TWISTED EMPIRE
Twisted Empire – Episode 37&38
(Her Blade, His Neck )
________________________
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, copied, or reposted in any form, or by any means without a written permission from the author.
Copyright © 2025
__________________________
[Base Prison]
The room smelled like bleach and rotten soil. Walls are decorated with thick cobwebs which extended to the roof. There are spiders spreading freely in the middle of every web.
The ground is neither cemented nor concreted, so the loamy soil is in small scanty heaps, and a rusty dagger lay somewhere in the middle of shredded muslin clothes which has dried blood patches on them.
In the shallow corner, there’s a small square bed with a beige spread, and on top of the bed, Teal sat.
Her legs on the ground, and her palms on the bed surface as she stared into an empty space.
Her cheek is still red with the fingerprints of the D-Sergeant who slapped her, but she doesn’t feel the sting.
She shouldn’t be here. She doesn’t deserve to be here.
Morgan is a bî+ch she hates the sight of, but still … She’d never go as far as editing a video of her and Quentin.
Where is the time?
That night when the video was posted, she was with Four. That was the night she went to s+duce him, so he’s probably the only one who can help now.
No. He’s definitely the only one, but what was that indifference she felt from him earlier when he walked past her at the hallway?
He’s always indifferent, but the ice surrounding him earlier was glacial.
He doesn’t know about her date with Xanthe, does he?
Right, Xanthe.
She brought her pager out of her pocket and immediately gave up. It’s a one-way pager, meaning Xanthe is the only one who can send messages.
She can’t.
She flung the pager at the pile of bloody clothes and gripped the bedspread tight, imagining it as Morgan and the D-Sergeants.
She felt her breaths boiling in her lungs, and she almost exploded with the the rise in her temperament.
The promotion ceremony must still be ongoing right now, and the fact that she’s not there?
It’s making her sick.
—
The promotion ceremony ended faster than everyone expected.
After the announcement of Four’s transfer to Indonesia, Four and Yulia left the hall at the same time, and their silence was deafening.
Even till now.
General Pedro stood in the middle of the suite living room, and his uniform is half-gone cos he’s not wearing the shirt anymore, just the pants and a black shirt.
He was restlessly pacing, wearing a confused look till Yulia came out of the bedroom.
She’s holding a pack of cigarettes and a zippo, then a smile hung on her thin lips.
“Yulia” Pedro took few steps to her, and she widened that smile.
“Congratulations on chosing the first Maj Sergeant in your domain” she said, adjusting the sleeve of his shirt.
“You’re not angry? Yulia. I know you better than anyone” Pedro replied, his eyes roaming hers as if he wants to pull what she’s thinking out of her skull which is impossible.
In the masking aspect, Yulia has almost same abilities as Four.
“Angry?” She blinked, putting fire on her cigar. “Why? Oh…cos you transferred Four to Indonesia?” She brought the stick to her lips, puffin before throwing her weight on a chair across him.
“You said it was bilateral agreement, so I know it’s an order from him—The President” She leaned forward, pouring smokes out of her lips.
“Why then should I be mad? You have no choice but listen to him. The President presides over the army anyways” she continued.
Pedro stood there, watching her with sudden dumbness.
Yulia slid a music disc into the CD player on the table.
As the disc rolled, a dark piano tune began humming, filling the house with it’s unsettling harmony.
She relaxed and snapped her eyes shut, enjoying the tunes with her smokes as company.
Still in confusion, Pedro left the suite and went to his office, but as expected, Axel was waiting in front of the door.
He ignored him and went in, dressing in his uniform and taking his seat.
Axel came in, his eyes and steps hurtful till he stopped at the back of the desk.
“Why am I always the abandoned one? Why?” He asked.
“Go back to your whoring business, Axel. I have nothing to tell you” Pedro flatly replied, and Axel laughed loud, the sound brooding and broken.
“Am I only allowed to live under the shadows of Four and Sierra forever? I was thinking Four is the only one I need to be wary of, but I was wrong cos you even worship Sierra more than Four!” He snapped, tears pooling in his eyes for real.
“Leave this office, Axel. The third warning won’t come. I’ll have to get you thrown out” Pedro replied, looking up to meet his teary eyes.
“Tell me honestly…what does she have on you?” Axel muttered, his tears falling on the table.
“I’m talking about Sierra’s mom! The self-acclaimed Empress! What does she have on you? Why do you always do her biddings cos? I know she’s behind this promotion. Are you her dog!!?” He yelled, and that was replied with a hit…
From Pedro.
Axel felt his teeth twist in his gum immediately Pedro’s palm met with his cheek, and his eyes widened.
“You slapped me? Dad?”
Pedro dialled his Sergeants on the telephone, and in just two seconds, they rushed in.
“Take him” he ordered, and Axel was seized.
“I was 10 when I started working for you in this base!! When is my work ever gonna be appraised! When am I even gonna matter!!” He yelled, not even struggling with the Sergeant’s as they dragged him.
“You were 10 when you joined this base, but Sierra was 10 too, and she’s 4 years older than you, meaning she spent 4 years here before you arrived! She took trainings serious and was the best of her set! I offered her promotions and she has been declining for reasons I don’t know, and now that I suddenly decided to elevate her, I believe that shouldn’t be a problem but your brain will never tell you that! All you do is philander around with Allegra!” Pedro yelled.
Suddenly, Axel broke free from the Sergeants and wiped his tears off with his sleeve.
“Yeah, I have talent in philandering with women, and that’s why you should be careful, dad. I’ll meet Empress—your so-called first love. I’ll seduce, f+ck her like a whore that she is and send you the fuckin video” he promised, then he stormed out of the office.
“Axel!!!” Pedro yelled after him, but the headache wasn’t over cos Sierra came in almost immediately.
She’s already in her new uniform, her hair bound with a net under her cap.
“Not you too. You should be celebrating your promotion. What are you doing here Sierra?” Pedro held his head.
“Why would you transfer Four to Indonesia? Not even somewhere in this Greece, but another country entirely? What stupid bilateral agreement did the President make overnight! He’s the best army in this base so why the f+ck would he be transferred?” She questioned.
“Watch your mouth, Sierra. You’re the Major Sergeant now, and you should act like it” Pedro replied.
“My promotion means nothing without Four beside me! You can’t take him away from me! You can’t!” Sierra shouted dementedly.
“What are you even talking about!” Pedro snarled.
“This can only work with him beside me. Usman can only go down with the collaboration of Four and i. Four has always belonged by my side and you have no right to take him. He’s my strength, and I think you just made a mistake. Fluid it and rewrite it, or else I’ll rebel, and mum will support me as always” she threatened, then she stormed out just like Axel.
Allegra was waiting outside for her, but she bypassed her as her fury is still eating her up.
Allegra had to run after her.
“Hey Major! You can’t stay mad like this all day, we should drink to it. Four is transferred? Even better, then Teal is dead meat in your hands” she said, and Sierra faced her sharply like a mutilation knife.
“Don’t repeat that statement again, ever in your life. Four is like my other half, and I can’t function well without him, so just shut up. And Teal? I think it’s hightime I visit that wench” She said.
Allegra blinked, once.
—
[Master Sergeant’s Office]
“You can reject the transfer, Master—No—you should definitely reject it. You can’t leave this country, Usman is going to kill everyone without you” Kash said pleadingly, sitting in front of Four whose poker face is angled on his phone screen.
“Why should I refuse transfer cos of the citizens? Usman couldn’t kill everyone in this city when I haven’t gotten here, so nothing is gon change with my absence” he said with that bored dryness.
“When you weren’t here, it was better, but now that you’re here it’s a different story. Usman communicates with you better than anyone and he even gives you puzzles to solve!” Kash continued cajoling, but Four chose silence this time.
Kash sighed, getting fed up.
“Think about Private Teal at least. She’s currently locked up, and if you leave, then there are wolves waiting to eat her.” He tried again.
“Smart of you to use her as a reason like she’s my kryptonite or something.” Four spoke, dropping his phone and looking up.
He was actually playing puzzles.
“She’s got the president, and she’s got her uncles. She’s not a weakling herself. Quit Mentioning her, makes me wanna leave faster. Schedule my flight for tomorrow morning. 7am” he continued.
“But—”
“Kash Graham, one more word from you and I’m punching you in the same place as yesterday, and this time, you’ll die” Four madly cut him off, and he stood.
“I’ll prepare your flight documents” he said, leaving the office.
Four resumed his puzzle play on his phone like he’s not currently in the middle of the ongoing chaos.
As he dragged the puzzle pieces across his screen, he received a text from a line saved as ‘Black Widow’
He clicked the text open, and his lids flickered. His eyes took that ruthless shade.
The usual.
—
[President’s Mansion]
The butlers and maids are all folded with their heads bowed over the glittering staircase as Xanthe came downstairs, right hand sleazily inserted in his cargo pocket and the left one beside him.
He looks happy, and he’s licking his lips as if it got baptized with honeydew, taking his time.
President Spyros is at the first dinning room, getting ready for breakfast at the head of the long ebony table.
He’s holding a warm cup of frappé to his lips which he’s sipping.
The room is plush like every other room in the mansion. There’s a fancy fireplace burning purple flames, and Xanthe easily sat on one of the upholstered chairs not far from his father, picking up his fork and digging into the stir-fried veggies.
“Mm, now I know why she loves them. It’s delicious” he said, eating more.
“You didn’t eat veggies when you were in Miami?” President Spyros asked, his voice balanced despite the bougatsa in his mouth.
He has started eating.
“I hated veggies cos it’s basically leaves, dad” Xanthe offered.
“And now you’re letting go of the hate cos what? You like her that much?”
“It was love at first sight, don’t blame me. But that Sergeant…Four. He said something about how she’s married, and I’ve been thinking” Xanthe said with a slight frown.
“She was betrothed to him by her parents doesn’t mean she belongs to him. Her parents are dead anyways, and all she has is her uncles. I’ll have to speak to the uncles. I already sent them an invite” President Spyros replied.
“But what about Four himself? Someone who drove a car containing 4 human bombs and escaped the rocky earthquake? He doesn’t seem simple” Xanthe dropped his fork.
“He got transferred to Indonesia” President Spyros broke the news.
“What! For real?” Xanthe spranged up.
“You don’t believe?” President Spyros wiped his mouth carefully with a napkin.
“No. I know you have a long-term alliance with the president of Indonesia, but I wasn’t expecting you to fill the bilateral agreement with Four. That’s sudden” Xanthe said.
He sat back slowly. “But I like it. I like that fact that he’s gone without getting hurt. He looks like a good person” he said.
“You should visit the base tomorrow, take Teal on a shopping spree and engrave yourself in her memories. I wasn’t joking when I told you I want my grandchildren to come from her” President Spyros continued.
“I know, won’t be long now” Xanthe smiled brightly.
—
[Cantonment, Bazaar Supermarket]
“Cheers!!!”
And that was followed by the clinking of beer glasses from Morgan and Stormy and their group of little minion ladies.
They came here to drink after they left the assembly hall.
Armies are free to go out and drink today. It’s a free day cos of the ceremony, and they’re using it to their satisfaction.
“I can’t even express my joy, to think that I’d be the one in that Base Prison instead of her if we hadn’t planned? Gawd…I love you Stormy!” Morgan gushed out happily, hanging her arm on Stormy’s shoulder.
“Let’s be friends forever, nothing can ever come between us” she said.
“Nothing” Stormy winked, and they kissed each other’s cheeks before drinking again under the envious eyes of their minions.
“Now that Snowman is going to Indonesia tomorrow, who’s gonna be the new leader of Maelstrom squad?” A minion asked.
“Who else? Sierra of course” Stormy snickered.
“Then it’s our luck. Sierra is like our base-mother. We’re safe” Morgan shrugged.
“You can say that again, and Teal is definitely cooked.” Stormy smiled, and the smile turned to a grin till the others joined.
“But then…why is Quentin still not picking your calls?” Stormy asked Morgan.
“No idea” Morgan replied.
“Hey!” That voice broke into their circle, and Morgan gasped in recognition, spranging up to see Quentin standing behind their table in the scanty supermarket.
“Quentin!” She gushed shockingly.
“Why haven’t you been picking your calls! You left Morgan worried!” Stormy shouted.
“I got into and accident that morning after I left Mirza hotel, and I lost my phone. I’ve been healing at the hospital” Quentin explained, showing his peeled forearms.
“OMG! Babe! I’m so sorry!” Morgan started crying childishly as she checked them out.
“They’re healed now, you don’t have to cry” Quentin smiled.
“But then who exactly are you? How can you enter this cantonment when you’re not one of the civilians signed by the government?” Stormy asked.
“His father is a bigwig in the political network, so enough with the questions, Stormy.” Morgan defended, throwing her arms on Quentin’s shoulders.
“I missed you, especially your sweet cock” she shamelessly confessed, dragging him into a corner in the supermarket while unbuttoning her uniform already.
“They’ve started again. Lesson never leaned” Stormy muttered, downing her beer.
—
[Base, Training Ground]
“Teal left the communal dinning and went to Snowman’s Unit that night when the video was posted, so he’s the only one who can help” April said, her voice desperate.
The news of Teal’s arrest has circulated round the base before the promotion ceremony even ended.
Problem now is how to rescue her.
“Snowman is flying out and has refused to help according to Sergeant Kash, what to do?” Shannon asked.
“I’ll have to meet Snowman. Even if it means prostrating in front of him” Rook said.
“You can’t do that” Theo replied from the side.
“Oh I can. It’s my best friend we’re talking about here and who knows how fucked up the Base Prison is!?” Rook yelled at him.
Theo went silent.
“Theo is right. According to Sergeant Kash, Snowman seemed to be very mad at Teal and when he brought her up, Snowman threatened to punch him to death” Shannon said.
“What! Why would he be that pissed?” April replied.
At this point, Brent stood from the fallen punching bag he has been sitting on.
“It’s my fault” he said, and Rook was the first to face him before the others.
“What do you mean it’s your fault?” He asked.
Brent shoved his hand into his shaven head.
“It’s my fault” he muttered, confusing them more.
Paine is sitting on a wet brick not far from the bunch, and as he stared at them, he felt Abbey’s phone in his pocket.
One video from this phone will liberate Teal, but why should he release it when he hates her?
Also, Teal is not his target audience for the secrets on that phone. There are many others.
He sighed, lulling his head to the side.
Right beside him, Skye sat, watching him with hawk-view.
His abilities are peak, and his intuitions never lie.
Right now, he feels like Paine is hiding something, behind the pain of Abbey’s death in his eyes, and maybe he’s gonna find out what it is.
Paine’s eyes met with his own, and when Paine saw him staring, he smirked.
“Stop staring, Specialist Skye. Or I’ll dig out your organ of vision.” He said, jumping down the brick and leaving the place.
“Hardtack, but will be worth it” Skye mumbled.
—
[Base Prison]
The straight creaking of the iron door made Teal turn around on her spot, her hands stiffening.
She has been standing in the middle of the godawful room since she got tired of sitting, and as she expected whoever it is to come in, she swallowed nothing.
Her expectations were madly high, but they fell low, and disappointment set in when Sierra came in instead.
Why was she low-key expecting him?
She didn’t revel in that disappointment for long though, cos Sierra is wearing a different uniform with five chevrons and rockers, then two stars.
Obviously, it’s a higher rank than Four’s. Does that mean??…
Wait…Major Sergeant?
Her eyes widened at her own realization, and Sierra smiled as Allegra came in after her.
“Yeah, you guessed right in your mind. I’m the Major Sergeant of this base as from today, and I’m like the General’s second in command. You should accord some respect and give me my salutations now” she said.
Teal didn’t move, her palms just balled up like kitten paws.
“Oh you think Four is still around? Poor you, you know nothing…do you? He got transferred to Indonesia by the president’s orders, and now you’re at my mercy.” Sierra laughed, and Allegra joined in the laughter as it turned shriller.
Teal’s throat tightened around nothing, and her balled fists came off on their own.
“What!” She found herself sounding shocked, and as much as she hates it, she doesn’t care.
“Why?” She walked fast to Sierra. “Why would the president transfer him out of the country when Usman is still alive?”
“You must really think you still have the right to question me” Sierra raised her fist at her, fast like a thunderbolt.
Teal caught the hit with her palm, twisting that roll, but Sierra was able to untwist it, then she slammed a wicked blow to Teal’s jaw.
Teal didn’t snooze, she returned that blow to Sierra’s jaw,. Hot as blowtorch. Raw like a witch’s cry.
Sierra punctuated her with an elbow on the jugular, then she proceeded to jabbing her brutally on the belly.
Teal swung around, returning the lethal hits to her jugular and belly— and a bonus on the chest.
They both staggered away from each other. Steps rushed, and breaths overflowing from their molten lungs.
Allegra glowered, wondering what’s going on.
“Wench!!” Sierra took off her cap and lunged at Teal again.
Teal strengthened the stand of her second leg on the ground, then she raised the first one in a tsunami-level kick—one of the rare techniques she learnt from her uncles.
Shockingly, Sierra raised that same leg at her, and their kicks met at the same time, throwing the two of them back to the heaping ground.
Teal got wounded on her shoulder, and Sierra got a cut on her leg.
They stood at the same time, again.
Sweats riding their skins like waves, hate fusing in their eyeballs like bees.
Allegra’s mouth is wide by the door.
What’s really really going on?
Why can’t one defeat the other? Why does Sierra and Teal have the same techniques and strength?
Why is…
Her thoughts got broken when the two ladies lunged at themselves again, both rolling punches like gifts and throwing it at each other with the same frequency. Same energy.
Teal’s punch met Sierra’s chin with a loud shatter, and Sierra immediately returned it to Teal’s head, nearly bursting the skull.
Another punch entered Sierra’s mouth from Teal, and her mouth bled colour, but Sierra returned that punch to Teal’s belly, and Teal bled from the mouth too.
Punch. Bleed. Punch.
Punch. Bleed. Punch.
That’s the continuous procedure till they both drew long breaths and stepped away from each other.
“We need to leave” Allegra pulled Sierra, and Sierra didn’t stop looking back at Teal, wondering what’s going on till they got out of the prison.
They went to Allegra’s Unit, and Allegra let go of her.
“What was that? Why does she match up? Why is your stamina on the same level as hers?” Allegra asked.
“You expect me to know?” Sierra glared, grabbing her phone and dialling her mum.
The line rang for one straight minute before it picked.
“You promised to be here for me mum!!! You promised to come for me today! It’s my day of joy where the fûck are you!! Dad is taking Four away from me and I need you to talk some senses into him! Also, there’s someone who matches my energy here and it has never happened before! What’s really going on!!!” She yelled, hitting herself on the wall.
“I warned you against shouting, didn’t I? Are you begging to be chastised?” Empress’s cold voice filtered in.
Sierra drew in a loud breath.
“Now, explain again calmly. What’s going on?” Empress said.
—
[Sergeant Kash’s Suite]
“He really won’t reject the transfer, and it’s bothersome. I can’t imagine working under Sierra. She works with strength, not brains” Kash said, sitting restlessly on the couch.
“Even if he rejects it, it’s impossible. It’s the President we’re talking about” Cassie replied, coming out of the kitchen with a tray containing dinner which she set on the dinning.
“He has a betrothed wife, he should at least stay because of Teal” Kash replied.
“Betrothed doesn’t mean he likes her” Cassie shrugged.
“But he doesn’t hate her either” Kash replied.
“So it’s between the margin?” Cassie asked.
“I can’t even say. It’s hard to understand that man Cassie. His head works differently” Kash replied.
“Just eat dinner first, then Snowman can come next” Cassie replied, entering the kitchen to text Axel.
Cassie: Are you fine? I’m worried.
—
[Base Prison]
Thanks to Teal’s wristwatch, it’s easy to count time, though the watch is a little broken from the D-Sergeants drags.
She has spent 13 hours here, and the time is currently 10pm.
The dull green bulb on the ceiling is manageably bright, so it’s not very bad except for the silence.
The silence got more annoying, and she could see the moon peering in through the few cracks of the walls.
It’s even colder here than the enclosed pavilion, but that’s not an issue to think about right now.
She’s squatting beside the bed, and her arms are wrapped around her folded legs.
The blood on her lips from the fight with Sierra is still there, she doesn’t care about wiping.
But Four is leaving this country?
How did the President even come to such ludicrous and evil conclusion?
Is that even making any sense?
Obviously, Four is Usman’s only match, so when Usman announces his next attack, who’d face him?
Sierra? The same person whose strength is on the same level as hers?
And talking about Sierra, how is that even possible?
Her uncles techniques were created for her alone.
Refined for her alone.
Cemented into her alone.
So why? Why does Sierra know them as much as she does?
Her uncles owe her explanations, but she’s not getting any if she continues staying in this godforsaken place.
A crackle came from the door, and she spranged to her feet, hoping she won’t get disappointed this time.
Her heartbeats picked up—not in fear, but in heavy anticipation and broadened hope.
It was his scent first, and she felt her jaws loosen as he stepped in, slowly but intentional like he came here to kill her.
The plasters on his temples are gone, but the wounds are still there, though not fresh anymore, and now she wished she had offered to treat them.
His presence seized the air like a grim reaper’s, and the shadow behind his huge body is bigger than life.
With each step he took towards her, she felt his dark intents, and the danger lurking in his eyeballs like an ouija board.
Something told her to move, and she did. She moved.
Stepping back with each step he took closer to her.
It’s like a cat and mouse game, and the respective roles of each of them is obvious.
She took the fifth step, and her back hit the dusty wall behind her, causing her to jerk a little.
She looked behind for a beat before throwing her glance back to him.
He’s still walking, still coming closer like a flood, his gaze still pointed.
“You shouldn’t leave for Indonesia, the citizens need you” she said before she knew it.
“And you don’t?” He replied, his voice eerie and tainted with something carnal—something abyssal.
“Why would I need you?” She replied with another gulp, and she saw his lips compress into a thin line. His chin jutted out.
“You came back to this base, marked yourself as my wife even before I did, and you think you can go on dates with a twat, smile with a twat, get touched by a twat and kiss a twat?” His harsh voice burned through the space, and her brows furrowed with both shock and question.
He knows?
He knows.
“It’s a goodbye night, so enjoy the woes I brought with it” he whispered, the venom seeping deep.
By now, he’s already with her, and she could feel his incisive words and breaths on her pores with in-depth penetrations—just like his eyes.
“I didn’t ki—”
She was cut off roughly when Four’s big palm wrapped like a belt on her throat, and she gasped as the familiar sensations crawled on her throat under his chokehold.
“Too late, bury the explanation” Four whispered with beastly need, and then his pale lips came crowning her bloody lips, kissing off her words and stealing the remaining letters into his demanding mouth.
Her eyes widened, and her fingers clutched at his uniform, digging dents into the material as her back pierced into the jagged wall.
Her knees moved to stab him, but he caught it with his hand, pressing her kneecap so hard that she grumbled into his mouth.
He ate up that grumble, unravelled her mouth and tossed his tongue around the warmness and slickness of her mouth.
Her lips curved against his, fingers tearing his shirt, knees jerking on his palm as he devoured her with reckless abandon, eating into the blood.
He kissed her like his lips were the question, and hers are the answers.
He kissed her angrily, like her lips owned her an apology.
He kissed her like her tongue is a meal he’s willing to pay a lifetime for.
He kissed her with ferocity—insanity and yearning fused into one.
He let go with a flick, and immediately their lips pulled away, she raised an hand to his face, but he caught it and brought it down, his eyes taking the red again.
“I hate you…so very much” she hatefully muttered, her swollen lips shaking with his assault.
“As you should. Get on that bed on your fours, Teal. You’re receiving the ten punishments before I leave” he replied, his words heated like a sculpting knife.
“Ten…what?” Her eyes widened.
“It was 6 before, but for the date and the kiss with the twat, it’s plus 4” he replied sadistically.
“I didn’t kiss him! And who are you to even do this!” She shouted, the green light seeming to be mocking her by brightening more.
“Eleven” he replied flatly.
“I’m not getting on that bed” she sneered, feeling the lingering fire on her lips from his kiss.
“Twelve” he replied.
“You’re sick” she muttered.
“Deeply so, thirteen” he replied.
“I hate you…” She whispered.
“Feels like you do, fourteen” he said, and her teeth clenched.
Knowing how twisted he is, he’s only gonna keep counting, and her punishments will only keep heightening, so she got on the bed.
She fell on all fours—knees and palms flattening on the square mattress which squeaked.
“You’re spanking, isn’t it? Get it over with.” She muffled.
“Spanks?” Four smirked, dirtier than mud water as his eyes gleamed.
“Palm spanks are for stupid gentlemen, and I’m not one.” He said, and then he’s flipping his belt apart.
He pulled the belt out of the hoops and wrapped the metal buckle around his palm, then his hand latched to her trousers.
He ripped it apart like it’s nothing, exposing her ass cheeks to the green light and his dark eyes.
Her palms sweated, gumming defiantly with the sheets.
“Count” he growled, raising the belt to the air.
TBC.
