Claimed by Cipher - Lolita Lopez Page 0,20

message.”

The recording on the screen stopped as Torment flicked his fingers and sent another file to it. Cipher stiffened in shock at the sight of her. She was covered in filth from head to toe. Whatever she had encountered in the ventilation shaft and ducts had been far worse than he had expected. Thinking back to her reluctance when she proposed going into the system, he felt extreme guilt in sending her down there alone.

“I don’t know how much longer your man has,” she said urgently. “You have to get him out as quickly as possible—or else he’ll end up like the dead man.”

“What dead man?” Cipher asked, his gaze still focused on Brook. He wanted to bring her to his quarters, strip her down and wash her before feeding and cuddling her in his bed. The urge was so strong he could practically feel her soft skin on his.

“Devious.”

Cipher tore his gaze away from the screen. “I thought he was deep undercover with the Splinters.”

Vicious nodded gravely. “He was.”

“You don’t think Terror…?” He couldn’t finish the thought.

“No,” Vicious answered forcefully. “He would die before he betrayed a single one of us.”

“The mole?” he guessed.

“That’s my concern,” Torment acknowledged. “There have been too many coincidences on the ship and in the field. There is a double agent on the Valiant.”

“How do we even start to narrow the list of thousands of men and their mates down to a workable number?” he wondered aloud.

“We’re working on it,” Torment said.

Cipher understood that meant he wasn’t going to learn any of the details until they needed his help. Whatever the plan in the works was, it likely violated privacy regulations and other laws meant to protect the men who served. He wasn’t looking forward to implementing it.

“How soon can you mount your rescue?” Vicious asked as he leaned forward on his hands and studied the schematics the computer program had created from Brook’s intel. His massive forearms rippled, and not for the first time, Cipher wondered how the general managed not to harm his delicate mate when they were intimate.

“We’re going down tonight. After the crash so close to their hideout, they’ll want to relocate. I want us in that mine before sunrise.”

Cipher glanced at the still image of Brook on the screen. “Does she know?”

“I sent orders before I messaged you. She will be planting explosives to cause a cascade of failures. The Splinter forces will evacuate through the front of the mine—the only working entrance and exit—and we’ll slaughter them. They’ll bring Terror out with them when they flee or we’ll go inside to get him. Either way, he’s coming home with us.”

He had no doubts about that. He did, however, have concerns about Brook. She had just spent nearly twelve hours in a cramped tube, crawling and climbing. Even if she managed to rehydrate and fill her belly with rations, she might not be able to recover in time for the precise work of planting explosives.

“You’re worried about the asset?” Torment noticed his pensive turn. “Don’t be. She’s tenacious. She wants off that mountain. She’ll do whatever it takes to get what we promised her.”

“That’s what worries me,” he grumbled.

Vicious cocked his head as he looked at him. “Holy shit, Cipher. I never thought I’d see the day that you were lovestruck.”

Cipher frowned. “I’m not lovestruck. I’m just concerned for her. She’s young and small and underfed and alone and…” His voice trailed off as Vicious grinned wider and wider. Growling, he said, “It’s not like that. I barely know her.”

Vicious shrugged his massive shoulders. “I saw Hallie for a few seconds before I knew she was the one. I ran her down, collared her and brought her home. When you know, you know.”

“I’m not going to run her down and collar her.”

“You don’t have to,” Torment interjected. “We offer all female assets the same deal. In exchange for their help, they can choose a man interested in having them. If she’s interested in you and you’re interested in her…”

“No.” Cipher slashed his hand through the air to put an end to the discussion.

Vicious smiled. “You know, there are vacant quarters on the same floor as Venom and Raze. I could have them reassigned before you touchdown tomorrow morning.”

Cipher groaned and rubbed his face. “Can we please get back to the mission and stop worrying about matchmaking?”

Both men nodded, but he could tell this was far from over. Once the general had his mind set on something, it was impossible