Chapter 56

• Jake***
• The night hadn’t faded, not truly. Even as dawn threatened to break over the horizon, the weight of darkness remained—thick, suffocating, and relentless. The neon lights from the town flickered weakly, casting eerie shadows across the cracked pavement, distorting reality into something almost unreal. The motel stood like a forgotten relic, its warped wooden panels groaning in the faint breeze. The stench of damp rot clung to the air, thick and putrid, mingling with the acrid tang of gasoline and the metallic bite of rust. Somewhere in the distance, a lone dog howled—a mournful, broken sound that sent a shiver crawling up my spine.
• We moved quickly, but not recklessly, every step measured, every breath sharpened by the weight of what was coming. Belle was beside me, her fingers twitching near the gun strapped to her thigh. No tremor, no doubt—just a lethal stillness in her posture, her eyes hard as steel. Whatever fear she’d once had was long gone, replaced by the same relentless fire that burned in my veins, searing away hesitation, leaving only purpose and the promise of violence.