Chapter 23
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
STONE
“Fine. I agree. Email me this information. I need to contact someone for a few more details to make a solid plan. Give me a little time to work on it and once I have a concrete plan, I’ll share it with you. It’s just going to be the three of us since you don’t have the help of your club on this, Levi, so we need to make sure it’s airtight. There’s no room for mistakes.”
“Sent,” Levi announces boldly.
“I’ll give you an hour. Plan or not, my mate isn’t staying there past tomorrow,” Sasha states coldly, her arms crossed over her chest as she leans against the counter, glaring at me. Again, I doubt how she is not an alpha. I leave the room, not wanting to have a standoff with the beta. I still need to talk to Levi about her. Alone. Away from her prying ears.
I head to my room, shutting the door behind me. This gives me time to look over the information Dexter sent, get my own intel from my unknown source, and strategize without any distractions.
Me: I need everything you have that can help me on the Carlisle Pack. We are going to break my omega free tomorrow and I need a foolproof plan.
I wait, but there’s no instantaneous response like I had hoped there would be. Fuck. Of all days, this is the one where I need to hear from whoever this is. It would also help if I had a name to call them other than my unknown info dealer.
Me: I need this information ASAP.
Me: Please.
I add on, not wanting to come off as an asshole. I turn on my laptop and go to my email, ready to dig into the information sent over by Dexter. If whoever my unknown person happens to be and he ever got together, they’d make a dynamic duo intelligence agency. There’d be a line out the door of people clambering for their help.
I take my time, reading each and every detail twice. I need to know these fuckers like the back of my hand. My jaw tightens as I stare at the screen, the words and images blurring together under the heat of my growing anger. The dossier on the Carlisle Pack was thorough—but there’s more I need. What Dexter got for me is basically a list of their crimes, their ruthlessness, their power, all laid out in excruciating detail. It was fuel to the fire burning inside me, each line of text stroking my fury. But there wasn't any information about them personally. I need to know their habits, the best way to attack to take them down. I want to hit them in their home, where they least expect it. Their list of crimes doesn’t help me with that.
But it isn’t just the Carlisle Pack that has me on edge. My eyes dart to my phone on the table beside me, its screen dark and motionless. My chest constricts with frustration. Still no message. Not a word, not a hint, not even a damn acknowledgment from my unknown contact. They’ve always been there when I needed them, hell, even when I didn’t, but now, in this moment of my greatest need, they’ve abandoned me.
It doesn’t sit well with me and it’s pissing me the fuck off. I have two anxious people waiting for me to deliver a foolproof plan to rescue our omega, our Kismet, and I have fucking nothing. What good is it having the skills I do, if I can’t even save the person I need to? How can I call myself an alpha? I failed Brenda; I can’t fail Flynn.
I snatch my phone, glaring at it as though sheer willpower alone can make it vibrate and provide the answers I desperately crave.
Nothing.
My thumb hovers over the screen, half tempted to send another message, another demand for answers, but I stop myself. I can’t do that. This person is a wealth of knowledge and I can’t risk not being able to get their help in the future. I clench my teeth, my fingers curling into a fist around the phone before I set it down with more force than necessary, having to double check to ensure I didn’t crack the screen.
“Where the hell are you?” I mutter under my breath, my voice low and edged with anger. My mind races, flipping through scenarios—has he or she bailed? Were they in trouble? Or worse, are they playing with me? The not-knowing gnaws at me, each passing second amplifying the uncertainty.
I force a deep breath, trying to rein in the storm inside me. It doesn’t matter, I can come up with a plan without their intel, I lie to myself. With or without the information, tomorrow night is happening. Levi, Sasha, and I have already decided on that. Well, I picked the time. Going in under the cover of darkness is the best scenario. Flynn— my omega, no, our omega—isn’t staying another second longer than necessary in the hands of those bastards. If worse comes to worse, we’ll figure out the details as we go.
I lift my hand, running it anxiously through my hair, tugging slightly on the edges as I stand and pace the room like a caged animal. There's a deep ache in my chest that refuses to let go. It isn’t just not hearing from my contact or that I don’t have an airtight plan. No, it's more. It’s the thought of Flynn—scared, alone, and suffering—while we’re stuck waiting, in a perpetual state of limbo.
I stop mid step, right in front of my desk as the object of my rage shines in my sight. I slam my hands on the hardwood, the sound reverberating through the room. “Enough,” I growl to no one in particular. “I can make this plan on my own.” The Carlisle Pack has no clue what's coming for them tomorrow night, but I’ll make damn sure they regret ever laying a hand on Flynn.
I sit back down in the chair, picking my phone up, and shake my head.
Get it together, Stone. You can do this.
I stroke the buttons, bringing the screen back to life, and begin reading again. There’s an answer here; I just need to calm down so that I don’t overlook it. The more I read about their vileness, the more I know they need to die. How the hell would the Omega Foundation ever allow an omega to be placed in their home? Hands are definitely being greased somewhere.
I’m lost in my thoughts, wondering just how deep the corruption goes, when my phone chirps. My hand snaps out like lightning, grabbing it and reading the message.
Unknown: Hello to you too Stone. I’m happy to see you have manners. I don’t normally answer demands but since you asked nicely and I have a sweet spot for you, I’ll oblige this one time.
Unknown: The Carlisle Pack are a sick bunch and I’m happy to see you’re wasting no time to rescue Flynn. It seems you’ve found your pack. It’s about time, old man.
Oh, this person thinks they’re a comedian. Old man, my ass. I’m still in my fucking prime. But compared to those in my pack—well, I assume we’re calling ourselves a pack now—I guess I am a dinosaur.
Me: Do you have some information for me that will help? I need to know more than their criminal records. I need to know them. Codes to the house. Shit that will make this easier for the three of us to get in and out with Flynn.
Unknown: I do. Lots of info. I’ll be more than happy to send it your way if you make sure to rid the world of one more useless pack of alphas.
Me: That’s the plan. I just need to know the easiest way to get to them. Ronnie is the first to die if we can make it happen. He dared to touch the beta of our pack. She’s a Kismet bond to the omega as well, and is a Luminary bond to the other alpha in our pack.
Why am I telling this unknown person all this? Why do I feel the need to word vomit all the drama of my pack? It’s not like it’ll make a difference to this person.
Unknown: Just promise me one thing.
Me: Anything.
Unknown: If your omega has been marked with an Arcane bond, don’t turn your back on him.
Me: I’d never turn my back on him. None of us would. Only the beta has seen him physically, but I’m not sure if she saw a bonding mark or not. If there is, we plan to cover it with ours.
Why does this mean so much to this person?
Unknown: Check your email. I sent some details for you. Good luck.
Me: Will I ever know your name? Meet you? I want to thank you properly.
Unknown: I’m not important. Just a nobody with eyes and ears. Someone that people overlook. Take care. Let me know when you have your omega.
Me: I can’t thank you enough for your help.
Unknown: One day when I need something from you, just be there.
Me: I will and my pack will.
There are no more messages after that. Email. They said to check my email. Okay, I can do that. I open it quickly, seeing the file with no return address, and no clue to who my anonymous benefactor is. As I read through the information, I let out a sigh of relief. Whoever Unknown is, they have thought of everything. I can only hope to one day find out how they get as much information as they do.
I know what we’re going to do. Now to let Sasha and Levi in on the plan. I pick up my laptop and head to the living room. As I near the room, I hear their faint voices echoing from the kitchen. She’s upset still, the sourness of her lime scent would give it away even if her voice didn’t. He’s trying to soothe her, to calm her down, so she doesn’t go rogue and make a bigger mess of things than they already are.
I stop in my tracks in the doorway, taking a moment to gaze at them. He’s cradling her body against his as he leans with his back against the counter. Sasha’s head is tucked into his chest as he strokes her back. His head is tilted down and he’s whispering something to her. It’s a tender moment and one I hate to interrupt. But we need to finalize this plan and make sure each of us knows what we’re doing. Clearing my throat, I garner their attention.
“Sorry to interrupt. But I’ve looked over what Dexter sent and I was able to get ahold of my unknown source, who gave me some amazing intel.” I set my laptop on the counter, turning the screen so that it’s facing them and show them just a little of what was sent.
“Is that what I think it is?” Levi asks, a huge grin on his face.
“Yeah, it is. The complete floor plans to the house.” I can’t help the pride that crosses my face, or the slight puff in my chest.
“Who the fuck is this person? I’m sure Dexter would love to meet them and give them a job. This is a person we want in our corner. Hell, even Gidge would hire them to get information for the Renegades.” Levi steps closer to the counter to analyze the floor plans, Sasha close at his side.
“Yeah, yeah, you have a real winner. A total sleuth. Now, can we get to the plan?” Sasha interrupts, her impatience bleeding through.
I turn on cop mode, ready to debrief my partners. “My person has also given us all the security alarm codes.”
“I’m good with electronics.”
“We need to be able to enter undetected.”
“Sasha, once we enter, rumor has it that Ronnie stays up late working out, you are going to create some kind of distraction to gain his attention and lure him out. The gym is large, we want him in a smaller space, giving us a significant advantage.”
Levi nods. “And the others?”
“We slip further in, searching for the others. I don’t know where they’ll be for sure, so eyes wide open and on alert.”
Sasha glances back at me, her voice low but urgent. “This better work. If even one of them is tipped off or Ronnie isn’t in the gym?—”
“Then we adapt,” I cut in, my tone leaving no room for argument. “Sasha, you go in search of Flynn and get him out of there.”
Both of them nod, their eyes still locked on the computer, memorizing the plans.
“Good, we need to rest. Tomorrow night we get our mate. But there’s one more thing.”
“What?” Levi and Sasha ask in unison.
“There’s a chance they bonded with him, an Arcane bond. I need to know that if it’s true, neither of you cares.”
“If they bonded him in that way, they deserve to die. But no, I don’t care. He’s my mate. Our bond will overshadow any made against his will,” Sasha irrefutably declares, and Levi acknowledges with a nod.
“Good, just want to make sure we’re on the same page.”