by L. V. Lane
And Ethan did not come.
Tomorrow then, maybe it would be Ryker who would come. He would see what the female Alpha was doing to me, and he would rip her away, his big hand around her throat. The quiet Beta would back away trembling. Ryker would chuckle as he strapped the evil female Alpha to the medical bed. Then he would order the shaking Beta to hook her up.
He would spank me for my disobedience in leaving them on that fateful morning. And then he would fuck me, the wild, Ryker type of fucking that sent my body rushing and spiraling into pleasure.
And Ryker had not come.
I was alone. If I wanted out, I must make it happen myself.
My fingers spread over my heart. In another place, they would be searching for me.
I was so fucking tired. How was it possible to be this tired and still exist?
And this too shall pass…
CHAPTER TWELVE
LILLY’S APARTMENT HAD a room set aside as an office space. One wall was lined with bound paper books—they had belonged to her grandmother, she had told me. I didn’t really get paper anything, but her grandmother’s journal was resting on her desk, and I knew it was precious to Lilly.
Taking her note from my pocket, I opened it and set it beside the journal, unable to resist running my forefinger over the swirling text.
Like the rest of her place, her personal office spoke of taste. The other walls were covered in a collage of artwork, which she had told me, were commissioned from a young Mu artist who was part of a program she supported to help underprivileged kids.
Anyone else, and I might have questioned their motives. Not Lilly, there was genuine pride in her voice when she explained that the same, once underprivileged artist, now ran regular classes for other Mu Dynamics in the community she came from.
Lilly might be a brat and have been deceitful about aspects of her singularity if my guess was right, but like all Omegas she was altruistic at her core.
The dream had escalated the situation, there was no doubt in my mind that we were all somehow linked through it, and I put a call through to Lucian telling him we needed to move with whatever we had.
He didn’t hesitate, packed up his available resources, and told me they would be on their way to collect us within the hour.
I’d been keeping my supervisor informed about my investigation in loose, general terms—he knew I was following a lead related to Salvation. We needed to deal with Tsing for his involvement in the program; Command didn’t need to know about the rest. I worked autonomously, so my mention of potentially sensitive fallout was accepted as a given. I was moving fast, though, faster than I would have had Lilly not been involved.
They trusted my judgment—I’d never abused that trust before.
They could strip me of my coveted position and throw my ass in jail, and I wouldn’t care if it got her back.
In Ryker’s words, I was crossing a lot of lines here, but I was committed to finding Lilly by whatever means were necessary.
And I was about to cross another line.
I’d had her communications redirected through me, but as yet, had not touched her electronic journal. That privilege was now forfeit, and I didn’t hesitate to hook up a remote access key and send the identifier to Lucian’s fabled tech-guru. She’d left the fucking apartment without our permission, and I couldn’t give a fuck about breaching trust. She’d had my trust once—not anymore, and when I got her back, she’d have to earn it again. If Lucian’s man could get access to her information, I wanted in. There was no space for secrets between an Alpha and his Omega. She was already inside me, and the weak link either gave me nothing or enough trauma to make me want to hurl.
When I returned to the lounge, I found Ryker pacing in front of the windowed wall. Her apartment was classically styled, and Ryker, with his rippling Alpha bulk and colorful tattoos crawling up the side of his neck, did not fit with the decor.
My lips twitched, and I don’t fit either, but we both fit perfectly with Lilly.
“So, what’s the plan?” Ryker asked. “What are we going to do?”
“Something stupid,” I replied. “You in?”
“Am I in? You’re asking me if I’m in? Are you insane? I’m disappointed in you for even asking. Fuck, yeah, I’m in. I’d be in for fucking Tsing’s shit up, even if Lilly weren’t involved. Now I’m ready to unleash hell on his skinny ass.”
His game face slipped into place. Even knowing him as well as I did, he still gave me pause for concern.
Maybe more concern because I knew him.
My lips tugged up on one side in a wry smile. “Best military academy money can buy, and you talk like you’ve escaped from the streets. You practice that shit in front of the mirror every night?”
Ryker gave me a playful smirk. “I’m a natural. You know I can fake anything if I put my mind to it. I should have been an actor.”
I laughed in spite of the seriousness of the situation. “No, you really shouldn’t.” I nodded my head at him. “You have a reputation for interrogation…We might need to call on your skills later if all goes well.”
He grinned. It was a sinister fucking grin.
“You letting me loose on Tsing?”
“Assuming we get in, yes. But getting in won’t be easy. I’ve kept Command out of the loop about our missing Omega. I told them I have evidence of Tsing’s involvement with the terrorist group Salvation and got the green light for that.”
“But this is about Lilly?” he asked. “We’re going to question him about Lilly.”
I nodded. Any dynamic who supported Salvation, whatever their reasons, was fucked in the head. She could be off the planet by now. Could be anywhere.
“I need answers. But he may have had work done—pain suppression, cell regeneration, that kind of thing.” You didn’t see it often, but it was a possibility. Usually, they only gave genetic upgrades like that to high-ranking military officers, but Tsing had enough wealth and a research background that could open the right doors. “We get our hands on him, it’s over to you. You got any experience with that?”
“I have,” Ryker said. “My favorite kind of challenge. Mind games will crack them.” He shrugged. “It’s my calling.”
Bracing my hands on my hips, I huffed out a breath. “Nice to know your warped brain is useful for something.” My communicator bleeped. Lucian and his team had arrived.
“Showtime,” I said.
The shuttle Lucian collected us in was military-grade, and came equipped with stealth-tech.
I always kept my combat gear with me when I was off duty. My size and build were non-standard, and it paid to keep it close at hand.
If Tsing had the network I suspected he did, he’d be forewarned, and our alighting in such a shuttle would send him into lockdown. No point in adding to the mix by walking down the plush corridors of Lilly’s prestigious building in full-combat gear. So, I left it packed in its case and carried it to the transport, and Ryker did the same.
It was now close to two standard days since Lilly left her apartment—time we took action.
The inside of the shuttle was bare bones with handrails projecting from the ceiling, and standing room only for Lucian, the two Deltas, Jordan and Kade, and a dozen other heavily armed Alphas in full-combat gear.
“We’re going in heavy then,” Ryker said cheerfully. He stalked off to join Kade at the back of the shuttle where an open storage panel displayed an impressive collection of additional weapons.
The entry ramp lifted, and the engine rose to a drone.
“You okay letting the kids play?” Jordan asked, nudging his head at Ryker and Kade who had fallen into an animated conversation.
I did a double-take seeing Ryker holding a rocket-propelled grenade launcher. “Fucking no,” I called. I’d seen those things pop armored vehicles like they were nothing. No way was I letting him loose in a confined space with one. “We don’t want to bring the building down.” I was exaggerating—a bit. But Ryker had a reputation for e
nthusiasm with such weapons, and I needed Tsing alive.
Ryker rolled his eyes, shrugged, and put it back. He selected an automatic rifle with an infinity power-pack, grinned and slung it over his shoulder like he was daring me to complain.
Determined not to rise to Ryker’s brand of bait, I turned back to Lucian and Jordan.
“We’re going in heavy,” I said, confirming Ryker’s earlier words. Unzipping my bag, I began hauling my armor out, organizing it into piles ready to put on.
“Is there any other way?” Lucian grinned. “It’s been a few years since I took part in an operation, but I’m making an exception for you, Black. And some of the equipment I’m loaning you is fucking expensive, so I’m keeping an eye on it.”
Bag emptied, I got on with stripping out of my civilian clothes.
Lucian’s eyes shifted over my shoulder—I was not going to look and see what Ryker was doing. I glanced back—bad idea. He had a foot-long blade in his right hand and was going through the motions of testing the weight. “Is he—safe to be out?” Lucian gestured toward Ryker. “Taken his medication and all that?”
“I’ll keep an eye on him,” I said. Shoving my discarded clothes into my empty bag, I began dragging my armor on. “And it’s not like I can leave him behind. He’s her Controller too.”
“Fair enough,” Lucian said, although his expression was doubtful.
“Tsing has got some serious tech integrated into the building,” Jordan said. “They upgraded all the building security a year ago, but there is an additional level of surveillance and an automated defense system before we get into his personal complex. He has a dozen permanent security employed—all Betas—but he doubled the numbers two weeks ago.”
“Sounds like a man making plans,” I said, clipping my black, form-fitting armor closed.
Jordan nodded. “Yeah, his upgrade to the apartment security coincided with the Uncorrupted attack on Tolis.”
“That’s a big fucking coincidence,” I growled. “Why the fuck didn’t you mention this before?”
“We didn’t investigate his personal security until you indicated you needed to go in,” Lucian said. “We had no reason to start digging before. I don’t make a habit of investigating corrupt businessmen. I keep my nose out—they keep their noses out. Most of us keep our personal security low key. Too much emphasis is a red-flag with certain government agencies,” he said, giving me a meaningful look.
“Duly noted,” I said.
“ETA three minutes,” the pilot called from the front.
In the center of my chest was a sickly pain, like a rotten worm burrowing.
“Time to load up,” Lucian said, pointing to the weapons rack.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
I MIGHT HAVE gotten distracted by the weapons. Lucian had an amazing selection—better than anything I had seen in the military. The private sector was suddenly looking very attractive.
“ETA three minutes,” someone called from the front.
Putting my weapons cache on the floor, I made quick work of getting changed, stripping out of my civilian clothes, and pulling on my black body armor.
“One minute,” Ethan said. He was clipping a couple of smaller hand-guns into his armor…and a massive fucking blade.
“You promised I could be the one to question him!” No way was I letting anyone else perform such a delicate task. Not that it was going to be delicate if Ethan went at him with a fucking…sword. More likely to butcher the fucker.
“You can,” he said, narrowing his eyes. Then he had the audacity to wink at me as he slipped that people-skewer into a slot, which happened to be the exact size, on his armor. “Weapons should be proportional.”
“Yeah? You wouldn’t deny me access to the grenade launcher if you’d seen how effective I was with one on Tolis.”
“I heard how effective you were on Tolis…and on an operations food-service tent, which is why I’m not letting you loose with one on Tsing. I want the bastard alive.”
Point made. General Sherwin—aka my father—had been spitting mad back at the base when he found out what I’d done. Read me the proverbial riot act about operational risk assessments. If I hadn’t had Lilly in my arms at the time, I’m pretty sure the consequences would have been worse.
“We’re up!” Lucian called.
My eyes locked with Ethan’s. He wasn’t one for showing emotion, and most of the time, I couldn’t make out a fucking thing, but as we stood there, a fleeting awareness passed between us. A sensation rippled through me so quickly I almost thought I’d imagined it. Like a feeling, a strong, too intense feeling. It was nasty as fuck, and I didn’t like it one bit.
I thought Ethan’s expression might have softened, but he suddenly scowled at me and said, “Fuck this up, and I’ll gut you. It won’t take me long with this knife.” Pivoting, he stalked over to join Lucian at the front.
“No prize for guessing who’s on top in your ménage,” Kade said, wearing a shit-eating grin.
“On top? Like fuck.” Only Ethan was on fucking top.
Kade laughed harder, but his amusement washed over me—it was game on.
The ramp began lowering, and as the rooftop skycar park came into view, I slipped my helmet on, tapped my comms open, and joined Ethan at the front.
Outside, it was bright and sunny. Tsing’s apartment building was situated on the southern side of the city, close to the mountain range, and a cool breeze stirred the air as we hovered. The open-air skycar port offered valet parking, and most of the twenty or so bays were occupied. Our sudden arrival sent the posh building patrons and valet staff alike scattering as we slammed down across three lanes. One bay hadn’t been empty, and a skycar might have gotten crushed.
The unloading of twenty heavily armed men sent the two remaining die-hard valet staff scattering. Ahead were a set of glass sliding doors leading into the building.
“Defense protocol initiated,” a calm voice said into the communicator. It was the first time I had heard Lucian’s tech-guru speak. No one had ever seen him, which was all very mysterious. “You have ten-seconds to breach the entry.” We sprinted for the doors. “Nine…eight…seven…six…five…four…”
We reached the door with three-seconds to spare. The building security had been warned, and they intercepted us there. Ethan took the first man out, and Lucian, who was on his right, took out the second. Unconscious, but not dead, neither man had the chance to draw a weapon.
Ten floors between us and Tsing’s apartment.
“Elevators are locked, and his outbound comms are blocked,” the calm voice continued through the open channel. “They are re-routing. You have three minutes.”
Jordan and Kade took point on the stairs. Super-calm tech-man had locked all the entry and exit points, except the ones we needed. I had never covered so many floors so quickly. We flew down them two at a time like the devil himself was on our back.
“Two minutes.”
The apartment complex must have descended into chaos with our arrival, but we were the only ones getting in or out. We came to a collective halt on Tsing’s level. He owned the entire floor so the moment we opened the emergency exit, we would meet his team.
“One minute.”
They would be waiting for us.
“Thirty-seconds.”
Ethan said, “We’re in position.”
“Disengaging lock in, three…two…one.”
There was no audible sound. Jordan was at the door, he signaled to Kade. Kade nodded.
A boom shattered the quiet, and the door blew out.
Automatic weapons fire arced in both directions as we hustled through the door. Inside was a short corridor. A single body lay bleeding, and beyond it was another locked door.
Kade jogged over, hooked up an explosive, and backed up a couple of paces.
Another boom and the next door blew out. Dust and debris rained down, we took the room in a violent rush, blood splattered, screams ripped up the air, and we stormed through the ap
artment complex like harbingers of death. Tsing’s men fell back; we pressed forward.
I killed anyone who got in my way, and I relished every death.
Then I found myself in a corridor—that fucking corridor from the dream—and it poleaxed me. Fumbling for the catch on my helmet, I ripped it off and bent over double, forearms braced on my knees. I couldn’t breathe, let alone fight.
Around me, the sounds of combat grew distant.
She has been here!
Was this it? Was I losing my mind?
The world was spinning, a kaleidoscope of colors twisting and turning—I thought I might throw up. I’d popped a couple of boosts before we left the apartment, but I wasn’t that fucking high.
“Get a fucking grip,” Ethan said. His voice interjected calm, the spinning stopped, and the sickness abated. I’d been so out of it that I hadn’t noticed his approach. I could have been fucking killed if it had been one of Tsing’s men.
A gloved hand closed over the back of my neck, Ethan jerked me upright, and his face got in mine. There was blood splattered over it. His blade—sword—was in his other hand, glistening in the light that spilled from a high row of windows across the long, wood-paneled corridor.
His hand remained on the back of my neck, and his lips suddenly tugged up on one side. “Keep it together. You’re supposed to be a psychopath for fuck sake.”
I didn’t know what the fuck I was anymore, but I knew this corridor was freaking me the fuck out.
“I chased your ass down because you weren’t moving and your vitals were off the charts,” Ethan continued. “And here you are with your head up your ass. You can analyze your spiritual awakening later. You’re about to get your playtime.”
I think the bastard was starting to care about me! “Spiritual awakening? Pfft. You grew up on Lyus. What the fuck do you know about spiritual awakenings?”
Grinning, he gave me an up-down assessing look. “More than you,” he said.