34. Chapter Thirty Four
Chapter Thirty Four
I snarl at the soldiers that come running out of the warehouse as I let off shot after shot.
Each bullet hits its victim true.
Blood sprays around us. Body after body hits the concrete as their lives are ripped from them.
Ledger takes down his opponents with his Uzi. I don’t see Jax with a gun. Instead, he brands a KA-BAR as he slices his victims without any care for where his blade lands.
Intestines fall to the ground as casualties stand frozen, clutching the gaping wounds in their stomach. Blood loss sees them collapsing, along with a bullet between their eyes that seals their fate.
It's a brutal death, but one that they deserve.
The front of the warehouse quickly turns into a warzone. Detached body parts litter the ground before us as Jax moves from soldier to soldier.
Beneath us, our boots move in a sickening squelch as we step over human remains. I don’t look down, knowing that if I do, I will lose the contents of my stomach. Not like it will make what has quickly become Jax’s playing field any more nauseating.
Once the flow of soldiers from the front door ceases, we move as a unit into the warehouse.
We disperse, going from room to room; each time coming up empty. The men that we do find are swiftly taken down by either a bullet from my gun or a swipe of Jax’s knife. The further we get into the warehouse, the more I grow weary.
We still haven’t identified any of the key players, something that surprises me. From what Jaiden said, they had been holed up here since they took Kennedy.
They knew that we would come for her.
And now they are hiding, like the piss weak Alphas I knew they were.
A door at the end of the hallway is our final hope. The warehouse is completely silent now, the sound of gunshots and yelling having died down since we left one of the last rooms we forced our way into.
It comes to no surprise to me that the door is locked when I try to open it.
Nodding to one of the men behind me, a battering ram is brought forward from the back of the group. It takes them a few goes but the metal door crumbles under the force.
Gunfire greets us. We return it back as we make our way through the room dodging the spray of bullets.
Ledger grunts and stumbles slightly as one of the soldiers shoots, in what I can only hope is the last line of defence, aims true. The only thing that sees Ledger righting himself and returning the favour is the bullet proof vests that each of our fathers ensured we put on before we left home.
It's silent once the rest of the men are taken out. I motion for one of our soldiers to check them all over. To make sure there are no nasty surprises when we have our back to them.
Jax, Ledger and I move further into the room – our eyes on another heavy metal door.
This time when I go to try the lock, I find it unlocked. Holding my weapon up, I slowly open it.
Stairs going further beneath ground greet us. So does the strong scent of musk.
Kennedy.
It's near impossible to hold in a growl after not having scented her for so many days. It just wasn’t the same smelling her pillow or her worn clothing. After a couple of days, her essence began to fade.
I know that both Jax and Ledger share the same sentient as me. Each of us wants to barge down the stairs. To get our eyes on our Omega for the first time. But I refuse to act on impulse. We need to be smart. To think with our heads instead of our primal needs that demand we find her.
Our steps are silent as we move further into the basement.
Kennedy’s scent gets stronger the closer we get to her. She is like a beacon down here, leading us straight to her.
Turning into a corridor, we are greeted with cage after cage. My stomach rolls at the sight. All of the cages are empty, bar one.
The one that contains our girl.
The moment she spots us, a sob breaks from her lips.
Jax doesn’t hesitate as he rushes towards her .
A tisking sound stops his advance as four figures from the shadows of her confinement move in behind her.
“I’m surprised it took you so long to find us. The big scary Duran Mafia isn’t so big and scary after all,” Ronan, the head Alpha of the Mullen pack says as he steps up behind Kennedy.
I remain silent as both Ledger and I move to step up next to Jax. I can feel him vibrating in his spot, a sentiment I also share.
The four Alphas move to surround Kennedy. She remains frozen in place as she looks at us. I wish I could feel her emotions. To know if she is okay or if the brave face she is wearing is an act or not.
Trent moves closer to our Omega, a hand landing on her hip.
Growls from Ledger, Jax and I echo through the concrete room.
I go to take a step forward but the glimmer of metal rising has me freezing. The barrel of a glock rests against the temple of my Omega. I watch as Trent pulls back the hammer, his finger lingering dangerously close to the trigger.
“Not another step closer,” the Alpha’s grimey voice whispers in the eerie quiet.
I feel like I don’t breathe as I find Kennedy looking directly at me. I convey every single emotion I possibly can through look alone.
How fucking sorry I am for failing her. How I wish that she never had to go through the terror of having a weapon held to your head.
How devastatingly I have fallen in love with her.
“If you want Kennedy to live, I suggest you turn your tail and forget about her.”
I scoff, shaking my head as I find Charles smiling like that cat who got the cream .
“There’s no way that I can do that,” my words echo to the Alphas holding my life in their hands.
I look back at my girl, finding her smiling at me even as tears stream down her beautiful cheeks. The look on her face is completely at odds with the situation we currently find ourselves in.
It's certainly the last thing I feel like doing right now.
I expected terror, anger, hopelessness even. Certainly not the optimism and elation in her eyes that is making me question the stability of our Omega’s mental health. I really shouldn't expect much else. I know nothing of what she has been over the last week.
Have they hurt her?
From what I can tell of my quick perusal of her body, she seems unharmed. If anything she seems slightly better than she did when she left.
What have they been doing to her?
I finally allow myself to look at Jaiden. His stony face gives nothing away. Has he told Kennedy what is going on? Did she know that we were coming for her?
She should know that we always will. Because wherever she is, is where I want to be.
“Not your fucking Omega,” Jax growls from beside me. The sound is undoubtedly all Alpha. His body is now visibly shaking. He is back to the feral state he has been in for days.
I’m glad that he is at least able to see reason for the time being, while we work out how to get her away from them.
But I long to join my brother in becoming feral. To let go and allow the primal side of me to take over. I know that I’m only holding on by a thread .
Kennedy whimpers, her knees threatening to collapse under her.
Ronan just chuckles as he wraps an arm around her waist, pulling her back so her entire body is pressed against his.
I feel another string of my control break. No other Alpha should be allowed to touch her.
She is mine. My Omega.
“Wrong. We are the ones that have her. The ones that have dissolved her bonds with you filth.” He spits the last words as he forcefully turns Kennedy's head, showing her now bare throat.
I feel as though my world comes crashing down around me. I didn’t think this situation could get any worse than it already was.
“No,” my voice is a broken whisper.
Ronan chuckles, the sound making my skin crawl, “Yes. Once my mark settles on her neck, it’ll be official.”
My eyes follow the spot his hands travel over her bare neck.
“You can’t have her.”
Ledger's voice holds no space for play. Like me, the time for being rationality is gone. Yet the Mullen pack seem to think his words are funny as the cold room is filled with the sound of their amusement.
“Well if that's the case, if we can’t have her, neither can you.” His eyes darken as he wrenches her head back, his grip tightening on the weapon as his finger moves to the trigger.
An explosion rocks the building before Ronan is able to take my girl from this world.
Each of the Alphas loses their balance.
My gaze collides with Kennedy. Her smile is now vicious. Pulling her head forward, she slams it back in a quick succession, only heightening the dissociation of the piece of shit holding her as her head slams into his. He roars as he lets her go, allowing her to make a break for the barred door. I trip over my feet as I rush towards her, wrenching open the door, snapping the useless lock.
I don’t waste a single second as I reach out for Kennedy who meets me halfway, jumping up and wrapping her arms and legs around my body.
Turning, I don’t waste a single second in getting out of there.
Our number one priority is Kennedy’s safety and I refuse to stick around even though it kills me that I might not get my hands on the motherfuckers.
If what Jaiden says is true and he is in fact on our team, I know the boys will sort out the Mullen pack in no time.
I just hope they keep at least one of them alive for me to question.