The King Of War Returns (Jaden Rift) novel Chapter 159

Meanwhile at the other side of the Ship.

The steel floor creaked beneath Hope’s boots as she slipped through the dim, narrow corridor of the decrepit ship. The only light came from flickering wall panels and the soft blue glow of her holo-glasses, scanning for heat signatures, chemical traces—anything that would lead her to the stash she needed. The air was thick with rust and the faint stench of engine oil. Her fingers hovered over the side panel of her visor, adjusting filters until the walls began to blur and the digital overlay lit up with a faint red pulse.

“There,” she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.

A section of the wall flickered faintly on her scan. Hollow. Not natural. She pressed her hand against the seam, then found a hidden panel—old tech, rusted but not dead. She punched in a quick override sequence and the wall hissed open with a sigh of stale air.

What she saw wasn’t drugs. Not yet.

It was a prison.

Chains bolted to the walls. The flickering of malfunctioning lights overhead. And right there in the center, strapped to a chair with bruises across his face and a gag in his mouth... Drax.

But he wasn’t alone.

Four heavily armed men surrounded him, one holding an electric prod, the others standing watch with the sadistic look of men who had enjoyed being in control for far too long.

One of them turned, his eyes narrowing at the figure in the doorway. “Who the hell are you?”

Hope stepped in without flinching, her voice cool. “Your worst day.”

“Get her!” he barked.

The first thug charged her like a bull—but she was already in motion. She ducked low, spun on one knee, and swept his legs out from under him. Before he hit the floor, she was up, driving her elbow into his throat. He choked and dropped.

Another came at her with a metal rod. She caught it mid-swing, twisted it out of his grip with a sharp snap, then jabbed the butt into his ribs and crushed his nose with her palm. The man crumpled.

The third and fourth tried to rush her together. Bad call.

Hope pivoted on her heel, slammed one against the wall with a side kick, then twisted the other into an arm-lock, flipped him over her shoulder, and let his body crash hard into the floor with a satisfying thud.

Silence fell.

Drax groaned behind the gag. She approached and tore off the duct tape.

“What the hell took you so long?” he growled, his face twisted with frustration.

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