“Do you want to try that again, but minding your tone?” Bones snaps, a subaudible pulse of dominance flooding me.
I sigh and run my hands through my hair. “I was in the middle of something, Alpha. What’s going on?” I ask, only adjusting my tone to be marginally less petulant.
“We’ve got a plan, and you need to be here for the brief. We’re moving tonight.”
I turn off my comms briefly to let out a string of creative curse words, frustration and disappointment filling my chest as I turn it on again. Briefings last forever, and usually I zone out, but this time I’m going to need to pay attention, so I know when I’ll be able to break off to get Delilah.
“Give me ten minutes,” I grumble lowly.
“Good boy,” Bones purrs.
The usual butterflies I get when he calls me that fly a little less enthusiastically today as the line goes dead. I pause for a few minutes before going back out to the common room, giving Delilah a lame excuse before trudging my way back to my room.
Chapter thirteen
Themiddleofthenight in the ward is as creepy as anything I’ve ever experienced, with the silence interrupted by the occasional whisper from one of the closed and locked rooms or the squeak of a shoe on the linoleum. But the quiet is good, it’s what I need to do my work.
I’ve developed enough skills from my misspent youth to pick the lock on my door with ease, swinging it open on the silent hinges. The hallway outside is dimly lit, most of the overhead lights switched off. Without anything to hide around, I creep along the wall, waiting for the moment our plan can fall into place.
“We’re in position, Joker. Are you clear?”
Bones’s voice is low andserious in my ear.
“Aye,” I reply, more of a grunt than a full word.
“On my count.”
Phantom this time, counting back from three. I cover my ears and close my eyes, the building quaking on its foundations as the explosion goes off right on time. Alarms blare, smoke filling the hallway as it billows out of the doorway. Using it as cover, I sneak back into my room as shouting starts to fill the air.
Spilling through the newly installed hole in my wall are several figures in black tactical gear, beams from their headlamps bright through the smoke.
“Joker?” Cross asks, looking around.
I stand and tap him on the shoulder, everyone raising their weapons on me for a moment before they stand down.
“Let’s get going. We aren’t going to have much time. Remember the plan?” Bones asks, stepping up and handing me the duffle bag.
I drop to the ground and pull out my balaclava, tugging it onto my head before slipping my vest over the facility-issued sweats. Gloves slip onto my hands and I grin to myself at the bounty of knives they’ve brought for me.
“Is it my birthday?” I mutter to myself, pulling them out and sliding them into their slots along my vest.
“I can give you your birthday treat once we’re out of here,” Phantom jokes, his Southern drawl making him sound flirty even when he’s not trying.
Bones growls, and everyone sobers, turning to the doorway as we form up to move out.
“Find the server room, scrape the data, and get out. No distractions,” Bones snaps, taking point.
The others answer with quick ‘yes, sir’ but I just roll my eyes. I have my own little side quest to complete now.
Once we move out of my room, I can hear the other patients in this wing banging on their doors, screaming for help as the emergency lights flicker and flash before going fully dark.
“EMP off, let’s move,” Siren says, looking at the small screen on their wrist.
“On me,” Bones commands, striding forward, his weapon raised.
I take my place behind him, using taps on his shoulders to guide him through the hallways toward the lobby. We don’t run into any staff or security at first, butthe closer we get to the exit of this wing, the more shouting I can hear as they try to organize.
“Stop right there! Hands in the air!”