Page 66 of Point Proven
I’d done my research on Stefan. Thoroughly. His capabilities were on par with mine, as he’d served in the Serbian Special Forces for twenty-three years, which meant he was more than capable of taking any of us down if he desired to. And even after departing from the military, he’d continued to expand his lethality, working with countless other crime lords and deadly organizations to ensure he adapted to anyone who posed a threat.
He knew of me because of the danger I presented, and I came to know him because of his shared qualities. Which made me wonder: if I had allowed my darkened past to convolute my mind, would I have ended up as apathetic and vile as him?
Another body crashed into the ground, Matt wiping the hand holding his gun across his forehead. “It’s… almost too easy, right?”
“That’s what I was thinking,” Lev replied before I could, his olive green eyes darting between us. “Either this bastard has an entire group of highly trained men waiting for us somewhere else, or this isn’t one of his main compounds, so he hasn’t bothered implementing effective security measures.”
“Let’s hope for the latter.” Keeping my rifle raised, I rounded yet another corner, coming up empty-handed on men, but not on a discovery.
As if to mock Levander’s thought process, a large steel door greeted us, a biometric screening pad positioned on its right. Its frame was impenetrable, fixed to the cement wall with a densemetal casing and hinges that appeared to be built to withstand even the most intentional force.
My jaw feathered, and a lengthened exhale followed. “Fuck.”
“Fuck?” Simon exasperated through my earpiece. “Is everything okay?”
“Well, yes and no,” Lev answered for me. “We’re good, but now we have what appears to be a four-step biometric lock preventing us from moving deeper into the compound.”
“Well, fuck.” The clacking of keys followed Simon’s curse and the unmistakable slurp of a drink. Seconds passed before his voice lit up our comms. “I’m pretty sure I can compromise the sensors and bypass using the software’s vulnerabilities to almost cheat the system, if you will, but itmighttrigger an alarm.”
“Well, isn’t that fun.” Flipping my safety on, I lowered the rifle against my chest. “Get to work then, O’Neill. We don’t have all night. If you can tap into any cameras beyond this door, that would be appreciated, so we have a heads-up of what to expect.”
He scoffed. “It’s like you don’t know me. I’m just waiting for your approval, hot-cakes.”
Rolling my eyes, my lips curled slightly. “You don’t need my approval. I trust you to do your job, so do it.”
Matt snorted. “Hot-cakes is new.”
“Yes, sir. As far as the cameras, I managed to tap into one. It’s a shitty angle, though, so I’m kinda blind here. There doesn’t seem to be anyone, but it does lead to a hallway with multiple doors on each side.”
“Can you tell if there are access pads next to each door?” I asked, running a gloved hand through my hair. “With us still unaware of where he’s housing Liam, we may need you to crack into each room. I’m hoping the locks are electric and don’t require a physical key.”
“Mmm, zooming in, it looks like…Colors.” Simon paused, his tone shifting from overwhelming emotions. “Locks… Locks are electric.”
“Perfect. After you breach this door and trigger the alarm, work on the doors. We are getting all these kids out.”
“Yes, sir.”
As Simon went dark, Matt cocked his head, bouncing lightly on his heels. He glanced at Lev, lips parting as if he wanted to say something, but the blaring success of our hacker bellowed throughout the compound. The biometric lock powered off, and an unmistakable click sounded from the door.
Nodding between Matt and Lev, I flicked my tongue against my teeth. “We move. Fast and quiet. Lev, I want you to usher these kids out to your men. Matt, you’re snagging Liam as soon as we find him and getting the fuck out of here. Understood?”
“Copy that.” Lev winked, adjusting his hold on his rifle.
“Got it,” Matt answered.
“I’ll get the blankets ready!” Oren shouted, barreling down the line. “God, I can barely hear shit over that alarm!”
Good. None of them caught on.
I chuckled, flipping on the light attached to my vest as we moved through the door. “Yeah? How do you think we feel?”
“Like trapped mice,” Oren rattled off. “Or maybe like sardines? I don’t know how packed it is there. Or maybe… maybe like your head is going to explode from the noise.”
“Christ, Valens!” Matt coughed, stepping to the side to allow me to get to the front of the line.
“Well, I don’t know. Just make sure you protect my baby. He’s overdue for a cock sucking, and I’mmorethan willing right after we all leave this damn place.”
Simon cut through, voice laden with heat. “Keypads are unlocked, so I would prefer to focus on getting my fucking boyfriend back, not what you plan to do after, Oren.”
