I simply nodded.

“Everyone, please stay alive, yes?” Malik said and left the room.

Finally, I was ready to get my little rabbit.

I headed to the lower level to gather my gear and change my clothes. I was ready to get blood on my hands.

And Thomas better still be alive.

“I’mallhackedintothe system. They have cameras both inside and outside, and I have a security feed running on acontinuous loop. I see four men guarding the perimeter. One man is on the roof. Inside, there are several men, and the area is covered in goods, but I don’t know what they are. Unfortunately, boxes are blocking some of my view, so you’ll have to be careful when entering. I don’t see any prisoners yet, but there are cameras taking me to the lower levels. The basement isn’t in the records, so it must be new,” Layla said in our ears. “Scanning now. Yeah, the basement is extensive. There are a lot of men down there. I can’t see them all. Some rooms are closed off to the cameras,which I’m assuming are sleeping quarters, showers,and such.”

There was an old building, four stories tall, that Maverick used to position himself on the roof to take care of any guards outside. Meanwhile, Khai, Sully, Dante, and I kept ourselves hidden from view of the building. It was a one-story structure with several entrances, including a garage for loading and unloading, and no windows.

“Let Maverick do his job, then Khai, go in and clean up the other men that are hidden from him. Once you all are clear, go on in,” Sid said.

“The doors have card access, it looks like. Check one of the downed men to get in,” Dalton continued.

Dante popped a bullet into the chamber of his gun. “Once we get in, we go radio silent. Voices in our heads will be a distraction. Unless there’s an emergency, no yapping.”

“Ready when you are, Mav. I’ll hide the bodies once they drop in case some asshole decides he needs to smoke,” Khai said, taking off toward the building as the rest of us stayed behind, waiting to get in.

“This is gonna be fun,” Sully whispered. “It’s been too fucking long since I got to really play.”

I said nothing, ready to shed some blood myself. But this was the first time I’d been calm since learning that Thomas was taken from me. We would find him, and when we did, he would come to live with me. No more arguing and waiting. Only I could protect him.

I couldn’t hear the bullet, but the man on the roof dropped in silence, and I assumed Maverick was taking over.

So it begins.

A guard stood by one of the doors to the left, and suddenly he grew alert, looking around. You could hear the bullet hit the concrete block of the building.

“What the hell was that, Mav?” Khai hissed.

“It’s nothing.”

The guard who had his gun drawn dropped like lead.

“What the fuck was that?” Sully whispered.

My sentiments exactly.

“Mav never fucking misses,” Dante replied, sharing our thoughts.

“You’re clear,” Khai said in our ears. “I’ve already unlocked the doors. You’re free to enter.”

Sully headed right, Dante headed forward, and I went left, which, according to Layla, led closest to the basement. My gut told me Thomas was down there. In what state, I had no idea, but he was there.

Visions of him bloodied, beaten, or raped intruded into my thoughts. I had only been in this job for a couple of years, but I had seen some of the worst in people. I knew what humans were capable of. Hell, whatIwas capable of.

Rape was deeply personal to me. If that happened to Thomas, I wouldn’t make their deaths painless. It would be slow and torturous.

The interior was dimly lit. The space had open rooms crammed with boxes and crates, along with other rooms that were closed off. There were a couple of forklifts and other mechanical equipment. It looked like a typical warehouse, and perhaps it was. It was all beneath the surface that was important. No doubt, the newly installed basement had drugs, guns, and… Thomas.

I couldn’t find the damn entrance until I stumbled onto a metal door built into the floor. I tugged on the handle and cursed. Locked.

“Layla, can you hack the code on the door? There’s a keypad.” I whispered.

“Give me a second.”