Page 32 of Gargoyle Defender

Ronen landed next to Cassiel in a crouch, as chunks of debris rained down around him, the acrid smell of dust and chemicals burning his nostrils.

“This way!” Cassiel shouted to their team, already sprinting forward. “Command center to the right!”

Ronen and his fellow gargoyles surged after her, their massive stone feet cracking the asphalt as they stomped ahead. When they reached the emergency exit, they discovered the door unlocked as Tanner had promised.

Gargoyles weren’t known for their stealthy capabilities, but as Cassiel ripped off the steel-reinforced door, he barely registered the sound. The racket coming from the Gamma team’s attack had now been joined by the Beta’s attack on the other side of the complex.

Cassiel growled, “Fuck me. My monster ass will never fit through this doorway. According to the blueprints, this was supposed to be double doors.” She shrugged. “Time to improvise.”

She took several steps back, then, with a roar, busted her way through, taking out not only the threshold but a large chunk of the cement wall surrounding it.

The first wave of security personnel appeared at the far end of the corridor—humans with weapons drawn. Their eyes widened in terror at the sight of stone gargoyles barreling toward them. Their bullets pinged harmlessly off Ronen's hardened skin as he charged forward, his only thought being the mission at hand.

"Humans!" Cassiel shouted. "Non-lethal takedowns only!"

Ronen grabbed the first guard who came within reach, lifting him by his tactical vest and tossing him against the wall with just enough force to knock him unconscious. These weren't their enemies. They were merely pawns caught in a game far beyond their understanding.

The corridor branched ahead, and Cassiel signaled half their team to take the left passage while she, Ronen, and four others continued right, following Tanner's map toward the command center. They thundered through the facility, alarms blaring in their wake. The overhead lights flickered ominously—Tanner’s work, Ronen realized with a surge of pride. His mate was disrupting their systems from afar, giving them an edge.

The corridor opened into a large security hub filled with monitors and control stations. More guards rushed to intercept them, but Ronen could smell it now—the acrid stench of sulfur beneath human sweat. Some of these weren't ordinary security personnel.

"Demons!" he cried out, pointing to three guards whose eyes flashed black for an instant. Their disguises were good, but not perfect.

Cassiel snarled, her claws extending. “Finally, something I can rip apart.”

Ronen lunged forward, grabbing one of the possessed guards by the throat. The demon's disguise slipped as it fought, revealing the twisted creature beneath the human facade. Ronen slammed it against the wall, the concrete cracking under the impact. The demon hissed, black ichor dripping from its mouth as it clawed at his arm.

“Where’s Victor?” Ronen growled, tightening his grip.

The demon's laugh was like gravel in a blender. “You're too late, stone-skin. The ritual has begun.”

“What ritual?” He shook the demon, the damned creature’s head banging against the wall. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

The demon laughed again, the sound more like a gargle as Ronen’s fingers became like a vice. “Something precious to you,” he croaked. “The first in a line of corrupted angels who will destroy the hideous earthly light!”

Rage surged through Ronen's veins. With a roar, he drove his blade deep into the demon's chest. The creature convulsed, a black, sulphury-infused smoke pouring from the demon's mouth as it screeched, its body shuddering one last time before crumpling to the floor. Ronen wiped his blade on his thigh, his heart thundering. The demon's words echoed in his mind, igniting terror that threatened to consume him.

Something precious to you. The first in a line of corrupted angels.

“Tanner,” he gasped, turning to Cassiel, who had just dispatched her own demon. “They know about Tanner. About the baby.”

Cassiel's eyes widened. “How? Tanner’s hack was perfect.”

“Victor,” Ronen snarled, the name like poison on his tongue. “He must’ve known all along. This whole mission could be a trap to draw us away!” He gritted his teeth. “I have to go to him.”

Cassiel swiped the air in a wide arc, sending another demon across the room where he exploded against the wall. “The mission must continue.”

Ronen opened his mouth to tell her to fuck off when she stopped him.

“But you need to go to your mate.” Cassiel smirked as she knocked down a demon, stomping on his head and crushing it like a grape before continuing, “Take Geordie. He’s been itching to annihilate Victor.”

Ronen twisted the neck of a demon he had in a headlock, the creature’s body disintegrating as it fell to the floor. Slayers might be stronger than the lower-level demons, but the little assholes were as annoying as a swarm of ants. The ground beneath Ronen’s feet shook as another explosion rocked the facility. The walls around them trembled, dust cascading from the ceiling tiles. He exchanged a quick nod with Cassiel before turning to Geordie.

“Let’s move,” Ronen growled, already heading toward the exit. His gut clenched as he pictured Tanner, vulnerable despite Ezekiel’s protection. If Victor had orchestrated this entire mission as a diversion...

“What about the command center?” Geordie's gravelly voice was laced with barely contained fury. “Victor could be there.”

Ronen shook his head. “Victor’s too smart to be where we expect him. This whole thing stinks of a setup.”