Page 264 of G.O.D.S Omnibus

“Not good enough, Elizabeth.” I tsk, shaking my head at her. Pointing the scalpel into her cheek, I smirk as it instantly pierces the skin. “Hurry up... this will just get longer and bigger if you don’t talk. You wouldn’t want to leave here covered in scars. I’m going to move to your scalp next. Just imagine some of these chemicals in here. Melting your scalp to the point you could never grow your hair back, the skin so sensitive that wigs will put too much pressure on you. Tick tock, Elizabeth.”

“Gahhh,” she screams. “Not my face.” Her thrashing renews, but she cannot cover her face with her arms restrained. I pull the scalpel away quick enough before it does any more damage.

“You want to match on the other side?” I taunt. “Okay.”

“No, please no. All I know is one of the men is Guy Bradley. He works for some big pharmaceutical company. Please, that’s all I know.”

“It’s a good start. Lock her up in the cells for safekeeping,” I tell Davis, and he nods. “And get her a bandage so she doesn’t leave a mess for us to clean.”

I throw the scalpel on the metal bench and leave the morgue, heading straight for Marlow’s office. I knew it’s where I’d find him and Jimmie; they both turn and look at me the moment I enter the room. “Guy Bradley, look him up.”

Jimmie turns back around and starts typing away. A picture of him pops up on the screen in less than a minute.

“How is he connected to the other guy?” Jimmie asks Marlow. “The other guy is some petty cybercriminal who can barely get a job done.”

“They probably have no connection—he would be disposable to them,” I add. “What do we do now that we know who Ziyon is with?”

Marlow’s fingers fly over the keys. “We find any properties they own and places they frequent. If this man is in pharmaceuticals, he could be building a new company and havetaken our babies as guinea pigs. I’m hoping I can also find... Ah, hah! Peirce Mason is a leading scientist. He has won some bullshit awards, and guess who he has been friends with since college? He owns a building just outside the city. Let’s gather everyone.”

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Kai

We all stand around the conference table, with the blueprints of the building sprawled in front of us as Brennan assigns us our roles. “Kai—you and Case will take the lead. We need you to find what level they are on. Laughn, Creed, and Chester—you will rappel from the top of the building and enter through the windows. Boston and Davis—you both will go in the back door and make sure no one escapes through the stairwell. Trace and I will take the front. Marlow—you and Jimmie will work from the van. You will be our eyes and ears.”

“What about me?” Jolie asks, and we all whip our heads in her direction. What does she fucking mean?!

“What about you?” Boston throws back.

“I’m coming,” she demands.

“No,” Chester states firmly as we all watch on. We wait for him to cross the line, and for one of us to have to step in.

“Try and stop me, but I will just follow you. These are my children too. I’m coming.”

Chester takes three large steps and looks down at her, his eyes full of fiery anger. He should know by now that his size doesn’t intimidate her, nor does his attempt at subduing her.

“I will lock you up right next to that cunt I call a mother. Do. Not. Try me, Jolie,” he spits. It might be sick, but I love watching these two argue. It’s like foreplay and totally the wrong time to have a fucking semi.

“Do that, and we are done,” she snaps, glaring at him, daring him to keep arguing with her.

He takes a step back as if she punched him in the heart. She points a finger at his chest.

“You. Do. Not. Get to tellmeI can’t help save my children, not you.” She turns her attention to everyone else. “Or any of you. Do you understand me?” I nod my head at her, knowing we really have no choice.

Brennan sighs. “Fine, but we need you to stay in the van with Marlow. You have to understand, it’s not that we don’t want you with us. It’s just...”

“Fuck, spit it out already. It’s that if shit goes down, we will save you... it’s always going to be fucking you. So, if you get in the way, it’s your own damn fault we will prioritise you over them,” Chester booms, holding nothing back.

Exasperated, she grits her teeth and nods. “Let’s go.”

The entire drive, I’m a wreck, and my knee bobs up and down at an alarming speed. Creed cuts me a glare and Jolie places her hand on my leg, which helps calm my damn nerves. I know they want me to look through the building, but only once since she’s been back have I been able to use my ability. I haven’t exactly had time to practise.

Creed, Laughn, and Chester are all dressed in black, and as soon as the car stops, they fling backpacks over their shouldersand race around the side of the building. Everyone leaves and moves to their spots, radioing in when they’re in position. Including me and Case, and we run across the street so I can get a good view of the entire building. I stare blankly and nothing happens.

“What do you see?” Marlow asks through the small earpiece.

“I can’t fucking see anything,” I snap. “I can’t do it.”

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