Chapter 24
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
“It’s time to make our move, Micheal.”
Cassidy leaned back in her seat, her arms crossed. I sat by Emery on the couch as Nosferatu played on the wall beside us thanks to Dom’s projector, my plate of half-eaten pizza resting on my lap.
Dinner had felt good like the last time, our worries put to the side. Only I noticed Cassidy’s tension as we talked about nonsensical things. She was quieter than usual, and I worried it had something to do with our talk earlier. When everyone was mostly finished eating and Andrea was taking plates away to be soaked in the kitchen, I saw her anger rise.
“No more waiting,” she said. “What are we even doing right now? What is this? This isn’t like you to just prolong shit for no reason. What are we waiting for?”
A gaunt, weary look crept over his expression. “I was hoping we could talk about it tomorrow. Give everyone a night to—”
“No.”
The room went quiet. Dom looked to Lez while Lez looked to Micheal whose gaze shifted to Emery.
“She’s got a point, Mikey,” Lez said.
Micheal frowned, brushing a hand through his hair. “Things changed when Eve and her friend came. I wanted to get all the information we could.”
“You’ve got it,” Cassidy snapped. “We’ve got a clear view of the place, thanks to Dom, and we know what to expect inside, thanks to her,” she pointed at me. “We figured out what’s going on and we are running out of time for those women who are at Severfalls right now. Instead, we’re sitting around like some fucked up family on Thanksgiving. So, I want to know, what is the plan now? When do we go in?”
He studied each of us as he leaned back in his seat, tapping his thigh. “I got the addresses of several of the staff from Severfalls. A few live on their own. We get their keycards and uniforms—”
Cassidy smacked her hand on the table. “You aren’t seriously suggesting we disguise ourselves and just waltz the fuck in.”
“No, we’ll still go by stealth, but this might be safer—”
“Safer?” she laughed. “For who? We know the risk. We go in and we go in by force.”
“We want to get the women out safely and with little casualties.”
“There are no casualties. Everyone who works for that fucking place deserves what’s coming to them.”
Micheal shook his head. “It doesn’t have to be like that. And I told you we need to wait for the right time.”
“The right time for you is what you mean.” She rose from his seat. “Micheal the great saint over here. But you're not.” She jabbed a finger in his direction. “None of us are. And we need to let our demons out if we want to kill those fuckers who hurt us. Who are hurting those women right now.”
Micheal didn’t say a word and Cassidy came around to him. “We talked about it, Micheal, you know what I think—”
“No.” He glared at her. “I told you no.”
Her face twisted. “You coward.”
“I’m doing it for all of you. Emery isn’t fully healed. If we go blasting our way in, we could get ourselves killed.”
“We know,” answered Cassidy. “That’s the risk we are taking. How many times do I have to tell you?”
I tensed beside Emery. “No,” I blurted. When Cassidy glared at me, I refused to balk.
“What? You answer for him? Sorry to break it to you, sweetie, but if he goes in with the rest of us, that’s how it’s going to be.” Her eyes turned to Emery. “You want revenge? You want to finally end those who took our lives from us? Who are still taking lives? Or are you going to bed down next to your girl with your tail between your legs?”
Emery gave her an icy glare back, then gritted, “I want revenge.”
“Emery—” I started.
He took my hand. “But I’m not leaving Eve alone on this earth.”
Cassidy snorted. “You honestly think you’ll just make it out alive then?”
“Yeah. If we do this right.”
“And this is it? Playing dress up as if those at Severfalls won’t be stupid enough not to notice. And this is even assuming we get everything we need without any eyes on us, without having to kill anyone or tie them up, and hope no one notices them missing.”
“A few of the staff live in the same complex,” Micheal countered. “We could get it done in a night before anyone is suspicious and Dom can make sure no one is watching, then we prepare to make our way into Severfalls. We go armed through the back and side entrance and make our way through. We get the victims out then we destroy the medical labs and their records.”
Cassidy threw her hands up. “It won’t go like you think. There are going to be deaths, not just Kennedy’s.”
“If he’s even there,” Lez pointed out. “We go in at late hours and it’s unlikely he will be. So, we are forced to chase after him and hope he doesn’t go into hiding then start all over again years later.”
“There, you see?” Cassidy said, starting to pace between us. “Oh, but I get it now. It’s not about him anymore, is it?”
“It is,” Micheal said. “This is about taking down Severfalls and ending the experiments for good. We could have Dom let us know if he shows.”
“The longer we wait, the more we risk being exposed. Once we get the keys, we need to make our move as soon as possible,” Lez said.
“I want Kennedy,” Cassidy said firmly. “Him and those doctors. You know what we have to do.”
Micheal shook his head. “No, Cassidy.” When she scowled and turned away, he said, “Dom and I have scouted some of the staff. One of the nurses is going on a short leave. We can go on a run tomorrow night, get the keycard to start the process. We may only need one if we plan things out right.”
She didn’t look satisfied at all. “You’re just prolonging the inevitable.”
“Everyone would agree it would make more sense to not just walk up there and start killing aimlessly with guards everywhere.”
“If we are armed, it shouldn’t matter,” Cassidy argued.
“They will be too.”
“Not everyone agrees with you, Micheal,” Cassidy snapped. “Better to just get in and get it done. I say we gear up, have Dom give the signal when Kennedy is there, and we go in and get it done now. Who wants to take their revenge and make sure those there pay?” She raised her hand.
Lez raised his. “I like where her head’s at. Fuck this secret agent bullshit. We go in like wolves and cut the bastards down.”
They waited for the others to raise their hands. No one did.
“We go in my way,” Micheal said calmly. “Make sure we get the others out and destroy the labs. Kennedy and the others can be handled after.”
“By what? Hoping you’ll be able to expose everything? Maybe just have him thrown into jail if we don’t catch him the first time?”
“Yes.” Micheal said. “If you want the honest truth.”
She shook her head in enraged disbelief. “Micheal the fucking saint. They don’t deserve to live!”
“Maybe not. But we don’t need that blood on our hands if we can avoid it.”
“There’s no avoiding it!” Cassidy’s eyes darted around the room before landing on Dom, who shook his head. Then her gaze locked on Emery.
“I know you want them dead. It’s the only way to stop this,” she said, stepping closer to him. “Are you really going to let Kennedy walk free after what he did to Eve?” Her voice sharpened as she closed the distance between them. “I know that bloodlust is still in you. You and I both know they need to pay. Let those killer instincts loose, and they’ll all be gone for good.”
She tilted her head slightly, her voice dropping to a near whisper. “It could be you who finishes it, Emery.”
Emery was quiet. I felt my heart sink and my stomach twist at the thought of him massacring again. Even if it was those who needed to be stopped. I studied his face, unable to hide my fear when he didn’t say no right away.
“Emery…” I said softly.
“I’ll do it…Micheal’s way,” he said in a low, quiet voice. A dark fire burned behind his eyes. He squeezed my hand. “There’s enough blood on my hands already. I’ll do what I must, to get the others out but I won’t start a massacre if I can avoid it. As much as I want to make them pay...I won’t do that to Eve.”
Cassidy glared at each of us.
“If you want to be our distraction, Cass, I won’t stop you,” Micheal said after a pause. “You and Lez can start the fire, keep eyes on you while we get the victims out.”
A tight smile grew on Cassidy's face. “You do what you have to.” She turned down the hallway toward her room. “And I’ll do what needs to be done.”