Queen of Death

Solana

Buried within a dense and lush forest sixty miles from the nearest neighbor sits an extraordinary building Tate identifies as the Hybrid Facility. The same one that doesn’t exist on any maps. Our going theory was that the council was paying to cover it up, either by having it erased from the maps or concealed by magic the same way the Grove is concealed by my grandmother’s and mother’s power. What they’ve actually done is far more creative.

Two rectangular towers several stories tall sit parallel to each other and connect near the top by a clear skywalk. The towers themselves are not made like a typical building with glass windows and steel beams. These buildings are covered top to bottom in a mirrored facade, reflecting the wilderness of the forest back into the area it’s nestled in. Anyone flying over would only see more green trees, or on a particularly clear day the blue of the sky mistaken for a lake.

It would be a wondrous feat of architectural ingenuity if I didn’t know it to be a house of horrors.

Two armed guards patrol the perimeter of the building, alternating between scanning the edges of the clearing and conversing with one another.

“They don’t seem to be overly concerned about security if all they have are two men out here,” Hunter points out after the men circle around for the third time since we’ve approached close enough to see but not be seen.

“The mirrors on the buildings could be two-way, though. And if that’s the case there’s no telling who could be watching from the inside,” Dean says and adjusts his weapons on his body just the way he likes.

“Leave the guards for now. Sol and Tate can stealth inside and get a better look once the guards loop back around.” Ace doesn’t like this idea, it’s apparent in the tightening of his muscles, but he’s a true leader and knows the strengths and limitations of his pack and uses that to make the best judgment calls he can. That’s one of the things I respect most about him – how studious and thoughtful he is in his decisions. And the fact that he’s decidedly been less of an Asshole recently doesn’t hurt either.

“I can manage on my own,” Tate says, his sleek, black leather gloves groaning as he screws the silencer onto the head of his pistol.

“I thought we were past this shit,” I snarl at him.

“Force of habit,” his lips pull into a tight, flat line. “Or maybe I don’t want to endanger you unnecessarily,” he mutters under his breath, like admitting it out loud in front of the pack would endanger his reputation.

Ace pulls me in for a kiss with no qualms about anyone bearing witness. His hand cradles the back of my head, keeping our lips pressed together for several beats before he releases me with a stern warning. “Be safe, Princess.”

My eyes roll without a thought in the process of extracting myself from his arms at how overprotective and bossy he can be sometimes. Qualities I once found oppressive but I now realize are out of…well, not love. Perhaps care? Concern?

Hunter replaces Ace in front of me and gives me a send off kiss of his own with a similar command. “Stay with Tate, please.”

“Yes sir,” I breathe against his lips, forcing his pupils to blow out almost instantly. Gods I love wolves, it’s too easy to rile them up.

“Text us once you’re inside. If it’s clear we’ll come in and fan out in two groups. Eli, you’ll go with Tate and Sol. I’ll be with Hunter and Dean. That way we have a mindlink between our groups and can communicate quickly.” Ace instructs us.

“Let Dean go with Tate and Sol. Hunter will be thankful for my gift once the flames start flying.” Eli’s suggestion may seem like it’s for Hunter’s wellbeing but a part of me suspects that it’s so he can continue to avoid me and put distance between us. Ever since they learned the truth he’s been distant and cold - and not just because of his gift.

Tension builds slowly while the guys await Ace’s answer. A wisp of apprehension circulates through the group. The feeling is so faint but so inarguably present. Like a crack in your windshield after a truck kicked up a rock, a crack that will only continue to splinter and spider unless properly resolved. And I’m the rock.

“Or Hunter can come with me and Tate. I can mitigate the heat and we’ll have a mindlink,” I throw a pointed look at Eli, lifting a defiant brow at him. “Win, win.”

“Very well,” Ace’s deep voice penetrates through the unease from moments before. “Let’s move.”

Tate and I fall into shadows and silently approach the facility, dodging trees and bushes and making sure to avoid snapping twigs underfoot. The two guards on patrol pass by us none the wiser and continue on their assigned loop. Tate cups his hands against the mirrored glass in an attempt to look inside. With a shake of his head he communicates that he can’t see inside.

I follow him around the corner, surprised to discover a short set of stairs leading down to an equally imperceptible door hidden by vegetation. Tate puts his tablet near the keycard reader forcing the red indicator light to change to green and a heavy clunk to sound from the lock disengaging.

We slip inside just before the guards round the far corner and before they could hear the door closing behind us. The stench of bleach and pheromones overwhelm my senses, making me retch in the dark and narrow hallway we’ve stepped into. Down this hallway are two large rooms side by side, with industrial sized washers and dryers, the kind you might find in a hotel. A few young women are working in each room to sort and fold clean laundry as more tumbles in the machines behind them. All linens are stark white.

“Explains the bleach,” I risk whispering to Tate who only nods in agreement. We pad up a set of stairs that brings us to what I believe is the first floor. The sight before me churns up a violent need to burn this place down to the ground.

“It’s a prison,” I practically crack a molar with how tightly my jaw is clenched, trying to keep the flames from surging out. From floor to ceiling, rows and rows of cells line the walls leaving the center column open to the horrific sights and sounds echoing through the space. Sounds of girls crying, sounds of guys grunting in frustration as they slam themselves up against the cell doors, guards yelling at them to be quiet or else.

Tate drags me back into the stairway and down back the way we came. “Text the guys to come around the back to the stairs,” Tate whispers. “Ace is going to want to see this for himself.”

— — —

Ace

We standby monitoring from the outside while Tate and Solana find a way in ahead of us. I’m fighting against my wolf not to follow her in there or drag her back out and keep her out of harm’s way. Of course if I did do that I’d never hear the end of it, but I think I could live with it knowing I kept her safe.

Dean helps keep us all calm, he helps keep my wolf placated enough that I don’t throw the mission to the wind and take off after them.

Impatience festers beneath my skin, making me itch with restlessness. A feeling that is not conducive to a successful mission. I need to be the calm and controlled one, the one that leads our pack through our mission safely.

In the distance Tate and Solana disappear around the corner of the building and out of our view. Hunter’s heavy sigh wraps around my every nerve. “They’ll be okay. She’s been trained by the best and she knows what she’s doing.”

I scoff a humorless laugh, “that doesn’t make it any easier.”

He returns my laugh, “I never said it did. I’ve trained with her and gone on missions with her and it still twists me up.”

“I’m sure she can fend for herself. She’s been doing it for four years and she’ll no doubt be doing it again soon enough.”

Hunter and I slowly turn menacing glares towards Eli. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Hunter snaps.

Eli’s hands lift up in defense, “just saying that you know she’s not going to stay with us forever.”

“You don’t know that, you don’t know anything about her,” Hunter’s anger climbs.

Eli presses a pointed finger in the center of Hunter’s chest. “I know she lied to us.”

He’s not wrong. She did lie to us. In the same way that a geode lies by masquerading as a rock. Once you crack it open and see beneath the surface you find its true form to be so rare and so precious that it can be forgiven for having tried to protect its secrets.

“Now is not the time nor the place to be having this conversation.” I growl, crushing them with my aura and shutting down any of Eli’s ideas about pressing the issue further.

“They’re in,” Dean’s calm, even voice cuts through the tension. “Time to go.”

Just as Tate and Solana had done before, we wait for the guards to pass by the front of the building before we made our move. If they hadn’t told us exactly where to find the staircase we might have honestly missed it. The building and its doors are well hidden.

The small, dark hallway we pile into holds the stench of dozens of hybrids doped with drugs and pheromones. It’s so abrasive to my alpha senses that not even the bleach that hangs in the air can mask the scents.

“Above us is a prison. Four guards on each floor. I need to find their offices so I can dig through their files and see if I can link Alec to this place. You guys keep searching this building, we’ll head over to the other tower and search through there.”

I give Tate an approving nod then watch Solana slip into the shadows after shooting me a wink. Tate and Hunter follow after her down the hall and out of sight.

We move as silently as ghosts down the hall where we can hear the hum of heavy machinery which turn out to be industrial washers. Eli enters the room with a gun raised and a single finger pressed to his lips telling the girls working there to keep quiet. Dean keeps them feeling calm while we look around for any guards, but we don’t find any. These girls are down here on their own.

“Do you work here everyday?” Eli asks one of the girls. She’s a nervous wreck, shaking like a tree despite Dean’s gift.

Finally she manages a small affirmative nod. “M-most days, yes. It’s this or – or our room. They don’t let us out.”

“We’re not here to hurt you. We’re here to put an end to this facility and the people who brought you here.”

Relief, disbelief, and hope circulate in their eyes. But one girl looks devastated to the point of being sick. “You’re too late,” she whispers, wrapping her arms around herself and making herself small.

“What do you mean by that, sweet girl?” Dean attempts to soothe her.

“Yesterday. They took a bunch of girls away yesterday. They took Nicole…m-my twin sister. She was here yesterday and they took her away. You’re too late.” Tears track down her face from dead, lifeless blue eyes.

“I’m really sorry about your sister, we didn’t know. But we’re here now, and we’re going to get you girls safe. Then we’ll see about locating your sister, okay?” She takes a step back when Dean approaches her, but eventually allows him to get close enough that he can give her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

“Eli, text Don and tell him we’ve got six in need of housing. Ladies, if you’d like I can bring you some place that will shelter you and help get you set up with resources to get back home or to get you on your feet. I know trust is in short supply right now and rightfully so — but I will not hurt you.”

They study me carefully, looking sidelong at one another to see if anyone else is brave enough to take the first step. Time stretches on and when every second counts it’s difficult not to pressure them to decide. But at long last one of them makes the leap of faith and takes my hand, quickly followed by the other five girls.

“Dom’s ready and the crew is enroute,” Eli tells me just before I teleport the girls back to our offices in the city.

When we teleport to the office, Dom is in the intake area with our head caretaker, Nan. “Ladies, you’re at our headquarters. Dom and Nan will see to your every need and safety.”

The girls lunge towards me with gratitude streaming down their faces. I don’t like to be involved at this level for this reason. Too much emotion. I almost feel guilty for immediately teleporting back to Dean and Eli but the feeling never fully roots.

It’s been less than a minute since I left but somehow that was more than enough time for all hell to break loose.