Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
The dark skies rolled with cantankerous clouds, threatening at any moment to spit more rain down. Mist slithered off the Danube only yards away from our hiding spot.
“You sure they weren’t setting you up?” Scorpion peaked over a small barrier wall in front of the collection of factory buildings on the street.
Even at this hour, smoke billowed from the chimneys, and dim light came from inside.
“This was one of the first factories we checked out. Many nights we staked out this place and saw nothing. The factory runs twenty-four seven. Day shift and a smaller night shift.”
There were no laws or unions giving workers’ rights or controlling how many hours they worked. It didn’t surprise me they were forcing people to work all night or all day.
“No, this is not a setup.” I really hoped I was right, that this wasn’t some trap to get me, while they got a handsome reward for leading me here. “This has to be the place.”
The address Lena gave me was on the other side of the Rákóczi Bridge. The old industrial area in the 9th district had been gentrified at a time before my birth, but now it was back to manufacturing in rundown buildings, pumping waste into the river, and polluting the air with black smoke.
It was a perfect location—close to the river to dump bodies and sewage, and right by a train station used solely for factories to load cargo to export their product to other countries before continuing to a pedestrian hub.
“You guys in position?” Scorpion muttered into a walkie-talkie device he stole from Lehel Market. An item only the uber-wealthy could afford, brought in from Unified Nations.
“Yes.” Birdie’s muffled voice responded on the twin gadget.
Birdie, Maddox, and Wesley were on one team, scouting the other side. While Ash, Lukas, Scorpion, and I were on the other, coming up the west side of the brick building.
Built for function, not beauty, the long, unappealing rectangular box seemed too ordinary to have such horrors hidden beneath.
“Lena said there is a door on the northwest side they used to take out the trash. It must be there.” I pointed to an overgrown area with stairs leading down into the ground. The basement door was so hidden it could easily be missed unless looking for it.
“You said it was magic-locked and alarmed?” Scorpion asked, his attention still fully on the building, a frown on his face.
“That’s what she said,” I replied.
Andris wanted tonight to be merely a stakeout mission, gathering more information about possible guards, trip alarms, entries, exits, and what the place was being used for.
In the meantime, Ling was trying to get more black-market items for the base, like fae lock picks and the earpieces I told him Mykel had at Povstat for larger missions.
I needed to get word back to Mykel soon, letting him know everything that was going on here and what I had found out. He didn’t even know Tracker and Ava were dead, or my mother was alive. Sort of.
I was unsure about telling him we found the nectar. My trust in Andris was complete, but I didn’t know Mykel enough to think he wouldn’t use it. Even if it started out for good, things like that seem to corrupt people easily.
“Let’s get closer.” Scorpion gestured with his gun for us to follow.
Skulking through the darkness, only the light from the factory guiding us, our boots made the smallest shuffling sound as we moved together.
Ducking behind brush, we listened for anything that told us we tripped a wire or our presence was known.
“I don’t see any cameras or guards,” Ash whispered to us. “Doesn’t mean they aren’t somewhere around.”
“Istvan would want to make this appear like a normal factory. Anything noticeable like guards or high-tech gadgets might attract attention. If he has them, they will be well hidden.”
“Which is not a plus for us,” Scorpion muttered, pulling up the walkie-talkie to his mouth. “Anything?”
“No. So far, nothing to report,” Birdie retorted through the device.
“Why does that make me more nervous?” Scorpion muttered under his breath, and I concurred. The more everything seemed mundane, the more I felt this might be a trap.
Time ticked by painstakingly slow, with no movement or any guards making rounds on the outside.
“This is pointless,” I finally huffed out. “We’re not learning anything from here.”
“Lieutenant said specifically not to engage tonight. Surveillance only,” Scorpion curtly replied. I could see his own restlessness and irritation growing.
“Never took you for one to follow the rules,” I scoffed, my brow lifting.
He shot a glare at me, but it had everything to do with his ego and not what I was proposing.
“No,” he grumbled. “Whatever you’re thinking. No.”
“Just Ash and me,” I countered, giving Ash a look, hoping he wouldn’t nix this idea. He rolled his eyes as if to say like I could stop you. “You and Luk cover us. I want to get a little closer. See if there is any other way inside. Anything that might tell us something more than this.”
Scorpion exhaled through his nose, not looking at me. He had to know I wasn’t really asking for permission. He was our superior tonight, and I wanted his approval, but there was a good chance I’d go anyway. Otherwise, this entire mission was for nothing.
“You know I’m right,” I said matter-of-factly.
He dipped his head with a grunting sigh. “Fine.” He clipped back, pointing to both Ash and me. “But the moment you see or sense anything, you get the fuck out of there. You got it?”
“Yes, sir,” I mimicked his tone.
“This is not funny, Brex.” Irritation flicked over his face. “I don’t have a way of knowing you are okay now. If something happens to you . . .”
“I know.” My gaze met his somberly. I understood all too well what he meant.
The lack of connection between us, between Warwick and me, bristled at the back of my neck.
I hated I couldn’t even feel if they were in danger.
The gap where both had been in my soul, even if it hadn’t been for very long, felt hollow.
Another thing I shoved into a box to deal with later.
Lukas and Scorp got in position, their guns aimed, while Ash and I slipped out of the brush, clambering closer to the building.
Leading, I darted toward the back of the building, toward the door.
Ash glanced around, his body low and defensive.
Because my senses were ordinary now, dull and limited compared to his, I depended on him to detect anything off or wrong while I hunted for ways in.
Lena had been right. Besides the front entrance and the utility door, the place was impregnable. All the doors and windows that once had been there were bricked over, allowing only those permitted to go in and out.
Controlled.
“Brex!” Ash hissed in my ear, his arms wrapping around me, yanking me behind the corner of the building into the dark shadows.
Ragged breath pumped in my ears, his form tense behind me, causing mine to bobble and leap all over the place.
“A camera is hidden by the rain duct in the middle.” His voice was hoarse in my ear. “It looked to be scanning both ends.”
Relief and panic dug through my lungs when I exhaled. Thank the gods for Ash. I hadn’t seen anything. “I really hate being human,” I mumbled.
“And just think, not long ago, it was all you wanted.”
True. I had. Now I wanted nothing more than to be me again.
“Let me check it out.” Dropping his arms, he crept in front of me. With stillness only fae were capable of, Ash inched his face out just enough to peer around the corner. Seconds ticked by slowly before he so gradually pulled his head back. It was undetectable to a human eye or camera.
“Thirty seconds on each side before it starts sweeping back.”
“Thirty seconds to get in that door?” I huffed. “I can do it in my sleep. I used to hop trains, break inside, find and steal product, and hop off in under three minutes.”
“Not a chance.” He shook his head. “This is simply surveillance. Plus, we don’t have the means to get through the door. Andris will be satisfied with what we found.”
“Oh, Bitz, when will these stupid fae-brains ever learn?”
Chirp.
My hand slapped over my mouth, holding back the scream as a small voice came up behind my ear. The feel of bare feet climbing onto my shoulder shot adrenaline into my system until my brain clicked in, understanding who it was.
“Fuck.” Ash breathed out heavily.
“Not sure if it’s an appropriate time, but sure, I’m game.” Opie grabbed onto my hair, coming into my peripheral, Bitzy in her pack.
Chirp.
“Oh, I didn’t mean me.” Opie coughed. “I meant them two. Certainly, I wouldn’t find this tree fairy with golden hair and a dick the size of a tree trunk at all appealing. I mean, gross. And that big war man? Even grosser.” He stuck out his tongue. “Blah.”
Chirp!
“I did not!”
Chirp!
“That was a total misunderstanding.”
“Shut the fuck up.” Ash hissed, his attention darting around. “You two are going to get us killed.” He pointed at Opie. “Though you are not wrong, I’m seriously disturbed you know anything about my dick.”
“You sleep very soundly.”
I groaned, my face planting in my palm.
“I’m not going to think about that right now.”
“You, sir, don’t think at all. Any of you.” Opie sighed. “How many times do we need to tell them, Bitz? Larger they get, the less brain power there is?” He motioned at Ash. “Locks mean nothing to us.”
Lifting my head, I blinked.
“No.” Ash instantly shook his head. “It’s too dangerous.”
“When is it not?” I opened my arms.
Ash let out a quiet scoff. “Fair point, but there are alarms on this door.”
“Oh, alarms-salarms.” Opie batted his hand. “Those are cake.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah . . . like ninety percent sure.”
“Ninety?” I peered at him.
“Yeah, ninety or at least eighty percent.”
“I’m not liking the way this is trending.” Ash’s nose wrinkled up.
“Get the broomstick out of your ass, fairy. I totally got this.”
Chirp.
“Yeah, maybe you’re right.”
“What?” I asked.