Chapter 30
Ready, Set, Go!
Fenrir Thorsson
"Breaching in five," Astrid's voice crackles through the comm. My hand tightens into a fist at my side, her voice in my ear the only tenuous connection I have to her right now. "All units in position?"
"Yes, we're ready," I growl through clenched teeth, scanning the shadows for any movement. My wolf paces beneath my skin, agitated beyond reason. She's walking into danger, and I can't be there to protect her.
"You sound like you're about to lose your shit, wolf," she says, a hint of amusement cutting through the tension. "Need I remind you this was your plan?"
"Our plan," I correct, scanning the perimeter one more time.
Cormac and Arik crouch beside me in the shadows, while the rest of our extraction team waits with a group of sirens near the animal trough we've filled with water for a quick exit.
Every sense is heightened, every sound magnified.
"And I don't like the part where you're the bait. "
I hear her steady breathing. "I'm not bait. I'm GUIDE. This is what I do."
The words cut deeper than they should. GUIDE. Still her primary identity, her people. Something against me, something that puts her in danger's path automatically. My jaw clenches tighter. "I know."
"Hey," her voice drops, becoming private despite her team's proximity. "Focus on getting your people out."
"If anything happens—"
"It won't." She delivers the words with such steel-edged conviction that my wolf pauses mid-pace. "Besides, Ghost and Sherlock have my back. We've done this a hundred times."
My knuckles crack as I flex my hands, frustration boiling in my veins.
"We've faced Enclave before," she adds. "They're organized and dangerous, but not invincible."
"Any sign of the hellhounds?" she asks.
"Cormac sent a siren with a request to recall them. Hades wasn't happy about it, but he did it."
"Good," she says, and I hear the genuine relief in her voice. "One less nightmare to worry about. Also strange that you just casually got a Greek god to do you a favor like he's a poker pal."
I’m not quite sure what a poker pal is, but a sound that might be a laugh escapes me. It's strange, this feeling—being both terrified for her and proud of her ferocity and confidence.
"Listen to me," she continues, and I can almost see her eyes, focused and determined. "Calm the fuck down. Those people need you, right? I need you to get them out so I can focus on my part without worrying about you."
She needs me. She's worried about me. The admission, wrapped in profanity and orders though it is, settles something inside me.
"It will be done," I say, trying to match her calm tone.
"Was that a smile I heard?" she asks, and I can picture the slight upturn at the corner of her mouth. "Focus, Viking. We breach in three... two... one..."
The sound of the front door being blown open echoes through both the comm and the air around us. The double sensation—hearing it in my ear and feeling the vibration through the air—sends a jolt of adrenaline through my system. Shouts and the pounding of boots follow immediately.
"Now," I say to Cormac and Arik. We move as one, sprinting across the open space to the concealed entrance Tharin described. As we reach it, I hear gunshots from inside the warehouse. My muscles lock, every instinct screaming to rush to find her.
"She's fine," Cormac says, reading my hesitation perfectly. "Trust her."
I force myself to nod, focusing instead on the door in front of us. It's heavily warded, glowing faintly with a warm yellow aura visible only to those with magick. Cormac places his hands on the barrier, muttering something under his breath. The glow flickers, dims, then extinguishes.
Arik steps forward next, producing a set of lockpicks from his pocket. His fingers work deftly, and within moments, the physical lock gives way. The door swings open, revealing a narrow staircase descending into darkness.
"Breach successful," Astrid's voice in my ear reports. "Moving to the main floor."
"We're entering the lower level now," I whisper.
I lead our team down the stairs, moving silently despite my size. The scent hits me first—fear, pain, and despair. My wolf snarls, claws pushing against my fingertips. I force them back. Now is not the time.
At the bottom of the stairs, voices drift from around the corner—two, maybe three guards. I hold up a closed fist, halting our progress. I gesture to Cormac, who nods in understanding.
We move forward slowly until the guards come into view. Three of them, dressed in the black tactical gear similar to what I've seen Astrid wear. They have guns holstered at their belt. Human soldiers with human weapons. Dangerous, but nothing we can't handle.
One turns, eyes widening as he spots us. "Intru—"
My fist connects with his jaw before he can finish the word. The crunch of bone is satisfying, but the alarm's already been raised. The other two guards swing toward us, raising their weapons.
Arik moves with surprising speed for someone his size, closing the distance to the nearest guard. Water coalesces from the air around his hands, solidifying into ice daggers that he drives into the guard's chest. The man drops with a strangled cry.
The third guard gets a shot off, the bullet grazing my arm. Pain flashes, hot and sharp, but my wolf uses it to fuel the rage building inside. I lunge forward, covering the distance between us in a heartbeat.
He tries to bring his weapon to bear, but I'm faster. My hand closes around his throat, lifting him off his feet. His eyes bulge, fear replacing the cold calculation.
"How many more?" I growl, loosening my grip just enough to allow him to speak.
"F-fuck you," the guard spits at me.
Behind me, I sense Cormac's approach before he speaks, his subtle scent of cedar growing stronger. "We don't have time for this," he says.
He's right. I slam the guard's head against the wall. He slumps to the floor, unconscious or dead. Astrid’s team can deal with it later.
"Check for more," I order one of our team. "The rest with me."
We move through the dimly lit basement. The sight before us brings bile up my throat. Wire cages line the walls, each containing a person. They’re collared and chained to the floor like animals.
"Sweet Hel," Cormac breathes beside me.
"Get them out," I order, forcing myself to think like a warrior, not a horrified witness. "We don't have much time."
Our team fans out, each taking a section of cages. I move to the nearest one, containing a woman whose features mark her as elvin, like Tharin. Her eyes widen as I approach, fear replacing hopelessness.
My wolf howls in silent rage at the sight of her… of all of them. Chained like beasts. Treated inhumanely. These actions demand punishments.
"We're here to help," I say in her tongue. "Friends of Tharin."
Recognition flickers across her face. I make short work of her cage's lock. Then break the chain from the ring on the ground. She's weak, but she determinedly climbs to her feet, swaying only slightly.
"Can you walk?" I ask.
She nods, determination hardening her features. "Get the others."
I pass her to another team member, who guides her toward the exit. Above us, the sounds of the GUIDE raid continue—shouts, gunshots, things breaking. Through it all, I hear Astrid's voice directing her team, clear and commanding. She's in her element, and despite my worry, pride swells in my chest.
We work quickly, methodically. Each captive freed, each cage emptied is a small victory. Most can walk with support, though some have to be carried. The extraction team moves them efficiently to the rear exit, where the sirens wait at the water-filled trough.
The sirens take each rescued captive immediately, disappearing down into the water without a single splash. Within minutes, most of the victims are safely outside and waiting their turn for a siren to carry them away from this place.
"Lower level, east corridor clear," I hear Astrid report next. "Moving to the offices."
We're down to the last cage now. Inside is what looks like a human woman at first glance, but her shoulders are marked with intricate golden patterns. A valkyrie. Unlike the others, her restraints are different—heavier, reinforced with something that makes my skin crawl when I touch it.
"Fuck," Cormac says, examining the locks. "These are binding runes. Designed specifically for her."
"Can you break them?" I ask, watching the doorway. We've been lucky so far, but luck has a way of running out at the worst possible moment.
Cormac places his hands on the cage, murmuring incantations. Sweat beads on his forehead, and I can see the strain it's taking. The runes flare bright, then dim slightly, but remain intact.
I move closer, every muscle taut with urgency.
"Try again," I command. My gaze locks with the Valkyrie's through the bars.
Her eyes hold the same warrior spirit I've seen in Astrid's.
We will not abandon her. We will not abandon any of them.
I will tear this building apart with my bare hands if that's what it takes.
"It's draining me too quickly," Cormac says. "If I pull any more power, I'll have to draw from Earth's magick. I can’t…"
"Sherlock's moving to the lower level doorway," Astrid warns through the comm. "You've got two minutes, tops."
"Arik," I call him forward. The elvin male pales when he sees the Valkyrie inside. “How did they catch you?”
"It wasn't easy," she says, the words scraping out between clenched teeth like metal on stone. "Can you please get me the fuck out of here?"
Arik nods. He places his palms on the floor, and I feel the vibration as he connects with the earth beneath the building. His eyes glow briefly, turning from brown to molten gold as he channels pure elemental energy.
The runes on the cage flare violently, fighting his magick, but Arik pushes harder. With a sound like breaking glass, the bindings shatter. The woman inside grabs the chain just above where it's attached to the ground and yanks, snapping it easily.
A surge of savage satisfaction floods through me. Even weakened, she's formidable, exactly as a Valkyrie should be.
"Let's get you out of here, shall we?"
She climbs through the open cage door and I point her toward the exit where the last of our team waits.
"Get out, please," Astrid's voice is tight with warning. "Now."
Behind us, a door crashes open on the far side of the basement.
"Astrid," I say into the comm. "We're almost clear."
"Just go," she hisses. "I've got this. Get your people to safety."
We reach the hidden exit just as shouts echo from the stairwell.
"Astrid, I—" My wolf surges against my control, nearly breaking free. Fur ripples along my arms. No. No. No. The thought of her facing danger while I retreat feels like being torn in two.
"I'm telling you to get out," she cuts me off. "Now. I will not hurt my partner to save you."
The command in her voice is unmistakable and it’s just what my wolf needed to hear. I back through the doorway, eyes fixed on the dimly lit corridor where I know she and Sherlock must be.
"Be safe," I whisper, though I don't know if she hears it.
The door closes between us, and I'm left with the terrible weight of trusting her to handle whatever comes next.