5. CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 5
Biting back the groan of disappointment when he felt his mate leave, Glyn did his best to try and be happy that his mate wasn’t going to risk his life on saving them when there was no possible way it would ever succeed. Still, he owed it to the tiger shifter, who he could have sworn one of his friends called Rip, but that sounded too bizarre to be an actual name.
The guards ‘graciously’ gave them a twenty minute break to rest and get water before they were to get back to loading the ore they’d brought to the conveyor belts that would break them down to pure uranium. It had been during that break when he’d known his mate was no longer watching the compound.
The moment they were forced to get back up, he finagled his way over to the tiger shifter. “He’s gone,” he murmured too low for the humans to hear.
“Guessing Cayman is your mate,” the tiger stated more than asked.
Glyn dipped his head once, since he refused to let the guards think they were communicating.
“He’ll break in tonight.” The tiger sounded so certain, but Glyn knew he was no longer nearby.
Subtly, he shook his head. “He’s gone.”
They were passing too close to some of the guards to speak further. But over the course of the six hours of their work detail, fear clawed at him with the knowledge of the tiger, who confirmed his name was Rip, told him about his mate.
Cayman not only never backed down from a mission, he was usually sent on only the most dangerous ones. It was the reason he was there in the first place. There weren’t many places in the world that were tougher to get in and out of than North Korea.
Plus, Rip reminded him, it hadn’t just been Glyn who had scented his mate. Cayman knew his mate was there. Had scented him. Seen him. There was zero chance of Cayman leaving him behind.
Worse, it also meant, the moment he knew his mate was a prisoner, Cayman would get him out, with the least amount of risk to Glyn’s life. At first, he’d been relieved because it meant his mate would take every precaution to be safe. But the next time Rip was able to say anything to him, which was when they were on their way back to the room where they slept, the tiger disabused him of that idea.
“He likely would have set up bombs to kill the guards above, as well as cause a distraction.” Solemn blue eyes pinned his for a brief moment. “He won’t take the chance with you here.”
“Why not?” Glynn practically hissed out.
“Doesn’t know what it looks like below ground and he won’t take the chance of you getting hurt when they go off.” Rip’s words made too much sense, causing Glyn’s heart to nearly beat out of his chest in abject terror.
When they were handed their one cup of water they were allowed after working, Rip murmured with the cup raised to hide his mouth. “Be ready. Because he will come before the sun rises.”
Knots of pure dread formed in his stomach making it difficult to take a drink. But he forced himself to. If they needed to run, he needed to have consumed every drop of water and every bite of food they were given. No matter how meager the offerings were.
No way would he be the reason they didn’t make it out of there. Not when it would mean his mate would be killed instantly for attempting to free them.
He made certain to signal to his brother when the guard’s back was turned to be ready that night. Jarvis rolled his eyes after hearing that already a couple of nights ago and so far nothing had happened.
Glyn stared hard at him until Jarvis seemed to understand he wasn’t kidding. When his brother slightly dipped his head, Glyn lay down and slept. He would be no good escaping if he was too exhausted to stay awake, much less run.
When he woke up an hour later for their barely there meal, Glyn once more sensed his mate close by. Fuck. Rip had been right.
As they formed a line to get their trays, he once again maneuvered himself behind Rip. “He’s back.”
“Be ready,” Rip warned him again.
It killed him to know his mate was putting his life in danger, especially when the odds of freeing them were minimal at best. That said, he also hated the idea of knowing his mate was out there and he’d never get to meet him. It might not have been much of a chance that they could be together, but the allure of touching Cayman was too strong to completely regret that his mate was coming for him.
Not that there was a fucking thing he could do about it at that point. Hell, he couldn’t even stand up without permission and if he tried, he’d most likely end up with a bullet in his head. He’d seen it happen before.
All he could do was sit there and wait. The thought of trying to get more sleep after he’d taken the whole five bites of food they’d offered was laughable. Between the anxiety of his mate dying while attempting to infiltrate the compound and the joy that he might actually get to meet him, he was overwhelmed.
Still, the exhaustion of working so many hours of hard labor day in and day out with little food or water to replenish their energy, added to having to sleep on the hard floor against his aching body, he eventually did start to doze off.
He had no clue how long he’d slept, but he was jolted awake when the scent of his mate slammed into him. Opening his eyes, he looked around, certain Cayman had to be in the room with them. But he wasn’t there.
He had no idea where he was, but Glyn was positive he was in the underground building. Glancing around, he saw pretty much everyone was sleeping, or possibly pretending to sleep.
Gently tapping the hard floor beneath him several times, he got the attention of Rip and his friends, who casually turned over as if they were trying to get into a new position and looked right at him.
In the dimly lit room, the human guards wouldn’t be able to see that their eyes were open, but his shifter vision could. Casting a quick glance at the guard, who was roaming around the other side of the room near Rip and his friends, who had his back turned to Glyn, he mouthed, “He’s inside.”
Their bodies tensed, ready to spring at any moment. All of their senses were alert for any movement at the doorway of their assigned room.
While he waited, Glyn sent up a prayer that fate allowed them to have their happy ending.