The Million-Dollar Heart

Barnaby chuckled, a hint of steely resolve behind his humor. "I choose to have the chip removed even if it means I have to be conscious during the process."

No matter the pain, she refused to let someone else dictate the course of her life!

"The chip is currently lodged in your brain, and I'll be performing the surgery with my mom. We'll keep chatting with you throughout, and you'll even hear and feel us poking around in your noggin, so brace yourself."

It sounded simple enough, but only those who have been through it knew the agony was beyond any normal threshold of endurance.

It was akin to the trauma Arabella suffered after Brody and Vivienne had planted and then diffused a bomb inside her. The psychological scars were likely still unhealed.

Not that she had much time for healing.

Barnaby nodded in agreement. "Alright, let's get on with it."

Time was of the essence. The chip could travel through her bloodstream to any part of her body.

Noah had met his end when a similar chip had migrated near his heart. Barnaby was luckier; the chip was near her stomach when Karen intervened, sparing her life.

But now the chip had moved to his brain, and if F-Poison struck again, it would be too late.

Soon, Barnaby was wheeled back into the OR, with Karen and Vivienne scrubbing in together.

Throughout the procedure, Barnaby's eyes remained open. She could feel the drill and other surgical instruments stirring inside her skull, each nerve echoing the whine of the drill, her glands vibrating with every movement.

The sensation was indescribable.

If she had to label it, 'terrifying' would be a vast understatement.

"When was this chip put in? Can it track our location?" Barnaby inquired, curious despite the circumstances.

captured. Belle, Scott, Rowan, and Ismene don't have chips, or they'd be dead by now," Vivienne said, her gaze fixed on the screen displaying Barnaby's brain scan. Karen, manipulating the scalpel, added, "The chip can track and explode inside the

can't recall anything. Maybe we

a possibility," Karen agreed, nodding

could we swallow a chip

of the skull and switched instruments to dig deeper. "The chip could dissolve upon entry and then slowly assemble

that pinpoints your pet's location? We could even link it to the pet's retina, offering a pet's-eye view of the world," Vivienne rambled on, already

casual question to spark such a lucrative brainstorm between mother and

to form, they were quite

I see it!"

successfully extracted the

Barnaby slipped into

going to

and my mom ensured she won't remember any of

thank you, former captain. I'm in your

only family left. After years apart, it was only thanks to Vivienne and her team that

off the thanks. "If you're

his tears, Caspian was eager. "Anything you

the keyboard. Soon, a satellite map appeared on the screen, dotted with numerous red points marking individual locations. Vivienne printed the map and handed it to Caspian. "Take this to your commander. It's time to dismantle GTO's

sank in for Caspian. Those red dots were the whereabouts of every member of

"Yes, right away!"

it was an opportunity

their squads arrested every marked individual, using a jamming

other words, even if F-Poison wanted to kill them now, there was no way

who remained at large, all GTO

since the "Destruction Plan," earning Thomas, Leopold,