“And take out any guards who stayed behind,” Alexei adds darkly.
“Once you guys go in,” Declan stands, walking over to the whiteboard where we have little hand-drawn maps, “Aidan will live-stream the security cameras from the Monroe residence all over the state while their Beta Liberation Union meeting happens. At the same time, we’ll send all of our information to Kirsten Graves and the FBI.”
“How do we know the reporter will go public with it?” Kole asks, frowning.
“She will,” Dec promises. “I, uh…used to date her. A long time ago. She has a pesky need to expose the truth, no matter what her personal consequences are. I wouldn’t be surprised if she asks us to get her inside.”
I turn to Aidan. “You’re in Xavier Bowen’s system?”
He nods. “Just a fly on the wall. He has no idea that we’re monitoring every communication, every meal, every time he enters or leaves.”
It would have been too risky to do before, but now that we’re making moves to take him down once and for all? Xavier Bowen won’t know what hit him.
Aidan’s fingers tap on the arm of the couch. “If we fall through, he’s planning on moving her the same night as the meeting, just like we anticipated.”
Perfect.
I turn to Declan. “You know what you’re doin’?” His jaw tight, he nods. “Good.”
“Why are we bringing Brooks back to Thornfield again?” Nolan asks, frowning as he crosses his arms. “I still say it’s too risky.”
“We should just kill him now,” Rory mutters. “That way he can’t escape somehow.”
I shake my head. I’ve been over it a million times in my head, and there’s no other way. “If Xavier shows up and sees the trap we laid for him, he’ll become desperate. There will be nothin’ stoppin’ him from just flat-out killin’ Adela right then and there.” Roland lets out an omega growl as I stand, looking around the room. “We have to make it look like we just needed more time to get Brooks from where we said we were keepin’ him.”
“What about Kinsley and Whitmore?” West asks, his expression perplexed. “We still don’t know where they are.”
“All the information that we stole from the servers has their names all over it.” I shrug. “It’s up to the FBI to find them after that. Their research is destroyed, Xavier is furious—I’m sure they’re just off lickin’ their wounds somewhere. The second they pop their heads out of the sand, the authorities will be all over ’em.”
“What will I be doing?” Roland asks, looking around the room.
“You’ll be here,” I say gently, internally wincing at Roland’s expression. “You need to stay safe. You have no trainin’, experience, or…anythin’. We wanted you to know what was goin’ on with our plan to save Addie, but you’re not in a position to join us.”
“Because I’m an omega?” His voice is hard.
I nearly roll my eyes. Out of all the things I just said, and that’s the conclusion he comes to? The omega inferiority complex is strong with this one.
“Roland,” I pop my hand on my hip. “I’m an omega, but I was trained for three years on all manner of weapons and fightin’ techniques so I could break into an insane asylum and rescue my sister. I’m not sayin’ you can’t go because of your designation.”
Ozzy clears his throat before glancing at Fuzzy. “He…he could come with us?”
My eyes narrow. “And do what?”
“He could be our eyes,” Fuzzy nods. “That way, he’ll be out of danger, but will still be helping.”
“And,” Ozzy jumps back in, “we can bring the kid up to the asylum after everything is said and done, and then Roland can see his daughter.”
“I’ll do it,” Roland jumps up, his eyes bright.
My mouth opens to protest, but Declan beats me to the punch. “Sounds great.”
“Fine,” I grumble, “but you have to wear a bulletproof vest, you have to stay in the car, and you have to listen to Fuzzy and Ozzy! I’m not gonna be the person who gets her best friend's daddy killed before they can reunite."
“Oh, so now you see the importance of wearing a bullet-proof vest, even if you’re staying in the car.” Sam smirks at me.
“That was completely different.” I roll my eyes.
“Alright,” Declan stands and claps his hands together, “I think we’re all done here. But, Jo? Do you have a minute?”
