“Well, I’m glad you’re their leader.” Gage smiles.
Matt takes a sip of his now cold coffee. “Thanks.” He replies, his respect for the other man grows with the sincerity in Gage’s words. “What about you?”
“Nothing as dramatic as that, I’m afraid.” He says, leaning back in his chair. Gage rubs a worn spot on the wooden armrest with his thumb before he continues, “It just happened organically over time. Like you, I was the go-to guy. After my mentor, Bobby, passed, I became the final decision-maker.” He shrugs.
Matt sizes him up, his gaze lingering on the leader of Crescent Harbour. "They chose well," he says, more to himself than Gage, admiring the confidence in the man’s demeanour and the air of competence surrounding him. Matt senses a potential ally, someone who could prove invaluable in the challenges that lie ahead.
Gage lets out a low chuckle as both men fall into silence.
The cabin is relatively quiet as the last lingering rays of the sunset fade from the sky. When darkness sets in, Matt lifts his chin to Gage, who signals his people to grab the light supplies they’ve elected to take with them. As they prepare to leave, Jax appears at his shoulder and says, “Alright, let’s do this thing.”
Matt takes a deep breath and nods. “Let’s go get them,” he growls, leading the team out of the cabin.
The moon ascends in the sky as the extraction group shifts into their animal forms. Doc and JD loop their supplies around their necks before they disappear into the trees. They travel the rest of the journey through the woods, a faster, direct route to Vance's property. With the practiced grace and stealth of predators on the hunt, they pad across the forest floor.
As they inch closer to their target, Matt's wolf communicates with the group through subtle yips and intricate body language, ensuring everyone is alert and fully prepared for the task. His breath exhaled in shallow, misty puffs, hangs in the cool, late evening air.
The group possesses the skills to bring the missing women home safely. Yet, despite their expertise, Matt's heart races within the confines of his wolf’s chest. It beats a frantic rhythm, an unrelenting reminder of the weight of their mission as they draw nearer to their destination.
Just outside of Vance’s property they shift back. Once dressed and armed, the group looks around, silently nodding, determination in their eyes. They all know what’s at stake, and Matt’s determined to save his friends. “Let’s go,” he says.
Finn leads the way through the tall grass toward the house with Gage and the twin sisters following, while Matt and Jax take up the rear. They pause at the tree line, scouting out the area. Matt signals that two men are patrolling near the french doors that will serve as their target entry point. Gage nods and swirls his finger in the air, signalling the twins to circle the house and take out any other patrols surrounding it, then meet back up at the door. Kaitlyn and Taryn nod, then share a wicked grin before taking off along the edge of the woods.
Matt motions for Jax to follow him to the front of the house to eliminate the guards who they assume are stationed there, while Finn and Gage creep toward the burly men standing near the doors.
Muffled thuds have him glancing back to find that the guards by the french doors are lying on the ground, motionless. With an upturn of his lips, he tips his chin at the two men as they retract their claws, and their eyes scan the area looking for any further threats. Peeking around the corner at the front of the house, the guard closest to Matt has his back slightly turned away. The cherry-red tip of the man’s cigarette glows, illuminating his profile. Matt signals there are two guards to take out in the front of the house to Jax, who aims his gun and fires silent shots, double-tapping to make sure his mark is dead. The farthest guard immediately drops while Matt leaps forward and snaps the man’s neck closest to him. His body falls to the ground, cigarette still clinging to his bottom lip. They drag the bodies into the woods where Finn and Gage have dropped their casualties, hauling brush over to conceal them.
Within seconds, the twins appear from around the corner. “The perimeter is clear,” Taryn reports.
“Four men, all down, and bodies stashed,” Kaitlyn finishes.
Matt turns to Finn. “You lead the way. We’ve got your six.”
Finn nods before inaudibly opening the glass doors and creeping inside. The rest follow him through what looks to be a trophy room, judging by the various animal heads mounted on the walls or displayed prominently for all to see. Matt is sickened by such a display. Finn approaches a wooden door to the left and holds up a fist in ahaltmotion. He turns to the group and hand signals the number two, before he softly opens the door and slides through. The rest follow quietly with guns drawn.
They silently move on the black tile floor into a large, well-lit kitchen, where they find a tall, skinny, greasy-haired thug. His fist is pulled back in a threatening motion, ready to strike, as he towers over a petite woman with grayish-blonde hair and wide eyes. Her left eye is surrounded by green and yellow hues, an indication of a healing bruise. Her gaze slides to them for a brief moment, and a smile stretches her lined face.
Straightening, she pokes the man in the chest and says, “I’ve been waiting for the day you get what you deserve.”
He opens his mouth, but Finn sneaks up from behind and snaps the man’s neck before a word can come out.
The woman puts her finger to her lips and whispers, “I don’t know who you are, but I assume you’re here to rescue your friends. There are three more guards on this floor.” She points to a door in the kitchen. “Your friends are down there. Careful. There are five guards down in the basement.”
Taryn’s eyes narrow. “Why are you helping us?”
The woman clenches her fists at her sides and says between gritted teeth, “I’m Abigail Burke. My husband used to run this town until Vance executed him. My daughter, Renee, is being held in one of the rooms in the basement. That’s how Vance, that fucking cocksucker, controls me. If you free her and take us with you, I'll tell you anything you want to know.” Her eyes never waver from Taryn’s stare.
Matt raises an eyebrow at Gage, who nods, before he turns to Abigail. “Is there any other way out of the basement than that door?”
She shakes her head.
“Okay. Wait here.” He turns to the rest. “Two by two formation. Line of sight. Ladies, finish clearing this floor and meet us downstairs.”
Taryn and Kaitlyn stare at each other for a minute, their facial expressions shifting as if they are having a private conversation, before they nod at each other and disappear back through the kitchen door. Matt turns to Gage with a raised eyebrow. Gage shrugs. “It’s a twin thing.”
The rest of the group descend the stairs and stop at the bottom. The stinging smell of ammonia burns his sensitive nose. Matt peers around the corner and signals for the group to hold, seeing a skinny man with his back to them, walking down the hallway. Quick as a flash, Matt is on him, his hand covering his mouth as he chokes him out with his forearm. Jax pats the guy down and finds a set of keys, then grabs his feet as Finn and Gage carefully check the door closest to them. Finn tests the handle and finds it unlocked. He slowly opens the door and checks out the room, apparently finding it empty. Finn motions his head toward the room, and they drag the body of the guard into what looks like a locker room/bathroom combo, dumping it in one of the stalls.
Behind the second door of many in the cavernous basement is a food supply room. Gage motions to Matt for him and Jax to take the next room while he and Finn continue down the hall. Matt inclines his head, glancing over his shoulder, when he catches movement out of the corner of his eye as the twins soundlessly descend the stairs. He nods toward the door on their right as he and Jax continue to the end of the hall.