Page 17 of Omega on Fire

"No, Charlotte. The mistake was yours, thinking you could change the world. The mistake wasbelieving Omegas deserved more than their biological destiny." He chuckles, as if the idea is mere lunacy and continues. "It's been enlightening, but I have a vote to cast, ironically, on a bill your disappearance will help pass. Farewell."

The speaker clicks off with depressing finality.

I sit frozen, staring at the now-silent device. My heart pounds so hard I can feel it in my throat, in my fingertips, in the wounds still healing across my body. Tonight. An auction. No more time.

The guards move toward me, ready to drag me back to my cell. I don't resist, not yet. Hours, not days. Impossible odds. No time to plan. No time to escape. Damn it! I won’t go quietly.

I’m not dead yet, Senator.

And if there’s one thing they’ll learn about me, it’s that I wasn’t made to bow.

CHAPTER 8

TRIGGER

Iadjust the night vision goggles over my eyes and scan the barren landscape. It's amazing how these fuckers always find the most remote locations for their depravity. In the middle of the New Mexican desert, no civilization can be seen for miles. Perfect spot to hide and most government agencies are none the wiser.

"Three more vehicles approaching from the south," Joker's voice crackles through my earpiece. "Bentley, Rolls-Royce, and what looks like a custom Maybach. These bastards aren't even trying to be subtle. Talk about who’s who amongst the corrupt and deviant."

I watch as the convoy of luxury cars winds its way toward what appears to be nothing but sand androck formations until they disappear into what we now know is a hidden entrance to an underground bunker. Clever. The kind of clever that costs millions. A red flag that this situation is much larger and more far-reaching than I care to consider right now. Rescue first, take down the bad guys later.

"How many guests does that make?" I ask, my voice low and steady despite the rage simmering beneath my skin.

"Twenty-eight," Joker responds. "Plus, whatever security they've brought along with them. I've got thermal readings suggesting at least sixty bodies in total. That’s not counting how many guards and staff they have on the inside."

Beckett shifts beside me, his finger tapping against his rifle. "Is there a second entrance? A less conspicuous one?"

"I'm all over it. I have my drones checking all the nooks and crannies," Joker says through the comms in our ears.

While we wait, my thoughts turn to the woman who's wormed her way into my consciousness since the moment I saw her picture. I want to get her out of there, protect her, and make her ours. I know it's not rational, but I didn't claim to be a rational man when I want something or someone. A tug in my chest istelling me she belongs with us. I guess this is what it’s like to naturally feel a mating bond. It’s so rare these days, I didn’t believe it could happen this way anymore. But here we are, with only a picture to be sure. I don’t need proof, I have a feeling. Now I just need to lay my eyes on her and all will be revealed.

Charlotte is down in that hellhole, probably terrified, possibly drugged, waiting to be sold off like livestock to the highest bidder. The thought makes my blood boil, a growl rises in my throat that I barely manage to suppress. Breathe.

"Drones are picking up the security pattern," Joker updates. "They've got armed guards at every entrance point, but they're rotating on a predictable schedule. Hold up, I'm seeing a service entrance on the northeast side with minimal coverage."

"That's our way in," I decide. "Is Dez's backup team in position?"

"Affirmative," Moses confirms through the comm. "They're holding at the extraction points, ready to move on Joker's signal."

I glance over at Beaux, who's crouched twenty yards to my right with Quincy. Even in the darkness I can see the wild look in his eyes. He's been on edge for days, but now, now he's got that look that usually ends with bodies on the ground.

"Remember the plan," I say firmly, making eye contact with each member of my team. "We split into three teams. We move fast, we hit hard, and we get all the captives out of there. Not one of them left behind. No heroics. We leave the clean-up for the local authorities when they move in. Hopefully we'll be long gone before they do."

Malcolm nods from his position, already paired with Moses. "We'll take the eastern quadrant, the cell blocks, clear it room by room."

"Quincy and I will handle the security hub," Beaux adds, checking his weapon one last time. "I'm going to need a few trophies, preferably eyes and ears." The smile on his face would make a normal man piss his pants, but none of us bat an eye at his need to mutilate the dead for his pleasure.

"While Beckett and I go for the main auction floor," I finish. "Once we have Charlotte, we trigger the fire system. That's your cue to extract, no matter what."

The radio crackles with Joker's voice again. "Heads up. I think they're starting. The last of the guests are inside, and I'm picking up movement in what looks like a central chamber."

My heart rate spikes. "Time frame?" I ask, shifting on the balls of my feet ready to move.

"Based on heat signatures and movement patterns, I'd say you've got less than fifteen minutes before they bring out the merchandise," Joker replies.

Merchandise. The word makes me want to tear something, someone, apart. Charlotte isn't merchandise. She's ours. She's pack. We just need to convince her of it.

"Let's move," I order, sliding down from our vantage point. "Beckett, with me. Moses, you and Malcolm circle around to the east entrance. Beaux, you and Quincy take the service corridor Joker mapped."

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