Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Harlan
I’ve locked down all of my nerves as we’ve planned over the last twenty-four hours.
I’m aware a lot could go wrong, but I can’t focus on that.
I gave the girls a crash course on how to use a gun this morning, though Lexi and Silva said they’re more comfortable with knives and they can handle the firearm if necessary.
The other girls didn’t have any issues with using a firearm, and they all have holsters on their bodies. As long as I know they’ll have it on them, I’ll survive.
Lexi and Silva can suck it up for my peace of mind.
We’ve all spent a lot of time together in this rental house over the past day. Aiden and Sloane have been impressed with how the Widows are handling things and how organized they are. I guess trauma will do that to you.
We’re camped out now in a rental property under a fake name, waiting for confirmation from our support teams. I’m prepared to go in before the FBI and special ops teams and allow them to clean up after us. I know that the girls want their pound of flesh and I want to give it to them.
Demons will be laid to rest tonight so that they can move on with their lives.
I’m more than happy to help in any way we can.
Kyren has his go bag of weapons, I have a pack of medical supplies, and Isidro has odds and ends like duct tape and lightweight chains.
All other weapons we need are on each of our persons.
“We’re going to sneak in just like we talked about,” I finally say, addressing the room.
Omegas gaze back at me with intense and concerned expressions. Lark was able to fly a drone over Gideon’s property to map out where the heaviest concentration of guards exist. They said that things have changed since the night they escaped.
There are more guards than there were before, though I’m not sure what the inside will look like. I suppose having a group of omegas escape will make you extra paranoid.
Will Gideon decide to show that he can handle things without thugs with weapons, or will he opt to err on the side of caution? Fuck.
We’re going to have to go through the woods under the cover of darkness to avoid the guards outside, but that’s to be expected. The bastard upgraded his security system recently to electronic locks, which works in our favor.
The plan is to separate into two teams when we break into the mansion.
We’re accounting for the upgraded locks by having Lark on one of the teams to hack into the system and turn the lock tumblers so they can enter, while Kyren goes with another.
Once inside, they’ll break off to help the women in each section of the mansion escape, as well as find Gideon.
Sloane, Aiden, Emmett, and Lexi will be walking through together and incapacitating anyone in their way so they can’t sound the alarm.
I know better than to separate their omega from them. The only reason I can’t fuse Silva to me is because she’ll fry my knot off. I’d rather avoid that if possible, but I’ll take the punishment and attempt to not come if she does it.
Syrus, Isidro, and Kyren all agree that this is the only way to ensure Silva doesn’t chafe under my need for control. I’m too used to my team working together and agreeing once a plan is in motion that this is how it has to be. I don’t have that same energy now, and I have to adjust.
I’m working through my own personal worry of losing Silva by taking every precaution possible.
First off, I have trackers in each of the Widows’ shoes. Did I tell them I did this? Absolutely not. They’ve all been very chill as we’ve planned and I’ve insisted that they follow my instructions, but tagging them skirts boundaries. They can yell at me later.
If Silva attempts to beat me up over it, so be it. I’ll ask Izzy to kiss my boo-boos better after.
The omegas in this room also all have ear comms, and are very competent. I know this. I do. So why is my stomach still churning with anxiety?
“Don’t take extreme or unnecessary chances,” I begin to lecture the room.
“Call for help if you need it, and don’t be a fucking hero.
We’ll get Gideon tonight, I swear it. You’ll get your chance to kill him.
All vehicles will also be disabled as we go in by Isidro.
He’ll loop around and make sure that’s taken care of and find his own way in.
Unless Gideon is planning on using a helicopter, he’s not fucking leaving.
People don’t generally leave right after these parties, right? ”
“No,” Aries murmurs. “The mansion was filled with people for hours after, which is why we’d all get locked inside of our rooms during and after a big party if we weren’t being sold.
There weren’t any guards inside then though.
They were only at the main entry points. That's why we were able to get out.”
“Then you’ll need to be careful as we move through the hallways so no one is caught. Even if there aren’t guards, we still have people who work at the mansion to worry about,” I add. “Hide if necessary. One of us will be around to stick dead bodies in closets if you find yourself having to engage.”
“The air ducts are handy to get around,” Briar says. “It’s how Silva was able to get our supplies out to the meeting point early. There are also lots of hidden passageways. It’s how we were sometimes transported through the mansion by our handlers without anyone seeing us.”
“You were able to leave and never thought about doing it earlier?” Sloane asks curiously.
“The Widows are a package deal,” Emmett rumbles. “It’s all or nothing. It would help if you thought before speaking.”
Lexi hides a smile, and I shake my head. I can attest to the fact that mouthy omegas are hot. I have two of them. Sloane looks repentant as he nods, mumbling an apology under his breath.
“We want to make sure that everyone gets out safely,” Silva says crisply. “There will be twenty-four omegas to retrieve from the mansion. He never changes how he works when it comes to this, not ever. No matter what, Gideon belongs to us. Wound but don’t kill. That’s our job.”
“Correct,” I agree before anyone can say differently. I’m aware that not everyone would be willing to allow a group of omegas to kill the kingpin in an operation like this, but the Widows all suffered at Gideon and his people’s hands.
The dolls who escaped his machinations deserve to serve up their own form of revenge.
We’re all wearing black tactical clothing, and the omegas all sprayed themselves down with descenting spray. We’re ready.
Gary Dregman
We’ll be in position to act on your call. Stay in touch.
My lips twitch at the dry text and I blow out a breath.
“It’s time. Any questions?”
We’ve gone over entrance points, where they remember all the groups of women were kept, along with the layout of the mansion. These women have remarkable recollection of this place for having been gone as long as they have.
Nonetheless, ten years is a long damn time, and it’s already clear that some things have changed. I don’t want anyone to get cocky.
Everyone shakes their heads, and then begins to check their weapons. There are so many different pockets in their pants, but I’ll never fail to be amused by their boots. Silva hands a knife to her sister, and Lexi hides it away in a secret compartment in her right boot.
Whatever keeps them alive works for me.
I’m also impressed with what they suggested they bring. Rope, rappelling gear to climb down the side of the house, and more is tucked into small packs for them to take with them. They’re more than ready.
I rented several large panel vans for this mission, and Aiden and Sloane are going to drive the SUVs, which are already packed with all our shit.
It’s not that I don’t trust the government support I reached out for or Gary, but most of the omegas we are rescuing from Henderson mansion will be safer off the grid.
Lark and Kyren can get them new identities, but I’ll happily use the support to clean up after us.
How they explain the rest is up to them. A bust of this many sex traffickers will have to be more than enough.
“We’re burning the night oil,” I call out. “Let’s go!”
It’s almost nine at night, and it’ll take some time to hike in through the woods so we’re not caught.
“Yes, Drill Sergeant,” Syrus says under his breath, making my lips twitch.
If it was anyone else I might deck them, but he knows how stressful a raid can be. This is on a larger level, but the mechanics end up the same.
Regardless, it helps break up some of the heaviness in the air. I needed that.
“Cute,” I murmur, walking out the door. Everyone hurries after me, ski masks pulled over their faces. I don’t want anyone to know who the Widows are.
Facial recognition is built into a lot of security systems now, and the Widows are the omegas that got away. I don’t want to be caught before we make it inside.
Getting into one of the vans, I take a deep breath as I make sure everyone is where they need to be. I take the route Kyren mapped out that will take us along the backroads to the woods on the other side of the Henderson mansion. It’ll allow us to hide the vans and then hike in.
Kyren and Sloane are going to wear their infrared goggles that’ll allow them to watch out for guards patrolling the area. A quick twist of their necks will incapacitate them. These aren’t guards that will be regularly checked on because of the sheer amount of guests coming in and out.
Isidro has a black tux in his bag to pretend to be a beta working as a guest’s security.
Even if there are rules about security being inside, it’ll be busy enough that he’ll be able to pretend to be part of the “festivities.” The party is going to work in our favor, and his name has mysteriously made it onto the approved list of people allowed on the premises.
Lark and Kyren have been having a field day fucking with Gideon’s carefully crafted plans.
We are definitely planning to rain on his goddamned parade.