Page 109 of Peaceful Chaos

"Only ten. Hard to keep hired help when you have no money to pay them. I don't think he'd trust slaves with this. They'll turn on him the second they are able to, but we'll just have to see," Lucien relays.

"Pulling up now, sir," the driver shouts back to Javier.

Javier hands out bullet proof vests to Raven, Lucien, and me. We slip them on and take the weapons we're offered. Next, he hands us night vision goggles. "You'll see," he says without further explanation.

Javier also hands her more knives then gives her a slight smile. "I figured these are the next best thing to a bow and arrow."

She smiles back at him and sticks the gun in her holster and wraps the knife belt around her waist. "I'm a crack shot too."

He rolls his eyes. "Of course you are. You girls are making me rethink my hiring practices. If you ever wanted to be a mercenary, I've got a job for you."

"What do you mean girls plural?" Lucien asks.

"I mean Raven, and—" he points to the roof tops surrounding the building, "Tessa, Amber, and Jen who are currently set up in sniper positions. They insisted on training this last week as well. Turns out they're some of the most talented shooters I've ever trained."

Ford slips around the side of the building wearing a bulletproof vest, a helmet, and holding a shield. He looks like he joined a SWAT team. Shane is right behind him, holding a large metal box. The closer he gets I realize it's a remote of some sort.

"I've got the security system and power grid rigged. I'll blow them on your command," he informs Javier.

"Ted, your team take the north entrance. Ford take your team to the south. Tessa, Amber, and Jen are on the roofs of the surrounding buildings and will provide back up in case Damien manages to get away. Shane, you'll stay with Sin, Lucien, and Raven. We'll go in on your signal," Javier breaks down the plan.

Silently, everyone moves into position. Shane holds his finger on the first button. I'll never figure out where he comes up with his gadgets. They're fucking brilliant. His talents are wasted going to work for his grandfather's electrical company.

"Shane," Lucien gets his attention. Knowing what he's going to say, I get my gun out of the holster, and Raven copies my actions. "Let's get this surprise party started, shall we? I think my dad misses us. We shouldn't keep him waiting."

Shane flicks the first switch. "That was just the cameras. Don't need anything going on record tonight." The second switch plunges the entire city block into darkness.

"One more," he mutters to himself, and with a single toggle every entrance to the warehouse blasts open.

The explosion isn't big enough to hurt anyone inside, but Damien won't know which direction the assault is starting from. Or maybe he'll guess correctly that it's coming from everywhere.

Lucien holds two fingers up on the side of his face and swings his arm to point forward, signaling for us to move out. We move in a V formation with him at the front. Raven and I flank him, even though I'd love to have her on a rooftop with the other women. I know she'd have balked at the suggestion. Besides, Lucien and I promised each other that the privilege of taking Damien's life is hers if she wants it.

I’m not sure if the men Damien has with him are hired or slaves, but they certainly aren’t his best. From the moment we breached the doors, they started running around in a state of panicked confusion, fighting each other as well as us. They are completely unprepared for an assault in the dark, while the rest of us can see clearly through our goggles.

I scan the room, searching for where Damien is holed up since he’s unlikely to be amongst his guards. Two smaller heat signatures light up in a smaller room, along with a larger one. Like the coward he is, Damien is hiding with the children.

I'm not the only one getting tired of trying to push through what remains of Damien's forces. A gun shot rings out, not surprisingly from the north end. Ted has as itchy of a trigger finger as Lucien and I do. I'll never see him as a harmless nerd again.

A scream breaks through the chaos. "Shut the fuck up!" Ted shouts. "You're all fucking pathetic. It's your goddamn kneecap. If you can't deal with that, then what the hell are you doing working for a sadistic fuck like Damien Blackthorne?"

His words must strike a chord, because Damien's men start dropping their weapons. "We don't want to be here," one of the men blurts out.

I guess that answers Lucien’s question, his father is dumb enough to expect slaves to protect him. Through my goggles I can see Javier pick up his radio. "Men exiting. Take them into custody, but be aware, they claim to be here against their will."

The men run out the door farthest from Ted. Except for the one he shot. He hobbles halfway across the room until one of his fellow captives takes pity on him and helps him limp out the door.

Angela comes out of one of the back rooms on the opposite side of the building from Damien. She holds her hands up. "He's got the children in there," she sobs.

"We know, Mo—Angela," Lucien replies.

"So, you know I'm not your mother?"

"Yeah, we figured that out."

She nods. Her arms fall to her sides like she can't bear their weight any longer. "It would have been my greatest joy if I'd been allowed to be your mother. I'm sorry for everything."

"It wasn't your fault," Raven comforts her. "Maybe you'll get a chance to have everything you want now."

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