Chapter Seven
Raiden
“I don’t like waiting.”
River doesn’t even look up from the pistol he’s cleaning. “No one does.”
Now it’s home base.
One hallway branches toward an armory stocked with locked cabinets, tactical gear, and medical supplies.
Another leads to a gym that Roman insists everyone use, whether they want to or not.
A lounge sits beside a small kitchenette, while a bunkroom occupies the far end of the basement for the nights we can’t leave.
The full bathroom has come in handy more times than I can count.
Then there’s the last room. The Cell. Concrete walls. A reinforced steel door. A single chair bolted to the floor. One camera mounted high in the corner, feeding directly into Royal’s monitoring station. None of us enjoys using it.
Sometimes, we don’t have a choice.
I stop outside its open doorway. “It’s ready.”
River joins me. “You’ve been setting that room up all afternoon.”
“I know.”
He studies me. “You think we’re getting Drake sooner than planned.”
“I know we are.”
Behind us, Royal works a single keyboard, four monitors glowing in the dim light.
“I’ve still got access to his financial accounts.”
“What about his phone?”
“Still cloned,” Royal assures me.
Roman leans against the wall. “Anything useful?”
Royal shakes his head. “Nothing concrete.”
I fold my arms. “He knows we’re closing in.”
River nods. “So, we move before he realizes how close.”
“That’s the plan.”
Royal enlarges a map of Atlanta on one monitor. “We’ve identified three properties he uses regularly.”
“The house?” I prompt.
“Most likely.”
“The warehouse?”
“Possible.”
“The lake property?”
Royal types a few more commands then shrugs. “He hasn’t visited it in weeks.”
Roman steps closer. “So, we hit the house first.”
“No.” Royal zooms into another screen. “We watch another forty-eight hours.”
River sighs. “I hate waiting.”
“So do I.”
The room falls quiet. I glance at my watch. Seven o’clock. Elodie’s faculty meeting should have ended. She should have called. I pull out my phone. Nothing. Probably still talking to Sarah. I force myself to pay attention as Royal continues explaining Drake’s security rotations.
But I can’t concentrate. My gut tells me something is wrong. A knot forms in my stomach. I excuse myself without waiting for anyone to respond. The stairs disappear beneath my feet as I take them two at a time.
The shop upstairs is empty. The last client left an hour ago. I cross the lobby and look through the front window. The elementary school across the street is dark. Every window black. The parking lot is empty. Every light inside the building has been switched off.
I call her, but it goes straight to voicemail. I try again. Nothing. A cold weight settles in my chest. She always answers. Unless…
“No…” I spin and run back downstairs.
The others look up immediately. River is already standing before I reach the conference table.
“What happened?”
“Elodie isn’t answering.”
Roman’s expression hardens. “The meeting?”
“Over.”
“Maybe her phone died.”
I shake my head. “She would’ve borrowed someone else’s.”
Royal is already typing. “When was the last time you heard from her?”
“This afternoon.”
He nods once. “I’ll pull traffic cameras around the school.”
I hesitate for the briefest second. Then I make a decision I’d hoped I would never have to explain.
“Check the tracker.”
Three pairs of eyes turn toward me. River raises an eyebrow. “You put one in her bag?”
“I wanted a way to find her if Drake made a move.”
No one comments. Royal simply keeps typing. The quiet in the room feels suffocating. Every second stretches into another. I can’t think about where she is or what is being done to her, or I’ll detonate here and now.
“I’ve got it.”
The words freeze every thought in my head. A blinking dot appears on the map. Several miles away. Royal zooms in and my blood turns to ice.
“I know that address,” I growl.
We all do.
River exhales sharply. “Drake.”
Royal confirms it with another window. “The property is registered to one of his holding companies.”
Nobody speaks. Drake didn’t scare her. He took her.
The realization lands like a punch to the gut. For one terrifying second, I can’t breathe. Images flash through my mind. Elodie laughing over coffee. Elodie blushing every time I called her Freckles.
The way she’d smiled this morning when I’d walked her to work.
If I’m too late…
I shut the thought down before it can finish.
I won’t be. I can’t be. The words become a mantra that drowns out the darkness threatening to overcome me.
River steps closer. “We’ll get her back.”
I look at him. “If anything happens to her…” My voice breaks, and nothing comes out. I try again. “If I’m too late, I don’t know who I’ll be after this.”
Roman places a hand on my shoulder. “You won’t be.”
I swallow hard. “She’s my lifeline.” The admission surprises even me. “I’ve spent years convincing myself I didn’t need anyone.” I let out a humorless laugh. “Took one kindergarten teacher with freckles to prove me wrong.”
No one smiles. This isn’t the time.
River pulls his vest off the hook by the stairs. Royal closes his laptop. “We stick to the plan and go in smart.
“I want Drake,” I declare, my blood icing over with deadly intent.
I’ll kill the sonofabitch. It’s not enough that he killed my brother. Now, he has my only reason for living in his clutches.
“I mean it,” I reiterate when no one answers.
Roman replies quietly. “We know.”
Royal slides a tablet across the table, displaying the property layout. “Security cameras here… front gate… rear entrance…” He circles another section. “There’s a service entrance on the east side.”
“Blind spot?” I ask.
“Thirty-eight seconds every rotation,” Royal confirms.
River shrugs into his tactical vest. “That’s our way in.”
Roman checks the magazine in his sidearm, then secures it. “I’ll cover the rear.”
Royal pulls the camera feeds onto his center screen and drops into his chair. “I’ll stay on comms.”
I reach for my own gear. Every movement feels automatic. The familiar routine steadies my breathing. Only slightly.
As we head toward the stairs, River stops beside me. “We’ll bring her home.”
I nod once, and he files out.