Page 53 of Omega Inked

"We will," I say. "I promise."

22

Liam

IhateleavingOliviabehind, but we have a job to do if we all want to survive...and she can't come with us.

Olivia stands on the deck and bids us goodbye as we load into one of The Enclave's boats with three other guys. Rafe is coming with us, always eager to take on the enemy, and he's got two of his most trusted allies--a beta named Fallon and an alpha named Hawk--with him.

Olivia won't let me go, even though it's time to take off. Her arms are wrapped around me, her pink hair blowing in wild curls around her head as the sun sets.

"Please let me come with you," she murmurs in one last weak attempt. "I promise I can help."

I shake my head, my heart breaking at the thought of leaving her behind. But I know I have to do what's best for our team, for our survival. "I'm sorry, Liv. You know we can't risk it. The mission is already dangerous enough."

I pull her into a desperate kiss, tasting the salt on her lips as tears stream down her cheeks and Mercer comes to stand beside us.

"We'll be back soon," he murmurs. "And when we come back, we'll have all the time in the world."

Olivia nods, her eyes filled with both love and fear. Phoenix comes in to kiss her on the temple, joining us in a bear hug.

"I'll be waiting for you," she says, and I know she means it.

We take off into the choppy waters, the salty spray hitting our faces as we make our way towards the enemy's territory. Rafe stands at the helm, his face unreadable, his posture as relaxed as always.

"I don't like this," Mercer mutters, his eyes scanning the horizon for any sign of trouble. "We're walking right into a trap."

Hawk nods in agreement. "We don't even know what we're up against. This could be a suicide mission."

Phoenix clenches his jaw. "Rafe...you made it sound like this would be a quick in and out. If we don't make it back to Olivia--"

"Hey, we'll make it back to her," Rafe interrupts, his voice firm and reassuring. "I know this is risky, but it's necessary. The intel we got could be the key to turning the tide in this fight, and those girls have tons of useful information. Plus..."

I steal a glance at Rafe and see the determination etched onto his rugged features. He's always been the one to push us further, to take risks that others wouldn't dare to take.

"Plus what?" Phoenix asks.

Mercer grimaces. "He wants to use them as leverage--don't you, Rafe?"

Rafe chuckles low in his throat. "Kendra and Jade are omegas from powerful families in the ACB--and Olivia most of all. We get those girls on our side, we have power."

"They're not bargaining chips," I warn.

"Sure," he says. "We'll see."

We approach the shore, the sound of waves crashing onto the rocks growing louder. Rafe signals for us to be quiet and we all nod in understanding, crouching low in the boat as we approach the beach. The train should be cutting through here any minute now, our approach timed to intercept them. If they make it past us--to the crossroads, to the auction house--those girls are screwed...and we're more than likely dead.

As we step onto the sandy shore, my heart is pounding in my chest. This is it. This is where it all begins. I take a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves as we move cautiously towards the tracks. My eyes dart around, scanning the area for any sign of the enemy.

"We're almost there," Rafe whispers, his hand gripping tightly around his rifle. "Stay low and keep your eyes peeled."

We make it to the tracks just in time, crouching behind some nearby boulders as the train comes into view. It's a beast of a machine--sleek, black, and foreboding. My heart races as it barrels towards us, picking up speed.

"Get ready," Rafe says, his voice low. "We're going to hit them hard and fast."

I nod, my eyes fixed on the train as it draws closer. The roar of the engine is deafening now, drowning out all other noise. Other Enclave operatives placed an old car in the tracks earlier, and it should be enough to slow them down.

We jump out from behind the boulders, our rifles raised, and we race toward the train. The enemy is caught off guard, and we take advantage of the moment. Shots ring out in rapid succession, and I duck behind a crate as bullets whiz past my head.

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