(Ruby's POV)
The war room falls silent.
Everyone is looking at me. Anya, Liam, Mrs. MacLeod, Mr. Sterling. Even my mother, standing in the doorway with her arms crossed. They're waiting for me to speak. To decide. To lead.
I look down at the map on the table. The facility. The basement. The cell where they're keeping Nicholas.
"We go tonight," I say.
No one argues.
Anya nods, already pulling out her phone. "I'll call my contact. He can get us past the outer fence."
Liam checks his gun, his face hard. "I'll handle the guards."
Mrs. MacLeod pours me a cup of tea, her hands steady. "You'll need to eat something first. Can't fight on an empty stomach."
My mother crosses to me, taking my hand. "Are you sure about this, Ruby? Once you go in, there's no turning back."
"I'm sure." I squeeze her fingers. "Nicholas saved my sister. He saved you. He saved all of us. I'm not leaving him in that place."
She nods, her eyes wet. "Then bring him home."
---
