CHAPTER 20 ARCH
ARCH
“Where are they?”
“In a car. I’m not familiar with the area.” He turned to Carlyle, who nodded and vanished.
“Load up!” I shouted at the others as I ran for the armory. “Full gear! Call the wolves for backup; we need more than ten people!”
Carlyle came back. “They’re in two vehicles, heading east. Four Wonders with guns in the car with Manny, Carmen, and a pixie. Six Wonders in the car with Oz.”
Oh, fuck. Oz. I paused in strapping on my shoulder holster. “Is Oz doing okay?” Manny, I was sure, already had a plan to either escape or make his kidnappers’ lives hell.
Carlyle made a so-so gesture with his hand. “He’s sporting quite a bit of fur, but he’s holding his human form.”
My heart hurt for him, but I shoved it aside and resumed gearing up. Lee was calling Alpha Rafferty, Fortnell and Simpson were loading two SUVs with the bigger guns, and Kraus was grabbing a few of our newly made kits for assisting captives, in case we found any.
Lee ran in. “The wolves are a go. Not sure how many, but they’re mobilizing and will rendezvous with us.” She loaded up with weapons, and we carried enough for the other three as we left the armory.
By the time we were in the cars and on the road, Carlyle was able to report a destination, which was in an office park near La Porte, almost to the Ship Channel. Lee relayed this to the wolf pack, who were also on their way.
The twenty-minute drive felt like it went on forever. Usually before a mission I was detached, analyzing data and tactics. But now my head was a mess of worry for Oz and Manny. “Lee, I need you to take lead on the breach. I’m compromised.”
She glanced at me before turning her attention back to the road. “Roger that.”
Kraus leaned forward from the back seat and patted my shoulder. “We’ll get ‘em back, Captain. That asshole doesn’t know who he’s messing with. Plus we have the ghosts on our side.”
And thank fuck for that. By the time we were on final approach, Carlyle and Garfield had updated us on the number of armed men in the warehouse.
Manny, Oz, and the others were being monologued to by the auctioneer, who was a fucking telepath.
Good thing we weren’t going for a stealthy entry.
The layout of the office park didn’t allow for it.
Four SUVs carrying Alpha Rafferty and his wolves swung in behind us as we wound through the rows of buildings. The warehouse we were headed for was at the back. No surprise there. This asshole would want as much privacy as possible.
Carlyle and Garfield had reported that the warehouse had two loading docks and three pedestrian doors, all of which were closed and locked.
All three doors accessed hallways that would lead to the room where Manny and Oz were being held, so we decided to breach them simultaneously, with each team clearing whatever spaces they encountered.
Preference was given to capturing any of the Wonders working for the auctioneer, but we’d kill them if we had to.
The warehouse was at the end of a row, so we scattered the cars in a half-circle around it. Lee was on the phone with Rafferty, requesting three wolves to keep watch outside in case anyone tried to leave.
We jumped out, but before we could form into groups for the assault, eight blacked-out SUVs whipped around the opposite corner in a line. What the fuck? They formed a wall, trapping us between the warehouse and their vehicles. We drew weapons and kept our cars between us and them.
The passenger door of the third SUV opened. A handsome, dark-haired magic carrier in a business suit slid out, a submachine gun tucked under one arm. Ramon Fortuno. Manny’s neighbor’s boyfriend and local mob boss. “Who represents you?”
Lee stepped to the edge of our car. “I do. Jessica Lee. Team Lead for the Hunter Anti-Trafficking Task Force.”
His eyebrows went up. “Anti-trafficking, you say? Because I am here to rescue my neighbor, who was kidnapped at gunpoint not even an hour ago. I do fear he will be trafficked.”
I walked up to stand next to Lee. “You’re Ramon Fortuno. Did you see Manny get taken?”
He examined me. “You visited Manny on Sunday.”
“Archer Jones, Captain of the Anti-Trafficking Task Force. Manny, Oz, and I are dating.” If Fortuno would lend us his people, we’d be even better off.
“Indeed. And is his association with you how Manny came to the attention of a trafficker?”
I took a breath. Time was wasting away, but we could use his help. “Unfortunately, yes.”
He inclined his head. “Then you and your team shall lead the way.” He raised his free hand and people in black tactical gear poured out of the SUVs.
Lee divided them into three teams and introduced them to Roman and the wolves.
Fortuno came with Lee and me. Our group was hitting the door closest to the front of the building, which Garfield assured us had the shortest path to Manny and Oz, though we’d have to go through a room full of gun-toting Wonders to get to them.
When I told Fortuno our intel came from a ghost, he just blinked and nodded.
Lee counted us down. She barely had to raise her voice, since the Hunters and the wolves could hear her clearly. “Three. Two. One. Breach!”
Kraus, Fortnell, and I each kicked in a door, and we were inside.