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“What of?”
“There’s movement at the warehouse.” Looking at his phone, he forwarded Riaz the images his scouts had sent just a half hour ago. “But we can’t tell if it’s incoming or outgoing.”
Frowning, Riaz studied the blurry pictures. “They must have been spooked by our intrusion the other night. We need to gather supplies and set the charges now in case they empty it.”
Gadriel saluted him. “Aye aye, captain.”
He quickly addressed a text to Drake and Aidan, the two original masterminds of this mission, notifying them of his intention to level the Citizens’ structure.
Aidan’s reply was a simple thumbs up. Drake’s first thought was to his wife.
A wave of grief rolled through him. When Cortana had been here in his den, he’d enjoyed waking up and seeing to her needs. He’d liked protecting her—even if she didn’t need it—but now he’d never fully experience what Drake had. Cortana had judged him unworthy.
Before she’d left, Cortana had given Gadriel the charges she developed for the plant. That last small snub rubbed Riaz the wrong way, but he couldn’t fault her. He hadn’t wanted to see her off for good reason.
By the time they’d gotten the charges activated and ready to plant, Remmus had returned. The Raeth relaxed into a lazy position, his shoulder propped in the armory’s doorway. “Taking out the big guns, huh?”
“No sense in getting a water-gun to do a bazooka’s job.”
Remmus’ mouth stretched into a face-eating grin. “I’ll happily offer my services. I thoroughly enjoy blowing things up.”
“Appreciated.” Riaz nodded. “We leave in ten.”
“Where’s your pretty blonde? I could feel her hatred of me pouring off her in waves, and I’d love a chance to change her mind.”
The alpha in Riaz instantly snarled. “Leave her be, Raeth.”
The other man raised his hands in surrender easily enough. “No harm meant, wolf. I’ll take my whippings elsewhere, and the pretty blonde can glare at me from afar.”
“Convoy’s ready when you are.” Gadriel’s arrival cut through the tension between the two men.
Remmus whistled. “You’re just gonna waltz in through their pearly gates?”
“We’ve been accessing the location from a back road a half-mile from their yard,” Riaz explained, carefully setting the detonators into a padded case. “We’ll go through there.”
“If you prefer, I have a much more expeditious way of setting your charges.” A cocky grin brightened the Raeth’s features. “One that doesn’t require the use of your deplorable gas-guzzling automobiles.”
“And that is?”
“A handy Raeth gift called teleportation.”
Deep suspicion took hold in Riaz’s mind. “You’ve been there before?”
For once, the Raeth lost his mirth. “You think I’d bring Toni here without surveying the area first and knowing what was at stake? I did my due diligence. Didn’t survive eight centuries without it.”
It was Riaz’s turn to feel sheepish. “Touché.”
Taking advantage of Remmus’ offer, the three of them were at the manufacturing plant only minutes later. They did a quick reconnaissance to ensure the night covered their approach, but found no one patrolling the perimeter. There were no guards visible outside the facility. He didn’t like this sudden and suspicious good fortune; not one bit.
“Odd,” Riaz growled under his breath.
“I’ll teleport to the building,” Remmus said, “and give you the all-clear.”
With that, the Raeth dematerialized and appeared next to the building before Riaz could reply. Gritting his teeth together, Riaz glowered at the fool from across the field, hoping the other man’s eyesight would catch a glimpse of his antagonism.
Instead of withering beneath the alpha’s anger, Remmus responded with a wink and a mocking salute before prowling along the wall and soundlessly slipping inside.
Nothing happened.
