Page 70 of Rescued By Four Alphas
"Sir, we're in. We've breached their preliminary security protocols and have access to their surveillance system," Jensen reports. "The facility is on high alert. There appears to be a code red situation in progress in the medical sector."
My heart stops. "What kind of situation?"
"Unclear, sir. But there's a lot of movement and security personnel mobilizing toward the lower levels. Wait…" I hear rapid typing in the background. "I've got visual confirmation. There's blood in one of the examination rooms, and there are two people in medical attire."
"And Dahlia?" I demand.
"I'm still searching," Jensen says. "Their internal tracking system shows a movement in zone 4B, section 12. It's a storage area on level 4. Two heat signatures were detected."
"Who's the second?"
"Unknown. But a group is approaching the storage area now." Jensen's voice tightens. "Sir, they're heavily armed."
I close my eyes for a brief moment, struggling to contain the wolf clawing at my insides. When I open them, everyone in the cabin is staring at me, waiting for my command.
"Send the coordinates to all team members," I order. "And I want eyes on Reid. Find me that bastard."
"Perfect," Onyx snarls. "I'll handle him personally."
"No," I shake my head. "Reid is mine. But I want him alive long enough to piss his pants in fear."
"Mr. Blackthorn," Rivera approaches as I check my weapons one final time. "I need to be clear about something."
"What?"
"You hired me to lead this operation. That means following my commands even in the heat of battle." His dark eyes bore into mine. "Your Omega needs a living Alpha, not a dead hero."
"I understand the risks," I reply coldly.
"No, I don't think you do." Rivera steps closer. "I've seen that look before in men who don't plan to come back. That's not acceptable. My team doesn't sacrifice themselves for employers with a death wish."
"I don't have a death wish," I snap. "I have a mate who needs me... Who needs us."
"Then act like it," Rivera counters. Follow my plan. No heroics. Or I pull my men right now."
We stare at each other for a long moment. Finally, I give him a tight nod. "I'll follow your lead until we locate Dahlia. Then nothing will keep me from her."
He seems to accept this compromise. "Mount up."
As we prepare to leave, Leo grabs my shoulder. "Evan, whatever happens in there, we stick together. That's how we win this."
"Agreed," Axl nods, slinging his equipment pack. "We've got each other's backs."
"Always," Onyx agrees.
The journey to the facility perimeter is short, but I check my watch obsessively, counting the minutes and imagining what might be happening to Dahlia with each passing second.
"Satellite feed confirms increased activity at the front entrance," Jensen reports through my earpiece. "They're mobilizing a response team. Someone inside must have tipped them off."
"Any visual on Dahlia?" I demand.
"Negative. The storage room where we detected a signal has no internal cameras. But six armed guards are approaching that position now."
"That's manageable," Leo says through comms. "Rivera, can your team handle the distraction while we breach from the east?"
"Affirmative," Rivera responds. "Onyx, can you confirm the service tunnel is clear?"
"It's clear for the next ten minutes," Onyx says. "After that, they will rotate guards."
