Chapter 46 – Blood in the Snow

Pain pulsed through my body like a second heartbeat. Every step sent fresh agony radiating from the wound Carter had left in my side. Ray practically had to drag me into the med bay, his grip firm but careful.

Daniel slammed the door shut behind us, rifle still in hand. His eyes darted around, tense, searching for any lingering threats.

"Where the hell is Carter?" Daniel snapped, scanning me for an answer.

Gone. Without a trace.

I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to stay upright as Ray lowered me onto the examination table.

"Bastard knew exactly what he was doing," I muttered. "He didn't just escape—he erased his trail."

Ray grabbed the medical kit, his movements sharp and focused. "You should be dead."

I let out a rough breath. "He wanted me to be."

Lily rushed in, her face pale. "Dad?"

I managed a weak smile. "I'm alright, kid."

A lie.

The system's emergency alerts scrolled across my vision.

[System Alert: Critical Condition]

Severe internal bleeding detected.

Initiating emergency clotting protocol...

A sharp, cooling sensation spread from the wound as the system injected nanites to slow the bleeding. A temporary fix.

Ray wasted no time. He pressed gauze to the wound, stopping the worst of the bleeding. His expression was grim as he wrapped the bandages tight.

"You're lucky," he muttered. "Blade missed anything vital. But if we don't treat it properly, infection will be the real killer."

Lily's hands balled into fists. "Why did he do this?"

Silence filled the room.

Daniel exhaled sharply. "He played us. The whole time."

"No," I murmured. "He was waiting."

Ray frowned. "For what?"

I looked up, meeting his gaze. "For them to lose."

The Iron Hand Syndicate had underestimated us. They had come expecting to crush a weak group of survivors, not run into a fortified base with automated defenses and trained fighters.

Carter knew that.

And he waited until the battle turned against them before making his move.

Ray swore under his breath. "So he never planned to fight for them. Just weaken us before their next attack."

I forced myself upright despite the pain. "He wanted to make sure we weren't ready next time."

A heavy silence settled over us.

We weren't dealing with scavengers anymore.

The Syndicate fought with tactics, discipline, precision.

And Carter… he was one of them.

The System's Warning

My vision flickered as the system brought up another alert.

[System Notification: Carter's Escape]

Analyzing… No standard human movement patterns detected.

Possibility: Unconventional extraction method used.

I frowned. "Unconventional extraction?"

Ray raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"

Before I could answer, the system displayed another message:

[WARNING: Syndicate Reinforcements Mobilizing]

Projected Timeline: 72 Hours

Threat Level: High

My stomach twisted.

"They're coming back," I said. "And this time, they're bringing everything they've got."

Daniel's jaw tightened. "Then we need to be ready."

Preparing for War

We didn't have time to lick our wounds. We had three days.

I pushed past the pain and got to my feet. "We reinforce everything. More turrets, more traps. We make them bleed before they ever reach our walls."

Ray nodded. "I'll train every able body to fight."

Daniel checked his rifle. "I'll set up sniper positions. If they come, we'll make sure they regret it."

Lily looked up at me, determination in her eyes. "I want to help."

I rested a hand on her shoulder. "You already are."

Carter had thought he broke us.

He was wrong.

When the Syndicate returned, they wouldn't find a weak, divided group.

They'd find an army waiting for them.

---

Carter is gone, but the real war is just beginning.

Do you think James will be ready in time?

What should be his next move before the Syndicate returns?

Let me know in the comments!