The barrier looked impenetrable, and River had no idea how much digging it would take to get through the wall, but they had to try. She gritted her teeth, curled her fingers around her makeshift shovel, and started digging.
CHAPTER 30
It Should’ve Been Simple
The Night of the Mission
There was nothing like flying on the back of a dragon. The steady beat of their wings. The view. The way the wind sang a symphony in Nikhail’s ears that echoed the thrum of magic in his veins.
Nikhail sat atop Therian, with Dalyn at his back. The werewolf wasn’t talkative, and the silence gave Nikhail time to think over their plan.
To the left, Taliyah was flying. Her black vampire wings beat steadily against the night. To the right, a dragon with forest-green scales kept pace with them. Crystyna Wright, a dragon shifter from the Southern Region, carried the other two members of their team.
Xavier Fareen, a Death Elf with cropped blond hair and pale skin, sat near Crystyna’s neck. Behind him sat Stephen Darknell, a witch with dark-brown skin and black hair. According to Therian, both men were good soldiers, great at obeying orders, and trustworthy.
Nikhail was glad for that. With Indira still in the hospital, they were down one team member, but hopefully it wouldn’t be a problem. If everything went well, they’d apprehend the rebel leader tonight and be done with this mission.
Nikhail’s magic thrummed in agreement. Even it was done with this chase. He wanted to move on to other things—far more pleasurable ones. Once this was over, he planned to spend several days with River, naked and in bed. They’d lock themselves away from the world, order in food, and spend the time delighting in each other’s bodies.
But they needed to finish this first. Capture Gale Harringdale once and for all.
The deed Nikhail had uncovered in the warehouse was to an abandoned gas station. Once they’d dug into the location, it turned out there was a connected underground bunker. From the hospital, Indira had found the blueprints for the bunker and sent them to Nikhail, who had pored over them with Therian and the rest of his team.
The building’s original owner, a human by the name of Smith Wynthrow, had apparently believed the world would end at any time. He’d built the tunnel and the bunker it was attached to as an escape route for him and his family. A security measure of sorts.
Wynthrow died a decade ago, and his bunker had ended up in the rebels’ hands.
That information, coupled with data uncovered by Corporal Rune, who was still in the Central Region, had led Nikhail to believe that Harringdale had moved to the bunker after the warehouse attack. He was hiding, probably in hopes that the Chancellor’s obsession with him would pass, and he could get back to terrorizing the Representatives and their families.
It was clear Harringdale was not familiar with the extent of Chancellor Rose’s wrath. Nikhail didn’t think she would ever let this go.
Armed with this new knowledge, Nikhail and his team had pulled satellite footage of the building, mapped out contingencies, and come up with a solid plan. With any luck, they would be in and out.
Their plan was simple: Enter the tunnel using the entrance in the long-abandoned gas station, ambush, and capture Gale Harringdale. Once they took him captive, they’d use the ladder inside the bunker to escape to the surface. According to the blueprints, the hatch wasn’t visible from the surface, and it was only accessible from the inside of the shelter.
Once they were out, they would deliver Harringdale to the Chancellor.
Then,finally,they could return to their normal lives.
It wasn’t long before their destination was in sight. Cast in the night’s shadows, the building looked even more decrepit. Nikhail wondered how it was still standing.
The dragons descended, landing behind the abandoned structure. The sand absorbed the sound of their arrival, and the soldiers disembarked with quiet efficiency. Nikhail took the bag off his back, placing it in the sand near Therian’s front leg.
He and the others moved away and turned their backs, giving the dragons privacy to shift and dress. Once that was done, Nikhail lifted his right hand. He gave a signal, and as one, the soldiers fanned out. Their movements were silent, both because of the sand and the magic that unspooled from Nikhail’s fingers, absorbing what little sound they were making.
Nikhail tested the back door. Locked. Not unexpected. He twisted two fingers in the air and looked over at Therian. The dragon shifter dipped his chin, lifting his own hand in signal.
Nikhail went to the right, followed by Taliyah, Daryn, and Crystyna. Therian went left, with Xavier and Stephen.
They crept around the building, waiting with their backs pressed against the old brick as Nikhail sent his magic ahead. Once he was sure the coast was clear, they continued.
A rudimentary lock held the front door closed. It took half a second and a smidgen of magic for Nikhail to break it.
He sent another signal, then they converged on the building.
This should’ve been the simplest part. The building should’ve been empty.
According to their intel, it was abandoned. Not only that, but none of the satellite footage had shown any signs of life. Harringdale should’ve been alone, save for one or two rebels who might’ve been in the bunker with him.