Chapter 66
Chapter Sixty-Six
Halley
Something is wrong. Very, very wrong.
Knox is rattled. “We need to figure out what the fuck is happening.”
Shade has paled, but has his eyes unfocused as he works through the information. After a moment, he blinks and nods to himself.
“Okay, let’s organize what we know.”
Viper slips beside me, sandwiching me between his barrel chest and Blaze. It feels nice, like they’re subconsciously closing ranks around me due to a perceived threat.
“First, we can ascertain that General Stone is unable or unwilling to answer our attempts to make contact.”
The General always scared the wits out of me with his stern and unforgiving nature, but I never got the impression he’d shirk his duties. In fact, I suspect if he were a Navy captain, he’d go down with his ship.
“Second, Barkrood Base didn’t answer. We were redirected to Hazlin Base. Which raises the question, what the hell is happening at Barkrood?”
Blaze takes over, adding quickly with his hands raised above his head. “Third, why the fuck are we listed as dead? I’m all for becoming some sort of phantom strike team, but at least give a guy some warning he’s about to perish!”
Knox scrubs a hand over his face. “It doesn’t make any sense.”
“We spoke to General Stone two days ago. He said nothing about a breach in security,” Shade adds, his eyes darting back and forth as he tries to organize his thoughts.
“We need to find out what is happening at Barkrood,” Viper says.
My heart is pounding as an overwhelming fear creeps through my body. If something has happened at the base, then The Omega Division would be defenseless.
Dazz, Ember, and Flicker. They’re sitting ducks.
“We can’t go to the base. We can’t risk being intercepted,” Shade reasons.
Knox nods. “We’re not leaving. Not if we’re going to walk into a trap.”
Viper pulls me against his chest and holds me.
His hand runs up and down my spine, soothing me, and I take in a deep breath, the scent of gunpowder and roses filling my senses and calming me.
A thought springs to mind.
“I might have an idea,” I say slowly, letting it form fully.
The squad huddles around, ready to listen. They’re treating me like an equal, not a weak little Omega.
“There’s a secure channel I can use.”
“What?”
“It’s how I used to talk to my friend Everlyn back on base. Omegas aren’t allowed much freedom, so we’d communicate through an encrypted channel.”
Knox crosses his arms and gives me his trademark disapproving glare. “Are you kidding? That’s so illegal on many levels. It’s a glaring security breach.”
“Yeah, well, you try being locked up for over a decade and see how many rules you break.”
Knox hesitates before inclining his head. “Fair point.”
“Can we use this to find out what is going on?”
“I’ll ask her what’s happening.”
Knox is already shaking his head. “No, Halley. We can’t confirm it’s safe.”
“So? You just gave your call sign on a corrupted line!”
“She’s got you there, boss,” Blaze whispers out of the corner of his mouth to Knox.
“How secure is this channel, Halley?” Knox asks, his tone thoughtful.
“Everlyn’s mate, Jason, set it up. He’s in the Communications Division and knows how to make it airtight. It’s only ever been used by Ever and me.”
“And they’re trustworthy?”
The press of their suspicious scrutiny feels heavy. Their Alpha instincts to protect me crash around me like a wave.
I lick my lips and consider what might convince them Everlyn and Jason have my back.
“I met Everlyn on the worst day of my life, and she’s never once betrayed my confidence or friendship. She’s one of the people I consider family.” I let the words hang in the air, hoping they can trust me and my judgment.
Knox studies me for a moment before nodding.
“Keep the conversation short and don’t give away our location.” He hands me the radio.
I take a deep breath before I switch it on. I tune the radio to the correct frequency and type in the six-digit code to access the channel. It beeps for a few seconds, and then the line crackles alive.
“Everlyn? You there?” I start, my voice weak and hesitant. I can feel the press of their eyes and the weight of their expectations. “Pick up, Ever.”
I wait, my pulse thrumming through my veins.
“Halley, is that you?”
I nearly faint from relief at the sound of my friend’s voice.
“Ever! Are you okay? What’s happening at the base?”
“Halley, what? Oh my… How are you—?” She chokes, her words stumbling and incoherent.
I give the others an alarmed look. My friend sounds deranged.
The line crackles as deep, rattling sobs echo down the line.
Everlyn is the most even-tempered person I know.
As a doctor, her bedside manner is impeccable, and she’s relentlessly practical.
To hear her go to pieces reminds me of her crying over Jason’s broken body in the hospital bed.
“You’re alive?” she eventually gasps.
I blink.
Oh frack. Am I listed as dead too?
“Yeah,” I breathe. “I’m alive, Ever. Didn’t realize I’d been dead, to be honest.”
She releases a shaky breath, and I can hear the tremor in her voice.
“When did I… die?”
“That day in the hospital, with the Blood Lust Alpha. They told us he,” she pauses, like she’s struggling to speak. “They said he tore you apart.”
The line goes dead, just the soft hushing static echoing through the forest.
Viper shifts his weight, his large palm coming up to pinch the bridge of his nose.
He looks pained, like the mere idea of hurting me is unbearable.
I give his arm a small squeeze of reassurance and his hand covers mine, squeezing back.
I know he wouldn’t do that. He didn’t. Even when he was teetering on the edge of sanity, he was careful not to hurt me.
The line crackles, and Everlyn’s voice returns. It’s stronger, but the waver of emotion warbles her words. “They wouldn’t let me see your body, but, oh rut, there was so much blood in that little room you two were in. There was no way you survived it.”
She draws in a rattling breath, her emotions threatening to consume her again. “Halley, you’ve got to know I thought you were dead, okay? I would’ve looked for you if I thought you’d survived. We had a memorial service and everything. You have to believe me!”
“Ever! I know you would have. You’re a good friend. I’m so sorry I didn’t call earlier. I swear, I was following orders, I didn’t want to get you in trouble for having an unauthorized line.”
“I’ve missed you so much.” The grief and pain in Ever’s voice is so intense I can practically taste it through the radio waves. “Can you tell me that you’re safe?”
“Yeah.” I fondly smile at the four soldiers watching me. I’ve never been more protected in my life. “I’m safe.”
My stomach plummets as a sudden realization slams into me and I feel like the worst friend in the world. Jason. I haven’t spared my injured friend a thought in weeks. Oh, what if he never got better?
“Jason? Is he okay?” I stutter, unable to form the words.
“He’s fine. He’s with me.”
Jason’s voice calls from the background, “Hey, Sparks, you sound pretty good for a dead lady.”
“Aw, thanks, Jase. You don’t sound too shabby for a dead man, either.”
“Everlyn said you visited me when I was hurt. The other docs couldn’t figure out how I healed so fast, and I reckon I’ve got your Omega magic to thank.”
I look at Shade’s face, now just a tinge of yellow betraying his recent injuries.
“Was saving all the Sparkle dust magic just for you, Jase,” I laugh, and it almost feels normal.
The radio clicks and a distorted sound of shouting rings out. A loud clanging sound makes the radio squeal, a high-pitched ringing tone that makes me recoil from the radio.
“Shit,” I hear Jason say through the clamor.
The ringing stops and Ever speaks rapidly. “Halley, we can’t talk for long. We’ve evacuated from Barkrood Base.They say the human forces breached Dunefold Fortress and they’re taking territory fast. Half of the active duty troops on base just left. They defected!”
“What? Are you safe? You have to get out of there!”
“We have, we’re in a transport truck, but I have to tell you something first.”
“The Omega Division—”
“No.”
“Halley—”
“No, please,” I beg. For what, I’m not sure.
“General Stone disappeared two nights ago. He knew what was coming and he took them. The base went dark the next morning.”
“Why? Why would he—”
I feel sick. My stomach heaves.
What does he want with them? My mind drags up hundreds of scenarios. All of them are horrible and morbid.
“Did you see them? Dazz, Ember, Flicker?”
She sighs. “No. He took them in the middle of the night. No one heard a struggle and as far as we can tell, they went willingly.”
I nod, swallowing back tears. “Do you know where they went?”
“Look, when you died, Jase and I knew something wasn’t adding up.
We started digging into some of the shadier parts of the military and stumbled across scraps of intel that suggest General Stone is part of some sort of rebellion.
We didn’t have enough time to figure out much, but it has something to do with Omegas. ”
“No. Oh no, no, no.”
“All we know is he’s heading for the Blackreach Province.”
I breathe a short sigh of relief. If he was taking them to the Companionship Program, he’d take them to the capital. It’s not ideal, but at least they aren’t going to be subject to that particular fate. “Are you two going to be okay?”
“We have orders to retreat to Hazlin Base, but we’re done being a part of this war machine.
We’ve got a truck and supplies to get us to Blackreach Province, and then we’re going after them,” she says in a determined voice until it cracks.
A small sob slips through as she utters, “I can’t leave them, not after losing you, Halley. ”
I swallow back my own tears and press my eyes shut. The pain in her voice is raw, like an open wound.
“I’m not dead, Ever. Not dead,” I repeat.
There’s a moment of silence between us, filled with unsaid things and so much hurt.
“Where are you?”
I glance up at Knox, who shakes his head. “I can’t say.”
“Shit is… it’s hitting the fan out here, Halley. Please tell me you’re safe.”
“I’m safe. I promise.”
The squeal of brakes cuts the constant hum in the background off. “Ah, there’s a blockade. Look, I’ve got to go, but I’ll try to stay in contact.”
“Love you guys!” I shout through the radio, almost desperate to hear her voice one more time, but the click followed by static tells me Ever is already gone.
I release a shaky exhale, passing the radio off to Shade in a dreamlike state.
What am I going to do now?
I trudge behind the team as we return to the waterfall in a daze. The others are deep in conversation, but I can’t drag myself out of my own head. My thoughts are stammering, glitchy and disjointed as they race through my mind.
I try to unpick the information Everlyn provided in a logical manner, the way Shade would.
I’m dead.
Viper killed me.
Knox is dead.
Shade and Blaze are presumably listed as MIA or KIA, too.
The borders are breached.
Humans are infiltrating our land.
Barkrood Base is forfeit.
Soldiers are defecting.
Alphas are roaming unchecked and free.
And…
And worst of all…
General Stone has kidnapped my three best friends.