Page 31 of Cold Ignition

Rangi adjusted his stance, planting his feet, ignoring the tremor in the ground beneath them. He took a breath—

Then pushed.

Muscles strained.

Concrete groaned.

The slab shifted—barely but not enough.

Above them, boots pounded, getting closer. Voices carried through the broken structure.

“They’re below!”

“Move!”

Rangi’s pulse kicked harder.

Time was gone. He reset his grip, teeth grinding. Again. He shoved harder this time, dragging the slab just enough—Alexios yanked his arm free with a sharp hiss of pain.

The slab dropped back into place with a heavy crack.

“Up,” Rangi snapped, already hauling him upright.

Alexios staggered once, then found his balance, leaning into Rangi just enough to stay steady.

“I’m good,” he said automatically.

“You’re not,” Rangi shot back.

“I will be.”

Gunfire erupted above them.

Concrete rained down.

“They’re coming through,” Alexios said, voice tightening now.

Rangi scanned the space.

No clear exit. No safe path. Just collapsed walls and angles and a narrowing field of options.

This was it. They had run out of moves. Rangi’s gaze flicked to Alexios—really looked at him now.

Blood. Pain. Still standing. Still fighting.

Something in Rangi’s chest cracked wide open.

He wasn’t losing him here. Not after everything. Not when they hadn’t even had the chance to—

A memory surfaced, sharp and clear.

A car.

Black.

Flames licking along the edges.

A driver no one could touch. A ghost in the circuit. Ahi.