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“What’s the 911?” she asked in her breathy, Marilyn Monroe voice.
“We need help finding some children on base,” I said. “They’re being held against their will.”
Daphne took in the urgency of the situation and didn’t ask more questions, just shut her eyes to focus while I held out a hand to delay any complaints from the pacing werewolf in the room.
“I can’t believe I never felt them,” Daphne said as her eyes snapped open. She shook her head, worry and possibly guilt furrowing her brow. Then she shook herself, seeming to turn on business mode. “The area where they’re being held feels heavily warded to prevent anyone stumbling in on it, but that can’t keep out fae on their bonded land. I’m going to be opening a can of whoop ass on whoever’s responsible.”
“Get in line,” Sam growled.
“Feels like this way to the access point,” Daphne said, leading us through Orpheus’s office and slipping behind his desk.
She ducked down and disappeared for a bit then popped back up again, grinning.
“Trap door under the desk. Looks like there’s a stairway down, but I’m sure the second we take a step onto it, the security wards will be triggered, and we’ll be locked in. No other entrances I know of to this area, and the elevator sure as hell isn’t going to give us the element of surprise. Whoever is guarding it will come running either way. I count four adults patrolling, none of which I am familiar with, other than they work on base, so they wouldn’t have triggered any warning signs for me.”
“Now that’s reconnaissance,” I said. “Thanks, Daphne.”
“Anytime. And thank you for letting me know. How dare SHADE break our truce this way? I permit them on my land with the understanding they are working for our greater good, not holding children captive.” She trembled with barely controlled rage, her fists clenched and knuckles white.
“We don’t yet know if the general is aware,” Julian said. “But we cannot discount the possibility.”
I didn’t like the idea that the company I worked for and the sole governing body for supes could be crooked all the way through. Even the possibility of it made my stomach churn. But the more that happened under the general’s nose, the more I doubted that he could be so unaware.
Daphne crossed her arms. “Whenever you’re ready, I doubt they’ll be much trouble between us.”
“This is not your fight,” Sam said.
“The hell it isn’t,” Daphne countered.
“We should disable the wards so we aren’t trapped in there too.” I interrupted their argument as I circled the desk. “I can get Zoe over here to do it. That way, we’ll have more of a head start to get whatever kids in there as far away as possible.”
“I don’t want to wait another moment when they may be suffering,” Sam protested, but Daphne put a hand on his bulging chest, letting her emerald aura wash over him, visibly calming him. I’d seen her do it once with Julian.
“It’s fucking one in the morning,” Zoe said as I pressed my phone to my ear.
“I need you to portal here now and help me bring down some wards. It’s urgent. Julian’s dropping the outside ones he has access to remotely.”
“You know, SHADE should be paying me. You seem to need my help every other day.”
I laughed nervously as Zoe hung up. Moments later, her circular, blue portal appeared just before she did. She wore a bathrobe and bunny slippers.
“You didn’t tell me it was a party,” she quipped, looking at all the people in the room. I pointed her toward the trap door. “Tricksy,” she muttered as she stooped to inspect the situation.
Minutes passed as she worked, the rest of us silent and wound about as tight as straight jackets.
“Done,” Zoe proclaimed, popping up from beneath the desk.
But before the cavalry could rush in, a huge bang sounded from the ceiling.
“What the fuck was that?” Zoe asked.
“It may have to do with the light we saw earlier,” I said, glancing at Julian and Sam.
“I’m getting the kids out,” Sam announced, heading toward the passageway.
“You go,” Julian nodded to the rest of us. “I will investigate the intruder.”
The protest died on my lips as he zoomed past me and Sam disappeared from view.
