Page 13 of Darkness Falls

It's not ideal. I want her back here just as much as he does, but the fact is, there's no way of doing that safely until we work something out with Soren. From what he's told us, they move her often. She’s not on the compound every day, and the days she is, it’s never at the same time.

It's too unpredictable. He hasn't been given a schedule for her whereabouts, and based on what he's seen, Gabriel and Damien are keeping her on a tight leash. We need to make sure when we go in to extract her, we do it correctly. There will only be one chance at this.

We had everything set up to get her out about a month ago, but it all went to shit. We were packed in the car and ready to go when Soren messaged me and said there was some kind of disturbance. The compound went on high alert, and Callie was taken away. He wasn’t sure where they took her because, accordingto him, there are several different houses where she is being kept.

We had no choice but to reassess for another time. According to Soren, it was four days before he spotted her on the compound again. He said she seemed fine, but he hasn’t been able to talk to her because of how secluded they like to keep her. That’s if he’s telling us the truth. I'm trusting the word of a stranger, which is something I never do.

We know from Soren that Damien is forbidden from touching her in a sexual manner. He heard Damien bitching to another member of the guard about it. It's the only reason that we haven't said fuck it all to hell and stormed through the gate's guns blazing. If he were to ever lay a hand on her in that way, my brothers and I would take turns peeling the skin from every inch of his body.

The last time I heard from Soren was almost four days ago when he assured me we would have the plan to get Callie out finalized by the end of the week. The deadline is tomorrow. He hasn't given us a reason to doubt him over the last two months because he is very persistent about getting his wife to safety, but there is always the smallest bit of doubt in the back of my mind.

I’m ready to go in without him, should I have to. I've drawn up everything I can about Rogue and their compound, including the most efficient ways to get in and out. Some things have been difficult to find, considering they aren't supposed to be known to the outside world, but I've been diligent. Their guards are definitely going to be an issue. They constantly havepeople posted, keeping watch of the entire property, and they outnumber us drastically.

The compound isn't always heavily trafficked. Outside of the guards they have posted, there is one main group of people who live on site. They seem to host gatherings and bring other small groups in often. It would be way too easy for them to spot us if we tried to infiltrate on a normal day. We need a large enough distraction for us to slip in and out without them noticing. And I need to know if Callie’s actually there.

"Anything?" Ky says as he walks into the security room.

"Not yet. I'm not going to stop trying, though."

"I don't understand why he hasn't reached out again."

"He will get in touch with us when he can. They've been watching him." I hate that I have to defend the guy, but I don't know what else to say to pacify Ky. He has become more and more on edge with everything now that his health has gotten better. "I don't have answers right this second. I'm trying, but fuck, hop off my back. The deadline for him to reach out is tomorrow. If we don’t hear from him, we will go from there."

"Don't start that shit. I'm just as stressed out as you. Do you even understand what it's been like over the last two months? I had to start from scratch to get my body back to a point where I can actually help."

"Boo fucking hoo. I'm so sick of hearing you bitch about how hard your life is. The only person I'm worried about right now is Callie." I roll my eyes at him.

"You two need to knock itoff," Seb says as he walks into the room. "We don't fight with each other. We've never gone against each other before, and it's not going to start now."

"Yeah, well, tell him to stop being a fuck and find a way to get in touch with Soren so we can go get our girl. I'm tired of waiting. She's been away from us long enough," Kyler tells him, like I have any control over it whatsoever. We've already been over this.

"I liked you better when you were bedbound," I say, only half joking. I want her back just as much as he does, but the dude needs to chill.

Ping.

The sound fills the room, and the three of us look around at one another. My stomach drops. Hopefully, this is the message we've been waiting for. I grab my phone and open up the encrypted message.

"It's him," I confirm.

Soren: I have a plan, and I will send over all the details, but you're not going to like it. It involves us waiting until the wedding gets closer. People will be more distracted, and there will be a higher chance of them slipping up. We can get you in virtually undetected that way.

Me: We are done waiting. We need her out now.

Soren: It's too risky. Everyone is on high alert. Gabriel isn't taking any risks. We need to wait until all the guests start coming to the compound. I'll be able to sneak you in then.

I don't like this, and there's no way Kyler will agree with it. It's already been two fucking months, and Soren expects us to wait another month. I look over at Seb and see him eyeing me carefully. I give him the slightest tilt of my head. It's not enough for Kyler to see, but Seb picks up on what I'm signaling. He can tell it's bad news, and his lips purse. He gives me a slight nod, telling me to take the lead on this one. I’m fine with making the choices, but he’s going to have to deal with Kyler’s tantrum.

Me: How is she?

Soren: They're putting her through it, but she is pushing through. They have eyes on her at all times. She isn't allowed in public alone.

Me: I need you to get in contact with her. She needs to know Kyler is alive and that we’re coming for her. Give my girl some hope.

Soren: I’ll tell her as soon as Ican, and I'll make sure she knows to be ready to be pulled out at any time. I can't talk much longer, but I'll be in contact with you in a few days with the full breakdown of the plan. For now, just know that I have every intention of helping you get her back. I'm trusting you to uphold your end of the deal.

Me: We have everything ready on our end. The sooner we can get this handled, the better. I'm not going to be able to keep my brother from storming the compound much longer.

Soren: My hands are tied, but I will do my best. Be ready when I reach out again.

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