Frozen Flame of Dawn-Chapter 82 - 40: Breaking Bone by Bone_1

In the other rooms, the scene was equally harrowing the girls were humiliated, bruised, and tied up that few among them were barely alive, some even had already succumbed to their injuries. By the time the team regrouped, they had found seven girls—two less than expected.

Amira stood silently as Mira gave her grim report about the girls they rescued. Her face remained neutral, but her heart clenched as heard. "Three… three of them didn’t make it, and four were in critical condition but stable enough to survive."

Amira nodded, her jaw tight. "Take care of them and make sure they’re safe."

Mira’s voice softened, "The kids… they’ve been through a lot. What do we do?"

Amira’s gaze lowered to the small hands clutching her cloak. The little girl looked up at her with wide, tear-filled eyes. Amira crouched down, brushing a stray lock of hair from the girl’s face. "It’s okay now," she said softly. "Auntie Mira will stay with you. I’ll be back soon."

The little girl hesitated but nodded as she took her little brother’s hand and followed Mira though their small feet dragged in exhaustion and fear.

Amira straightened and turned to Mira. "Inform Liam to gather the townspeople at the town hall and tell Sam to send someone to escort the villagers there as well. After we finish with Cole, we need to make some decisions about this town."

Mira gave a curt nod. "Understood. And… do you want backup for the top floor?"

Amira shook her head. "No, just Megan and Dia."

Megan who was still reeling in guilt thought why her but Dia who was following Amira with her said. "For identification as you have only seen Cole before."

The three ascended the stairs to the top floor. The air grew colder, almost sterile. When they reached the door, they found it shut tight-a thick metal door reinforced far beyond what anyone would expect from a small-town mayor’s mansion. Amira ran her hand along the metal, puzzled. "Why would a mayor need something like this?"

Megan exhaled slowly. "This mansion has been in the mayor’s family for over 100 years. It’s practically an ancestral estate. They were influential even before the Federation formed. But this room... I’ve never heard of it before."

Amira’s brow furrowed. "Something doesn’t add up."

Dia knelt by the touchscreen panel embedded beside the door. Her fingers brushed over the sleek surface. "Biometric lock," she muttered. "It won’t open without someone authorized… or the right passcode."

Amira clenched her jaw. "We don’t have time to waste breaking this down." She hesitated, then added, "The children—ask them if they know the code or if their biometrics are registered."

Dia nodded and disappeared down the stairs and returned a few moments later, breathless. "The girl knew the code."

She entered the numbers on the panel, and the door gave a soft click before sliding open but what lay beyond made all three women pause.

The room was lavish, furnished like a luxury condo with imported rugs, chandeliers, and leather furniture. But what caught their attention wasn’t the decor—it was the fortified steel walls surrounding them, encasing the space like a vault. Amira’s eyes narrowed. "Where did he get the money for this?" she muttered.

A door near the corner opened, and a man stepped out, shirtless, wiping his hands with a towel. He had short, cropped hair and a confident smirk that faltered when he saw them. For a second, he froze, disbelief clouding his features.

"How…?" His gaze darted toward the entrance and then back to the women, his eyes lingering on their weapons. Then, as recognition sank in, his expression darkened. "You bitches…" His words trailed off, but the lust in his eyes didn’t fade. His gaze roamed over their bodies before it sharpened with malice.

In a flash, Cole lunged toward the table where a pistol lay. But Dia was faster as she slammed into him, tackling him to the ground with a thud. Cole grunted but twisted with surprising strength, breaking free from her hold which made her stumbled back.

Cole’s grin widened. "You’re awakened too, huh? But you’re not strong enough." He flexed his arms, muscles rippling. "Do you think you three can defeat me, soon my people will come."

Megan’s voice was cold as ice. "We’ve already defeated everyone in this mansion. Your reinforcements aren’t coming."

"You really think I could take over this town with just a few thugs in the mansion? My people are all over this town and any second now, they’ll storm in and finish you off." Cole sneered. "Doesn’t matter. Once I’m done with you three—"

He pointed at the bruised, naked forms of two young women near the bed. They were too weak to even cry out. "The others were fun for a while, but I’ve been waiting for something new."

Amira’s vision darkened with rage. "You two subdue him but make sure it painful."

Dia’s smile turned feral as she cracked her knuckles. "With pleasure."

Megan’s face was pale with fury as she advanced alongside Dia. They moved as one, coordinated and deadly as Dia aimed for his legs, sending a sweeping kick toward his knee, but Cole sidestepped, faster than they anticipated.

Megan raised her hand, use her ability to stun his mind, but Cole’s eyes gleamed as he resisted. He swung his fist toward Megan’s face.

Megan barely ducked in time as Dia retaliated with a punch aimed at his ribs. It connected, but Cole didn’t even flinch. Instead, he grabbed Dia by the arm and hurled her across the room. She hit the wall hard but pushed herself up with a snarl.

Amira’s voice rang out. "Fall back."

Dia hesitated but obeyed, Megan too while panting.

Cole stood tall with his grin maddening. "Is that all you’ve got?"

With each slow but steady step Amira took forward, the air in the room became very tight which made Cole’s confidence faltered for just a second as he felt something—an invisible shift in the atmosphere that made his skin crawl but still he kept up his bravado.

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"So what now?" Cole sneered, trying to keep his voice even "Are all three of you going to gang up on me? Is that how the mighty army works now?" His tone dripped with mockery.

Amira’s lips curved into a calm smile as she stopped a few feet away from him. "No need to bluff," she said coolly. "I’m not falling for it and no, it’s not three against one but just you and me."