I shake my head. “Not completely sure. I estimate at least twenty, perhaps more.” I'm counting the teachers, the masks, the orderlies, and the secret hospital staff.
“Alright. I’m assigning a team of my guys to handle the employees. The goal is containment, but killing is on the table if there’s no other choice,” Jax says seriously with a furrowed brow.
Pretty Girl's hand shoots up into the air. “I want the masks. Me, Sam, and Cynthia. We deserve this. Plus, we know The Morgue area the best.”
Jax purses his lips. “I will allow it, but you’ll have a ton of backup.”
Pretty Girl nods, with a glint in her eye.
Shit. I don’t want my sister anywhere near this shitshow. I'm concerned it will set her therapy back, but at the same time, I know if I object, I’ll be shot down.
“I want Synn and Frost on the team to cover the dorms. Students are more likely to respond to them. Harris, you will be on the team for the medical building, as well as the secret hospital. Razor, Ghost, Trikk, Bryan, Valley, and Purge, you will all be on a team that will split the rest of the property—the admin and P.E. buildings, the cafeteria, and the courtyards. My guys will have every entrance covered to every building, and I’ll have snipers up, and men in the forest as well.” Jax goes on.
I whistle under my breath. This is enormous.
“Each team will have a minimum of twenty people. This should be sufficient to empty the place. The police will herd the patients in two groups—one for those who can go home, and one for those who need a hospital, or even jail. There will be a mass of vehicles waiting to get you all out safely.” Jax taps his thigh. “You will all be armed well. We will plan this for nighttime; the cover of the darkness should aid us.”
We continue to discuss it all. One of the hackers went back to the computer room and is printing out maps for us, as well as lists of team members.
Heated debates spring up about who goes in what team, and I drift, my head swimming with the amount of information consumed.
It's late afternoon, so we have hours before this thing kicks off.
Sam
I'm chomping at the bit to get those innocent students out of that hellhole.
It's finally night, and time to do this thing.
I know I have to keep a close eye on Em; the girl has a one-track mind when it comes to the masks.
We've already been told who will be on each team. Mine has some of the best of ZYGOS—Maverick, Tyler, and Blade. Plus, countless others watching all our backs.
Em is dancing in place, squeezing her fists open and closed.
I nudge her gently. “Anchor yourself, Em. Focus on the objective.”
She nods, but frowns. “Yeah, Sam, I know.”
Before I know it, we’re all ushered to our vehicles. There's hardly any left once everyone is piled inside. It looks so strange to see most of the vehicles occupied.
We already know where we’re going. Jax has us with Harris's team, who will open the tunnel for us.
It seems like no time passes before we’re staring at the front of The Retreat. It's odd that there's no one coming out to investigate.
My mind whirs with what the students are getting up to.
Once everyone is out and in their groups, we split ways.
My team follows Harris inside the medical building, and he leads us to the secret tunnel into the hospital. He points me, Em, and Cynthia to the left, where the tunnel looks like it’s closed off.
“It’s a trick. If you push on the wall, you’ll get through, straight to The Morgue.”
My brows climb my brow. Interesting.
I take Em’s hand, and along with Cynthia and our team, we move towards The Morgue.
Phoenyxx
