stone and metal across the room. Dust filled her lungs, her vision narrowing.
• “Move!” Dante’s voice cut through the ringing in her ears. He grabbed her arm and yanked her behind an overturned crate as a hail of bullets tore through the windows above them.
• Black Rose fighters roared in retaliation, the staccato rhythm of rifles echoing in the courtyard. Marisol stood like a general in battle, her voice calm but commanding. “Flank left! Pin them at the intersection!”