Page 42 of Resolve
“Fabian was able to convince her to go to bed early,” Evie explains. “She’s been doing a lot this week, even with Holly from the Pits here to help.”
My brows shoot up in surprise that Fabian can convince anyone to do anything. He’s so chill.
“So, are you joining the game, Reg?” Gabriel asks me, plopping back in his seat.
I look over to where Portia said they’d be and find them talking on one of the couches. “Maybe next time. I should check on Alice.”
“I’ll give you guys some space and keep an eye on you from here. Just let me know when we're heading back,” Dane says, leaning to kiss my cheek.
Smiling, I nod and wave goodbye to the others.
Alice is staring at her clasped hands in her lap when I get there. Portia sits sideways on the couch next to her, an arm up on the back cushion and her legs folded under her.
“I’m not helping you fight or putting myself in danger like Harvey did,” Alice suddenly says without looking at me. “But I can at least tell you what I know about the board members.” She raises her head, her blue eyes catching mine. “And how to find my siblings.”
Chapter fifteen
Raegan
Thesizeofthegroup working on the GE attack plan has nearly doubled. We could all fit in one of the conference rooms, but for security and privacy's sake, Aiden agreed to have us meet in the Loft.
As soon as we’d dropped Alice off in her apartment, we reported to Aiden about the information she’d shared. We almost started planning then and there until a few of us started yawning, and he decided to postpone it until this morning, when we would all be more alert.
Now the Loft is a full house with Dane and Kellan sitting at the dining table, Aiden and Cibrina standing in front of the television where we can all see them, and Elias, Portia, Reid, Tinsley, Jackson, and I sitting on the U-shaped couch. I’m leaning back against Jack’s side with his arm wrapped around my front as he teases small circles across my skin. Tinsley is cuddled against Reid near one of the couch arms, while Elias is relaxed into the cushions near the opposite end of the couch with one arm out and another in his lap. Portia sits cross-legged between us.
Aiden begins, “With the last board members, we need to plan ourattack. There’s a week until Charles’s deadline for the Guild, but I want to move as quickly as we can before that.”
Portia rocks forward. “We have some news, too.” She looks expectantly at Elias, who raises a brow. Was it something he hadn’t planned to share?
With all our attention on him now, he sighs. “There have been rumors circulating in the gifted trafficking circles we’ve been... monitoring.” Portia slides me a look that confirms it’s one of the ones nearby they’re trying to take down. “One of the big money-makers for them is throwing a bunch of gifted into a locked down area—a cage, an arena, you name it—and betting on the one to survive. Use of gifts is expected, and lack of participation will get you killed within the first few minutes.” Disgusted, he describes the cruel and inhumane event.
“There’s a heavy buy-in, so only the wealthiest of people or other traffickers are usually in attendance. And sometimes there’s a special guest. A VIP.” He pauses, and dread pools in my gut. “It sounds like there’s going to be a very big event in one week. And this time, the very special VIP is actually hosting all the others.”
“While that all sounds terrible, what’s it got to do with us?” Kellan quips.
Portia shrugs one shoulder. “We just thought the timing was odd being the same as the Guild’s deadline with the GE Prez.”
Elias elaborates further. “There are a few things different with these rumors than the normal ones. The date, the secretive VIP, the VIP hosting, and the word that this event is going to be bigger than the rest. It’s a lot of hype that’s sure to draw more than the usual crowd.”
“I’ll bet some board members participate in shit like that,” Danesnarks.
“Are you trying to insinuate that our Guild members might be the planned participants of this upcoming event?” Aiden inquires.
Elias dips his chin. “It crossed my mind.”
Kellan and Dane both curse. The former speaks up first. “We’d better take them down first, then.”
Dane nods. “Give me an hour and I’ll have every house address, home security plan, and residents for the last two board members. It might take more time to figure out their gifts. And we’re still missing the gifts for four members, if they have any.”
“Joe, the congressman and board elect member I killed, didn’t have a gift,” I remind the others.
“He was an exception,” Reid states, matter of fact. “Charles hates anyone who’s non-gifted. The fact that he made it to an elect status means he must have given Charles something he couldn’t have gotten elsewhere. But I’m sure my father would have had him killed long before he ever made it to officially joining the board.”
Aiden continues with the plan. “We’ll have to take the risk of facing them without that knowledge.” His gaze swings toward Kell at the table. “We’ll decide on the ten strike teams and match them to one board member per team based on their strengths and the member’s weaknesses.” Kellan nods, and Aiden resumes regarding the rest of the room. “The teams will attack their assigned board member simultaneously. I want them to train together over the next two days.”
“These guys are all over the country. How is everyone getting to their assigned target?” Dane asks.
“Your report showed a majority within a twelve-hour drive. The teams with those members will drive. Reid’s team canteleport—”
