by Lacey Thorn
“First off, let’s go over roles. I’m lead in the field. You’ll check with me before doing anything. No option. If you don’t follow orders, I’ll nail your ass to the ground. Are we clear?” Xanthus asked.
He was all Alpha Enforcer now. There was no doubt he was in command. I’d just had sex with all three of them, but looking at him right then made me horny as hell again.
“Soph?” he prompted, arrogant brow lifting. I nodded quickly then Xanthus continued.
“Kain is our tech specialist. He can operate any system known and figure out any we haven’t come across yet.”
Kain smiled and nodded, giving me a wink.
“Radek is logistics. He knows every inch of the fifth. If we need anything, he knows where and how to procure it. He has the entire zone mapped in his head. If we ever get split up, you go with him. He’ll know where the safest place is.”
Radek patted my hand. “I’m your guy, Soph.”
I smiled.
“You’ll be intelligence. I’ve read your file. You’re good at memorization and organization. I’m going to bombard you with information. I need you to remember all of it that you can. You never know when we might need it. Names, numbers, places. It’ll all come into play.”
Xanthus held up an electronic device I was more than familiar with. It was a storage unit. Several times, I’d used one to transfer files from one system to another. Just one of the many duties of a desk lackey.
“I can see you’re familiar with these. This one’s a little different. Later, Kain will go over it with you in more detail.”
I nodded and, for a moment, wished Mandy could see me know. She’d get a kick out of me being intelligence. She’d always told me how smart I was. Xanthus’ next words snapped me back to the present conversation.
“Kain, queue up the first images for us.”
The room’s lights dimmed and images projected on the wall. Vivid pictures showed a life unfamiliar to me. Xanthus’ voice filled the darkness, explaining what I saw.
“Sex is a big business in Quadrant Five. The women found there generally aren’t there by choice. Most have been kidnapped. At least one is a female Enforcer captured three years ago.”
“What?” I hadn’t heard anything about that.
“She was captured during a patrol ambush. She was with two men who weren’t happy to have a woman on their team. Both were killed when she was taken.”
“Do we know where she is? What happened to her?”
“This man.” Xanthus continued, not answering my question. An image appeared of an ordinary-looking man, with eyes that seemed cold, emotionless, as if he weren’t even human. “He’s known as The Auctioneer. Anything you want, he can find and get it for you. He runs most of the crime syndicates in the fifth. Drugs were his mainstay for years until he discovered something the men of that quadrant wanted more. Women.”
“Why are there no women there?” I asked.
“The fifth was once used as a prison center. The worst elements of society were shipped there and held away from the rest of the population. Enforcers guarded it for years until a new technology was created,” Radek answered.
Kain took over the story. “The technology was robotic, allowing the prison to be run from a shuttle that circled above. Doors were locked and unlocked by remote. All prisoners were implanted with anodes in the backs of their necks. Once inserted below the skin, the anodes grafted to the top of the spine, becoming part of them. This enabled control. Any issues or problems and an electric current could be sent through the anode.”
“So what went wrong?” Obviously, something had or we wouldn’t be heading there.
“The shuttle operators began giving exemplary prisoners the ability to control certain processes from the ground.” Xanthus heaved a sigh. “And one of them managed to bring it all down.”
“The Enforcer in charge misplaced the prisoner’s file and didn’t realize what he’d been sent there for. He was a model prisoner and was rewarded for it.” Kain shook his head with disgust. “Someone dropped the ball. He was a bio-scientist who managed to figure out how to counter the spine grafts. Once those were destroyed, the prisoners took over.”
“And the fifth quadrant became a haven for the criminal minded.” Radek seethed with anger beside me.
“What about the patrol shuttle? Wasn’t this reported to them?”
“Not soon enough,” Xanthus responded. “By the time the command post realized what was happening, the prisoners had overrun the place. They’d found the weapons stored there from when we had Enforcers onsite. They took them and used them expertly against us.”
“And a war zone was created,” Kain added.
More pictures flashed up. These showed exactly what the women were used for. Half-naked, chained to the beds. Some were obviously drugged out of their minds. It made me sick, and I pushed aside the lunch I’d been eating. At the sight of the bruised skin, blood and semen, sex left my mind. These women didn’t enjoy the sex forced on them. It disgusted me.
“How many?”
“What?” Xanthus glanced over at me. I must have interrupted something he’d been saying, but my mind had stopped processing his words as I’d focused on the images.
“How many women are believed to be there? Held like this?”
“We don’t know for sure,” Kain answered. “We discover new places all the time. Every time, we close one down, and another pops up.”
“Drugs are the other main trade. Don’t eat or drink anything we come across there. If it’s not on this shuttle, we don’t consume it. No exceptions. Ever. In the field, it can be difficult to determine friend from foe. Remember that.” Radek delivered this warning with a squeeze of my arm.
“Trust no one who isn’t a part of this team.” Xanthus’ gaze was intense. “Understood?”
“Yes,” I whispered, horrified by what I was seeing, learning.
This was far worse than I’d heard rumored. A former prison zone. No one at home knew about this or even hinted at it. I had my ear to the ground, and I should have heard about it. Barring that, Emma or Mandy should have. And I was headed right into the center of it. “So what are we doing there?”
“We’ll be heading into zone four.”
A map came up, and Xanthus pointed to the zone as he shared where we were going.
“We’ll start with a perimeter check and work our way inward. We’ll be checking on several hot spots.”
Kain did a zoom-in on the zone.
“Those are located here, here and here.” Radek pointed them out. “These are known slave houses. We shut ’em down, and they open right back up in a few weeks.”
“We’re here for recon. We’ll do a visual scan and map it. That’s it,” Xanthus emphasized. “If we find something, Kain will tag the spot and relay it to command. They’ll send in a bigger force and do a shut-down and rescue.”
“They’re better equipped to deal with the female hostages,” Kain informed me, stalling the question on my lips. “Those women have been through major trauma. Some for longer than you’d believe.”
I held back my shudder. I’d never known the darker side of sex. Everything I’d experienced had been consensual and welcomed. Those pictures. Those women. They would haunt me for a long time.
“It’s a rough place, Soph. Shit can go bad in a split second. And down there, we’ve got only each other. Enforcers die. They disappear and are assumed dead.”
“I signed on for this, just like the rest of you.” I felt the need to remind them of that.
“Doesn’t matter. The three of us knew exactly what we were signing up for. You were kept in the dark about a lot of things.” Kain didn’t sound happy about that fact. To be honest neither was I.
Had Lt. Certze known the type of danger I’d be walking into? I had my doubts. He’d sent Emma into this. I was as good as another daughter to him. I couldn’t believe he’d willingly send us into such a place. Then again, Emma and I had both wanted this. Begged for it
. So there was no backing down now.
“Good thing I have three of the best Alpha Enforcers at my side.”
“You do,” Xanthus agreed.
“We’ll keep each other safe, Soph,” Radek promised. I knew it went for Kain and Xanthus, as well.
“I’m not worried about us.” I glanced back to the map and the marked hot spots. “I’m worried about those women and what they’ve been forced to endure.” I couldn’t walk away now, not knowing what happened there.
“What happens to them?” I asked quietly, almost afraid of the answer.
“They’re sent to different places, depending on their conditions. Those on drugs are sent to detox first. Some are so sexually abused…they’re broken.” Xanthus tapped his head. “Here. They get sent to special hospitals where they’re watched over and protected, even from themselves.”
“Some have families. They get contacted. Sometimes, just seeing a loved one can trigger healing,” Kain added softly.
“What became of the scientist?”
“We haven’t ascertained if he’s still alive,” Radek confirmed.
“Why haven’t we been able to regain control?” I didn’t understand why we hadn’t just gone in and taken it all back.
“I don’t know.” Xanthus shrugged. “There’s Intel we’re not privy to. We’re told what we need to know so we can carry out our missions and nothing more.”
“How many Enforcer units are in the fifth?”
“There are twenty-two zones, one unit per zone,” Kain answered.
“Do you know where my friend and her triad unit are in?”
“Zone thirteen. They were sent to a smaller zone. Less chance of her being discovered. With her hair up, I understand her height can make her appear as tall as a male Enforcer from a distance. It’s one of the safer zones for testing this program. We usually patrol zone one. With you coming onboard, we’ve been moved to four. You can see it’s smaller with just a few hot spots to contend with. It’ll be a great place for you to get your feet wet.”
“I don’t have her height.” I was only five-feet-four-inches as opposed to Emma’s six-foot height. Although I could wear boots with hidden lifts to make me appear taller, I wouldn’t be as effective if I were walking on stilts or trying to run in them.
“We won’t be able to hide the fact you’re female,” Xanthus admitted, running his fingers through his hair. “We’ll just have to stay on our toes.”
This was real. The fun and excitement of becoming an Enforcer was dwarfed by the reality of where I was going. My worry wasn’t whether or not I was capable of doing the job, but rather what amount of danger I’d bring to the team just by being a woman.
“You’re doing it again.”
“What?” I asked Xanthus.
He did that tap on his forehead again. “Over-thinking it.”
I blew out a deep breath. “We need to go over the drills again. I want to make sure we’re prepared for anything. For everything. So much could go wrong if anyone sees me.”
“Soph, you know the drills. You can fight. You know the formation we’ll take on our recon.” As he spoke, Radek watched me as if trying to gauge my emotions and thought patterns.
“Everyone gets a case of nerves before their first time in the field.” Kain’s words had me glancing back and forth between him and Radek.
“You heard my conversation with Xanthus earlier,” I said. That meant they knew I hadn’t earned my tiger until I’d signed on for this unit.
“We don’t keep secrets,” Xanthus murmured. “Secrets get people killed out here.”
“Besides,” Radek added, “it doesn’t make a difference to us. At least, your first taste will be with us. We’ll make sure it’s a good one.”
“You guys are amazing. So much more than I’d expected.”
“What were you thinking? That we’d be egotistical assholes only looking to get laid while on duty?” Xanthus’ eyebrow rose high as my face flamed red at just how close to the truth that comment hit.
“Did you think we’d judge you because you agreed to this?” Kain asked softly.
I could do nothing but nod.
“You’re right,” he said. “We did. We judged you to be brave. Who else would take on something they were uncertain of?”
“I’ve always dreamed of being an active-duty Enforcer,” I admitted. “From the time I was little. There’s never been anything I’ve wanted more.”
“We understand that better than anyone,” Xanthus assured me. “This has always been our dream, as well.”
“Though now that dream is better, sweeter,” Kain added.
“Why is that?”
“Because you’re in it,” Radek answered.
Was it possible not to fall in love with these three men? I didn’t think so. The more I discovered of their personalities, the more I admired them, and the more I fell for them.
“What’s next on the agenda?” I asked, thinking back to our conversation the night before. The morning was about training. We’d done that. The afternoon was for briefing. Check that off the list. What was the last thing on the list?
“Stripping you naked and exploring every inch of you,” Kain all but purred.
Yeah, that’s exactly what they’d promised last night. “I’ve always loved exploring.” And I needed it. I needed the beauty of what I shared with them to expunge the images burned into my brain from this briefing.
Xanthus chuckled. “Then let’s get started.”
Radek stood and held out his hand. I took it and let him help me up from my chair. Let the exploration begin!
Chapter Six
Kain shook me awake.
“We got a call. The first mission is now. Xanthus is speaking with command. Radek is locating places we need to find and locations to hide in an emergency.”
I nodded and jumped up, reaching for my uniform. This was it. No more waiting and wondering. Now was the time for doing.
I joined my guys within minutes. Xanthus was already doing a weapons check on what we’d take with us. Radek pored over his maps. Kain was checking his pack. I didn’t recognize all his gadgets, but I knew he’d use them to hack into anything computerized or electronic that we might encounter.
Facts flowed through my mind. Everything Xanthus had briefed me on was there, just waiting for me to need it.
“Weapons are a go,” Xanthus stated. “Suit up, and let’s go over the mission.” He spread a paper map on the table.
“We’ll land here.” He tapped a spot on the map. “Activity is suspected in this area. They want to know for sure. They’ve got a team on standby, waiting for our findings.”
We all nodded. This was it. No more training or preparing. I’d finally see some action. My adrenaline was high, my heart practically racing with it.
Time seemed to fly by, and the next thing I knew, we were there. It was my first real look at the fifth. No pictures, just my eyes soaking it all in. I’d spent my entire life in space. Here, it was so colorful that no picture could truly do it justice. The area where we’d landed was remote, but from photos, I knew there were numerous nearby buildings. It was our job to investigate them.
There was a mixture of brown and red soil under my feet. Little patches of growth tried to shoot out every few feet but seemed choked by the dirt. Dark clouds hung above us. Strange odors I’d never inhaled filled the air. It was beautiful.
“Take position,” Xanthus commanded quietly. “Let’s head out.”
We moved as a unit. It was one thing to practice it; another to see it actually unfold in the field. I felt strong and confident. My steps didn’t lag, and not a doubt crowded my mind. I’d trained for this my entire life. I was ready. Physically and mentally.
Xanthus signaled us to stop when we reached the first building. Hugging the wall, we waited while Kain took out one of his gadgets and ran a check. It would be up to Kain to figure out if what they sought was here.
He nodded, and at Xanthus’ signal, we moved to
ward the next building. It was slow going. We had to be as silent as possible, but if we did our job correctly, no one would know we’d ever been here.
Kain held up a hand after scanning the second structure. There were people inside. Radek pulled up the building’s layout on his handheld device then nodded. This structure suited the purposes of the sex traders. My stomach knotted at what might be taking place behind the doors right now.
In and out. Gather information, I reminded myself. That was how I could save any women who might be held inside. Just do my job.
Four other buildings fit the bill. Kain marked them on one of his devices. Each would require a closer look now that we’d finished our initial walkthrough. This was the tricky part. Years ago, the outside of each building had been fitted with a box that housed the structure’s electronic workings, including all cameras inside. Fortunately, they’d remained the same since then.
The original purpose had been to keep remote eyes on all prisoners. As long as the cameras hadn’t been ripped out or smashed, we could access and view the interior. We could even turn them on via the outside box.
It was Radek’s job to know where each control center was located. Xanthus would lead us there undetected and get the box open. At that point, Kain would take over and access everything we needed. My job was to know who the participants were. I had faces and names in my head—all the key players known to be active in the fifth. If the right people were here, they were our targets.
The first building was a bust. No females on site and no familiar faces. The second and third proved more of the same. The fourth was our jackpot. As soon as the camera vids came up, we saw what was happening. Women being taken in every way imaginable. If they were lucky, they were drugged. But even I could tell some of them weren’t. It made my stomach roil, and anger fired deep within me.
Kain used a recorder to transfer the images from the box to a handheld device he then passed to Xanthus. Xanthus connected it to the radio all the commanders kept. I knew he’d use it to let the waiting team know which building was the target.
We headed to the last building, and that’s when things went to hell. Kain had barely tapped into their system when a spark surged out, and his body lifted, shook then hit the ground with a thud.
