The Queen Who Fights Back (by Lily Hastings) novel Chapter 102

Chapter 102

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Dozens of machine guns were aimed at everyone in the room–the gamblers here were nothing like the ones one could find in some regular casino.

This crowd was made up of battle–worn mercenaries blowing off steam, and reckless outlaws who didn’t care if they lived or died.

Anyone tough enough to carve out a life in Trinova–this poisonous city–was far from ordinary.

So, even with gun barrels pressed to their heads, none of them reacted with the kind of fear a normal person

would.

“It’s just masks, damn it! Drop the guns already! We’ll take them off!” a burly gambler called out.

It was a middle–aged guy, who tossed his cards onto the table, lifted his hand, and peeled off his mask.

People at the surrounding tables started taking off their masks one after another.

Strangely enough, from this group of stubborn, wild outlaws, not a single protest was heard.

Nova’s eyes darkened.

Standing beside her, Andrew scratched his head and muttered, “Seriously, what’s going on here? Did those two guys actually nail it? Is this really a full–on sweep?”

He was talking about the two spec–ops members who’d been chatting about Devil’s Isle on the transport plane.

Even as he said it, Andrew didn’t dare actually say “Devil’s Isle” or “wardens” out loud–those were dangerous words to throw around.

He yanked off his mask in one swift motion.

Since they were far enough from Ray, Andrew leaned in and whispered to Nova, “Hey Nova, come on, take off your mask too!

“We’re just playing it straight, right? We’re not the ones they’re looking for. Just show your face and there won’t be any problems!”

Andrew was so naive, he couldn’t even imagine that the girl sitting right next to him was actually the fugitive Ray was searching for. ‘No way Nova could be the target they’re after.’ he thought, clueless.

“Rat–tat–tat!”

The machine guns rattled again, chewing up the ceiling.

This time, Ray wasn’t messing around. His voice boomed, the pressure in the room cranked all the way up. No one dared move.

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Chapter 102

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“Three seconds! Masks off! Face me now!

“If you don’t, you’re all dead meat!”

Realizing Ray wasn’t kidding, the gamblers in the casino stopped hesitating and got serious real quick.

Hurriedly, they pulled off their masks and turned to face him.

Ray’s eyes swept across the room, scanning every face with a cold, unforgiving glare.

Ray knew exactly just how crafty and dangerous that fugitive, 2366, really was.

She could disguise herself as anything–a grown woman, a teenage girl, a young man, or even an old timer. There was no telling who she might pretend to be.

He wouldn’t let a single possible suspect get past him. If there was even a chance it was her, they’d all be checked.

Ray’s voice sliced through the tense silence as he started the countdown.

“3……

“2……”

Nova slowly brought her hands to her cheeks, moving to take off her mask.

Ray was born to be the strongest warden. He’d held command over Devil’s Isle for decades, keeping its terrifying record: 1009 escape attempts and not one success.

If that doesn’t prove how dangerous he is, nothing does.

Any ordinary disguise or basic makeup wouldn’t fool him for a second.

That’s exactly why, after learning Ray was leading a sweep here in Trinova, Nova hadn’t bothered with any makeup or disguise–she knew it’d be useless against someone like him.

No amount of disguise could fool Ray.

In a heartbeat, Nova ran through every possible escape plan she could think of.

Then, just as Ray was about to hit “one” and Nova was ready to rip off her mask and stare him down, everything changed in an instant-

“Sir! We’ve got a lead!

“2366 was spotted with a squad on the north side! The Devil’s Isle wardens are on her tail now!”

A Devil’s Isle warden rushed in from outside the casino, brandishing his gun.

The name “2366” made Ray’s eyes flare with murderous rage.

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Chapter 102

This was the woman who ruined his decades–perfect record keeping Devil’s Isle escape–proof.

She’d finally shown her face.

He’d haul her back to Devil’s Isle himself–no matter what it took.

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Ray didn’t spare a single glance at the crowd inside the casino. He spun on his heel, thunder in his step, barking out his orders.

“2366! Not this time. There’s no way you’re getting away from me again!

“All units–move out to the northern squad! I want 2366 alive. Bring her in, no matter what!”

There was a flurry of motion as all the wardens snapped into action.

As Ray’s order rang out, the Devil’s Isle wardens in black–machine guns at the ready–turned on their heels.

In less than thirty seconds, the team was sprinting after Ray, clearing out in a rush.

Nova smirked.

She’d figured that running into Ray here would mean she’d have to fight her way out in a chaotic showdown.

But to her surprise…

It turned out the person who pretended to be her at the start had accidentally rescued her, all thanks to a weird twist of fate.

‘Well, never thought I’d get saved by my own faker–that’s one hell of a plot twist,‘ Nova mused.

Nova slid the mask back onto her face, covering up without a second thought.

Next to her, Andrew slumped his shoulders and muttered under his breath.

“Man, they’re gone… So I guess they finally tracked down whoever they came for.

“Looks like that escapee’s headed straight back to Devil’s Isle now, huh?”

As Andrew spoke up, the background chatter around them grew louder.

“Those guys have hit this casino up at least a dozen times these past few days. Still beats me who they’re even looking for,” someone grumbled.

“Heard it’s some seriously badass fugitive they’re trying to catch,” another piped up.

“No way! Give me the scoop–what’s going on?” someone else jumped in.

*****

From a distance, Nova saw the old manager ushering a burly, muscular woman–looked to be in her forties or fifties–around the corner.

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No question about it, this had to be Celia, the legendary queen of the casino tables, hands–down the hottest name in the room.

She was a woman.

If Ray hadn’t crashed the party, Nova’s original plan was to face off with Celia at the tables and have a proper showdown.

Win against Celia, and the casino’s rules say one can ask for pretty much any favor–no limits.

Nova could’ve taken that opportunity to demand a face–to–face with the number–two drug lord Mihoon.

She’d have knocked out her mission all in one go.

But knowing Ray, if he realized this raid came up empty, he’d storm right back in and search every single inch of this place all over again.

There was no way he’d let anything slip past him–not even the tiniest corner.

That meant only one thing for Nova.

She had to wrap this mission up–and she had to do it faster than ever.

Nova shot to her feet. “Change of plans,” she said.

Andrew stared, wide–eyed. “Wait–what?” he stammered, still totally lost.

Before he could get a word out, Nova grabbed his arm and yanked him into the seat she’d just vacated.

“You’re taking my place against Celia. Remember–stall for as long as you can,” she ordered.

Andrew’s face went ghostly pale.

Before he could protest, Nova turned on her heel and strode off toward the casino’s restroom.

From behind her, Nova could faintly hear Andrew’s voice–so timid he was practically vibrating, sitting face- to–face with Celia like a little fish dropped into a tank of sharks.

“Uh… hey, so… is it allowed to bet–cough, cough–just my boxers? Seriously, that’s literally my entire net worth right now…” Andrew stammered, voice full–on shaking, pretty much ready to cry.

*****

Meanwhile, Nova slipped into the restroom and locked the door behind her.

She glanced up at the vent above, sizing up her escape route.

These ducts were a silent highway–she could crawl through them without so much as a whisper, bypassing every watchful eye to reach any corner of the casino.

For an assassin or a covert operative, slipping past the world to zero in on a target was just another ordinary

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Nova was a mercenary to the core–she thrived out on the battlefield, where everything was straight–up and brutal, no ploys or underhanded tricks.

Still, when the job demanded it, she could slip into assassin mode, moving silent as a shadow to get exactly what she wanted. Sometimes, playing it quiet was just the perfect play.

With a flick of her wrist, a razor–sharp blade flashed into her hand.

Raising her hand, she gently gripped the blade between her teeth, lips barely touching cold steel.

Standing in the restroom, Nova reached up and grabbed the side of the stall door with one hand. Using her arm strength, she easily lifted her slim body up toward the ceiling.

She got herself right up to the highest point, just beneath the ceiling, without breaking a sweat.

Next, she took the blade from between her lips and started loosening the four screws on the vent cover, unscrewing each one in turn with practiced ease.

Once the last screw was out, she popped the vent cover open.

She slid smoothly into the duct, quiet as a shadow.

*****

The casino’s backyard was where Mihoon’s private army set up camp. If anyone tried to storm in there head- on, it’d be a full–blown bloodbath.

Nova ghosted through the ventilation ducts, silent and unseen.

She made her way to the building tucked away deep inside the casino.

There were barely any guards around here.

Nova emerged from the side vent, and instantly, the two guards posted right there spotted her.

In the blink of an eye, she dropped from the ceiling, legs whipping out to snare one guard by the neck, spinning hard in a ruthless takedown.

Crack!

Before the body had even hit the ground, Nova grabbed his fallen rifle, quick and clean.

Before the other guard could even shout “Intruder!” at the top of his lungs, Nova shoved the rifle’s barrel righ between his teeth, cutting him off before a single word left his mouth.

She gave him a faint, wordless smile.

“Shh. Not a word. My gun’s got no favorites,” she told him, voice soft and dangerous.

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With one hand, she pressed on the trigger–just enough to make him believe she was seconds away from blowing his head off.

The guard was so petrified he looked like he might just collapse right there, paralyzed with fear.

“Lead me to Mihoon. Now,” Nova said coolly, the muzzle never wavering.

“And just so you know–my aim can get a little wild. Try anything stupid, and you’ll be the first to find out,” she added casually.

The way she whispered that, gun jammed between his teeth, had the guard shaking like a spring–there was no way he’d even think about messing around.

He nodded so frantically his head bobbed like a dashboard bobblehead.

*****

On the second floor, deep inside the casino’s most secure room, a man and a woman were getting busy.

“Oh, sir- you’re so naughty-” the woman giggled, her voice full of playful teasing.

“Hehe, what do you think? Am I good or what? Here I come, gorgeous…” the man chuckled, his voice thick with lust.

The two were tangled up together, completely lost in their passionate fun.

So preoccupied with their steamy rendezvous, neither of them even registered the moment the window creaked open–let alone the shadowy figure of a teen girl who slipped inside like a ghost, silent as midnight.

It wasn’t until a deceptively polite voice–sweet on the surface, cold and murderous underneath–cut in, snapping them straight back to reality.

“Sorry to interrupt, but could you two hit pause on your little exercise?” Nova quipped, her delivery icy- smooth, not a single trace of warmth.