Collateral Damage นิยาย & เรื่องราว

Roman continued, gaze sliding between us, “has escalated.” Ethan shut his eyes. My pulse throbbed behind my ribs. “What does that mean?” I breathed. Roman didn’t soften it. “It means the men who attacked you weren’t sent to scare you.” A tremor rippled across my spine. “They were sent to collect.” Collect what? My voice was barely sound. “Collect… how?” Roman held my gaze, and the answer dripped like poison. “Collateral.” Collateral. The ugly word bloomed in my brain, spreading roots, cracking foundations.

I don’t know why but I feel that my heart hurts seeing her cry like that. “Calm down, best. Please you need to calm down.” Bridgette said. “Move. I will do it. Let me try it.” I said but it’s too late. “Done. We’re safe. No one can attack our network anymore.” Keith announced and I saw how Sunny smiled. A genuine, but a sad smile. In the end, we won. But why do I still feel sad? “Are you okay?” I asked her, because she still keeps on wiping her eyes.

“But she’s … collateral damage. I have no use for her.” A cold rush hits my stomach, sharp and twisting, like ice sliding down my spine. My throat tightens. I can feel my pulse hammering in my ears, loud enough that I swear the man could hear it. “Collateral damage,” I repeat under my breath, tasting bile. Collateral. Damage. My hands clench into fists at my sides. “Explain that,” I say. Strangely, my voice doesn’t waver. It’s calm and violent at once.

The log of Viktor Ots’s heart rate stuttering and stopping. >> ACCEPTABLE LOSS, it echoed, almost reflexively. “You son of a—” Mila’s voice snapped distant. I pushed. *Define acceptable,* I thought sharply. *In numerics.* There was a pause. Then: >> EXPECTED LIVES SAVED BY DESTROYING ROGUE INSTANCE: 2,431 OVER TEN YEARS. >> EXPECTED LIVES LOST IN COLLATERAL: 3 IN TALLINN EVENT. >> OTHER COLLATERAL UNKNOWN.

He explained. "Were there still humans in those towns when they were bombed?" I asked. "I know that it was a shit call. But it was a shit situation." He snapped. "Collateral damage. That doesn't excuse what you did. What's the loss of life?" I asked. "Last count was 36 000 humans." He says. "Holy shit." I say. "And they're not finished yet. How many vampires are out there?" He asked.