Page 46 of A Ballad of Blackbirds and Betrayal

“What?”Atticus asked, feeling her gaze.

“Just wondering what I’ve gotten myself into,” she replied, offering a small smile to soften the words.

“Having second thoughts?”There was no judgment in his tone, only genuine curiosity.

“Not a chance.”The certainty in her voice surprised even her.“I’m exactly where I need to be.”

Something flickered in his eyes—a warmth that transformed his features, revealing a glimpse of the man he might have been before loss had carved its permanent mark.“Yes,” he said quietly.“You are.”

The simple affirmation settled between them like a promise as they drove through the darkness toward confrontation.Whatever came next—whatever dangers awaited at the demonstration site—they would face them together.

ChapterFourteen

The security convoy moved along the private access road, three armored SUVs in formation like predators hunting as a pack.Inside the lead vehicle, Reynolds—Mitchell’s head of security—watched the demonstration site materialize through bulletproof glass.The central compound sprawled across fifty acres of isolated terrain, surrounded by outbuildings and a small landing pad where two helicopters sat with rotors still.The afternoon air shimmered with heat, the scorching Texas summer unforgiving.

Fifty miles away, Senator Warren Mitchell adjusted the massive display screens in his private study, each one showing different angles of the demonstration site.His fingers tapped impatiently against the mahogany desk as he watched his vision becoming reality—all while maintaining perfect deniability through his physical absence.

Half a mile from the compound, concealed behind natural terrain and specialized camouflage, Sabrina counted at least fifteen vehicles already on site—sleek European sedans and armored SUVs that screamed wealth and power.Mitchell’s buyers had arrived in force.

“They’re not even trying to be discreet,” Nate murmured, lowering his tactical binoculars.“International arms dealers, gathered in broad daylight.”

“They don’t need discretion when they have Mitchell’s protection,” Atticus replied, his voice tight with focused anger.Eight years of hunting had led to this moment—the culmination of a quest that had consumed his life since Jane’s murder.“And they’re on private property, miles from any witnesses.”

“Local law enforcement status?”Nate asked.

“Contained,” Cal confirmed through comms.“Captain Rivera at Dallas PD has three units maintaining a perimeter at the county line with a hazmat training exercise cover story.Sheriff’s department is on standby for civilian evacuation assistance only—Director Hargrove owes Max a favor from the Caracas operation.They’ve both been fed selective intel—enough to keep their people clear without compromising our operation.”

“Having friends in the right places,” Nate commented with a slight smile.

“Dynamis doesn’t have friends,” Atticus corrected, though without heat.“We have tactical alliances with people smart enough to recognize when to look the other way.”

Cal’s voice came through their comms, the background hum of Dynamis command center audible beneath his words.“Satellite thermal imaging shows twenty-eight heat signatures in the main building, another twelve spread across the grounds.Heavy security presence at all access points.Mitchell’s security chief Reynolds must have called in reinforcements after the airfield.”

“Or this was always the plan,” Eden countered, checking her weapon.“An event this high-profile would have contingency teams ready regardless.”

Sabrina scanned the compound through the specialized optics Atticus had provided.The central building—a converted ranch house with modern additions—featured floor-to-ceiling windows along one side, offering occupants a clear view of what appeared to be a demonstration area.A raised platform stood one hundred yards from the building, surrounded by scientific equipment and what looked disturbingly like medical monitoring stations.

“The deployment system,” she said, pointing to a metallic apparatus at the center of the platform.“Designed for aerosol dispersal.Similar to what we saw in the decoy transport.”Her stomach clenched at the implications.“They’re planning to demonstrate on live subjects.”

Atticus followed her gaze, his expression hardening into something cold and lethal.“Hostages?”

“More likely unwitting test subjects,” she replied grimly.“The community that was in the evacuation zone—have they all been accounted for?”

“The evacuation teams reported twelve residents still unaccounted for,” Cal confirmed.“Local sheriff’s department is conducting door-to-door verification, but they’re stretched thin with our cover story about the chemical spill.”

Atticus’s jaw tightened, muscle jumping beneath skin tanned by years of field operations.“They’re going to use civilians to demonstrate the weapon’s effectiveness.Maximum impact for potential buyers.”

The brutal calculus made Sabrina’s blood run cold.She’d spent her entire career saving lives, and the thought of people being used as disposable test subjects for a weapon of mass destruction violated everything she believed in.

“I count four guards on the west approach,” Jade reported through comms, her voice steady despite the dire circumstances.“Standard patrol pattern, ninety-second intervals between checkpoints.”

“East side has a blind spot between the equipment shed and the tree line,” Max added.“Gives us a narrow window, but it’s viable.”

Atticus absorbed the information with the focused intensity of a commander weighing tactical options against time constraints.Dawn’s light worked against them, eliminating the cover of darkness, but waiting for nightfall wasn’t an option—not with lives at stake and Mitchell’s demonstration already underway.

“Merlin’s aerial team is in position,” Cal reported.“Five minutes out, awaiting your signal.”

“Hold them in reserve,” Atticus decided.“We’ll use them for extraction and containment.I want primary infiltration to maintain stealth as long as possible.”He turned to his core team, expression resolute.“Priority one is neutralizing the bioweapon deployment system.Priority two is securing any additional samples.Priority three is taking Mitchell’s operation intact with evidence connecting him to everything.”

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