Chapter 2

“Testing, testing. I need to run a check before everyone is barking things at me.” Illia's voice came over the radio. “Our lovely princess and prince will be designating the who goes where and all that, so I need to make sure they have it set up on their end.”

“Talk less, test more,” a female voice said over the radio.

Konner looked to see Asher smirking, so it had to be one on his team. “I couldn’t have said it better.” If he wasn’t mistaken, it was Devin Addison’s voice now. “Is this heard by both teams?”

“That’s a yes to team one.” Konner recognized York’s even tone.

“Team two as well,” Jesse replied.

“Check individual now,” Illias said in a clipped way. “Team one check.”

“Received,” York replied.

There were a few moments of silence. Konner was glad they were making sure all the last-minute shuffling hadn’t postponed things. Jesse and his mate had gone to help team two at the last minute, he’d caught a part of the conversation between Calum and Jesse, and both had agreed, it would be best if she wasn’t present at their location. Bear and Noah had also gone to help team two.

“Okay boys and girls, the comm system is tip-top,” Illias announced. “I told you I could do the work of two.”

“Before I leave to be overwatch, just remember to monitor the anti-tracking screen.”

“I’ve got it, Torin, you go be a bird, I’ve got this,” Illias laughed.

Torin was part of the tech team and was to work with team two, but his being a flyer was deemed necessary so he could check the area around the house they were hitting. This left the cocky Illias running both team’s comm systems, and the prince monitoring from their undisclosed location. Konner agreed overwatch was a valuable thing but could do with less chatter.

“Talk, talk, talk.” Asher looked over at him for a moment before moving his gaze back to the road. “If you need me to grab anything or meet you to help when you’re coming out just give me a shout.”

Konner nodded without looking back at him. “Will do.”

“I like working with you, much more than Nox.” He made a sound of annoyance. “I think he wanted me to bow down and kiss his feet.”

Konner did grin to that. “Nox is...” He gave him a brief side glance. “Better on a mission than he is as company.”

“That’s a polite way to put it,” Asher replied, then turned his attention back to the road.

“Do you know why Jesse pulled his mate from team one?” If there was something he needed to know going in, he preferred some warning.

“I know bits of it.” He cleared his throat. “Evanna, who is also Leah sometimes has some sort of personality disorder. I didn’t get into the details with that.” He checked the mirrors and then turned the corner without signaling. “Leah was taken when she was really young, but got away when she was sixteen...” Asher paused to look at him to see if he was listening. “Her family is at this first house, but with her disorder, it could be debilitating, I think Jesse said, for her to see them in these circumstances.” He motioned toward the windshield. “That’s all I know.”

Konner took a moment to digest all that. “I’m glad he made the call to help the other team. Things can get messy enough without something like that.”

“I agree.”

“I’ve worked with Jesse a few times, he’s good at what he does.”

“No one better.” Asher nodded but didn’t look at him.

“Creed and Torin are in the air,” Illias announced. “From this point on the comes will be separated so the teams can focus on those members they were directly working with.”

That ended their odd version of small talk. Konner put his earpiece in and clipped the sides of his vest together. He hated wearing it, it made him hot, and the heat was not a friend to his kind, but it was necessary.

Asher pulled the van over in the designated spot. They both sat in the silence looking up in the sky, even though they’d never see Creed in the dark from this distance.

“All clear.” There was no mistaking Calum’s deep voice over the comms.

Asher had the van moving before Konner could look at him. He appreciated that he did his part without hesitation.

When they went around the corner, he leaned to see a very large, out-of-place eagle sitting on the roof of the house. He tapped the dash. “Here is good.” He motioned to the shrubbed fence line on the other side of the house. “Pull up there, leave room for the rest to be close by.”

Asher nodded and stopped the van without comment.

Konner was out the door and running across the lawn to the tree with the low-hanging branches. When he reached it, he squatted down, his back to the tree so he could see the rest of the team as they reached the house.

Deacon and Calum moved silently toward him. Their steps in synch like a silent dance. Konner motioned to the side of the house and knew he wouldn’t have to spell it out as they went past him to be unseen below the window line of the house.

York came from the other direction and signaled that two were coming in from the back. He kept going until he was right beside the front door of the house.

“At the back door,” a whispered male voice announced in his ear. A quick head count told Konner that it was Blair and Kobie at the back of the house.

“In place at the front,” York said.

“We have the side, waiting on a go.” Deacon’s level tone spoke through his earpiece.

Konner looked to see Webb coming along the sidewalk. He’d keep watch in the driveway until they were coming back out. He gave him a quick nod and moved over to the other side of the front door. “Breach in three.” He wasn’t much for long-drawn-out entries.

York moved to the door and waited for Konner to touch his shoulder, so he knew he was in place.

“Two,” he said quietly. York stood up and prepared to breach the door lock. “One. Breach.”

York kicked the door, and it gave way.

Konner moved to step into it and crouched down, so York would have a clear view. The process was more intense with them using dart guns instead of bullets. No one told the enemy that they were using non-lethal force, so the chances of being shot with a dart instead of something more permanent was always a risk.

“Through the back,” Blair announced. “Porch to the kitchen.”

“Side door breached,” Deacon announced. “Taking the lower stairs.”

“Taking the upper ones,” Calum’s quiet voice told him.

Konner was constructing a diagram of the layout in his head as his teammates called out where they were. He was still in the front door, covering the stairs off the entrance as York checked the rooms to the left. When he came back out and nodded, Konner stood up and motioned to the stairs. “Heading upstairs.”

“Back of house is clear.” Blair appeared at the end of the hallway. “Checking the first floor.” He gave York a nod.

Konner went up the stairs first. This was so quiet, where were the guards or security in this house. The shoes by the door told him there were people here somewhere.

“Locked doors in the basement.” Deacon’s tone was somber, cutting the locks now.

Konner paused and glanced back at York, he nodded and motioned up. Giving Konner the clear to go down and back up Deacon. As he moved by him, Blair appeared at the bottom of the stairs.

“First floor clear,” he said as Konner moved quickly past him.

Reaching the stairs to the basement, he was met on the landing by Calum, who held a man by the collar on his neck. Konner moved out of the way so Calum could take him outside.

“Bringing one out for the refuge center. He’s fully mobile,” Calum informed those waiting in the van. “No tranq will be necessary, completely cooperative.”

Konner couldn’t dwell on the state of those helping Tomas, whether forced or not. As he reached the basement the scent of urine and blood hit his nostrils and he had to bite back the curse before he said it over the comms.

Deacon turned to see him coming down the narrow hall. The expression on his face matched the feeling of anger inside Konner. They locked them in this dank basement. He watched Deacon cut the lock and turned the next door to his right.

“Upstairs is clear,” York announced.

“Locked cabinets on the main floor,” Blair said into the comms, so Devin could communicate to the cleanup crew that whatever was in it they needed.

Konner grabbed the lock on the door and gave it a quick jerk. One of the few advantages his kind had on land is they retained their incredible strength. The entire hardware assembly came off the door with the lock. He stepped back and opened the door slowly, raising the dart gun as he did. In the back corner, a woman was huddled, scared, and shaking. “It’s all right, I’m here to get you out.” He lowered the gun and held up his other hand. “I’ll be right back.”

He stepped out of the room and back into the hall. Deacon was opening the second door on his side. Konner made fast work of the lock on the last room and inside found a young woman with a small girl. He went into the room. “Are you both all right?” he asked. She nodded and clutched the child to her as she stood up. “We’re here to get you home.”

As they stepped out into the light, he looked to see Deacon helping a frail woman out of the second room. He looked down at the woman in front of him, she was older and malnourished, but there was no mistaking the resemblance to Jesse’s mate.

“My mother?” She hugged the little girl to her.

“I’m here, Ashtyn,” the woman from the first room said as she came out into the hallway.

Deacon was helping one of the women walk down the hall, the other one followed with an expression of confusion on her face.

“We work for the Alliance, we’re here to get you out.”

Konner could do this job for thirty years and he would never tire of the look those they freed got when they realized they had been rescued.

Deacon motioned to the stairs while holding the woman’s elbow.

Konner turned around and squatted down in front of the little girl, she was probably no older than four. “What’s your name?”

She glanced at her mother for approval before speaking. “Gemma,” she whispered.

“Okay, Gemma, how about you come with me, and we’ll go outside and get you some juice.” He glanced up at her mother, she nodded, her eyes glassy with tears.

Picking her up, he motioned to the stairs.

Deacon paused at the bottom. “What’s your name and clan?” He waited for the woman behind him to answer.

“Isla Stone, Burke clan”

“I’m Mila Knight, from the same clan,” the unsteady woman told him.

Gemma’s grandmother touched his arm. “I’m Lyvia Cardenas. Are we really going home?”

Konner nodded. “You’re free.” He didn’t know where they were going, according to Wynter, Jesse’s mate had been the last one at the clan’s home and they weren’t going back there. It wasn’t his place to tell them the Burke clan was no more.

“Coming out with Isla Stone, Mila Knight.” Deacon glanced back to him.

Konner pressed the mic button on his comms. “Lyvia, Ashtyn, and Gemma.” He smiled at the girl in his arms, “Cardenas from the Burke clan.”

He stood at the bottom with the little girl and let the others go up the stairs first. When they reached the landing Blair and Calum were there to help. Konner knew that York and Webb would be outside keeping watch.

“Are they in good health?” It was Jesse, he must have gone through Illias to patch the comes through.

“All are mobile and in acceptable health considering the circumstance,” Calum answered. “Shae will check them all over and let you know.”

“Thank you.” That wasn’t Jesse who answered; it had to be Evanna. “Tell them Leah will see them soon.”

Calum relayed the message in a hushed tone.

The grandmother to the girl he had stopped in the driveway and looked up at Calum. “She made it home?”

Konner didn’t want to draw attention to the two women crying, now clinging to each other, he moved by them with long strides. “What kind of juice would you like?” He turned to see Gemma watching him with huge dark eyes.

“I like apple,” she said quietly.

“Apple it is.” He moved quickly toward the van that Shaelan stood beside. Gemma wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed tight. This makes all of it worth it. He thought, he didn’t care she wasn’t his clan or if she was an Oompa-Loompa, he smirked, this little girl in his arms was why he did what he did.

“Calla is on route to pick up the members of the Burke clan to take them to the Dyer clan.” Illias paused. “She’ll meet you on route to the next location.”

“Copy.” York nodded to him as he reached the van.

“Gemma likes apple juice,” Konner told his teammate in a serious tone.

“Good thing I have some of that here.” York motioned to Shaelan. “I think I have some cookies too. I’ll get those while you let this nice lady check you over, okay?” He kneeled down, so he was face level with her.

She nodded and released the hold on Konner’s neck and let him set her in the van.

“Team two recovered two from Lois White’s clan, a mother and daughter and three collared men,” Illias shared. “Alliance security is waiting at drop-off points. Team two moving onto the next location now.”

Konner nodded to Asher as he reached the van. “Let’s go.” He got in and closed the door.

Asher didn’t ask any questions, just put the van into gear and pulled away.