Page 95 of Stealing Mercury
“Yes. I need your help.”
Saber’s unblinking stare gave none of his emotions away. “You shouldn’t have come.”
“Carn is my pack brother. I couldn’t ask him to abandon his mate.”
The big man dipped his head in a slow motion of acknowledgement.
“We need a distraction. Lo and Carn are spreading the word through the kennel.” The others wouldn’t make a move without Saber’s leadership.
Scowling, Saber shook his head. “I must think of the good of all. If they realize you breached the kennel defenses, they’ll tighten security.”
Why would security be important to Saber? The implications flared through Mercury’s brain like the snap of a glow-stick. “You have a plan to free our people?”
Saber said nothing, but his silent stare was answer enough.
The possibility was an ember of hope that Mercury would hold close to his soul, but he couldn’t abandon his promises to Carn in hopes Hera would be able to escape in whatever scheme Saber was working. “Carn won’t leave without her. We only need the guards distracted. Our transport has room for a few more. We could take some of you with us.”
“No,” said Saber. “We let Owens believe this ends with you.” Tipping his big head back, Saber growled.
An answering growl sounded in the distance. Several howls sounded from other areas of the kennels.
Saber sighed. “We’ll do what you ask, but Hera isn’t in the kennel.”
Mercury steeled himself against what might come. “The guard’s quarters?”
Saber snarled. “I don’t think so, but Owens wants us to believe she’s in confinement. It’s a trap. They’ve put on an elaborate show, but none of us has scented her in days.”
Mercury breathed out a careful sigh of relief. The trap was a worry, but knowing Hera hadn’t been subjected to the guards eased his guilt.
Lo’s scent reached Mercury before he heard him. He shouldn’t have heard him at all. He was supposed to be in the east wing. Lo bounded from beam to beam, landing precariously in front of him.
“Samantha is here.” The words rushed out and worry danced in the red flames of Lo’s eyes. “She was with Rachel and one of the guards.” Lo’s chest heaved as he spoke. “They were headed toward the Lady’s wall.”
Mercury’s world stopped for a heartbeat. He met Saber’s eyes and dropped the override Knock had made for him through the bars. “Be ready.”
“Good luck.” Saber’s whispered words faded away as he and Lo raced toward the scent of his mate.
***
Rachel giggled loudly then leaned in to whisper in Samantha’s ear. “You remember what to do?”
“Yes.” Stomach roiling at the sight of the men—the Arena Dogs—stripped bare for any cruel human that would pay to see them this way, men like Mercury and Lo, she wanted the whole thing over. “You go first.”
Rachel giggled again. She traced her fingers over one of the muscled creatures chained to the tilting contraption. She gripped his already engorged cock drawing a moan. She pressed her body close and lifted one leg as if she’d climb him.
She’d been right about the guards. They were all too busy watching Rachel to notice when Samantha pressed the small mask over her mouth and nose, biting hard on the mouth piece. She slipped the small air delivery strip from beneath her belt. Her arm swung out in an arc, spraying them all with the anesthetic.
They dropped quickly. She reached out for Rachel and managed to soften her fall. Easing Rachel to the ground, she made sure her limbs weren’t twisted.
“Thank you.” She knew the woman was unconscious, but she hoped somehow her appreciation would get through.
Samantha wished she could free the chained men but freeing them might only get them killed. She quickly divested the guard of his weapon. She traced her fingers over the patterned walls until she found the seam of the hidden door Rachel had promised would be there. At her touch the mechanism released the latches, letting the door swing freely. Samantha shoved through then climbed down the ladder leading into the darkness. As she dropped the last few feet she found herself in another transport-tube station. This one was underground, cramped and obviously not recently used. Tubes led out in several directions and a map, a stunner, and a uniform lay in a shadowed corner, right where Rachel promised they would be. She pulled the uniform on quickly and transferred all the gear she’d carefully hidden on her person into the pockets of the uniform. The fit was terrible, but it only needed to fool the guards from a distance.
Samantha slapped the map-display against her wrist and turned on the projection. The map flashed into life and Samantha set out to find the juvenile center and Hera. She quickly worked her way through the tunnel system until she could see the platform that the map had been programmed to find. There had been surface access shafts at regular intervals along the path and she stopped under the last one before the station and began to climb. Rachel had warned that the shafts were secured by metal grates, but Samantha wanted to try to get a look around before walking into the station.
At the top, she was able to get a glimpse of the compound above. The quiet three-story building, mostly abandoned now, sprawled across a barren plain.
Halfway between the grate and the building, a high charged fence surrounded the facility. She couldn’t see any guards, but they’d be there. A minimum of three, according to Rachel. Satisfied that everything was as described, Samantha climbed back down into the tunnel and made her way to the empty station. The doors to the stairs had been welded shut, but one blast from her purloined weapon on full force managed to break the hinges on one side. Samantha squeezed through the small opening then moved quickly up the stairs.
