Page 71 of Enchanted with the Orc
We were currently squatting behind a dumpster with Rudgar, Dristan and Darak posted behind the dumpster opposite us. I was trying my best to ignore the stench from the alley and garbage, but it was hard.
The building we were facing looked older and the area around it was on the sketchier side of the city. The lights were all off, unlike the buildings surrounding it, so it was probably abandoned,
“He’s in there,” Rok said, scowling as he tilted his head toward the solid metal door behind us. “And Rudgar’s team just have to make sure that no one’s nearby using the magick box.” He gave a firm nod and I rolled my eyes.
Rok still didn’t have a full grasp on technology, even though he’d been here longer than the rest of us. I wasn’t able to understand the background processes of the things that happened on this plane, but I could at least tell the difference between that and magick.
“Shouldn’t be long then,” Krusk said, and I grunted my agreement.
Rudgar’s team was amazing when it came to tracking, and they could find anything that you needed in a few taps. I was still struggling to learn the basics.
The low whistle from the other dumpster had us all standing and making our way to the door. Dristan, Rudgar and Darak had their hands near their belts and I was certain that they were getting ready to draw their guns.
I had mine—and had learned to use it along with my brothers—but I would have preferred having an axe. Rok hadn’t even given them a chance, the sound of metal swinging clear in the air as he drew his.
“How come Rok gets to keep his axe and we have to use these?” Krusk muttered in annoyance and everyone shushed him even though I agreed.
Dristan nodded his head, pulling his own gun free and facing thedoor while Darak moved up to it, pulling a slim case from his jacket pocket, opening it and pulling long implements from it before ducking and starting to work on the lock.
Rudgar had also drawn his weapon, facing the alley behind us instead. With a few scrapes of metal meeting metal, there was a clicking sound and Darak lifted his hand to turn the handle. My brothers and I had our guns drawn immediately. The door swung open with ease and both Dristan and Rudgar ducked out of the way, gesturing for us to do the same.
We pressed our bodies against the concrete walls. My ears twitched as I focused on listening to anything that was happening inside the building. There was a low murmur of voices, but it wasn’t anywhere near this door.
We all looked to Dristan and when he gave a small nod, we moved in a group into the empty room. Rudgar pressed a hand to Dristan’s chest and there was a small moment of what had to be a silent but heated argument with their eyes. It ended when Dristan rolled his eyes and Rudgar moved to lead the group instead.
With sure, silent steps Rudgar made his way forward. I knew that he had the layout of the building from one of his team members. We made our way toward the stairs, quietly climbing to the third floor.
Stepping into the open corridor was nerve wracking. I tightened my hold on the grip of the gun, careful not to squeeze the trigger at all. I kept expecting someone to jump out from a corner.
Instead, the entire place appeared to be empty except for the two voices that we’d heard downstairs. My ears twitched as I heard the same voices still speaking. The conversation was getting more heated now and I could make out some of the words.
“—ridiculous. All over some fucking woman? You need to get your shit together. No whore’s worth this.”
I felt heat rising in my face, my fury bubbling. Savla, the one who was usually the calmest of the group released a low growl. Everyoneturned shocked eyes in his direction, but he wasn’t looking at us, his gaze narrowed on the door down the corridor where the voices were coming from.
As one, we made our way closer to the door just as a feminine gasp of pain sounded behind it. We all froze, snarls sounding as involuntary responses.
Fucking cowards.
“Where the fuck is she?” he asked, and we continued making our way forward, at a faster pace.
We leaned against the walls on either side of the door while Rudgar moved in front of it. I shifted my bulk in front of it instead, easing him out of the way, with Savla right behind me.
I didn’t wait before I kicked in the door. A loud feminine screech sounded across the room, and I wasn’t shocked to see that it had come from one of the men instead of the female on the floor. I ducked back behind the wall, shoving Savla with me when two guns lifted in our direction.
The loud crack of a gunshot sounded and I heard the reverberation of it hitting the wall behind me. My lips parted in a snarl as two more gunshots sounded, the bullets slamming into the wall opposite us through the door.
Savla was shaking with fury next to me and I still couldn’t understand what was happening. Pushing the worry aside, I eased my way back to the doorway. Hushed, hurried words made their way in the ensuing silence.
“Fuck, fuck,fuck. You didn’t say she had bodyguards!”
“Shut the fuck up!”
“I’m getting out of here!”
A scuffle ensued and I heard my chance. I darted my head back inside, and saw that one male had thrown himself on the back of another who was halfway to the door on the other side of the room. They were distracted,and that was all I needed to aim my gun at them.
Savla pulled my hand away, his eyes wide with worry, hurrying over to the female on the floor. That was when they noticed us. And they weren’t aiming for me.
