Still no sign of my pack.
“Nadia.” Jericho’s hand finds mine. “We need to decide.”
I look at him. See my own conflict reflected in his face. We can’t do this alone. Two people against that facility is suicide.
But those people inside. Kaylin Foster, the young wolf who might not survive another procedure. The others in critical condition. They’ve already waited too long.
“Five minutes,” Jericho says quietly.
I scan the approaches one more time. Nothing. Just empty road and the facility below starting its shift change preparations.
“Four minutes.”
My wolf is snarling. Torn between altruism and mate protection. Between saving those captives and keeping Jericho alive.
Because if we go in alone, we’re probably both going to die.
“Three minutes.”
The guards below are moving into position. I can see the shift supervisor near the main entrance. Everything happening on schedule.
Our window is coming. With or without backup.
“Two minutes.”
Jericho looks at me. Because we both know what our choices are here.
Go in now and probably die. Or wait and let people who are depending on us suffer and possibly die instead.
Chapter 30
Jericho
Two minutes until the guard shift change. I watch the facility through binoculars. Six guards visible. More inside. The shift supervisor is near the main entrance, clipboard in hand, preparing for rotation.
In eight minutes, security will be at its weakest point. Eight minutes to get inside, reach the cells, extract the prisoners.
Her pack isn’t here.
I scan the approaches again. Empty road. No sign of vehicles. No wolf energy signatures approaching.
They’re not coming.
“One minute,” I say quietly.
Nadia is silent beside me. Tension pours off her in waves. Her pack should be here. Should have arrived fifteen minutes ago.
Something went wrong.
“Jericho.” Her voice is tight. “We can’t do this alone.”
“I know.”
“Two of us against that facility. Against Vex’s security. We’ll die.”
“Maybe.”
I lower the binoculars. Look at the facility. Think about the files I memorized. Kaylin, Devon, the others… How many procedures have they endured? How close to death are they now?
