About twenty minutes later, Laurant cuts the lights, pulls the car off the highway into a wooded area well past the shoulder, and throws it in park. He pushes his seat back to change his clothes, too, after Nyx hands them to him. Then he takes a deep breath, peers at me beside him, then up into the rearview mirror.
“Time to go.”
Andrew
The walk to the docks from the woods where I’d parked only took about ten minutes, and that was mostly due to coordinating who would take which weapons and devices, shuffling things back and forth as quietly as we could as we traveled.
When we reached the small boat waiting for us, Zephyr let his boat captain’s prowess shine, jumping in and gripping the steering wheel with a kind of self-assurance I’d never seen in him before.
Before we start moving, I grasp the bottom of my seat, close my eyes and just let myself breathe, reaching out with my mind to find any consciousness in the area.
It’s an odd sensation, almost like floating out of my body through my skull, my being expanding far and wide, seeking signs of life.
Finding none nearby, I knock on Zephyr’s seat. He motions for Erich, who starts up the electric motor, and we take off.
The entire time, I keep my mind open to find and obscure us from anyone out there, only finding people on the small island we’re heading to. The island that houses the facility, just between the north and south forks of Long Island.
There are lookouts, and I know there’s video surveillance. We have to be on alert for the unknown, as well. But people are the only thing I have any control over: The lookouts and security forces.
My floating self reaches into their minds and removes any images of us, any thoughts of intruders or emergencies vanish at my command.
The ease with which I am able to accomplish this feat should frighten me. At least, my rational mind tells me this to be the case.
I try not to linger on the fact that it doesn’t scare or bother me one bit.
This power may be new to me, but I’ve taken to it like a fish to water. Like it was always a part of me, just waiting to be uncovered and put to use.
That being in my chest, the one that slithers and sighs when I’m with my Omegas, it’s out for blood right now. For vengeance. And it will do whatever is necessary to protect Nyxeris. Our entire pack.
Zephyr motions for Eric to cut the engine before we reach the island, holds his hand out, palm down, and levitates the entire boat, with us in it. He gently places it on the shore, after tilting back the engine so the propeller isn’t damaged.
Our exit plan is to take the boat back to the other shore, get into our SUV, and drive to a small airport. This after ensuring the prisoners are off the island, commandeering GBE transportation.
The building here takes up almost the entire island, and it looks exactly as it did in the glowing hologram during our War Room meetings. Flat, rectangular, sprawling, but there are bright searchlights combing the beach in all directions from tall watch towers around the perimeter.
Erich takes the lead as I keep up my mental obfuscation from the rear.
Around the side of the massive building, precisely where our schematics said it would be, is a tunnel blocked by thick bars. The grate is solid and built into the tunnel itself.
Thankfully, they didn’t plan for Zephyr.
With a flick of his wrist, the grate vanishes in a bubble of darkness.
In here, I don’t have to keep as diligent a lookout. We maintain our formation, Erich in the front, followed by Nyxeris, then Zephyr, me at the back. Erich keeps watch over a device in his palm which projects the building’s schematics, along with a tracking dot to tell us where we are.
There’s water streaming along the ground, likely from pumps inside the building, keeping sea water from saturating the foundation or eroding the sand beneath us.
Once we finally reach the security door that leads into the building, lit by one small and dim yellow bulb above it, Erich puts away his map device, motions for us to gather around him.
I admit, I’m impressed by his ability to lead. But then, he’s had much more training in this than I ever had.
He keeps his voice low enough not to echo. “We stick together. No exceptions.” He turns those icy eyes on each of us for emphasis. “There are no insiders here. We get in, take outevery GBE soldier and scientist we see, get to the sub-basement, release the prisoners, extract the data.” He holds up his collar control box. “Not all of these people are fighters, and we don’t know what shape they’ll be in. We release their collars and protect them as we escape.”
“And once we’re all out, I suck this hellhole into the void.” Zephyr’s eyes are wild as he says it, and I can’t say I don’t support his enthusiasm.
“Exactly.” Erich begins re-checking his weapons, starting with the long gun slung on his back, the cartridges of ammunition on his outer thighs and belt.
I follow suit with the others, checking my blades as well, the intent being to use them as projectiles guided by my telekinesis.
