Eric continued, listing names of those who had escaped, each name seeming to weigh heavier than the last; names which she hadn't heard of in years; names which made her restless, which pressed down on her chest, making her breaking labored.
Athena clenched the phone tighter. Things had gone crazier. She of course understood why Kael had ordered that cells of a few other criminals be opened–to create more chaos–but her mind was finding it hard to absorb.
The criminals were national threats, terrorists.
When the call finally ended, the silence that followed felt heavier than any words spoken.
Even though Eric had promised to do his best, none of them in the room were really hopeful. They had heard the names too; knew those who bore it, those who wore it proudly.
