ARIA
They moved me before dawn.
I didn't know where we were going, just that El Cuchillo and three other men dragged me out of that concrete cell, threw me into the back of a van, and drove for what felt like hours but was probably only thirty minutes.
When they pulled me out, I found myself staring at a massive warehouse. Not abandoned like the others, this one was operational, or had been. Loading docks. Industrial equipment. And most importantly: multiple stories.
A fortress.
They dragged me inside, and the first thing I noticed was the activity.
Men everywhere. Dozens of them. Armed to the teeth with assault rifles, body armor, ammunition belts. Moving with military precision, setting up defensive positions like they were preparing for an invasion.
Because they were.
They knew Kael was coming.
They were ready for him.
