Chapter 443

Chapter 443

As Silvia rose to her feet, she looked up at Jake with defiance in her eyes. She then glanced around, her gaze darting between the twisting and writhing forms of her people struggling against their restraints.

“Let them go,” she said in an authoritarian tone. Despite what she had just experienced, she forced herself to project the presence of someone still in control.

Jake lashed out with one of his tendrils, coiling it tightly around her throat. She reacted instantly, her hands flying up as her fingers clawed desperately at the constricting appendage. But she was unable to pry it free. Her mouth gaped open in a frantic attempt to suck in air.

“Jake, no! Let her go!” Catalina’s voice rang out, but Jake ignored her.

He relaxed his grip, loosening the tendril just enough for Silvia to breathe. After she took in a few gulps of air, regained her composure, and was ready to listen, he said, “Don’t order me around. I’m not one of your men. I do as I please.”

She stared at him with a mix of fear and anger in her eyes.

“Let me go,” she rasped, gripping the tendril still wrapped around her throat.

“I will. But first, listen to what I have to say. If you’re trying to lead me and Catalina into a trap, you’ll regret it.”

“I’m not trying to…”

“I’m not done yet. If your so‑called Commander is lying in wait with a squad ready to open fire the instant we arrive, it’ll be the worst mistake you’ll ever make.”

“I told you,” she said, her voice low and husky. “I only sent him a yellow warning. That’s it.”

“Maybe, maybe not. Even if you told me the truth, that doesn’t mean your Commander won’t decide to go against me at some point. If he does, your group will cease to exist. I’ll erase every one of you from existence without so much as breaking a sweat. If you don’t believe me, ask Catalina about

Los Demonios

and what became of them after they decided it would be a good idea to make me their enemy.”

He paused. Silvia remained silent, simply watching him, her expression no longer hostile.

“I’ll say this one last time,” Jake said. “If your Commander is waiting to ambush us, y’all will regret it. Look at what happened to your people and think about how easy it was for me to incapacitate them. The Commander likely has a bigger group at his disposal, but it won’t make a difference.”

Silvia was breathing heavily, listening carefully to him without saying anything.

“If you ever decide to move against me, I won’t hold back,” Jake continued. “I’ll go all out to eliminate your entire group. Y’all will die horribly, and all those months you’ve fought to survive in this city will be for nothing. Think carefully before you take that step. I can be the strongest ally you’ve ever known or a nightmare beyond anything you’ve imagined. The choice is yours.”

“I’ll do that,” Silvia rasped. “Once we arrive at the base, I’ll warn the Commander never to go against you. Ever.”

“Good. I don’t have anything against you, humans. As long as you don’t do anything against me, I’ll make sure to repay the courtesy.”

“I understand.”

She finally seemed to take him seriously. The defiance and fury he had noticed in her eyes earlier were now gone. He released her for the second time. Without another glance at her, he approached one of the captured humans, morphing his right hand into claws.

Silvia’s people had stopped struggling to get free during his conversation with her and, just like their leader, had been listening to what he had to say. Even though they knew he didn’t view them as enemies, the person he approached first tensed and attempted to slither away.

The sight of a terrifying-looking mutant with long, curved claws was enough to unsettle anyone.

But all Jake did when he approached the person was slice through the cinch net binding them, releasing the person from their restraints. Then, moving from one to another, he methodically freed the remaining survivors.

When everyone was on their feet, they recovered their weapons and torches, and Silvia led them into one of the tunnels. She was at the front, and her people followed behind while Jake and Catalina brought up the rear.

For some time, they traversed the subway tunnels in silence. No one spoke. Jake and Silvia had already said everything there was to say to each other. Her people hardly spoke either, keeping their focus on their surroundings instead.

Now that he knew about this group’s existence and that their base was located somewhere in the city’s subway system, he could find it on his own without relying on Silvia to guide him. After all, that was exactly how he had located Samantha’s resistance base deep in the underground tunnels beneath

Los Demonios’

main stronghold. Still, he let Silvia lead the way.

At some point, they entered what seemed to have once been a maintenance tunnel, its walls lined with rusted pipes and faded markings. From there, they continued onward, traversing one tunnel after another. Upon reaching a junction, they decided to take a brief respite.

As they caught their breath, Silvia told Jake and Catalina that the ravagespawn never ventured into the subway on their own. When they did appear, it was always because they were chasing a group of survivors inside. Since the Ravage Contamination didn’t extend into the subway, the Spartans had long ago decided to establish their base there. It was the only place in the entire city free of ravagers. Or, at least, the only such place known to them.

After a few moments of respite, they continued their trek. As Jake followed the group of humans, he thought about what he had learned so far about this group, the Spartans. He knew they were hiding something from him and Catalina. During his entire conversation with Silvia on the platform, he had been closely watching her and her people.

Their body language, expressions, and the way they had looked at him clearly indicated they knew something they weren’t willing to share with the two of them. Since he couldn’t use

Mind Reader

on them to view their memories, he would have to find another way to solve the mystery. One way or another, he was going to uncover the truth.

At one point, as they advanced through the tunnels, they came across a gaping hole in one of the walls. The Spartans entered it, and Jake and Catalina followed them inside. The breach led not into another subway tunnel but rather into a natural underground cave. From there, they entered a winding passage carved by nature itself, pressing further into the underground.

Like Samantha’s resistance group, the Spartans had clearly established their base far beneath the surface. Unlike the subway tunnels they had left behind, the earthy walls here were covered with some kind of luminous, plant-like growths, which gave off enough light for humans to see without the aid of torches.

Occasionally, along the way, they encountered oversized, aggressive insects, but Silvia’s people dispatched them with no trouble at all, requiring no assistance from Jake or Catalina. They continued their descent until they finally reached the Spartan base.