Page 142 of Alpha Awakened
“You,” she pointed at one of the New York soldiers. “I want you to establish a safe zone out of the blast range and keep watch. Let us know immediately if you see anyone who isn’t Legion approaching. Everyone will report to you once they’ve rescued their councilor.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said before he rushed back outside.
“The rest of you take floors five, six, seven, eight, nine, and ten.”
She pointed at each soldier as she listed the floor she wanted them to take. “We can’t take chances Vengeful Claw isn’t lurking about, so don’t send your councilor out on their own. Escort them all the way out of the building to where our lookout is posted. Then stay there and guard them. Any questions?”
A chorus ofno ma’amcame from the team.
Ortiz nodded. “Let’s go. Sound off on comms when you have your councilor in hand.”
The elevators were out of commission, so they ran over to the emergency stairwell. Jax yanked open the door and they hustled up the stairs. He peeled off at the first floor to go after his councilor while the rest of them continued up. Ortiz left at the second floor. When they reached the third floor, Ice opened the emergency door. Before he went through it, he looked up to where Hazard was almost to the next landing.
“Dylan!” he called out.
The omega paused and glanced down at him.
“Be careful.”
Hazard gave a nod and then he continued on, disappearing from view.
Ice stepped into the third-floor hallway. They’d caught a lucky break. All of the room doors had been removed, no doubt to be reused in a new location. That would make it easier and faster to search the twenty-five rooms. Moving fast, Ice went into the first room. He stuck his head in the bathroom and looked under the stripped down bed. Nothing.
Not wasting any time, he ran to the room across the hall. He was checking under the bed when Jax came over the radio.
“Dark Moon councilor secured.”
“That’s one,” Ortiz said.
Thirteen to go.
Ice continued searching. “Councilor!” he called out as he moved. “This is the US Legion! If you’re able, yell so I can find you!”
At first he heard nothing but the pounding of his own heart and his boots on the carpet. But halfway down the hall, he heard it. Muffled shouting. He followed the shouts to a room four doors down. Inside, there was a woman tied to a chair with duct tape over her mouth.
He’d found Councilor Doucette. She was in a set of lavender satin pajamas, the shirt stained with blood. Doucette shook her long, loose braids back, revealing that her face was bloodied and bruised. Ice noticed a syringe discarded on the floor, his noise picking up the smell of the anti-shifting serum.
Another muffled shout came from behind the tape. Ice ignored her for the moment and went to work on the ropes, using his knife to slice the thick knots free. While he worked, Ortiz and Hazard checked in one after the other, letting them know that the councilors from Cold Star and Steel Pelt were secured.
As soon as the ropes fell to the floor Doucette stood and ripped the duct tape off herself.
“My wife and daughter?”
“They’re safe at home. Can you walk?” Ice asked. He was prepared to carry her out if she couldn’t.
“Yes. We have to get out of here. There’s a bomb —.”
“I know.” He cut her off. “Let’s move.”
He grabbed her arm and took off running back to the emergency exit. He got on comms as they ran. “Blood Valley councilor in hand.”
“Good, that’s four,” Ortiz said. “Keep going everybody.”
They raced down the stairs. His bootsteps were loud and echoing in the stairwell, her bare feet making no more than a whisper of sound. Outside the building, he pushed her towardthe sentry and told her to keep running. Then, he immediately turned around to race back inside and upstairs to the fourteenth floor. Meanwhile, the other members of the team checked in as they reached their councilors.
Great Crescent secured.
I have Broken Fang.