Felicia tilted her head slightly, unable to say another word in defense. What was the point? Exining herself was like talking to a wall.


    No one cared about her grievances or the injustice she''d faced.


    Felicia shook her head, deciding not to waste her breath. She grabbed the dazed Carmen by the arm and walked off without looking back.


    On the way down the mountain, Carmen didn''t mention what had just happened near the old tower, nor did she mention Myra. Instead, she kept things light, chatting with Felicia about random stuff and pointing out the scenery along the trail.


    Felicia smiled, catching on to Carmen''s way of steering the conversation away from heavier topics. She yed along, appreciating the effort to lighten the mood.


    Their chatter made the descent fly by, and soon, they arrived the base of the hill.novelbin


    At the feet of the mountain, Carmen''s face lit up when she suggested, "How about heading for stew? My treat!"


    "Sure!" Carmen said with a grin. "I''ll take you up on that!"


    "Go ahead and eat all you want! Let''s find a good spot, and you can order anything you like."


    Carmen was the kind of friend who always had your back.


    The two of them hadn''t known each other long, but their bond had been cemented during a life-or-death moment on the rooftop. Over time, they''d found themselves kindred spirits, their struggles mirroring each other''s in uncanny ways. Naturally, they''d be each other''s one and only confidant.


    Felicia and Carmen shared a smile and walked together to the bus stop at the foot of the hill. The area had plenty of options to get back into the city-buses, cabs, and even private rides.


    But trouble always had a way of showing up when you least expected it.


    Just as they walked toward the stop, a car came screeching straight at them. Felicia''s reflexes kicked in, and she yanked Carmen back just in time.


    The car skidded to a halt exactly where they had been standing a second ago.


    Immediately, all four doors flew open. Five burly men jumped out, their intentions clear-they were after Felicia.


    Felicia''s eyes narrowed. She shoved Carmen hard and barked, "Run!"


    Carmen didn''t budge, tilting her head defiantly. "I''m not leaving you. Whatever this is, we face it together."


    There was no time to argue.


    From the corner of her eye, Felicia spotted two more cars speeding toward them, their headlights cutting through the dim light. Once they closed in, escape would be impossible. Gritting her teeth, Felicia shot Carmen a sharp look. "If you stay, you''ll just hold me back. If you run, you can actually make a difference! Got it?"


    Carmen hesitated, the weight of the


    words hitting her. She looked at Felicia, torn between guilt and determination. Finally, she gave a firm nod, realizing what needed to


    be done.


    en


    Without another word, Carmen turned and sprinted down the path, her figure disappearing into the shadows as Felicia stood her ground.


    The men didn''t give her a second nce. Their focus was entirely on Felicia.


    She tightened her grip on the small de hidden in her palm and drew three silver needles from her pocket with the other hand.


    As the men closed in, Felicia moved first. The needles shed in the air, and she lunged forward, her de aimed directly at their vital meridian.


    The men instinctively dodged the de. However, in their haste, they failed to notice the inconspicuous silver needles.


    Three of them suddenly stumbled,


    clutching their shoulders. Their eyes widened in confusion as they felt sharp pain spread through their chests. A secondter, they dropped like stones, their bodies frozen stiff.


    The two other cars swerved into position, hemming her in. Their headlights gleamed menacingly as they bore down on her.


    Three down. But more wereing.


    Felicia knew better than to


    overestimate herself. She couldn''t


    possibly take on so many people with brute force alone. The silver needles she carried were limited, and while she had a decent stash of poison powder, it was only strong enough to incapacitate


    temporarily-it wasn''t lethal.


    These guys weren''t amateurs. Their build and speed made that apparent.


    Felicia spun around and bolted before those two cars could box her in. As she ran, she shouted at the top of her lungs, "Human traffickers! They''re trying to grab me! Help!" The two remaining men froze.


    At this point, her top priority was saving her own life.