The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

In Rivenwood, in the depths of an off-the-grid prison unlike any other, the inmates were not your garden-variety criminals. Not even the hardened murderers found solace within these walls.

At present, this prison housed a mere trio of prisoners.

Flynn, Scott, and Fiona Ellington.

Fiona, though her body was a patchwork of decay, possessed sensory faculties that rivaled a healthy man in his prime. However, this heightened perception meant she also endured agonies far beyond the ken of ordinary humans.

Flynn, too, lived each day in excruciating pain, a modern-day Prometheus, his vitals ravaged daily, only to regenerate each dawn anew. This was Vivienne’s brand of retribution.

Scott, in contrast, seemed almost content. Free from the physical torment, his punishment was a Sisyphean task of endless paperwork. He accepted his fate with a disarming calmness, even pointing out errors for correction by his wardens from the Vanguard Agency.

Many said Scott was the quietest of the three.

Vivienne and Karen arrived to find Soren and Anna waiting at the gate.

“Ms. Vivienne, Ms. Karen,” Anna greeted as she adorned their wrists with security bands.

Back then, Vivienne was Percival’s wife, and Percival was the deputy. Thus, she had never needed such measures before, but times had changed.

Soren collected all their communication devices, casting curious glances at Karen. She gave him a playful warning, “Hotshot, any more staring, and you’ll be crossing a line.”

“My apologies, Captain,” Soren blurted a tad too quickly.

His curiosity stemmed from wondering why Percival respected Karen so much to call her master.

“Don’t call me Captain; I have no plans of returning to the Vanguard Agency,” Karen said with a smirk before stepping through the threshold.

knowing all too well Karen’s discomfort with the Agency’s rigid structure and protocol. Freedom was what Karen thrived on,

toward

the left, to a cell secured with a

head boss of

made her skin

“Mom, do you want

snapped back to reality.

find him making the most

enjoying yourself,” Karen remarked

of GTO and had not been Belle’s stand-in, he and Karen might have been good friends, like she

turning, he knew—it was her. But he could not bring himself to look, fearing the disappointment if

toward Karen were, or he would not

probably did not care about that at all, and neither would she

could be considered Karen’s old flame, it was only polite

seat. “Old friend, long time

his hands shook as currents zapped from

her. She was

the electric barrier was a cruel reminder of the distance between them. His hand

her characteristic smile. “Looks like I’m doing all

go, the current vanishing from his nerves.

cracked,

nodded. “I’ve been fine, thanks

Thousands

sat in silence for a moment

come here to walk down memory lane,” she said,

back to the present. “Noah? The name rings a bell. Back in the day, I got sold to the GTO by the Brooks family. Once, this Vanguard Agency guy took a dozen of us, including me, from the base.