Chapter 641 Chapter 641
“Asher.” Her voice was strained. “It’s him. It’s the wolf.”
Asher held her look for a moment and then turned to look back at the screen. He hadn’t seen the man in two-leg form, but she had. She had followed them and seen him in that form.
“Did I hear that right?” York asked. “You know this one?”
Asher blinked. They’d forgotten the mic was open. He cleared his throat, “he’s a wolf.” He could barely speak.
“He was there the day our families were killed.” Journee supplied and then leaned over and rested her head against his shoulder.
“All right, boys,” Amari didn’t sound as chipper now, “no one touches this one. He’s all for my pal, Asher.” She appeared in the camera, and then the man was shoved back against a counter. “Turn around, or I’ll make you suffer in ways you can’t even imagine.”
Asher put his arm around Journee and opened the window with his other hand. He needed air on his face.
“Team three on hold until we’re given the all-clear for images.”
He didn’t know who said it, but he was thankful. Reaching over, he tapped the space bar so they wouldn’t be heard. “Are you okay to look more?” He wasn’t sure he was, but they didn’t have a lot of options.
“Do you know him, Griffin?” It sounded like Raymond Hardy.
“He’s familiar, I just can’t place it right now.”
“Webb, Nox, you are to transport this one to the new holding facility,” Raymond announced.
“Got it,” Nox replied.
“Ash, you two good for more?” Jesse’s voice was one he was glad to hear.
He leaned back and looked at Journee. She was still pale but nodded. Reaching over, he tapped the space bar. “We’re good.” He wasn’t, and he knew she wasn’t, but seeing that bloodied wolf face from so long ago was worth the damage if they found more.
Asher tapped the space bar as they both stared at the screen. Nox was in front of the camera. He put his gun against the side of the man’s head. “Walk. There’s a special place in hell for you.” The man moved and then was gone from view.
Asher felt Journee exhale. One of the men that had destroyed their worlds had been found.
“Illias, you tell which team to do show and tell.” That was Calum’s voice, and Asher was glad for it.
He could barely focus right now, so he knew that Journee must be struggling with it.
“Team two.” Illias’ voice was clipped.
“We have two for the center and three older ladies,” Deacon said.
They both stared at the screen, and Asher hit the arrow key when he saw which screen.
Deacon stopped in front of each. They were outside now, with just streetlights.
Journee moved away from him and closer to the screen. She tapped the space bar. “The last lady, I think she was on the island. It’s hard to tell. She’s a lot older.” She hit it again.
“Mam’,” Deacon was in front of her, “were you stuck on an island since being taken?” Her eyes went wide, and she nodded.
“She comes back to the factory.” That was Devin’s voice. Asher was surprised to hear it, but it made sense that he was observing this too.
“Will do.” Deacon moved, and they could see Gia coming toward them.
“Is that it for team two?” Illias asked.
“That’s it. We’re ready for clean up here.” Deacon announced.
“Team one. Go.”
“Other than the two for the center and three ladies, we have this well-dressed gentleman that was barricaded in a back office.” Wynter sounded pleased.
Asher hit the arrow key and put it on top. A man stood there staring at the camera, or he supposed Wynter. The guy didn’t look scared at all or relieved, so that told Asher that he wasn’t a prisoner. He looked at Journee, she was earnestly studying him.
“I’ve seen him,” Griffin said bluntly.
“He goes with the wolf.” Raymond’s voice was loud. “The other two that were found with the wolf can go back to headquarters. Just to keep our spies busy with something to report.”
“Yes, sir,” Wynter answered.
“Team three. Go.” Illias said.
“We have two children, one woman and two collared. No supervision.” York reported.
Journee hit the arrow key this time, and the screen moved to the top. She studied the children briefly. Of course, she wouldn’t know them. She’d been stuck on an island when they would have been born. When the woman was in front of the camera, she leaned closer and then shook her head. Her spine stiffened when the men were on the screen, but after a few seconds, she relaxed a bit. She hit the space bar. “I don’t recognize any of them.”
“Woman and children to safe house x and the two gents to the center,” Raymond stated.
Asher didn’t know about safe house x, but he could surmise that the transport teams knew of certain ones, and the letter designation would tell which team where they went.
“Clean up on route to all three locations.” Raymond announced. “Hold back one pair of two at each for backup and overwatch until they’re clear.”
That was new too. The previous ops he’d been involved with were all loaded up and gone before the clean-up team arrived.
“Anything in the back office that man was in comes back to the factory to me,” Devin told them.
“You got it, sir.” Asher recognized Kaid’s voice.
“Thank you, Journee.” It was Rayne. “That couldn’t have been easy for you.”
“Transmissions need to be cut now,” Illias announced.
“Do it. Great work, everyone.” Devin said, and then the windows went black.
Asher reached up and closed the laptop. Probably a little harder than he should have. picking it up, he set it on the console between them and then turned to look at her. “I just need to step outside for a second.”
She nodded. “Me too.”
He waited at the front of the vehicle for her. “Next ops, I’m telling them to send us pictures instead of being live.” He looked to see she was staring off at nothing. “It will be easier for you then.” He himself as well, but he didn’t want to admit that out loud.
“Thank you.” She put her hand against her chest. “My heart is still pounding.”
His cat basically smacked him from the inside. He jumped and then grasped both her shoulders. “You did amazing.” He leaned down. “Raymond Hardy will get that man to talk, and then we’ll find all of the ones that were there that day.”
“He will?” She looked at him with such hope that he was going to make sure of it.
“He will.” He didn’t know if she needed it, but he sure as hell did, and he wasn’t going to try to fool himself into thinking he didn’t. He put his hands behind her, drew closer to him, and then wrapped his arms around her. She stiffened for a moment and then was squeezing his waist so tight that it should have been uncomfortable, but it wasn’t.
“Why did the lady from the island get to go to the factory?” She rested her cheek against his chest.
“I’m not sure.” He put his chin on the top of her head and closed his eyes. “Maybe she’ll know a more precise location for us to start from.”
“I hope so.”
He didn’t know how long they stood like that, but he didn’t care. Eighteen years of seeking revenge or even a clue, today, they both finally got one small piece of what they sought. He knew they should be on the move again and that staying out in the open like this for too long was a bad idea, but he just needed this. he needed to hold someone and be held for the first time in all those years, he actually wanted it too.