His words were like ice down my spine, my jaw tight to repress the urge to argue. One small mistake could drag Synchro down with me, and if I was caught… I shuddered to think of the consequences. Ash had saved me from being arrested by the guards of Purgatory once when he took me in, and I knew he wouldn’t help me a second time. Whatever mission he had in mind, it couldn’t be worth the risk of breaking out a maximum security prisoner. But I couldn’t voice my concerns without risking his fury.

Swallowing, I forced myself to nod instead, wincing at the twinge of the cord still connected to my body. “How long do I have to prepare?” I asked, my gaze lowered in the hopes I wouldn’t provoke him any further. 

His red eyes slid down to me, a calculating and unamused expression on his face as he asked, “How long exactly do you think you’ll need?” I felt his fingers on the cord at the base of my skull, brutally yanking it free of the connection without warning. 

I clenched my jaw against the burst of agony, pulling a breath in to help control my expression. Sitting up slowly, I blinked against the dizziness before reaching into my jacket pocket. “I just need a few moments to look through the files,” I murmured, painfully aware of his impatience as I retrieved my leather gloves; the palms and fingertips lighting up with a soft green glow as I pulled them over my hands. 

I could hear a hiss of breath as he inhaled, clearly vexed. “By all means, take your time,” he muttered cooly, displeased as if I was wasting precious moments. I could see him fold his arms tightly across his chest, tapping his fingers as if he were counting the seconds. 

Grimacing, I tried to ignore his irritation as I raised my hands. The light at my fingertips brightened as I opened the virtual interface, images of the downloaded files projected over my vision. I moved through the pages with the flick of my fingers; reading through files of information on the prison facility while Ash grew increasingly impatient. “Their security system is impressive,” I muttered, looking through the schematics- wondering how many people Ash had bribed or threatened for these files. They had measures in place from the gates to the insides of prisoner’s cells, failsafes against all of my usual methods. My shoulders slumped as I reached the last documents without a clear answer.

Lowering my hands, the files flickered out of my view. My throat felt tight as I met Ash’s gaze. “This isn’t enough information. I’ll have to take a look at the system from inside the prison, and I should be able to find a weakness I can exploit,” I tried to sound confident, though I couldn’t help worrying; Purgatory was infamous for good reason, and even I would be hard pressed to infiltrate such a complicated system. 

Ash nodded curtly, as if satisfied with my answer. He stood abruptly as the chair scraped against the floor, a smug smirk on his face as he stared down at me. “Good. I was going to have to send you inside anyway.” Ash pulled another cigarette from a metal case that had been in his breast pocket, positioning it between his lips. He cupped his hand around it, lighting it as he kept his eyes locked on my gaze. I watched his irises glow red as he inhaled, puffing out the red smoke with a grin. “It will give Mr. Wescoff a chance to accept my offer.” 

I stiffened, gritting my teeth for a moment to fight the urge to snap back at him. “He doesn’t know you’re sending me to get him?” Shock filtered through my tone despite my effort, a flicker of outrage under the question. If this man turned down Ash’s offer, he’d end up dead and I would have put the faction at risk for nothing. 

There was a flash of annoyance on Ash’s face- as if my question had offended him. He took another drag from his cigarette, eyes burning as they bore into me. “That’s not going to be a problem for you, is it?” He clenched his jaw, any trace of arrogance replaced with savage warning. 

Fear coiled around my heart, my gaze dropping as I reminded myself how easily my life could end at his hands. “Of course not,” I ground out the words, my hands in fists against my legs for a moment before I forced myself to relax. I needed to appear confident in Ash’s leadership, even though my heart was racing as I stood up. “He would be mad to turn down an offer to escape Purgatory. If he seems doubtful… I’ll convince him it’s in his best interest.” 

“I expect no other outcome.” His tone was dark and full of tension as he stated in a final ominous reminder, “Remember what’s at stake here, Destry. We can’t afford to fail. I need Luko Wescoff alive.” His eyes glowed as he narrowed them, his voice full of bite as he stated coolly, “Do not disappoint me.” 

I nodded as I stepped back, recognizing the cold dismissal in his tone. “I’ll return with the target as quickly as possible,” I assured him. Ash seemed satisfied with my words, gesturing for me to leave. It was a relief to back away, out of the cloud of bitter, stinging smoke; turning my back only when I was out of reach.

Passing through the doors, the tension in my body eased as they sealed shut behind me. Without the pressure of Ash’s sharp gaze, I could focus on the task before me- the impossible mission he had given me. I could trust my own skills, but knowing my success depended on the cooperation of my target made me feel uneasy. I pulled up the files again as I paced down the hall, looking for different information this time- prisoner records. I needed to know exactly what to expect from Luko Wescoff.