Technical Threat (Westin Force #4) - Julie Trettel Page 0,90

started to proceed further into the building.

“C Team, you’re a go,” Silas instructed.

They entered from the opposite side of the facility.

“Delta, proceed,” Silas announced as the third team entered from the strategic middle.

We knew from Jake’s intel and from our last encounter with them where the most important rooms were. The Raglan kept them spread out in three distinct sections. Each team would be targeting one of each.

The plan was to try and get the bulk of the shifters out undetected and then we’d go in guns blazing if needed to get the stragglers.

My heart was thumping as hard as if I were there, boots on the ground. They counted on me to guide and direct them. That was my job. Somedays it felt very much like playing a combat video game, but they weren’t just pawns in a game, these were my friends, and they didn’t respawn if I screwed up and got them killed.

Silas stood at my back now watching, the grunts he occasionally let escape warned me he was agitated, but the intervals of knocking were what alerted me to just how on edge he was.

Delta may have been the last in, but they were the first to reach their target. I could hear the gasp and questions of confusion as they walked in. There were twenty-three people in the room, all appeared to be shifters.

They worked quickly and before Charlie could reach their room, Delta had things under control and were making a hasty exit.

We could see them exit the building and run towards the medics with great efficiency.

“Great job, Delta,” Silas gave a rare praise.

Charlie was next on the scene. Many of their shifters were locked in cages which slowed their departure.

“You have one man approaching the room, Charlie,” I told them through the coms.

Someone moved to stand by the door, the second it opened he grabbed them and covered the guy’s mouth. Another moved in to put a gun to his head. They grabbed some tape and bound his hands and covered his mouth.

I watched in horror as they forced him into one of the cages they had just opened to release the shifters being kept there.

“They can’t do that. We’re about to level the place. They lock him in that cage and it’s murder.”

Silas groaned. “This is war, Tarron, and that man is our enemy.”

“Not all of the Raglan in there are evil, Silas, and you know it. At least give him a fighting chance.”

He grunted at me. “Don’t lock him in, but leave him in the room,” Silas ordered.

“But sir,” the leader from Charlie team started to argue.

“No but anything. Do as I say.”

“Yes, sir,” the man retorted through clenched teeth.

They kept a gun trained on him until the last person was out. Someone went back in and then banded his feet to slow any chance of escape. I knew then the guy was as good as dead anyway.

With Charlie and Delta out of the building, that left our full attention on our team.

They had just made it to their target room.

“Appears to be three inside, one is our boy.”

“Copy that,” Painter said.

They burst into the room and immediately secured the humans, including Jake. They showed no favoritism to him knowing it could get him killed. They locked them in a closet while they worked to free the remaining shifters.

Charlie and Delta were back inside clearing room after room in a strategic pattern.

One woman stayed behind, encouraging the others, many of whom were obviously scared. She worked without ceasing to ensure every one of the victims got out. I saw her talking to someone deep in a cage as she coaxed her out. The girl peeked out and then looked around and right up to the camera.

My heart nearly stopped. While Sapphire and Sage might look nothing like Susan, I could have recognized Sonnet anywhere.

“That’s her,” I said to Silas, pointing out Sonnet. “It has to be. The family resemblance is uncanny.”

It was enough that it was setting my fox on edge, fearing our mate was in trouble.

It’s not Susan, I tried to explain, but my fox was surging for control anyway.

He started to calm a little as Baine grabbed her and ran with the rest of them out. Only the one woman was left behind and instead of leaving, she followed Painter and Taylor to another room. This one wasn’t on my cameras and I couldn’t see what was inside.

“It could be a trap. I’m blind behind that door,” I told