Chapter 42

Dan’s head lolled forward, the weight of it too much for his neck to hold. Every blink dragged like wet sand over glass. His ribs burned with each breath, a deep, grinding ache that told him something inside wasn’t sitting right.

Voices swam in and out of his head. Some too muffled to catch, some sharp enough to pierce the fog.

Metal clinked. A chair scraped. Then a crackle split the air, followed