Chapter 31 #2
The warehouse appears to be twice the size of the barn, so it takes us a moment to find a way in. Unfortunately, there are no windows, so we have no idea what we’re walking in to. Stopping to stand in front of the rusted metal door, Rhys curses when he sees a shiny padlock hanging from it.
“I’m out of practise so this might take a second,” he murmurs as he swings his bag off his shoulders and crouches down in front of the padlock. As he rifles in his bag for his tool kit, I slide out my torch and shine it on the lock. He nods his thanks before getting to work on picking the padlock.
Each second that ticks by has my blood pressure rising and my heart pounding. We could be discovered at any moment and with nowhere to run or hide, we’re sitting ducks just waiting to be gunned down.
As if some silent entity is hearing my worst fears, a guard makes his way around the side of the warehouse. His hands are already on his fly, his shotgun slung over his shoulder by a worn leather strap. He stutters to a stop when he sees us, eyes wide and mouth open.
I don’t think, I just react.
I lunge toward him and slam my fist into his throat before he can make a noise.
He gasps and chokes as his hands snap up to wrap around his convulsing throat.
I stalk around him, kick his knees out from under him, and grab his head.
Then, with as much strength as I can muster, I wrench his head to the side and snap his neck with a sickening crack.
I drop his body, not bothering to hide it, grab the shotgun and step back to Rhys. “We have about five minutes before his buddy comes looking for him.”
“Almost got it,” is his reply as he continues working on the lock.
I silently count down the seconds as I watch our surroundings, my body tense and ready to spring into action if needed. I estimate we have about two minutes left before the lock finally clicks and the padlock falls to the ground.
Thank fuck.
Rhys gets to his feet and unclips his rifle from his waist. I move to the other side of the door and draw my pistol.
“Ready?” he breathes, his hand poised on the door bolt.
I nod.
He counts down with his fingers before sliding the bolt and turning down the door handle. It takes effort to open, but when he does, we’re immediately inundated with a stench so thick that my eyes water and I’m unable to stop a gag.
Inside, the warehouse is almost pitch black. The only light comes from faint moonlight streaming through the holes in the metal ceiling and the broken glass windows that line the wall high above us. Glass and debris crunch beneath our boots as Rhys and I step into the warehouse.
Only to have a shotgun shoved into our faces and an eerily familiar pair of emerald green eyes peering at us.
“Don’t move a damn muscle,” a male voice growls, his face obscured by the shadows.
“Don’t shoot,” Rhys says calmly. “We’re here to break you guys out of here, if you can help us.”
Feet shuffle, and people whisper in the darkness.
“Who the fuck are you?” the man demands, his aim with the shotgun not wavering.
“I’m Theo, that’s Rhys and we have two more waiting for us to give the signal to join the attack; Alex and Ollie,” I answer, taking charge of the situation. “Who are you?” I figure if we can get on a first name basis with these people, the faster we can build a rapport and convince them to help us.
The shotgun lowers a little. “Ollie? You have Liv with you?” I can hear the fragile hope and astonishment in his voice.
“You’re her brother, Tobias?” I ask, putting the pieces together and praying that I’m right because this’ll make shit so much easier.
“Yeah,” the guy croaks before cursing. “She left the cottage and came after me? Is she safe?”
“She’s fine and yes, she came after you. She’s a determined little thing,” Rhys replies, his voice filled with affection for her.
I repress a grin. He’s so far gone for her, it’s not even funny. I don’t understand how he can deny something so obvious.
Tobias curses again and shakes his head. “Then why—”
“Rhys!” Jerri, Rhys’s ex-wife, cries, causing him to jerk as she rushes at him. She looks awful; her face is gaunt and smeared with dirt and blood and her blue eyes are dull and haunted. “I knew you’d come for me!” She wraps herself around him like a monkey and presses her face into his chest.
He grimaces. “Glad to see you’re still alive.” He awkwardly pats her shoulder while looking at me pleadingly.
My lips twitch at his pained expression, but I take pity on him. “Come on, Jerri, let the poor man go. We have shit to do if we want to get out of this place in one piece,” I say as I pry her off him.
She blinks up at me then scowls as if remembering who I am. “Don’t touch me,” she hisses as she wrenches away from my grip.
I resist the urge to roll my eyes. Her time with the Scourge hasn’t lessened her hatred of me.
“Tobias, do you think you could rally the people in here to join us and fight back against the guards?” Rhys asks, getting straight back to the reason we’re in this stinking warehouse while Jerri huddles next to him and glares at me.
Ollie’s brother glances at the people still hiding in the shadows behind him before nodding. “Yeah, I think so. We have several men and women who are strong and capable enough to help fight back against the guards.”
“Give me numbers.”
“About ten people.”
That’s a lower number than we were expecting, but better than nothing.
Rhys nods. “Okay. Start organising everyone. I want any who can’t fight to stay in here with at least one capable fighter guarding them.”
“Yes, sir,” Tobias quips with a similar sass to Ollie.
It makes me smile and my heart ache at the same time. I hope she and Alex are safe.
“Rachel!” he calls and a tall, muscular woman steps out from the shadows, holding a shotgun with the same easy confidence that Rhys has with his own rifle. Everything about her, from the way she holds herself to the grim determination on her face, screams ex-military.
As Tobias and Rachel talk amongst themselves and begin organising the other captives, Rhys strides over to me, ignoring Jerri as she stays glued to his side. “We should signal Alex and Ollie and get this party star—”
He’s cut off from finishing when shouts and shots echo outside of the warehouse. Rhys and I share horrified looks because there’s only one reason guards would be shouting and shooting.
Alex and Ollie have been discovered.