The Unshackled Queen: Never Say Never by Gilbert Soysal

Charlie’s hand shot out to switch off the flashlight as they neared the end.

He dropped his voice to a whisper strained with tension.

“Movement ahead.

Silence now!”

They pressed their backs against the cold, wet wall of the tunnel as a pair of voices approached, illuminated intermittently by a wandering beam of Light.

“The colleagues upstairs get holidays, yet here we are, stuck on guard,” grumbled one guard to another.

“It’s all because our boss got nabbed by the cops.

Without her, we’re stuck pulling these endless shifts.

”

“Still no word on the boss? It’s been two days.

Is there anything wrong?”

“Pfft! She’s a Chadwich.

She’s got the Compton family in her corner.

Who’d dare touch her?”

out of

you heard? The Chadwich family’s got both the Juarez

”

conversation continued, the guards casually scanned the area with their flashlights, oblivious to those lurking

heavy hitters have been

the point of us

“Quit your bellyaching.

we’re

in, Hannah gave Charlie’s shoulder

voice was a hushed, barely perceptible

”

They swapped places smoothly.

of light from

slipped pocket, fingers wrapping around the

sent it spinning

struck with

clatter of the metal hitting the ground interrupted the conversation outside-not a loud noise, yet enough to jolt

A pause.

beam of the flashlight faltered, its jittery dance across the tunnel walls ceasing as

“Did you hear that?”

the two figures instantly tensed, their senses