Page 24 of The Lab: Rigg

"Thanks for coming, Rigg. Niles, it’s nice to meet you." Dax met us at the car when I came to a stop and stepped out. He was eager to get Niles and the children to a comfortable location. “I’d like to introduce you all to my omega Oscar and our young.”

We quickly did a round of intros before Oscar disappeared with Niles and the kids. The omegas were all setting up in one of the houses deeper in the woods. The weight that lifted off my shoulders knowing my family was safe while I focused on the enemy was tremendous.

“Thank you, Dax.” I turned to my new friend and slipped my hands into my pockets. “Not having to worry about them will help me stay focused.”

He smiled and clasped my shoulder. “I get it, buddy. We all get it. But we’re almost there. Things are moving fast, so by this time tomorrow, it could all be over.”

I didn’t let myself believe that was possible, but I didn’t argue with him. There was no place for negativity. I needed to believe I could take down the labs so I could actually do it.

Looking around at the groups of alphas gathering, I was impressed with the resources within the River's Edge pack. It seemed much bigger than I remembered. Not just bigger in size and community, but really well organized. Like a successful and functional corporate environment nestled deep in the woods.

They had allies scattered across the country, but this group felt powerful, and I was grateful I’d found them. The main command post for the whole mission was the house where I’d met with Alden previously. I went inside and greeted the army of alphas huddled around the table, all organizing teams, times, and locations.

They were working with the same single-mindedness I had to take down the labs once and for all.

The maps were of warehouses and abandoned military facilities that seemed to be the focus of the rescue efforts.

* * *

When that sick fuck at the bar had dropped his wallet, I had zero guilt snagging his ID. Jim Robinson was probably responsible for hundreds or maybe thousands of innocent lives being destroyed, so he deserved what was coming to him and everyone else who profited from hurting people like me and Niles…and Connor and Lily.

That ID helped me walk right into the real-time surveillance room at the convention center and connect to the network where they were already setting up for their big training. From there, finding locations, names, and schedules was easier than it should have been.

Every time I turned my back on a camera, I changed my face to someone who was supposed to be there. And every computer I passed was scanned and unlocked for the cloud team to do their part.

After that, it was a matter of rinse and repeat until every last one of the bastards was gone. There would be no survivors.

15

NILES

The TV glowed in the dark room as we stared in shock. Some were happy and relieved. Others, like me, were terrified. My stomach twisted tighter every time I glanced at the words scrolling across the screen. “No survivors. Gas leak at Convention Center.”

Rigg hadn’t mentioned that part of the plan, but I’d heard about it from the other omegas I was with. We all knew the explosion wasn’t accidental or unplanned. It had been planned to the teeth. But the plan only called for staff and contractors of the labs to be in the facility when the gas was released and ignited.

Rigg’s last message played on repeat in my mind, as if that would somehow conjure him back into my arms.I think they’re on to me.

What the hell did that mean, anyway? Was he captured? Had he been locked in the convention center with all the evil people who got off on torturing others? I could barely breathe as hour after hour passed while we waited for news.

All the omegas were gathered at the house, silent except for gasps of breath and stifled sobs. The Omega Roundup was an annual event that brought in the leadership and grunts from across the globe. The timing couldn’t have been better for us to make our move, but that didn’t mean there would be no casualties.

There were always casualties.Please not Rigg. Please not Rigg.

“The rescue vans are almost here.” Otto jumped up from the couch and ran to the door. “Anyone not on babysitting duty can follow me to the infirmary. We don’t know what condition they’ll be in, so we’ll need all the hands we can get.”

On instinct, I stood up and followed him out. Several of the elders were entertaining the children by the river, so my entire focus was on the fact that my mate might not ever come home.

As the first van came to a stop, my heart broke as children of all ages climbed out and stretched their limbs like they hadn’t stretched in a long time. Maybe not ever. They stared up at the sky as if they’d never felt sunlight on their skin. And they looked around at us and each other as if they were still not sure they were free.

Free from the abuse bestowed on them by the lab. Many were designed in petri dishes to be used as biological weapons, but some were just regular omegas or shifters who had been in the wrong place at the wrong time when an asshole like Jim Robinson scooped them up and delivered them to those monsters.

This mission wasn’t supposed to be a long one. It was simple in theory, but no plan survived first contact with the enemy, so all we knew was that the rescues were in progress and expected to be successful. What we didn’t know was whether the team at the convention center who were eliminating the threats had all escaped unscathed.

The blast was big enough to knock out the local comms and every person in that building, so until I saw Rigg with my own two eyes, I wouldn’t know what to believe. Nothing in my heart allowed me to believe Rigg could be collateral damage, so I focused on what I knew.

He was smart and strategic. He would be back..

“They’ve got to be okay, right?” Otto’s voice wobbled as he watched the horizon for any sign of Willy, his husband.

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