Chapter 128
Chapter One Hundred-Twenty-Eight
Falcon
It’s good to see Jay doing so well at something. He’s getting along with Owen like a house on fire, and it’s pretty easy to see him working as the head of security whenever it’s our turn to be here at the academy.
The security guards who come into the office to be randomly searched are cleared within seconds of them leaving the room.
“On to the other staff,” Owen says after Rob gives the okay on the last guy.
“Next up, Pris Meikle,” Jay says, making me turn.
“That’s the cafeteria cook. The one who makes the soup Robin likes.”
“It is?” Jay asks. “That was pretty good.”
“I think she’ll be finished her shift soon. I’ll call the cafeteria now.”
Owen picks up his land line and makes the call.
“How many more are there?” Damian asks.
“Just a few,” Jay states.
Rob’s Alpha has been in an angry mood since I got into the room. It’s clear he doesn’t like risking his Omega’s safety, even if Rob is keen to help.
I can’t blame him. I know I’d feel the same way if Harper wanted to do something risky to help someone else. It wasn’t easy to let him work with that symphony orchestra in the city, and if Jay hadn’t made it his mission to keep him safe there’s no way I could have let him do that.
This is even riskier. The skills Rob has on top of his Omega status only make him even more of a temptation to the wrong kinds of people.
Owen hangs up the phone. “She should be here in a few minutes.”
Rob nods. He’s standing near his Alpha, hands in his pockets.
Damian’s not the only one who wants to get out of this room.
I want to get back to our suite, but I know this is important.
As soon as the last few names are cleared, we’ll know the academy is safe from the biggest threat we’re aware of. It’s a pretty impressive feat, and I can’t say I would have thought about it the same way Jay did.
He’s going to make this place as safe as it can be.
I count the seconds down in my head as we wait, rolling up the contract in my hands.
The frosted glass doesn’t darken until four minutes have passed.
“She’s here,” Jay tells Owen, before she knocks and he opens the door.
The friendly faced woman walks in and gives everyone a looking over.
“I hope I’m not in any trouble,” Pris says. “I might have stolen a pen last week, but that’s about the worst thing I’ve ever done.”
Owen gives her a smile. “It’s just a random check. It’ll be over in a few seconds.”
He has a clipboard in his hands, but he hasn’t been writing anything down.
“Okay, what do you want me to do?” She seems perfectly fine with this.
The security guards knew everything that was expected when they came in, because it’s the kind of thing they do in their work. She’s kitchen staff so she has no idea what’s normal here.
“Raise your arms. Our newbie is going to do a pat down. He’s not going to touch anywhere he shouldn’t. It’s really a training exercise.”
She raises her arms, and Rob moves behind her.
He does everything the way Owen taught him.
The difference this time, is he looks pained to be doing it.
He pauses with every step, and at the end he gives the signal that she’s one of them.
She’s been brainwashed. The woman who cooks the food my mates have been eating.
A woman who works in the building next to where that gap was cut in the fence.
“Oh my God,” I mutter, taking my phone out of my pocket.
Shayne had better pick up.
“Um, is something wrong?” she asks, looking around at everyone as she puts her arms back down.
Owen nods at Jay, and he locks the door.
“Pris, you’d better sit down. There’s something we need to tell you.”
“Pick up,” I growl at the phone.
Shayne’s phone rings out. I try Harper's. Same deal.
I stuff my phone into my pocket and Jay frowns at me.
“No one’s picking up their phone. We need to get back up to the suite. Now.”
“Go,” Owen says. “We can deal with this.”
“Deal with what?” Pris asks.
She has no fucking clue if she’s been possessed, and we don’t know a damn thing, either.
I hope to God it’s nothing, but I can’t help the way my brain is screaming right now, telling me to get upstairs and make sure my mates are okay.
Jay unlocks the door, and I run out of the room, hitting the button for the elevator while my nerves crumble. Jay catches me up as the doors open, and we both jump inside. I hit the button for our floor and my heart hammers as the doors close on reception.
Jay doesn’t say a word. He follows me down the corridor when the doors open on our floor, and he’s right there behind me when I get into the suite.
The door wasn’t locked.
My blood runs cold, and rage wells up inside me when I see the food cart near the table, part of a sandwich discarded on the floor next to it.
Finding Shayne and Harper passed out in the lounge, I storm through the bedroom and bathroom looking for Robin. She’s not there.
“Somebody took Robin.”
Jay looks up from checking our mates.
“They’re sedated. There are cameras in the hallway. I’ll call security to check the feed.”
My foot connects with a piece of something on the floor.
“Chocolate. Where did that come from?”
Jay comes over and takes it from me.
He nods. “I got this for Robin.”
He passes it back to me as he puts his phone to his ear.
“Owen. I need you to check the feed outside Robin’s room. She’s gone and Shayne and Harper have been sedated.”
I look at the chocolate. It’s pretty distinctive.
It has caramel pieces jutting out of it.
“Maybe she dropped it for a reason.”
I rush back out of the room, checking the corridor carpet.
There’s nothing, until I get to the elevator doors.
Oh my God. She’s leaving us breadcrumbs.
I look back down the corridor, but I know I can’t waste any time.
Jay needs to stay with our other mates. I need to go after Robin.
I get into the elevator, and I look at the buttons.
My heart jumps when I see the smear of chocolate on the basement button.
Our girl is smart. She is so fucking smart.
I punch that button, heart hammering as the elevator descends.