Page 101 of Dollhouse

Vlad, Nico, and I have kept watch outside, checking for exits in case anyone tried to escape. We weren’t sure what to expect, but we were prepared for anything. We had to be. We were lured here for a reason, and I have a strong feeling that Tate is in fact here.

She has to be.

We’ll get her back, I know we will.

Something’s off though.

Our backup team was supposed to be here by now. They were ordered to wait exactly ten minutes before they came to aid us. It’s been over ten minutes, so where the fuck are they? I’m on high alert because I can feel in my gut something isn’t right.

I walk around to the side of the house where I know Vlad will be. He is keeping watch from the side, keeping an eye out for when our backup team will arrive, but staying hidden in the shadows.

“Have you heard from Conrad or Nate?” I ask as Conrad and Nate both were tasked with leading the backup crew.

“No, not since the last check-in. They were in place and ready to go.”

“Then where the fuck are they?” I growl, shoving my fingers through my hair. “Get one of them on the phone. Find out why the fuck they’re not here yet.” He nods, and I turn my back to go and find Nico.

Although Nico finds me first, as he comes running straight toward Vlad and I. “Nate’s crew is down! Conrad just called; Nate’s crew was gunned down. All of them are dead. Ambushed while in motion.” My fists clench at my sides. I knew something wasn’t right.

This entire fucking plan was too damn easy.

Almost as if someone was not only expecting us, but also knew every single move we were going to make. And perhaps the bastard does know our plan and every move we’re making.

We have a rat. We have a fucking rat.

“Tell Conrad to meet us at the safe house. The three of us will handle this.” Clearly it’s time we do some housekeeping. We have a rat in our organization, and there’s only one way to handle a rat. And the rat will be handled as soon as we leave here with our girl.

“We need to get inside the house, now!” I order, and they both nod. The front door is locked, but that doesn’t stop Vlad from kicking it down. “Watch your back, we need to find them.” With our guns drawn, we split up, searching everywhere in the house for any signs of life.

It appears to be empty, but we know for a fact that Eli and King are somewhere inside. We’ve been watching the house; there is no way they would’ve been able to get outside without one of us noticing.

With the upstairs cleared, Nico and I descend the one hallway and door we’d yet to check. We take position back-to-back—with me facing the front while he covers my back. I open the door to reveal a set of stairs.

Great, just fucking great.

A basement, my favorite. A shiver goes down my spine. I’ve hated basements ever since I learned that they were a monster’s favorite place to play.

Shivering, and shaking my thoughts away, I look behind me toward Vlad. “Get back to your post. Watch our backs from outside.” He nods his head and scurries out of the house.

Nico and I silently tiptoe down the stairs, a second door revealing itself once we reach the end. There were several deadbolts on the front of the door, and carefully, one by one, I turn each of them, raising my gun before shoving the heavy steel door open.

The door swings open, revealing King and Eli on the other side. I jump back in surprise to see them. No doubt the basement is soundproof.

They are alone, which makes no sense. “Where’s Tate?”

I raise my hand, and cover my nose and mouth at the smell of smoke. King shoves past me, running up the stairs, and I nod for Nico to follow him.

“Where is she?” I turn my attention toward Eli who still stands in the middle of the smoke cloud.

“She’s gone,” he whispers groggily, coughing, and then he too pushes past me for the stairs.

She’s gone.

What the fuck does that mean? Is she not here?

I follow him upstairs and out of the house where he’s sucking in gulps of fresh air.

“What the fuck do you mean she’s gone?” I watch as his fists ball at his sides and he stalks down the driveway toward where we have parked.

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