Chapter 40

As soon as they walked through the doors, Zain wanted to turn around and leave. There were several people standing in the lobby, all dressed in pricey clothes. Oaklyn put her arm through his.

“Brock said it was being held throughout the businesses off the lobby.” She smiled at him. “A fancy luncheon in a bar, that’s new.”

Zain looked around. “Two by the elevators.”

She smiled sweetly. “I saw.”

He didn’t know what the plan was. It was a ‘fluid situation,’ is what they were told by Luka. Eaton said the translation to that was they didn’t have a solid plan and would have to see what happened and adapt. Zain didn’t adapt. He had routines and rarely strayed from them.

Brock came out of the beveled glass doors and propped them open and then put his hands on his hips and looked around. Zain had to admit he was good at acting. With his hair slicked back and the stance he took, he didn’t seem anything like the man who had openly cried over a movie.

“You.” Brock pointed to a man standing by the wall. “I need the display brought out here.” He continued to look at him. “Now.” With an abrupt nod, he turned, spotted Zain, nodded again, and went back in.

“Shall we?” Oaklyn squeezed his arm.

Zain nodded. “I don’t want to get cornered in a room with a bunch of strangers.”

“Leave that to me. I like to stay on the move.”

“Jett will be coming inside shortly. We’ll need a distraction.” Eaton’s voice was steady and quiet in his ear.

“See, honey, we’re not late.”

They turned to see a couple coming in the entrance behind them. The man was in a very crisp suit, and the woman was in a dress that had so many colors on it Zain wondered if someone threw up a crayon box on it. The man smiled at Zain and held out his hand. “Del Pritchard.” Zain took his hand and gave it a quick shake. “And this lovely woman honoring me with her presence is my wife, Trudy.”

Zain nodded to them. “William Jeggins and my lovely wife, Marsha.”

“I love your pantsuit,” Trudy said. “Where did you get it?”

Oaklyn smoothed her hand over the grey material. “I think it was when we were in Canada, wasn’t it, Bill?” She smiled at him.

“I’ve lost track.” He gave her a quick smile. “You look good in everything.”

“Oh.” Her eyes lit up when she smiled at him.

“I’m going to go find a drink,” Del said and walked away.

“Ignore him,” Trudy said. “He hates fundraisers.” She looked around. “But I say if we’re lucky to have it, we should share it, right?” She smiled.

“Absolutely.” Oaklyn nodded.

“I better go stop him from drinking the bar dry.” She hurried away.

Zain blew out a breath and started walking across the lobby to the display window at the boutique. The man that Brock had ordered to bring things out came out with a cart, leaned down, and set the lock on the wheel. When he straightened up, Zain caught a glimpse of his scared neck. He cleared his throat so Oaklyn would look.

“Oh. I see.” She fiddled with her hair. “Found the third one”

Her voice came over the comm.

Zain looked into the restaurant and saw how many people were in there and hoped they didn’t have to go in there and mingle. The vibes were off, and he didn’t know why. It was likely because all he could smell was roses and whatever that other smell was they’d had him soak in. There wasn’t enough time to come up with the brooch or button thing that Brock used, so they’d both soaked in a bath filled with strong floral bath bombs. His wolf was completely put off by it. Until this moment, he hadn’t realized how much they both relied on being able to smell.

“Any security in the lobby?” He recognized Luka’s voice and turned around to look.

He shook his head.

“Negative,” Oaklyn said and then pointed at something in the display window. He’d almost forgotten they were supposed to be doing something here and not just standing here scared half out of their skin. He looked down at her. She didn’t look concerned at all.

“Jett will be coming in shortly with a delivery,” Eaton said. “Be nearby, Brock. We need a diversion.”

Brock snorted into the mic. “I don’t know what to do other than throw myself on the floor and cry.” He was using his normal voice.

Oaklyn hugged Zain’s arm and looked around. “I have something in mind.” She said quietly and then started to lead him toward the bar entrance.

“Let him get in the door before you do anything,” Eaton said. “We’re ready in the basement, Jett.”

“I think you poured too much of that pine on this box, Luka. My eyes are watering.” Jett said.

Zain looked at Oaklyn. She was watching the scarred man set up some crystal glasses.

Brock came out with two pitchers in his hand. He glanced at Oaklyn and then made an exaggerated motion with his head to what was in his hand.

“That will work just fine, Brock.” She paused and looked at the poster with information about the fundraiser on it. Zain hadn’t realized it was for the children’s Christmas fund. “Give him a minute or two more, Jett. I need it high enough it makes a lot of noise when it hits the floor.”

“Let me know when,” Jett replied.

Zain stood there, running his hand up and down her back like he figured a husband might do. Contact with her also seemed to soothe his erratic animal. He looked back over at Brock, who was filling the glasses half full of red and green liquid. They were stacked three tiers high so far.

“Now is good, Jett.” Oaklyn glanced at Zain and smiled.

The entrance doors opened, and Jett, dressed in blue overalls, came in pushing a dolly with two boxes stacked on it. He had a baseball cap on backward and headphones over his ears. He was humming as he walked toward the elevator. “No one told me the guys were so big.”

“You getting soft, Jett?” Luka asked.

Jett snorted into the mic. “I got this.”

“Let’s go in and mingle, sweetie.” Oaklyn smiled and started walking toward Brock.

Brock looked at her and stepped back to admire the display. He nodded and patted the man on the shoulder. “Looks good.” With slow steps, he started to turn.

Oaklyn laughed and walked faster. Zain slowed because he still wasn’t sure what the plan was. Before he could ponder it, she slipped and crashed into the cart, and the sound of glass shattering echoed throughout the lobby.

“Oh, my stars.”

Zain hurried over to see if she was all right. When he reached her, he realized she hadn’t slipped at all. This had been the distraction.

“I didn’t see the wet spot on the floor.”

Brock had turned around. “Are you all right?” His twang was thick. He looked at the scared man. “You. Help her somewhere. She probably has glass in her shoes.”

“I’m afraid to move,” Oaklyn said louder than necessary.

The man with the scared neck came over quickly.

“You.” Brock pointed to a man coming out of a door. “Go grab a broom. We need to get this cleaned up pronto.”

The surprised man nodded, turned around, and went back in the door.

“Hey. I can stand here all day stinking up the place, or you can take me up to get a signature.” Jett said. “Your call, guys. I’m paid hourly, so I can stand here all day.”

Zain took Oaklyn’s elbow and glanced over.

“There’s a bathroom over here.” The scarred man said in a low, hesitant voice.

Zain scooped Oaklyn up into his arms. “Lead the way.” He headed toward the elevator, even though the man was walking right across the lobby.

“What is that smell?” Oaklyn said.

“Told you.” Jett shrugged.

The two men exchanged a look, and then one of them turned around and pushed the button for the elevator.

“When you get to the bathroom, you need to get the guy to go in with you, Zain.”

“What was that liquid? Is it going to stain my pants?” Oaklyn asked.

Zain glanced over to see Jett wheeling the dolly onto the elevator with both men. The man stopped and held a door open for him. “Can you come in? I don’t know if we’ll need anything.” It was the only thing he could think of. He nodded and stepped back.

Zain went in and set Oaklyn on the counter; he looked down at her feet. “Any glass in your shoes?”

She shook her head. “Just a few splashes.” She looked over at the man standing there, holding his hands in front of his body. “We’re with the Alliance.”

Zain went over and stood by the door in case he thought to leave. That wouldn’t do well for any of them if he ran out telling others that Alliance people were in the building.

He looked at her and then turned quickly and looked at the door. The panic in his eyes was plain to see. “There is no more Alliance.”

Zain studied him. His pale eyes were empty beyond the fear. They had broken him. He’d seen other men rescued that had scarred necks, and they all looked the same. “There is, and we’re here to get you out of here.”

The man backed up. “I-I can’t…”

“How long have they had you?” Oaklyn hopped off the counter.

“My whole life.” He looked from her to Zain. “I-I have to go…”

Zain watched Oaklyn pull a tranq gun out of her purse, and a few seconds later, the man slid down the wall to the floor.

“He’s out,” Oaklyn said into the mic.

“Bear and I are coming to get him,” Eaton said quietly.

The door opened two seconds after that, and Bear wheeled a large garbage bin in. He was wearing a grey uniform and red-rimmed glasses. Bear grinned. “Eaton’s idea.”

Eaton came in wearing a long, shiny jacket and had makeup on. “You two go.”

“Bringing the elevator to the parking level,” Jett announced.

“You sound winded,” Luka said.

“I’m fine. I tranq’d one then the gun jammed. I had to stab the other one with a dart after a short wrestling match.”

Eaton smiled and shook her head. “Bear will be down there in two minutes. Using the service elevator.”

“I found the door that Griffin told us about,” Luka said.

They all stopped and exchanged a look. That door led to the lower basement and according to Shepard’s tracker, he was down there and who knew how many others of their kind.

“A few more days, and we’ll deal with that.” Kenzo’s voice came over the comms. Zain hadn’t even realized there were others on the call that weren’t there.

Oaklyn watched Bear gently put the man in the garbage bin and then turned around to Zain. “We need to go home so I can change, sweetie.” She smiled briefly.

Zain nodded. “Leaving is the best idea I’ve ever heard. I need to wash off this smell.”

Someone snorted into the mic. “I smell like a pine tree threw up on me.” It was Jett.

“Everyone get out of there. Good job, Brock.”

“I’m staying, right? I want to see the drama when they realize those men have vanished.” He sounded amused.

“You’re staying. We need you the night of the party to be on the inside.”

“Yay. I have to go mix drinks now. Toodles.”

Zain took Oaklyn’s hand and opened the bathroom door. They’d done it. Removed three men in the middle of the day. His heart was racing like crazy, but he hadn’t had a complete meltdown during it, so maybe he was able to do more than just sit at a desk and be a supply extraordinaire.