She knew she didn’t need to detail this to them, but she also knew she’d feel remiss if she didn’t.
Everyone grimly nodded.
“The cloud cover is still thick and heavy, which is what we wanted, in conjunction with the new moon giving us darkness.”She pointed to the map on the wall.“We’ve already Primed all the border guards at the closest crossing to ignore anything unusual when we make entry and to not patrol the fenceline.Any vehicle issues, leave it an’ pile into something else.Each vehicle will have a charge.If it gets abandoned, blow it.Gloves on at all times.No fingerprints.”
She climbed off the box and walked over to a blank wall, where Lowri had set up a laptop and projector to display the map.
Aisling traced the route even though everyone already had a copy and had memorized it.“For egress, we turn off at this fire road here, which has been confirmed clear and passable.This fence section here will be dropped.We’re doin’ this in case an alert goes out that we can’t intercept and they send troops who we haven’t compromised to the border crossing.And this is closer, anyway.Brings you right to the warehouse.From here we transport the hostages, if we recover any, and any of our wounded to the airstrip.
“We don’t get a second chance.I need yer focus on yer mates.Makin’ sure as many of us return as possible.If there’s a problem after we bug out—again, if there’s a choice to make and it’s you or them?You, every time.Eliminate subjects regardless of who they are.Until they are on that plane and in the air, they aren’t people—they’re guinea pigs, an’ we have no idea what state they’re in.Especially if any of them are Primes.We have intel there may be a very strong male Prime Alpha wolf shifter.Mebbe more than one Prime, we don’t know.We can do the mental health work fer ours later.
“I cannot stress enough that ye must remember this operationwillshut down a worldwide threat that’s been going on for decades.If ye hesitate pullin’ the trigger, you or yer buddy might die.When yer in doubt, picture yer own mate or child or sibling and know that if we don’t do this now, others will die.This will be ugly an’ I need all of ye at yer best wi’ compartmentalization.Until those people are safely in our hands an’ secured, or dead, they are liabilities.They arecargo.They arenothumans, they arenotshifters, they arenotmen, women, or children.They arelivestockan’ they are expendable if the choice is saving ours or them.SoagainI ask, anyone need to leave now, or ask to be reassigned to the support or transport teams?”
No one moved.
She grimly nodded.“Right.We don’t know if or how many other facilities like this might be out there, but we have to destroy this one.Hopefully, it’s the only one.Our intel says it likely is, but until we grab the mad bastard runnin’ it, we won’t know for sure.If there are other people involved, or other facilities, we will coordinate operations to take them out next.
“Once this is over, follow yer plan to get back here and get yer gear.Make sure to turn in your gaiters immediately.If ye picked up any from our casualties, make sure those are handed in, too, an’ noted.Or if ye saw someone fall an’ couldn’t get their gaiter.We will assume anyone else died inside.After ye’ve done that, if yer not in support or transport, follow yer personal plan, get yer shite that’s goin’ wi’ ye, an’ leave the area immediately.Any gear yer leavin’ behind, drop it in the marked area over there an’ we’ll shift it when we evacuate this warehouse.If any of ye are stopped by authorities in Finland, we’ll get a Prime to ye as quickly as we can.Just keep yer feckin’ snoot shut an’ wait.Ye all have the contact number to call.If yer somehow captured inside Russia…”
She sighed.“I cannot promise ye we’ll ever be able to get ye out again.If ye want my honest opinion, if ye can’t shift and flee, ye might want to consider eatin’ yer sidearm or slicin’ yer femorals and jugulars and sitting down to wait.I’m sayin’ that applies to myself as well.Our primary mission is to eliminate the lab.If we can rescue subjects in the process, happy days.But donotforget our primary goal is to destroy this place an’ anyone runnin’ it, an’ to bring as many of us home as possible.Anythin’ else is gravy.Questions?”
There weren’t, not that she thought there would be, but she stared at their faces, committing them to memory, counting them, praying they would all be here on the back side.
She glanced at her watch.“It is 1922.”She waited while everyone synchronized theirs.“We begin at 2100 sharp.We anticipate making entry by 2155, egress no later than 0000.The fence will drop at 0100, and our last vehicle should cross the border by 0115.We’ve calculated the fuel for the vehicles, and they have plenty to spare.In forty-eight hours, you will receive an email to the secret account we have on file for you with further instructions or information.The account you receive it from will then cease to exist.The emergency phone number will be defunct after three weeks.You will not speak to anyone about this operation who is not a part of this operation, an’ you have agreed that will be reinforced by Peyton himself.Questions?”
“What if there’s another lab?”one of the men asked.
“Let’s hope we don’t have to do this more than once,” she said.“But if we do, we’ll reach out to ye first.And again, no one will blame ye for sayin’ no, because ye did yer part.It’s not hyperbole to say this is an existential threat.”
“Why don’t we just come out?”one of the women asked.“Wouldn’t that be easier?I mean, yes, we need to destroy this lab.But if we come out, doesn’t that take the power from them?”
Peyton stepped up.“Name me one time in the history of the world where a persecuted minority asserting their rights ever worked out for them at the beginning of that movement.It’s great in theory, but the reality is we would be destroyed.There are other operations currently in motion that I am not at liberty to discuss.Some have been ongoing for a while and are making significant headway.Our power comes from our secrecy.We are slowly putting our people into place.”
“That sounds… questionable,” a man at the front said.He sounded American, but she didn’t recognize him as one of the Targhees.
“How so?”Peyton asked.
“I mean…” He glanced around.“I don’t want to kill off fucking psychopaths just to help install a fascist regime.”
“We’re not doing this to subjugate or harm other people.We’re doing this to help and provide protection forourpeople.If one of ours is captured, we can use military or special intelligence contacts to free them.We can do that under the guise of what humans have done for each other for as long as governments have existed.Do I hope my grandchildren can live openly and freely one day?Yes.Will I push the issue prematurely?Fuckno.We’re amassing power and wealth for our kind so we can protect ourselves.”
He looked at Aisling.“Anything else?”
She shook her head.“If any of ye are of a prayin’ bent, well, we’ll take all the help we can get from the Goddess, or yer deity of choice.
“Amen,” one of the Polish bear shifters said from the back.
ChapterTwenty-Two
Peyton
I owe Aislinga huge-ass raise and an all-expense-paid vacation.
Peyton just hoped they both made it through to the other side of this operation for him to make good on that as he watched her go through her last-minute checks before they all moved out, ensuring everyone had left all personal electronics behind and shut off.Two people were staying behind at the warehouse to guard it, or to help the support team if they needed.
Frankly, Peyton was shitting-bricks terrified, because he’d never been through anything like this before.Not even the Seguras’ attack in Idaho lived up to this.
A majority of the volunteers were either veterans or had paramilitary training.Nearly all of them were Enforcers or the equivalent for their packs.A few of them were Pack Alphas, or leaders of their shifter clans.
