Chapter 52
December 6, 1982
10:20
Wilmington, Delaware
The plane landed in Wilmington two hours and twenty-five minutes after takeoff. The pilot had pushed hard to get them here as fast as possible. After landing, the 448 jumped into a waiting helicopter. They were joined by a seven-man support team brought in from the Legion base in New York.
Now, sitting in the open doorway of the helo, Ice watched the city below as they flew directly to the hotel. They weren’t concerned with stealth on this op. Getting to the hostages as fast as possible was more important. They had approximately twenty minutes to get the councilors out of the building before it imploded.
Technically, he wasn’t supposed to be on this mission. Although he hadn’t given Colonel Trent his official yay , he’d spoken with Ortiz yesterday and let her know he was leaving the 448. This morning he’d been up before dawn, in his office filling out transfer paperwork and reading over the packet for his new position. In fact, he’d been on his way to Trent’s office to submit the forms when a junior aide had come up to him in the hall and told him about the situation with Cortez. He’d hesitated for less than a second before he turned away from Trent’s office and rushed off to the armory to gear up.
He wanted to save the councilors from the diabolical trap Cortez had ensnared them in. And he’d felt a sense that he should be with his team. He was a part of them and he couldn’t let them fly off while he remained behind. And even stronger than that was his need to be at Hazard’s side. The thought of Hazard in the field without him there to watch his six made his chest clench into a tight knot of apprehension.
With a ticking clock and a plane about to depart, he hadn’t had time to ponder what that meant — right now or for the future. Moving on autopilot, he’d strapped on his tactical kit and hauled ass to the plane, making it in the nick of time.
The hotel, a tall, narrow building, came into view. This was it. The helo hovered over the hotel’s parking lot and dropped down the fast ropes.
“Let’s go!” Ortiz yelled over the noise of the helicopter blades.
She disappeared down the rope first. Ice went after her. He didn’t bother putting his fast rope gloves away when he hit the ground. He tossed them aside so he could get his weapon in hand as fast as possible.
“Move in,” Ortiz ordered once everyone had landed.
They cautiously approached the hotel, in case Vengeful Claw had gunmen hidden on site and making sure they didn’t trip any explosives. The entrance door had been removed. The gaping hole beckoned them forward with a slightly menacing vibe.
The team made it inside the hotel lobby without incident. Weapon at the ready, Ice scanned the room. It was eerily quiet. A fraught sense of anticipation seemed to hang in the space. All of the furniture and accents had been removed. The front desk remained — standing bare and unmanned. Light flooded in from the curtainless windows, dust motes floating in the sun beams.
The councilors were nowhere to be seen. Of course Cortiz wouldn’t make the rescue easy by having them waiting out in the open.
Ice sniffed the air. “I smell nitroglycerin. Lots of it.”
The smell of the explosive was thick in the air, rising up from the basement where the bombs were no doubt attached to the hotel’s support beams.
“Looks like Cortez wasn’t making an empty threat,” Jax said tightly. “This place really is rigged to blow.”
Ortiz called for their attention. They all gathered to face her.
“Okay, we’ve got fourteen floors to search. And there’s twenty-five rooms on each level.”
Hazard spoke up. “Major, there’s fourteen councilors. I’d bet my left paw he’s got one stashed on each floor.”
“Asshole likes to play games,” Jax said. “Spreading them out all over the fucking building sounds like something he would do.”
“We’ll roll with that. This is a big building and we don’t have much time so we’re going to split up.” Ortiz looked at Jax, Ice, and Hazard. “448, you’re doing double duty. Jax take floors one and eleven. I’ll take two and twelve, Ice you’ve got three and fourteen since they skipped floor thirteen and Hazard you take four and fifteen.”
Ice nodded while Jax and Hazard verbally confirmed the plan.
“You,” she pointed at one of the New York soldiers. “I want you to establish a safe zone out of the blast range and keep watch. Let us know immediately if you see anyone who isn’t Legion approaching. Everyone will report to you once they’ve rescued their councilor.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said before he rushed back outside.
“The rest of you take floors five, six, seven, eight, nine, and ten.”
She pointed at each soldier as she listed the floor she wanted them to take. “We can’t take chances Vengeful Claw isn’t lurking about, so don’t send your councilor out on their own. Escort them all the way out of the building to where our lookout is posted. Then stay there and guard them. Any questions?”
A chorus of no ma’am came from the team.
Ortiz nodded. “Let’s go. Sound off on comms when you have your councilor in hand.”
The elevators were out of commission, so they ran over to the emergency stairwell. Jax yanked open the door and they hustled up the stairs. He peeled off at the first floor to go after his councilor while the rest of them continued up. Ortiz left at the second floor. When they reached the third floor, Ice opened the emergency door. Before he went through it, he looked up to where Hazard was almost to the next landing.
“Dylan!” he called out.
The omega paused and glanced down at him.
“Be careful.”
Hazard gave a nod and then he continued on, disappearing from view.
Ice stepped into the third-floor hallway. They’d caught a lucky break. All of the room doors had been removed, no doubt to be reused in a new location. That would make it easier and faster to search the twenty-five rooms. Moving fast, Ice went into the first room. He stuck his head in the bathroom and looked under the stripped down bed. Nothing.
Not wasting any time, he ran to the room across the hall. He was checking under the bed when Jax came over the radio.
“Dark Moon councilor secured.”
“That’s one,” Ortiz said.
Thirteen to go.
Ice continued searching. “Councilor!” he called out as he moved. “This is the US Legion! If you’re able, yell so I can find you!”
At first he heard nothing but the pounding of his own heart and his boots on the carpet. But halfway down the hall, he heard it. Muffled shouting. He followed the shouts to a room four doors down. Inside, there was a woman tied to a chair with duct tape over her mouth.
He’d found Councilor Doucette. She was in a set of lavender satin pajamas, the shirt stained with blood. Doucette shook her long, loose braids back, revealing that her face was bloodied and bruised. Ice noticed a syringe discarded on the floor, his noise picking up the smell of the anti-shifting serum.
Another muffled shout came from behind the tape. Ice ignored her for the moment and went to work on the ropes, using his knife to slice the thick knots free. While he worked, Ortiz and Hazard checked in one after the other, letting them know that the councilors from Cold Star and Steel Pelt were secured.
As soon as the ropes fell to the floor Doucette stood and ripped the duct tape off herself.
“My wife and daughter?”
“They’re safe at home. Can you walk?” Ice asked. He was prepared to carry her out if she couldn’t.
“Yes. We have to get out of here. There’s a bomb —.”
“I know.” He cut her off. “Let’s move.”
He grabbed her arm and took off running back to the emergency exit. He got on comms as they ran. “Blood Valley councilor in hand.”
“Good, that’s four,” Ortiz said. “Keep going everybody.”
They raced down the stairs. His bootsteps were loud and echoing in the stairwell, her bare feet making no more than a whisper of sound. Outside the building, he pushed her toward the sentry and told her to keep running. Then, he immediately turned around to race back inside and upstairs to the fourteenth floor. Meanwhile, the other members of the team checked in as they reached their councilors.
Great Crescent secured.
I have Broken Fang.
Snow Walkers secured.
Swift Night in hand.
Coeur Amer needs immediate medical.
Coming out with Silent Dusk.
Then it was Jax’s turn again. “Wild Defiance managed to shift as soon as he saw me and nearly bit my head off but we’re on our way down.”
The line went quiet for a moment. Then Ortiz came on.
“Blue Summit councilor secured.”
That left two councilors — the councilor for Ice’s home pack, Mystic Storm, and the shadow lands councilor.
Ice reached the fourteenth floor. He checked the first room, but it was empty. He stepped back out into the hall. But he didn’t move to the next room or call out for the councilor. His nose picked up the scent of rage. And something else. Something familiar that his Instinct recognized. Trusting his Instinct, he ran toward that scent.
In the very last room at the end of the hall, he found the Mystic Storm councilor — a big, redhead alpha. He too was tied to a chair. The councilor was in gray pajama bottoms, barefoot and shirtless. Both of his arms were inked, nearly to the shoulder. When he saw Ice his eyes went wide and he yelled behind the duct tape.
Ice ran over and cut him loose. The councilor stood.
“You’re pack,” he said after ripping the tape off.
Ice nodded, not asking how the man knew he was from Mystic Storm. His tattoos were covered by his uniform sleeves so it wasn’t by sight.
He clapped Ice on the shoulder.
“Lead the way, soldier.”
As they ran to the stairs Ice had half his focus on the radio, waiting to hear that Hazard had freed the final councilor. But the comm link remained silent. They made it all the way to the ground floor and Hazard still hadn’t checked in. In the lobby, Ice glanced at his watch. There were three minutes left.
“Come on, Hazard,” he whispered under his breath. “What the fuck are you doing?”
At the safe point, he quickly scanned the assembled group of soldiers and councilors in case Hazard had sounded off and he’d missed it. But he wasn’t there.
Ice turned back to look at the hotel, heart pounding, waiting for Hazard to come running through the open entrance.
He waited.
And waited.
But Hazard didn’t appear.
“Fuck this.” Ice cursed. “I’m going back in to look for him.”
Someone grabbed his arm.
“No! There’s no time!”
Ice shook them off, determined to go in and bring Hazard out.
But they grabbed him again. When he didn’t stop, they jumped on his back, arm around his throat in a near chokehold in an attempt to keep him where he was.
Ice didn’t bother to struggle to get them off. He simply moved forward with dogged determination, dragging them along as he went. He had to get to Hazard.
The person trying to hold him back was wearing a watch. It started to beep. Ice glanced down at the arm around his throat and saw a countdown flashing zero on the clock’s face. Two seconds later, there was a muffled boom .
The ground shook and the hotel started to collapse with Hazard still inside.