Page 78 of Kill Me Sweetly

“Problem is, we have no idea what’s inside, let alone how many of these Weapons boys there are and if they’ll attack us if ordered.”

Just then, someone stepped out and demanded the boys to line up. It was hard to hear exactly what was being said, but we made out parts.

“New training regimen,” and “Perfect for the field,” was all I could make out.

“Shep, Gabe,” Nick said in our earpieces.

“What?” I answered.

“JJ is still out, but they’re bringing him somewhere. Before Harper attacked him, he mentioned letting his Weapons train on JJ.”

“That’s what those boys are being told.” I jerked my chin to where they were being led into the building. “We have to get in there.”

“He’s being tied to the wall. Best I could tell, they left that Zone room and took an elevator down.”

“Basement?” I looked at Gabe. “Four told us about a red door there. Every guard has a key to it and it leads to the sewer.”

“I’d guess a basement. There are no blueprints for this house, as if they were all erased or something, but the passageways from the house to the sewer I can find now that we have a location. Just get there if you can,” Nick was clicking away in my ear.

“What about the news feeds? Is Noel going to be able to do it?” I watched the last boy leave the backyard and breathed a sigh of relief when the rock stayed.

“He’s working on it,” Nick answered. “Wes-wannabe woke up, and Angel’s working on him too.”

“Okay, keep us posted. We’re going in.”

“Good luck.” And then Nick cut off. He’d hear if I called him, but muting was safer in case something could get picked up on the voices.

“I don’t see cameras,” I whispered as we slipped out of the forest.

We raced to the side of the house, ducking by windows. We reached the door, and it bothered me how easy it had been to get to this point.

Was Harper’s arrogance so much that he truly never thought anyone would do what Gabe and I were currently doing?

I peeked through the decent crack in the door, and it was empty. Quietly, Gabe opened the door, I stepped in, guns poised.

“Where the fuck is everybody?” Gabe asked from beside me.

“Shep, you need to hurry,” Nick sounded frantic in my ear. “Basement, has to be the basement. JJ’s in trouble.”

Suddenly, I didn’t give a fuck if anyone shot at me. I ran through the house, ready to take out anyone who got in the way.

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

JJ

When I came around,I couldn’t move. My back was pressed to something hard and cold, my arms were spread out beside me, my legs clasped and chained to the floor. My throat felt like I’d been strangled…oh, wait. I had.

I blinked in the dim light and saw boys ranging in age all lined up in front of me. One was holding a crowbar, another a bat. There was a blond with a knife in each hand, and as I went down the line, every one of them was in possession of some sort of weapon.

“Now, boys. All of you will be able to practice. One at a time. The point of this lesson is cause and effect. What damage does your weapon of choice do? And how does it affect the dummy?” The tall man dressed in black was pacing the floor as he spoke.

These boys knew I was alive, right?

“One attack per boy, is that understood?”

In unison they shouted, “Yes, sir.”

“Capricorn, you’re first.”

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