The Unshackled Queen: Never Say Never

Charlie’s hand shot out to switch off the flashlight as they neared the end.

He dropped his voice to a whisper strained with tension.

“Movement ahead.

Silence now!”

They pressed their backs against the cold, wet wall of the tunnel as a pair of voices approached, illuminated intermittently by a wandering beam of Light.

“The colleagues upstairs get holidays, yet here we are, stuck on guard,” grumbled one guard to another.

“It’s all because our boss got nabbed by the cops.

Without her, we’re stuck pulling these endless shifts.

”

“Still no word on the boss? It’s been two days.

Is there anything wrong?”

“Pfft! She’s a Chadwich.

She’s got the Compton family in her corner.

Who’d dare touch her?”

“You’re out of the loop.

Haven’t you heard? The Chadwich family’s got both the Juarez and the Delgado families breathing down their neck.

”

As their conversation continued, the guards casually scanned the area with their flashlights, oblivious to those lurking in the shadows.

“ALL the heavy hitters have been pulled out from upstairs.

What’s the point of us being down here alone?”

“Quit your bellyaching.

Once the boss is back, we’re golden,” the first guard retorted.

Sensing the guards closing in, Hannah gave Charlie’s shoulder a firm, urgent tap.

Her voice was a hushed, barely perceptible whisper, “Shift behind me.

”

They swapped places smoothly.

The circle of light from the guards’ drew nearer.

Hannah’s hand into her her flashlight slipped pocket, fingers wrapping around the cool metal of a dagger.

With a practiced flick, she sent it spinning through the air.

The dagger struck with a resonant ‘clang!’

The faint clatter of the metal hitting the ground interrupted the conversation outside-not a loud noise, yet enough to jolt the two individuals into sudden silence.

A pause.

The beam of the flashlight faltered, its jittery dance across the tunnel walls ceasing as the man holding it stiffened.

“Did you hear that?”

Outside, the two figures instantly tensed, their senses on high alert.

One scanned their surroundings while the other spoke cautiously.

“I heard something fall.

Let’s check it out.

”

So they ventured a couple of steps forward into the tunnel.

The one leading directed his flashlight to the ground.

“There it is.

”

He stooped to retrieve the fallen knife.

“Where did this come from? Look…”

As he turned to hand the dagger to his companion, his beam of Light revealed a figure in a peaked cap-Hannah.