Stone leaned in and said something to Poppy that I didn’t catch.
“No, we’re not leaving. We’re almost there. And they say omegas are too emotional,” Poppy said, irritated. But I watched her lean in to kiss each of them, cupping their faces with such tenderness I had to turn back to my omega.
Josie was unlocking the final cells. The omegas slowly gathered around her as she explained everything. I drummed my fingers on the keyboard, willing them to hurry. It was clear, even through the grainy surveillance footage, that they were all terrified. They all wore tiny nightgowns and didn’t have shoes. They must be freezing. I wondered if Josie had been kept like this, and I quickly had to squeeze my eyes shut to stop that train of thought.
Josie gestured for them all to hold hands and they did, forming a long line and following her out of the room. The first omega to emerge cowered at the sight of Theo and Cam, but Josie kept her hand in a firm grip and kept walking.
I switched to the exterior camera and watched the back door swing open, Cam emerging on high alert, pointing his gun into the night before giving Josie the go-ahead. She walked out, the long line of omegas following her. There must be close to thirty—so many more than we expected.
Inside, Grant and River were hauling the incapacitated guards into the cells and locking them in until the Alliance could take care of them.
I continued to monitor the surveillance footage at both facilities, but I finally allowed myself a sigh of relief. I had parked around the side of the facility in a small clearing and was itching to drive around back where the garage was. I told myself it would only be a few more minutes. Poppy’s pack had pulled themselves together and their omega evacuation was underway. There seemed to only be a handful of omegas at their facility.
I sensed my pack’s stress through the bond, and it made my heart rate go up. The omegas were starting to panic at the idea of going in the backs of the vans.Josie was talking sweetly to each of them, keeping a watchful eye over the whole group. She might criticize alphas for being overprotective, but she was just as protective of the people she loved. My chest clenched when I remembered one of those people wasmeand how lucky I was.
“All clear at the Southern Facility,” Wilder, one of Poppy’s alphas, reported. “We had six omegas here. Doing a final sweep of the facility to ensure no one was left inside.”
“We’re almost done at the Eastern Facil—” I responded.
Something on the monitor caught my eye.
“No, no, no,” I gasped, zooming in on the surveillance footage. A car was approaching, driving down the dirt road towards the front of the facility.
“Cam, we’ve got company,” I said into the earpiece, trying to regulate my breathing and block my frenzied emotions from the bond. I wouldn’t be any use to the team if I panicked.
“Cam?” I growled when I didn’t get an instant response.
“Fuck, who’s here?” he asked as he emerged from the back of one of the vans.
“Don’t know yet, but they’re coming to the front. The building should block the view of the garage, but you have to be silent.”
I held my breath as the car came to a stop by the front door and five alphas stepped out, postures relaxed.
“It’s Jericho and four other alphas,” I hissed. “One of them looks familiar…” I tried to place the smarmy blond alpha in a suit. “It’s that shithead, Pierce. It’s Pack Madden.”
Theo and Cam’s growls came through my earpiece.
“Doesn’t seem like they know we’re here. Get the omegas into the garage as quietly as possible and then take down these fuckers.”
Cam and Theo gestured at everyone and they followed my instructions. I scanned the monitor, trying to catch a glimpse of Josie, but couldn’t see her.
“Where is Josie?” I asked, a surge of my panic leaking through the bond.
There was no response.
“Cam, Theo. Where. Is. Josie?”
“I can’t see her,” Theo hissed.
“Charlie—” I said.
“She’s in the facility, camera nine,” she responded immediately. My mind whirred as I flipped through the various video feeds, finally spotting my omega walking through the hallway.
“I’ve got surveillance covered,” Charlie said. “Go get her.”
I surged out of the van, tearing my gun out of the holster as I made my way around the building to the side entrance. Jagged edges of fear came from all sides of the bond as we hunted down our mate.
ChapterFifty-Five
