Chapter 857 Chapter 857
“No lights on the South side.”
Uri breathed a sigh of relief from Tripp’s report. It had been decided they would fly to check in the windows one at a time. Two large owls hovering around windows would raise suspicions if anyone was still awake inside.
He was hiding where Amari had gone earlier in the day, waiting for Oryn to finish her sweep of the place. She was very good at staying in the shadows of the night, even though he had lost sight of her a few times. He would hold his breath until she was flying back. Even though she said she understood why she couldn’t get her brother out yet, Uri still wasn’t confident that she would stick with it.
“She's done the top floor windows. Was she supposed to land on the ground?”
Uri stiffened. “We need to look in the basement windows. She figured a tank of water large enough to hold someone our size would have to be in the basement.”
“Makes sense.” Amari was whispering. Uri wasn’t sure where she was, but Tripp hadn’t seemed concerned when she said she was taking the low road while he had overwatch. Uri wasn’t even sure if Tripp would show concern if Amari stepped over the lines, but he had to hope they would help get this done without incident.
“Any lights on your side, Uri?”
He checked the house. “No. It’s dark.”
“Okay. She's at the last window. I’ll let you know when she’s back in the air.”
Uri took off his jacket and set it on the ground. His boots were next. It was colder than he’d have liked, but he wanted to do this fast and get back to the safety of his SUV.
“She’s in the air. Wait, I’m not sure what she’s doing.”
He paused with his hands on the waist of his jeans.
“I think she’s hunting down a midnight snack.” Tripp sounded amused.
“Nothing wrong with that.” Amari chuckled.
“Okay, she’s headed away from the house now.”
Uri pushed his jeans off and set them on top of his other clothing.
“She landed in a tree, uh, I guess, to eat her snack, but she’s close to your ride now.”
Uri nodded and squatted on the ground. He never had to reach for his owl. He was always close enough that a shift could happen mere moments after it was thought. Blowing out a breath, he rolled his head from side to side. Shifting if you were tense hurt like nothing else did. When a flier shifted, it wasn’t the bone popping that the pawed shifters did. The sound that accompanied his was closer to someone walking over shattered glass. He didn’t understand the physiology of it but knew enough to know that it was close to magic to take his human-sized bones and downsize them into lightweight bones of his aves.
The first thing his owl did after a shift was suck in air, like he needed to fill his lungs after holding his breath for a long time. Uri always let him have the first few moments of control, he figured he owed it to him for having to stay inside as much as he did.
After a few stretches, he took to the air without issue. The wind was quiet tonight. He climbed higher and did an easy circle around the property, tapping into his owl’s sight to see if there was anything down there he should be aware of. Most smaller predators knew to avoid his kind. They might look like a tasty snack to fox or wolf, but they weren’t easy to catch, and if talons were needed to remind them, they could slice thick coats down the bone without effort.
Assured there was nothing on the ground, he tilted his body and went toward the upper windows. Two had blinds over them, so those wouldn’t even be worth a glance, but there were two larger windows that would gain him a glance inside. The sight of his owl and good memory would allow him to have the layout of the room in a matter of moments.
After the first window, he glided away from the house, circled over the yard, and looked down at the empty tank as he flew over it. It still bothered him that he hadn’t been able to tell if someone was hurt in that display case. All he could do was hope they were alive and as well as they could be. Keeping a shifter prisoner was one thing, but one of the swimming kind, that was just cruel to force them to live in a tiny space.
After the second window, he glided and weaved his way along the lower-level windows. There was only one basement window on this side, so he wouldn’t have to stick around long once on the ground. Tripp was to fire a warning shot into the air if anyone stirred or was approaching the house so he didn’t panic and rush.
When he landed outside the basement window, he had to move close to see inside because of his reflection of the glass. There were two small lights on that made looking around easy. He couldn’t see it completely from this angle, but he saw enough to know there was another tank like the one sitting outside, and it had water in it—and a lid. That made holding a water or Sea clan captive even more cruel.
What he did get a good view of was a door with a lock on the outside. A perfect place to keep secret documents, items, and even captives you didn’t want to have to guard.
Deciding he’d seen enough he quickly took to the air and climbed high enough he could see the dock area. In a few hours, two of the larger boats that were tied to the pier would become ornaments floating on the water.
His owl was in no hurry to go back, but Uri reminded him that they still had a job to do, and a leisurely flight was going to have to wait until everyone inside that house became permanent residents at an Alliance holding facility.
He jogged up the side of the hill, wanting to get back and find out if Oryn had gotten a better view of the tank. She stood beside the SUV talking to Amari when he got there.
Amari grinned. “I almost wish I could do what you do. Almost.” She nodded and then looked at Tripp, who was on the phone. “He’s talking to Konner.”
He looked at Oryn. “Did you see in the tank?”
She nodded. “It was the saddest thing I have ever seen. She looked so lifeless, but she wasn’t.”
Uri dropped his head forward and sighed. They had one of Konner’s inside that building. He looked at Oryn. “There’s a room with a lock on the outside.”
She stood taller. “Do you think that’s where Taron is?”
He nodded. “Seems likely.”
She glanced at Amari and then back to him. “So, the basement needs to be reached quickly.”
Amari jerked her head toward Tripp. “We’re going to have two from special operations and three from the incursion team. They’ll know the best way to go in and get everyone out safely.”
Oryn hugged her waist. “I want to help however I can.”
Tripp turned and looked at them. He was off the phone. “Having a flier in the air keeping a lookout for anything unexpected is always nice.” He grinned. “Konner will be with his chopper when we go in. I told him what Oryn saw, and he’s afraid the woman will need life-saving measures.”
“Shit.” Uri glanced inside the SUV at the laptop on the dash. “Do we know when Eaton and the others will be here?”
“How does now suit you?”
Uri was startled and spun around to see Eaton and the five other Alliance team members standing in the trees.
Jett pulled off his dark beanie and walked toward them. “Yes. Other males.”
Tripp grinned. “Too much girl talk on the flight in?”
Jett shook his head. “No. Too much gory talk about their favorite takedowns.” He cringed. “Girl talk would have been okay.”
Sloane laughed. “Raymond found us a quick flight, he wants this done a.s.a.p.”
Uri blew out a breath. “A few of the Sea clan are disabling the boats just before dawn. How much planning do you need?”
Eaton smiled and ran her hand through her short white hair. “How many are inside waiting for us?”
“Fifteen,” Oryn said. “Two captives, one is my brother and one woman in a tank of water.”
“Damn.” Jett looked at Tripp. “Konner in on this?”
Tripp shook his head. “He’ll be nearby with his chopper to get the woman medical aid.”
Jett nodded.
Uri looked at Oryn, she wasn’t shying away from this many strangers. “Sorry, this is Oryn.” He motioned to her. “This is Jett, Eaton and Sloane.” He pointed to the two standing back. “That’s Kelii and Nola.”
Nola nodded. “I need sixty minutes and a good signal, and I can have comms set up and the video feed for our prince and Raymond.”
Uri motioned to his SUV. “Antenna is already set up, I’ve been using the mini cams.”
She picked up the large bag, walked by everyone, and opened the passenger’s door of it.
Eaton went over to Oryn. “I just spoke to Wynter. The kids are doing great.” She touched her arm and nodded. “You did an amazing job keeping them safe.”
Oryn stood a little taller at her words. “They’re good kids.”
Eaton turned around and looked at Nola. “Can you get us on a call with Konner and Raymond? We’ll get a plan figured out right now and go when the Sea clan are at the docks.”
Nola glanced over her shoulder and nodded. “Give me two minutes to get all of this patched together.”
Uri stepped back out of the way and blew out a slow breath.
Amari growled low and threw herself into Tripp's arms. “Little action before breakfast.” She made a purring sound.
Tripp hugged her and smiled down at her. “Anything to keep my baby smiling.” He leaned down and kissed her.
“That’s enough of that.” Sloane rolled her eyes. “Tripp, why don’t you and Jett go haul some of that gear from your ride.” She slipped a large duffle bag off her back. “We’re going in fully loaded, so make sure you have a good supply of darts. I don’t want to be wrestling anyone and falling over furniture.”
Eaton laughed. “An easy day is good.”
“But no fun,” Jett mumbled as he followed Tripp into the trees.
Uri went over to Oryn and studied the look on her face. She just kept glancing from one person to the next. “A few more hours.”
Her gaze flicked to him. “Tell me, what happens to Kenric if he’s taken out of there alive?”
Eaton came over and stood with them. Uri forgot how short she was until each time she saw her. She barely reached their shoulders. “He will spend the rest of his life locked up, interrogated, and will receive the best medical care so he can regret his life for a very long time.” Her voice was soothing as she spoke. To look at her and hear her, you would never guess that half the men on her team feared ever crossing her.
Oryn held her look for a long time, and then she sighed. “Okay. He can live.”
Eaton smiled. “Killing him would only feel good for a moment. What the Alliance has in store for him will help you get through every day from now on.” She glanced at Uri, her expression growing more serious. “I know one of the captives is your brother, but he can’t leave with you today.”
Oryn frowned.
“He will be transported to the center, where he will receive a complete medical assessment. The captives are never in good health.”
“Oh.” Oryn nodded. There were unshed tears in her eyes. “Okay. Yes. That’s fine. He can join the kids and me at Uri’s clan after that?”
Eaton nodded. “Whenever he’s cleared, yes, I’m sure they’ll get him there as quickly as they can.”
“Oryn, let's go over where you need to be when they go in.” Amari stood by the front of the SUV.
Oryn nodded. She glanced at Uri and then walked over to Amari.
Uri waited until they were on the other side of the vehicle. “You didn’t mention that some never leave the center.”
Eaton sighed. “I’m counting on her sibling being as strong as she has been and hasn’t been swayed by Kenric.”
Uri sucked in a breath and blew it out.
Eaton patted his arm. “We’ll blow up that bridge when we get there, okay?”
He nodded.
“Two minutes,” Nola said. “The prince wants to be patched in, too, but he’s stuck on the phone right now.”
Uri shook his head and wondered if Devin Addison ever slept.