Page 52 of Sloth
Max shifted, ready to move, but she stopped him with a hand to his shoulder. “There are many sinners down there, but I can only sense sloth.”
“Meaning… there could be more?”
She nodded. “If Pride and Gluttony were here, we’d have a good understanding of what we’re up against, but…” They would never let her move ahead with her plan.
Conflicted thoughts traveled behind Max’s eyes. “We should alert Pride. I’m not saying change your plans, just be thorough. Tell him.”
Taking a deep breath, Sloan gave a quick update of her position through her internal communication system. A few curse words came back, but Max was right, it was important to let Parker know what she intended. If shit went sideways, he could get out with Tony.
Finding an elevator with a metal grate door, they traveled deeper underground, passing floors with little time to investigate, catching glimpses of wide open spaces, weapons, aircraft, and more. Nerves tickled her neck. This operation was massive. It was breaking protocol to get to Barry, but a strong sense of duty had settled within. She had to do this.
She could do this.
Get Barry out without alerting the Syndicate. Save him from committing whatever sin he was about to. Wasn’t that her reason for living?
They followed the sense of Barry’s sloth until she exited at a dark level with dull flickering halogen lights above. Animal sounds came from further down and she knew they’d found the right place.
“He’s down there.” She pointed at the shadowed hallway.
“Let’s go.” Max adjusted his rifle, tugged his hat down to shield his eyes and with brisk efficiency, they continued.
As they got within a few feet of the noisiest door, it opened. A glimpse of white hair was all Sloan needed to duck her head, hiding her face. Despair, or Daisy as they’d renamed her. Sloan’s sister. Heart leaping into her throat, Sloan froze.
“Act like you’re on patrol,” Max hissed, urging her onward. “Head down.”
They adjusted their pace and kept walking.
Half expecting to be stopped, Sloan exhaled when Daisy walked by and disappeared into the elevator behind them. The moment the elevator left, Sloan lifted her cap and caught Max’s eyes.
“Maybe we should back out now while we can,” she said.
Brown eyes bored into her. “You still sense the deadly sin?”
She nodded, nerves tightening her throat.
“And we’re talking deadly. Like massive scale.”
Once again, she nodded. Something was coming. Dark, ominous and crouching, waiting to pounce. It was all tied to Barry.
Max’s jaw clenched. “Then we follow through. We do what you came here to do. Be thorough. Believe in your instincts, Sloan. You will save lives.”
Warmth encircled her chest and spread outward. Sloan looked at her mate, a sense of elation lifting her spirits. He had her back. After everything that had passed between them, in this moment, a moment that counted, he was on her side. He had faith in her in a way she’d never returned.
Keeping his alert gaze around the corridor, he didn’t notice how she watched him. He had no clue about the intense emotion building inside her, bursting to get out. She couldn’t put words to it. She only knew she was grateful, and so much more. It was too much for her to contain and slipped out of its box to reach for him, tendrils eager and full of longing.
Shocked brown eyes snapped back to hers. Heat flared. They held each other’s gaze until she reined in her emotion and locked it up tight. Shoving all that need and want back in its box, she turned to the door Daisy had come out of. In there was Barry, and so much more.
“Let’s do this.” Shifting her rifle to one side, she opened the door.
Having Parker snap in her ear comms—telling her to hurry, didn’t help.
I know he’s down here. I know I can help.
Entering the loud room, Sloan’s senses were overwhelmed, but Max entered behind her, all swift and brutal action. Animal sounds. Screeches. Roars. Barks. Growls. And the smell. A wave of nausea rolled over her from the blend of manure, hay, and urine. She gagged.
On one side of the poorly ventilated lab, animal cages lined the wall. But on the other side, reaching across the lab table filled with scattered instruments and documents, a wall of plants stretched the length of the forty foot long room. And the odd thing was, those plants were in cages too.
Max continued along the edge of the lab table, half in a crouch, gun trained and sighted. The pull of sloth tugged to the right, and lifting her own rifle, careful not to breathe too deeply, Sloan edged forward.
