Chapter 879 Chapter 879
Foster stood back and watched as the others gathered around Andi’s screen. The only ones that weren’t were Ena and Cy. He still couldn’t believe Cy had climbed poles and placed cameras on them. He had always thought the surveillance team just sat and watched places the old-fashioned way.
His animal was weird, which interfered with his focus. He was going to have to go for a run soon to settle him down. He looked over to see Ena sitting where she could watch Cy’s screen. Foster felt bad for her. Not knowing if Orson was in one of the buildings at Waylon’s must be weighing heavy on her.
“Are you allowed to do this?’ Gia sat beside Andi.
Andi shrugged. “We’re not not allowed to do it.”
Templeton laughed. “I think I’m going to like working with you all.”
“Who’s leading this one?” Deacon stood behind Gia, his arms crossed over his chest.
Foster moved to the other side because sanding next to Deacon made him feel malnourished. He didn’t have the bulking muscles like most of the men on the SO and Incursion teams. He was tall, though; he looked at Kellen, not his kind of tall either.
“I don’t have the full list.” Andi glanced at him. “There’s so many last minute changes lately, I think the only one that does know is Raymond.” She smiled. “But Beck and Eaton are there.”
Deacon grinned and nodded.
“Is this a house they’re going into?” Gia leaned back so she was closer to Deacon.
Andi nodded. “It’s another holding house.”
“Which is?” Templeton looked around.
Gia sighed. “It’s a place they keep women and children.”
At the mention of children, Ena got up and came over.
“And this is on this side of the border?” Templeton glanced at her mate.
Andi nodded. “It is. They got this address from some records Leon had.”
“Why are they holding them?” Ena hugged her arms around her waist.
Andi turned and looked at her. “The boys they’ll sell off to make collared guards and servants. The girls they keep and try to breed them with like clan before their first shift.” She sighed and looked back at the screen. “The women are there to look after the kids.”
Foster watched Ena’s face blanch.
“We always heard rumors but could never find any,” Templeton said in a quiet voice and leaned against her mate’s shoulder.
“We’ve shut down a lot.” Deacon nodded.
“Each main we hit gives us more locations.”
“Main?” Kellen looked at Cy.
Cy nodded. “Places like Waylon Kamble. He’s a main operation in the network.” He turned back to his screen and leaned closer to watch it.
“How could we not know this is happening?” Ena’s voice was quiet.
“We as shifters, aren’t meant to know it is. The Alliance had suspicions but little proof for so long–and then Rayne arrived and people like Noah Reyes. Broke it wide open for us with the inside information they had. If not for Rayne we never would have been able to shut down Aiden Tomas.”
Andi grinned and looked at Deacon. “Of course, his half-brother turned the war’s direction, so we’re closer to winning it.”
“I heard about that.” Kellen put his arm around Templeton’s shoulder. “He’s a half-breed and was his father’s pet prisoner.”
Deacon nodded. “Yeah. He was. He was also very observant and had names and places it would have taken us ten years to find out.”
Foster looked around. Kevan wasn’t here. He didn’t know what was going on with the international guys, but he spent a lot of time on his phone today. He turned back to look at Ena. She glanced at him. He gave her a questioning look, asking if she was all right. She nodded, but her expression told him she was not close to being all right.
“They’re ready.” Andi tapped some keys, and the screen split into two. Foster had seen a few of these. It was hard to make out what you were looking at sometimes because it was usually dark, but catching a glimpse of the people they caught who were responsible, the expression on their faces was beyond satisfying. The two camera views on the screen were moving.
“Any sound?” Cy asked, still watching his own screen.
“Right.” Andi tapped a key and took out her earpiece.
“...we’re in the back.”
Foster had no idea who spoke. He didn’t know all the men’s voices, there were too many. A door opened on the other screen.
“In.” Someone whispered.
“Taking the stairs down.” He recognized that one. It was Beck.
“Quinn, take the upstairs.” That had to be Eaton.
Foster looked to see the Nebraska couple focusing intently on the screen.
“Two locked doors in the basement. Cutting locks now.”
“Go in easy, Beck,” Eaton whispered.
“Copy.”
“Four bolted doors up here,” Quinn reported.
The camera on the right jerked, and all that could be heard were grunts.
“Eaton’s in a bit of a scuffle.”
“Do you need me?”
“No. Stay on watch.” Quinn answered.
“My patience just expired.” Eaton sounded out of breath. The camera jerked, and then they were looking at a man on the floor with a boot against his throat. “I understand you run this loathsome house.”
The man just stared up at her.
Someone moved and blocked the camera, and then they saw Xia squatting down beside him. She was smiling and shaking her head. “You’re lucky she’s in a good mood.”
Someone snorted into the mic.
Xia pulled the man to his feet. His hands were now bound behind his back.
“Doors open? Clear this floor.” Eaton’s camera was on the move.
“Two collared down here. They’re in the rough shape. Necks are raw.” The camera moved into a better-lit area, and they were looking at a thin man. He stood with his head hanging down.
“Get them out to Christian, Beck.”
“On it.”
“Did you hear what they found at Kenric’s raid?”
They all glanced to see Creed standing in the kitchen doorway.
“A collar for fliers that shocks them if the skin isn’t depressing the sensors.”
Andi put her hand to her throat. “This is why I’m a tech and out of sight.”
“What are the collars for?” Ena asked quietly.
“To keep male shifters under control. They can’t shift with it on.” Cy looked over at her. “Or in flier’s cases, they will be electrocuted if they try.”
“They’re very hard to remove,” Gia whispered.
“Bringing out three women and five kids to you, Calla,” Quinn said.
Foster looked at the screen. He hadn’t known Calla was there.
“What condition are they in?” Foster thought that might be Christian but wasn’t sure.
“Underfed, exhausted, but I don’t see anything life-threatening,” Quinn stated quietly.
“Oh, movement. Finally. I was beginning to think this place was empty. Ena, come tell me if you know either of these two.”
Foster glanced at the screen of Andi’s and then followed Ena over to Cy’s. Creed came over too.
She stood far enough away to see the screen. Her skin tone was pale, and he wondered if they had dumped too much on her too soon.
“Is he limping?” She bent to bring her face closer to the level of the screen.
“Looks like it. Who is it?”
She exhaled. “That is Waylon Kamble. The one with him, I don’t know his name, but he’s always with him when they come into the diner. He doesn’t sit with him or say anything.
“You think he’s limping because one of his captives got their teeth on him?”
Foster winced and gave Creed a hard look. Ena didn’t need to be thinking things like that because he knew if a shifter had, they likely weren’t still alive.
“The zoom isn’t working,” Cy growled. “I knew I should have replaced that one.” He pointed to the screen and stood up. “Someone keep watch. I’m going to grab a snack and drive out to take a closer look.”
Creed nodded and dropped down into the chair he’d been sitting in.
“Your teams are smooth operators,” Kellen said.
“Ten minutes, and they have freed women and children and caught one responsible for it.” Templeton moved away from Andi and came over and stood beside Creed and looked at the screen. “Do you think we’ll be going in there tonight?”
“We’re going in when the storm hits.” Deacon went over and looked out the window.
Kellen nodded. “It’s a very open area. The storm will help.”
“We’re going to rest if we’re not needed tonight.” Templeton yawned. “We’ve been on the move for days now checking on clans.”
“Everything good with them?” Gia went over and hugged Deacon.
“For now,” Kellen answered.
“We’ll tag along, Cy.” Deacon glanced at Ena. “It would be good if you came too. You may recognize more.”
Ena nodded and went over and picked up her bag.
Foster looked at Andi’s screen. The op wasn’t on it now. “I’ll come too. I got to see a lot of the locals at the diner.”