Frozen Flame of Dawn - Chapter 77

Chapter 77: Chapter 37: Where Fear Reigns_2

As that group neared the mansion, a boy—no older than thirteen—rushed out from behind a building. His frame was small but wiry, his face pale with rage and desperation. In one hand, he clutched a large stick. In the other, a handful of stones.

“Let go of my sister!” the boy screamed as his voice cracked, but the fire in his eyes didn’t waver. With all his strength, he threw a stone at one of the guys and hit him right in the temple, who then fell backwards as blood trickling down his forehead.

But the boy didn’t stop. “I said let her go!” He threw another stone and raised the stick while trying to come between his sister and the armed thugs.

His sister sobbed while struggling against the man holding her, “Alex run, you can’t save me!” she cried.”Just run!”

The boy shook his head furiously. “I’m not leaving you!”

Amira felt a familiar ache in her chest as she had seen these scenario too many times—children forced to be heroes when no one else could save them.

One of the men who was hit by the stone—let out a furious growl as he unsheathed a long, jagged knife and stormed toward the boy.

“You’ve got guts, kid,” the man snarled. “But I’m going to teach you a lesson you’ll never forget.”

The boy’s grip on the stick tightened, but Amira could see his knuckles trembling. That’s when the man arrived with his knife and lunged at the boy.

At that very moment, Amira was gone from her spot near the car in the blink of an eye.

With a blur of motion, before anyone could process what was happening, Amira appeared between the man and the boy. Her hand shot out, catching the man’s wrist mid-swing. The blade stopped mere inches from the boy’s face.

“Pick on someone your own size,” Amira said coldly.

The man’s eyes widened in shock, but before he could react, Amira twisted his arm with brutal precision. A sickening crack echoed through the street as the man screamed, the knife clattering to the ground.

Amira followed up with a powerful kick to his stomach, sending him sprawling to the dirt. She pinned him down effortlessly, her boot pressing against his back.

The other men froze, stunned by how quickly the situation had turned.

Amira’s voice echoed through the tense air, sharp and lethal. “If you want to keep your hands attached to your body,” she warned, “drop your weapons and let the girls go.”

The men holding the girls hesitated, their eyes flickering toward the guards stationed by the manor gate, silently pleading for backup. The guard in charge, Officer Ramirez, felt the weight of the moment as the scene unfolded.

His expression grew grave because knew this wasn’t going to end peacefully as he signaled the other guards, who immediately raised their rifles, aiming at Amira and her squad.

Ramirez stepped forward, forcing authority into his voice. “You should walk away while you still can. Let’s not make this worse. You want to talk? Talk to Cole directly. This isn’t your business.”

Amira remained calm, but with a subtle hand gesture, her squad moved into formation. The doors of the armored vehicles opened with a metallic click, and more Phoenix Unit members stepped out, fully armed and clad in bulletproof vests.

The guards and goons paled as their weapons looked like ordinary compared to the automatic rifles in front of them.

Liam’s voice was low but lethal as he surveyed the scene. “They’re outnumbered and outgunned which definitely won’t end well for them.”

Megan and Eddie stepped out of the car, their faces a mix of anger and disbelief. Eddie walked straight toward Ramirez, pointing an accusatory finger. “Officer Ramirez! Are you out of your mind? You’re supposed to protect this town, not terrorize it! How could you side with these thugs?”

Ramirez flinched, recognition dawning in his eyes. “Eddie… I—” His voice faltered before he straightened, forcing a defensive tone. “Cole is the leader now and his word is law.”

But his tone betrayed his fear. He wasn’t convincing anyone—not even himself.

The tension thickened, pressing down like an invisible weight. The guards exchanged nervous glances as the Phoenix Unit’s guns remained trained on them. Everyone was seconds away from an all-out fight.

Amira’s voice cut through the tension. “Leave the girls,” she ordered coldly. “Or you won’t leave here alive, I won’t repeat again.”

Her squad adjusted their stance, fingers ready on the triggers. Ramirez and his men visibly recoiled, their fear palpable.

One of the gang leaders, who was holding a struggling girl by her arm, snarled in frustration but after exchanging a long, tense look with Ramirez, the gang leader reluctantly growled, “Let them go.”

The girls stumbled forward as their captors released them, some of them fell to their knees while trembling in relief.

As the men retreated toward the gate, one of them glared back at Amira. “You won’t get away with this,” he spat.

Amira didn’t even blink. “We’ll see.”

She turned to her team. “Get the girls behind the cars,” she instructed. “Make sure they’re safe.”

She turned to the boy, who was still gripping the stick as his chest heaving. “What’s your name?” She inquired gently.

The boy blinked, as if coming out of a daze. “A-Alex.”

“You did good, Alex but let the grown up handle it next time,” Amira placed a hand on his shoulder. “Okay?”

Tears welled up in his eyes as he nodded but soon his sister rushed to him as she pulled him into a tight embrace. “Thank you,” she whispered to Amira, her voice trembling.

Now as Liam moved to help, with Megan and Eddie help as they guided the girls to safety while Amira looked at Alex’s sister, who was holding onto her brother tightly.

“What’s going on here?” Amira’s tone was softer now, but still commanding.

Alex’s sister took a shaky breath, her voice trembling as she spoke. “After the surge… Cole—he… he awakened. He wasn’t the only one, some of his men got powers too. They stormed the police station by surprise to killed the chief, and took over the town after taking over mayor house. They’ve been using fear to keep everyone in line.”

She swallowed hard, tears brimming in her eyes. “He’s holding the families of anyone who’s awakened as hostage. And now… they’re taking girls—any girl over sixteen. Yesterday, they took nine from another block. We haven’t seen or heard from them since. Today… they came for us.”

A chill settled over the group. Megan’s fists clenched at her sides as she whispered, “Monsters.”

Lilah let out an enraged curse and slammed her fist into the side of the car, denting the door with a resounding thud.

“Lilah!” Liam lost his cool. “Don’t damage the vehicle!” There was a dark edge to his tone of voice when he scolded. “If you’re that mad, let me handle it.”

Lilah exhaled, still shaking with anger. Liam’s words were calm and the intent in his word was unmistakable—he was barely holding himself back.

Eddie looked down with his face filled with guilt. “We should’ve known… we should’ve done something sooner.”

Megan then stepped forward while placing a comforting hand on Alex’s sister’s shoulder. “I’m sorry,” she said, her voice thick with emotion. “I’m so sorry we didn’t come sooner.”

Amira didn’t waste time on apologies. She met Megan’s gaze with steady resolve.

“If you’re with us,” Amira said, “then follow my command. We’re taking this town back.”

Megan straightened, her resolve hardening. “We’re with you.”

The girls who had been rescued huddled together behind the armored vehicles, but there was a newfound glimmer of hope in their eyes.

Amira turned toward the mansion, her jaw set. “Then get ready,” she said to her team. “You are about to see how Phoenix Unit handle such situation.”