Page 78 of Sergi
He continued, moving slowly and stealthily, as any team would do. They were two hours behind their original schedule, and the guards must be curious why a team would attempt something so foolish in the late afternoon. Maybe they would forget the tranquilizers and just shoot them.
He was halfway to the doors, blocking out all the ways this could go wrong when he felt something hit his neck. He hadn’t heard the blind open, but he turned back as he reached for his neck, and saw the tips of the rifles as the blind continued to rise. He managed a quick glance at Rafael, who was already on his way to the ground. Devon struggled, attempting to take another step as he turned to Beckham, who, wide-eyed, had a hand to his neck. Then the shifter fell a few seconds before Devon collapsed to his knees, and his body dropped to the ground.
His head was turned toward Beckham, whose eyes were closed. The shifter was on his side, his back to the blind. His left hand twitched then fisted into a peace sign. He was okay.
A lone howl echoed through the trees as boots hit the pavement. Devon assumed they were guards on their way to confirm the three intruders were down.
They never reached Devon before the teams attacked.
Devon had been expectingthe howls to increase, but the cries for blood from his vampires surprised him. The team knew what was at stake—gaining evidence to fight Venizi. In that split-second moment, the realization hit him that the team wasn’t just fighting for the mission but for themselves. Rafael for his guilt at leaving his team behind, Bella’s worry for Sergi and her deep hatred of Venizi, and Remus for the shifters who’d sacrificed themselves in the search for the lab.
They weren’t alone. He’d lay down his life for his Family, but he had to admit that his relationship with Sergi went deeper than with the rest of his cadre. Sergi had spent centuries with House Trelane defending Devon with his life, first as the Captain of the Guard, then as his personal bodyguard, and then as cadre. They’d been at each other’s side in too many battles to count and endless missions. He was more than a friend—he was a brother.
Devon rolled to his side and sprung into a squat, readying for the guards, but they were already down, and he stood. Two were dead, and the rest were in restraints. Two dozen wolves raced around the parking lot, sniffing the ground, getting a sense of who and what they were seeking.
Bella stood next to the open blind, talking to someone inside. Rafael, assigned to infiltrate through what was hopefully a tunnel, was up and running toward her. Remus whispered something to Bella then jogged over. His face was grim for the battle yet to come, and the anticipation explained the gleam in his eyes.
Remus held out his hand, which Devon shook. “I know this might be premature, but this went better than expected.”
“I assume there weren’t many guards in the blinds.”
“Only a handful, and they gave up easily.” He turned to one of the dead a few feet away. “Well, most of them did.”
A shout came from the doors to the building as Team Four placed the C4.
“The team didn’t waste any time.” Devon shouldn’t have expected any less. The wolves had split into two groups, waiting for the doors to open.
“The shifters are eager. They have a score to settle.”
Devon’s attention was drawn back to the blinds when two wolves ran over and jumped in. After a few seconds, two more followed.
“I assume there was a tunnel after all?”
Remus chuckled. “Bella has excellent insight. She’d been the first to consider a tunnel and refused to believe anything else. Rafael is reviewing the security system to see what’s waiting for us in the command center.”
“So, which is it, old friend: the tunnel or the front door?”
Remus grinned. “You know me. I always prefer a grand entrance.”
Devon shook his head. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”
Devon gave last-minute instructions to Bella with Remus’s additional guidance on how best to use the recently kidnapped shifters.
“They’re angry. They’ll want to be the first in. Use that rage, but be careful. These wolves are all strangers to each other. Use my wolves as a barrier.”
Devon and Remus left her to her tasks and strode across the parking lot toward a group waiting outside the blast radius.
Beckham stood at the far end of the building with a remote control in his hand. He glanced at Remus first and then at Devon.
When Devon nodded, Beckham grinned and yelled, “Fire in the hole!”
The doors blasted outward, and team members scattered as pieces of metal flew across the lot. Debris and rock fell as if the sky had sent it. Before the dust settled, gunfire erupted from inside, and the entry team waited until they could see figuresdashing around the garage before returning fire while wolves raced in, their bodies low to the ground. When the sound of screaming started, Devon strode toward the gap in the mountain where the double-wide doors used to be, Remus by his side. Two wolves raced in, and Devon pulled his daggers as he bent low to enter.
When he heard the “all clear,” he straightened, confused.
Remus, who followed him in, stopped next to him. “I was expecting more of a welcome.”
Beckham, who’d been the first to run in, raced toward them from somewhere deeper in the facility. “They’ve combined their forces at the command center and barricaded the other hallways. We’re setting up in one of the conference rooms.”
