by Amity Cross
“You were right,” a new voice said. “She’s something to look at.”
I opened my eyes and found myself looking straight into the eye of another man. I’d never seen him before, but he seemed to know all about me. His hair was dark but had a generous dusting of silver streaked through it. Unlike The Watchman and his apprentice, he wore a slate gray suit, no tie, his black shirt open at the collar. He was refined, almost businesslike, and was totally out of place in my torture chamber. Who was he?
“She makes a good match for Xavier, don’t you think?” the man asked The Watchman. “Strong, outspoken…feisty.”
“And who the fuck are you?” I hissed.
He glanced back down at me and began to laugh. “I have to stay and watch this,” he went on, ignoring me. “It’ll be better than a summer blockbuster at the cinema.”
“Who are you?”
With a growl, he grasped my face in a strong hand, his fingers digging into my skin. He held me firm, his cold eyes drilling into mine. “Who do you think I am, little girl?”
Dreadful realization began to crawl across my skin and settle into my heart, twisting until I thought it might break. He didn’t have to say it.
“Greggor,” I whispered.
He smiled and leaned down, pressing his lips to my forehead. “We’re going to have so much fun, Mercy. Just you wait.”
I twisted my face in his hand and managed to loosen his grip. “Get fucked.”
Greggor straightened up, brushing a hand over his suit jacket and turned to The Watchman. “What did I say about fun?”
“Try all you want,” I hissed at them. “You’ll never get anything from me. I’d rather die.”
Greggor smirked down at me. “That could be arranged, but we have something a little more delectable planned for you, my dear.”
I frowned, shrinking back against the chair. “I’ll never give him to you.”
“Oh, but you will.” Greggor smiled like he was the cat who got the cream. He was an evil genius, after all. “And you will be willing to do anything to comply.”
My blood ran cold, ice settling into my veins. No…
“We’re going to turn you into the thing he hates the most.”
They were going to take everything that made me Mercy Reid. They were going to take the thing X had fought so hard to save.
They were going to condition me.
I was going to become a monster.
They were going to take my soul.
And there wasn’t a fucking thing I could do about it.
Chapter 14
X
We’d almost canvassed the entirety of Exeter looking for signs of Mercy and Royal Blood when Vaughn got a call from Hawkes.
“Talk to me,” he barked as we drove through an industrialized back street.
“We’ve found a warehouse over on the west side of the city,” he replied, the call feeding through the car’s Bluetooth system. “Looks promising. Rhodes found the leasing agent and is currently having a chat.”
In the bad guy glossary, having a chat meant beating the information out of the guy with fists.
“Who the fuck is Rhodes?” I asked, glowering in the passenger seat.
“One of mine,” Vaughn retorted, which meant he trusted the guy, so I had to if I wanted his continued help.
“I’m watching the place,” Hawkes went on. “There’s movement outside, some guards, they look like Royal Blood to me. Concealed weapons, tough guys, you know the kind.”
“Security?”
“CCTV cameras are set on each entrance and corner. There’ll be blind spots, but it’s hard to say…” Hawkes trailed off, the phone rustling. “Wait… Someone is arriving.”
Someone… It could be anyone. The Watchman? An associate?
“Sending through a photo,” Hawkes came back with.
“Have you been made?” Vaughn asked, tossing his phone to me.
I opened Hawkes’ message, and the photo appeared. Instantly, my blood ran cold, the scars on my chest seemed to flare with phantom pain.
“The Watchman,” I said.
“The Watchman?” Vaughn asked, glancing at me. “You know the guy?”
I grunted. “He’s Royal Blood. If he’s there, then so is she.”
“Who is he?”
I shook my head. “Get as much intel on the building as you can,” I shot back to Hawkes. “I want to go in tonight.”
“Tonight?” Vaughn scoffed. “We’ve got two hours to plan a full-scale tactical extraction… X, that’s fucking ballsy, but—”
“We go in tonight,” I snapped. Slamming the button down on the call with Hawkes, I severed the connection and glared at Vaughn. “If The Watchman is there…she hasn’t got any time.”
His eyes widened as he suddenly got it.
“The Watchman was the man who conditioned me,” I replied.
Sucking in a sharp breath he said, “Holy fuck.”
Holy fuck, indeed.
Sense and training told me it would be the case, but visual confirmation had made it all too real knowing the things Mercy was currently enduring. That was my fault. It was the denial to face my past that had embroiled her in this and I would die trying to save her from it. Her suffering…it was my fault, all of it.
I would end this tonight.
I sat huddled over the tiny electric heater in Vaughn’s office, trying to keep my head screwed on.
“Hawkes should be back at any moment,” the man himself said. He sat across from me, his phone in his hand. “He’s got the blueprints.”
“Good.”
He didn’t say any more. He’d already said what he could, and repeating himself would only serve to piss me off. Short story, Vaughn knew what was good for him. I’m sure his thoughts were filled with Lorelei and The Watchman. In those days, the torturer was a man for hire, so there was a good chance that he was responsible for Lorelei’s demise as well as mine. It was only recently that he threw his lot in with Royal Blood. Either way, it didn’t matter who he pledged his allegiance to. The Watchman would still die.
There was movement out in the distillery, and we both glanced up as a moment later, the door to the office opened. Hawkes appeared, a roll of paper underneath one arm. Getting straight to the point, he rolled the plans open across the top of the desk. “Courtesy of Rhodes via the leasing agent.”
I raised my eyebrow before turning my attention onto the map. The warehouse was situated on the outskirts of Exeter, in the far west. The area was sparse, the buildings here spread out, whereas other parts of the city they were close-knit. It was the perfect place to hole up and construct a torture chamber on enemy territory. My mind began to tick over, formulating a loose plan.
“I brought some guys along for the ride,” Vaughn said, placing his gun on the desk. “We’re going to need fire power.”
I cocked my head to the side. “How many?”
“Three. I know how you are with your identity,” he went on. “Just say the word and we go it alone.”
I was pretty sure that I was beyond giving a fuck about my identity. I was on all kinds of radars these days. “Are they good?”
“Fucking brilliant,” Vaughn said with a smirk. “They’re my men, after all.”
“Cocky bastard.”
“Need to be in this game, X.”
I nodded. I wasn’t stupid enough to try this on my own. “Do it.”
Vaughn nodded to Hawkes, who was lingering by the door, and he opened it, letting in three well-built men dressed in black. They looked the part, but did they talk it too? I appraised them with narrowed eyes.
“This is Rhodes, Ludbrook and Charlie,” Vaughn said, pointing each one out. “We’re on a short timetable so listen up.” The men joined us round the desk, glancing down at the map and blueprints strewn across the surface. “Ludbrook, you’ll take care of the junction box. The security system will need to be wired so the image runs on a loop.”
“I’ve got no dummy images to plant…” he i
nterjected.
“Then we’ll have to get inside and get this done fast,” Hawkes said.
Vaughn placed a finger on the map. “The layout is fairly straightforward. Entrances are on all sides, so we will come from each.” His finger moved, pointing out all the entry points. “Neutralize any sentries, strike at once.”
I peered at the map, then at the blueprint. They would be expecting an attack from the ground, going for the obvious entrances would be…too obvious. But what if there was another way in?
“Here,” I said, pointing to the blueprint.
Vaughn glanced up at me. “Smart bastard.”
The others waited, sharing confused glances.
“The ventilation shaft,” I explained. “I will gain access to the roof, repel down the shaft and make a grab for Mercy while you distract them. They’ll suspect it but will have their hands full.”
“By yourself?” Charlie asked, looking skeptical.
“What did I fucking tell you?” Vaughn asked with a roll of his eyes. “You thought you were the best? You’re looking at better. That fuck can do anything. He’s got a hit list longer than War and fucking Peace.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Vaughn.”
Rhodes elbowed Charlie. “That’s the guy…”
I thumped my fist onto the table, rendering the room into total silence. “Then you know what will happen to you if you don’t keep your fucking head in the game.” I began to gather up the intelligence. “We move in ten minutes. Get your shit together.”
They stood staring at me, and it wasn’t until Vaughn clapped his hands and shouted get a move on imbeciles that they snapped to attention and began checking their equipment.
“Are you sure this plan is going to work?” he asked once they were out of earshot.
I glared at him, checking the gun I’d shoved into my left side holster. “Yes. It has to.”
I didn’t trust anyone but myself to go after Mercy. There could be no mistakes, especially where The Watchman was concerned, and besides…I wanted to kill the fucker myself. I wanted to kill him for making me into a monster, and I wanted to make him suffer for hurting her. Rivers of blood… I pulled my other gun and checked the chamber. I’d tear him apart with my bare hands if I had to.
“X?”
“What?” I snapped.
“Keep your focus,” Vaughn said, glancing over his shoulder at his men. “We’ll get her back.” Steering me toward the black cases that the others had brought in, he asked, “Now, what kind of rope do you prefer? Silk, or something a little rougher?”
The night was abnormally clear, the stars shining down on my shoulders as I stood on top of the warehouse.
The lights were on inside, and the sentries that had been wandering the yard were easy pickings for Vaughn and his men. I’d darted through the yard and up the scaffolding at the side of the building like a shadow, not once drawing the attention of the thugs inside. The others had scrambled to clear their positions, and I was waiting for the word to descend into the bowels of the warehouse. My gear was in place, the harness tight around my legs and waist.
Once we launched, we’d have Mercy within ten minutes of entering the building. I’d have her back in ten minutes. Knowing that she could very well be right underneath where I stood, made every fiber in my body tingle.
The tiny earpiece I wore clicked in my ear, and Ludbrook’s voice sounded. “Junction box is wired.”
“North corner clear.” Hawkes.
“South, secure.” Rhodes.
“West, secure.” Charlie.
“East, all good.” Vaughn.
I leaned against the ventilation shaft and checked my harness. Everything was in place.
“Roof is secure,” I said, pressing the button on my earpiece. “I’m going in.”
“You’ve got three minutes, X, then we’re coming in behind you,” Vaughn reminded me.
“I only need two.”
Climbing into the shaft, I positioned the rope against the edge and settled my weight against it. It held securely, and I began my descent into the warehouse. The blueprint showed an opening into the second floor twenty meters down, and when I reached the point, I found the grate and scanned the room beyond. It was empty, filled with murky light from an old halogen in the center of the ceiling. Satisfied it was clear, I began prying the grate from its housing. The moment it came free, I lowered it gently to the floor.
Silence was key. If I were discovered before I reached Mercy, I’d have to fight my way through a shitstorm. If The Watchman knew I was coming, it would mean bad things for Mercy. He could kill her before I even laid eyes on them.
Climbing into the room, I detached myself from the rope, then stepped out of the harness, discarding it onto the floor. I wouldn’t be leaving the same way I came in, and I didn’t give a shit about covering my tracks.
Pulling the gun from my left holster, I cracked the door and scanned the hallway beyond. Clear. Pushing out, I raised my gun and tracked it the opposite direction, finding the blind spot behind the door clear as well.
Moving down the hall, I placed my boots softly against the floor, making my advance as quiet as I could. There was no sound ahead or behind, and I began to have second thoughts. The first door I came across, I entered and scanned for hostiles, but it was dark. The same thing happened with the next and the next. The whole top level appeared to be deserted.
Descending the stairs, I cleared the stairwell and entered the hallway on the ground floor. If she were here, then they’d have her below, well-guarded, secluded… There should be more activity down here.
I peered around another corner then cleared another room, dread beginning to settle. Nothing.
“Vaughn?” I whispered, pressing my finger to my earpiece.
There was a gunshot that echoed from someplace in the distance, and my head snapped up. “X, get out, it’s a trap.”
I moved down the hall, my heartbeat accelerating even faster, the empty building chilling. It had all been a ruse…a trap to capture me. Mercy wasn’t here at all.
“Vaughn?” I asked again, tracking my gun in front of me. “Vaughn.”
There was static, then came a rustling over the coms.
“You took your time,” said a husky voice. Deep, gravelly, like he’d drunk one too many bottles of straight up tequila. Definitely not Vaughn, which meant he was either dead or captured.
“Who are you?” I hissed.
“We’re waiting for you to come home, Xavier.”
I pressed my back flat against the wall, my head starting to spin. That voice… I didn’t pick it until he’d said my name.
Greggor.
If I could get to him, I could get to Mercy. Tightening my grip around my gun, I held it up and continued down the hall, tracking the barrel out in front of me. “What have you done with Vaughn?”
“Don’t worry about your friend,” Greggor replied. “Right now, I’d be more worried about you.”
Movement flickered in the corner of my eye, and I jerked backward just as the wall splintered in front of me, a bullet embedding into the plaster. Sliding back into the hall, I opened fire, clearing three shots before there was a cry of pain and a crash as I took out the shooter.
“You’ll have to do better than that, Greggor,” I growled.
Another man appeared in front of me and I fired but was pulled up short as a hood was yanked down over my head from behind. I struggled as a knee landed in the small of my back, and a hand curled around mine to try to pry the gun from my fingers. Pushing backward, I lifted my assailant up against my back and slammed into the wall as hard as I could, dislodging his grip from my hand.
Yanking the hood from over my head, I tossed it aside and fired point-blank at the man on the floor. It wasn’t until his head exploded in a shower of blood that I realized it was Charlie. He was a double…which meant there was a good chance they all were. We’d been set up. They didn’t just want me, they wanted to take out The Hangman and their pet monster all
in one fell swoop.
With a roar of anger, I rounded the corner and lunged to the side as the other man at the end of the hall opened fire, spraying bullets. The wall cracked and splintered, showering shards of plaster all over me as I ducked low and raised my gun.
Fucking amateur asshole.
I fired once, shattering his knee, then fired a second time as he crumbled, the bullet lodging into his chest. Right in the fucking heart.
Silence instantly fell, and as I stared into the man’s glazed eyes, I found myself looking at Rhodes. Right next to him was Ludbrook.
Pressing my finger to the coms in my ear, I said, “Your pets are dead, Greggor. Fucking amateur. I’m disappointed in you.”
“On the contrary, Xavier,” came his gravelly voice. “I’m disappointed that you let yourself go for a woman. And what a woman she is…”
Rage pooled hot in my gut as I moved through the building, my focus on one thing and one thing only. Killing Greggor.
“Don’t worry, Xavier,” he said condescendingly. “You’ll see her again. When it’s time for her test of loyalty, we’ll send her for you.”
“No!” I roared to the empty building. The com cut off, static piercing my ear, and I tore it out, throwing it onto the ground.
It was then that I stopped caring about giving away my position. Everyone was accounted for, other than Hawkes. If he was still around, I had to rendezvous with him and get the fuck out of this hellhole. We needed to regroup and attack this from another angle. If my hunch was correct, we now had to mount an operation to save two people. Mercy and Vaughn.
I shoved open a door and found myself in the yard, the sound of a gun cocking drawing my attention to my right. Instantly, I raised my own, pressing the barrel against Hawkes’ forehead.
“Fuck,” he hissed.
“Fuck has nothing on it,” I retorted, lowering my weapon.
“The others?” he asked, his eyes scanning the yard.
“Doubles. They tried to take me, but I got them before they got me. Vaughn?”
Hawkes shook his head. “I saw them load him into a van and drive off two minutes ago. I couldn’t stop them.”
