Chapter 12 Riley
Riley
Leaving Jorge and Luca behind feels strange, but they’ve got their roles and we’ve got ours. Our role is inside, getting the kids out, their role is outside, bringing the kids to safety.
The first two of Derrick’s teams took out the security outside of the brothel while we were still on our way, leaving us free to be the ones to breach the back door.
Two guys from Erika’s team swing a big beam to break open the back door, quickly jumping aside to get out of the way of anyone potentially shooting at them from inside.
When that doesn’t happen, we’re free to go in.
Strangely easy, but okay…
Mathew and Caleb go in first, taking the left turn, while Vera and I take the right turn.
As soon as we step inside, my stomach churns. Oh, fuck, no.
I immediately recognise the flowery fragrance that hangs in the air, overpowering any pheromones and other scents. Well, we shouldn’t have worried about stripping our pheromones, you can’t smell any of them here anyway.
It’s from the flowers we encountered at the biotechnological research complex.
Of course, we knew that the Hearts were involved with developing them, but why didn’t we consider that they might just flood the whole place with it.
We thought they would use them in specific instances, but we were clearly thinking too small-scale.
“They’re using diffusers with essence from the pheromone flowers.
” Mathew’s voice comes through my earpiece.
“It might be best to put on a pheromone blocking mask. I don’t know if it will work, since this scent comes from plants, not people, but it’s worth a try.
Also, keep anyone close to their heat out of the building.
You can help with the kids or swap with someone on watch, but it’s not safe for you to come inside. I’m sorry.”
There are multiple Omegas in Mathew’s organisation, on the security team and the team that tends to go on missions, and this flower stuff could trigger their heat. Better safe than sorry, as there are too many dangerous people in here to take a risk like that.
“Here.” Vera pulls on my arm, motioning to a hidden door to one of the internal hallways.
These hallways are only used by the staff, to go places without being seen and so they can look into some of the ‘private’ rooms, to keep an eye on things when clients pay for ‘private’ time. And I’m pretty sure I know who they’re most worried about protecting in there.
Gross.
The hallway is dim, with only a strip of lights along the floor to make sure you don’t trip. Dim enough that even if the lights in the ‘private’ rooms are off, the viewing holes are hard to spot.
We slip into the hallway, the door closing behind us. The flowery scent is even stronger here, it’s almost overwhelming my mind.
Fucking hell, how are people supposed to think here?
“Mask.” Vera’s voice is quiet. “We’ve got to keep our cool.”
I nod, though she probably can’t see it, and then put on a pheromone blocking mask. Immediately, it becomes easier to breathe and my head clears.
I squeeze past Vera and take the lead. The hallway is only wide enough for one person at a time, this way I can protect Vera better.
We’re going to the front of the building, get everyone out of there.
There shouldn’t be many people there right now, the brothel is technically closed, but that doesn’t mean that everyone is gone yet.
As we reach the end of the hallway, I hear sounds on the other side of the door. People running around, moving things, and what sounds like fighting.
Vera touches my back. “I’m ready.”
With that, I kick open the door, gun at the ready, Vera following me closely.
It’s chaos around us.
A group of scantily dressed teenagers is cowering together in the middle of the room, arms wrapped around each other, looking like they’re sure their lives are going to end in seconds.
There are older people, men and women, wearing expensive clothes, trying to get out of the room. But Mathew’s people have blocked off all the exits, so no matter what they try, it’s no use.
Someone throws a chair through a window. A man is about to climb after it, already halfway through the window, when he stops moving and topples back inside, landing on the floor with a thud. A bullet through his head.
One bastard taken care of, probably by one of the snipers.
Now the real panic sets off. One of the teenagers starts to scream and the next moment, they’re all screaming.
That seems to make some of the people in the room angry, other people, it seems to only confuse.
I recognise one of the women who’s advancing on the teens from Luca’s description, she’s one of the people in charge.
Without a second thought, I shoot her. She’s not going to set one single step closer to them. She’s not going to hurt them ever again.
Not on my watch.
When others notice what I did, they step back from us, their eyes now fully on me. Good. If they focus on me, that means they can’t pay as much attention to Vera and the teens.
“Get them out.” I look from person to person, making sure nobody makes a wrong move.
Vera slowly moves past me, holding her empty hands up to the teens, letting them see that she’s not carrying any weapons. “Are you harmed?” She keeps her voice low and the teens quiet down, quickly shaking their heads. “Good.”
She kneels next to the teen closest to us, holding out her hand. “We’re getting all of you out of here. You’ll be safe. I promise.”
Someone on my right moves, steps closer. “Who the fuck—” I shoot the man and he goes down on his knees, grabbing for his throat, trying to stop the bleeding, before he falls over.
I might not have said anything, but I thought the ‘don’t move or I’ll shoot’ was implied when I shot that first woman?
Maybe not.
Ah, well.
The teens are now all tense again, pushing close together, away from Vera, their eyes on me filled with horror.
Fuck. I didn’t mean to scare them.
Then, another voice, soft, soothing. “We’re getting you out of here. You won’t have to work like this ever again.”
My heart skips a beat, in fear and excitement, as I watch Luca in the reflection of the windows, stepping from the doorway we just came out of. He’s still wearing the same as before. No protective vest. Just his normal clothes.
What’s he doing?!
That’s not safe!
“El!” One of the teens steps forward, clearly glad to see Luca, and the other teens also seem happy to see him.
Behind the teens, a woman in an expensive dress jerks her head up, her eyes wide in fury. “Don’t you fucking dare leave this room!”
“Look at me.” Luca coaxes the teens. “Only look at me. Don’t look anywhere else. Pretend you don’t hear anything but my voice.”
I don’t want to traumatise the teens any more than I already have, so as long as the rich woman is just screaming, I’m not shooting her yet. At least, not until the teens are all safely in the hallway.
Once they can no longer see and hear what’s going on, there’ll only be dead bodies in this room.
“Go to him. He’ll bring you to safety. The people with him will protect you.” Vera keeps her voice soothing, trying to look as harmless as possible in all her gear.
The first of the teens, a girl, starts to move, slowly taking a step in Luca’s direction. When there’s no other sound, no other movement, she gains confidence and sprints to him, kicking off her pretty but impractical shoes along the way.
“You’re safe.” Luca sounds relieved and it feels good to know that we’ve got the first one out.
Now the rest.
When the other teens watch the girl walk down the hallway, which I follow in the reflection of the windows as I don’t dare to look behind me, two more, two boys, hand in hand, take slow steps in our direction.
“Only look at me.” Luca keeps his voice steady. “Don’t look anywhere else. They have no power over you anymore. You’re free.”
The two boys take larger and larger steps, their speed increasing the closer they get to Luca.
Once the two boys are in the hallway, more of the teens start to move, holding hands, staying close, but they’re moving in our direction.
The woman in the expensive dress, clearly unhappy with what’s going on, starts waving her arms wildly. “You’ll never be safe. Don’t think you can—” Her words are abruptly cut short when Vera shoots her right in the head.
The teens immediately stop moving.
“Look at me!” Luca’s voice turns frantic. “Only look at me. You’re going to be safe. Only look at me. Don’t look at anyone else.”
Most of the teens follow his words, but one girl is frozen in place, her head slowly moving in the direction of the dead woman.
No. No, no, no!
Vera steps in front of the girl, they’re about the same height, and she covers the girl’s eyes with one of her hands.
“Don’t look. There’s nothing to see. Keep walking.
Keep walking and you’ll be free.” She quickly puts her gun away and takes the girl’s arm with her other hand, guiding her in Luca’s direction. “Follow the others. You’re safe now.”
As soon as the girl is through the door, Vera starts to push Luca through it too, but he fights back.
“You don’t need to see this. Go back with the kids.” Vera’s voice is cold, only fury remaining. “Unless there’s someone in here who doesn’t deserve to die?”
In the reflection of the windows, I watch as Luca looks around the room a final time, his eyes falling on every person in here.
After a long minute, he shakes his head, leans close to Vera, and gives her a kiss, mask-to-mask, but it’s still a kiss. “No. Go ahead. I’ll see you two outside. I love you.”
Then he steps into the hallway, closing the door audibly behind him. The kids are safe and won’t be able to see anything anymore.
Now we can let loose in here.
Vera slides under my arm, taking my hand, as she’s got her gun in the other hand. We’re both right-handed, so it’s a little awkward with her under my arm at this angle, but this will do.
This is for what they put Mathew through.
This is for what they put Luca through.
And this is for what they put all the other kids and adults through.
Scum of the earth!