Chapter 29 - Byron

When we approach the first biometric scanner, and Bigby puts his hand out to stop me, I shake my head, confident that Olivia has already gotten into the systems. When the door slides open, I feel a rush of pride, tears actually come to my eyes.

That's my mate.

We move through the boat seamlessly, growing closer and closer to the center of the boat, dodging some of the crew members, and incapacitating others. Percy is getting more restless, his hands shaking, his veins glowing that weird, silvery color again. Bigby and I exchange a glance. We need to wrap this up quickly, or Percy might hulk out and give away our location.

We're outside the main cabin a moment later, but the retina scan blinks red, not letting us in. I gesture to the camera for Olivia to fix it, then try again, but it blinks red once more.

Olivia , I send, security for the main cabin, please .

Silence.

What is she doing? Bigby sends, glancing over his shoulder. It's never good to stay in one spot for too long. Makes us sitting ducks, and gives our opponent the advantage. When I meet his eyes, he must see the panic in mine.

I don't know, I send, it's like—our connection is blocked, or something.

Bigby's eyes flash, and a moment later, he sends to me again.

I tried using the team link, but there was nothing.

What the fuck? What does that mean? I send, tapping my fingers against my thigh nervously. Where is she?

We can't focus on that right now, Bigby sends. Can you get us through this door?

I breathe, trying to push my thoughts and worries about Olivia out of my head, but it's difficult. I glance at Percy, who's started to pace behind Bigby, and wonder how he's keeping it together this well.

Slowly, I dig my phone from my pocket and open it up, tapping over to the applications I use for hacking. It's nowhere near as powerful as my laptop, but luckily, it doesn't have to be. This security is actually startlingly bad.

The moment the door slides open, and we see the interior of the room, we hear honest-to-Gods slow clapping.

"Congrats, boys," the commander says, coming around the side of a shelf. "You truly did it. Success is within your grasp."

Veronica is unconscious on the table, and I feel Percy tense beside me, twitching like he's fighting to keep from running across the room. It's a large, round room with some white shelves and trays with medical equipment surrounding her. On the other side of the room is a desk, like the commander has been sitting in here with her. Books and papers are strewn across the desk, loose pens and paper clips on the floor, almost like he stood up quickly from his seat.

I glance back at the commander, chewing on my lip, wondering if he was expecting us after all.

"I have to admit, I really didn't think it would take you this long to get out here. It seems the training regimen since you left my tutelage has fallen to the wayside, wouldn't you say?"

"What's all this, commander?" Bigby asks, his voice casual, like we're running into an old boss at the grocery store, rather than on a ship where he's taken a pregnant woman hostage.

"Bigby," the commander says, lacing his fingers together and shaking his head sorrowfully. "I truly thought you were a bright mind. Thought you were one of the greatest at the agency—in fact, I always pegged you as an Alpha. Even more so than Aris."

"Good thing nobody asked you," Bigby says, a barely contained rage simmering under his words. "Are you going to make us hurt you? To get this poor woman out of here?"

"Oh, no, I think you'll find that's rather impossible," the commander says, laughing. "I do have to say—the individual scent-cover is impressive! I'd like to have a chat with the creator of that—but, oh, that's your wife, isn't it?"

"Watch yourself," Bigby says, voice low.

He's stalling , I send , nobody is coming .

How do you know? Bigby sends back.

I just do , I send, look at the —

I don't have a chance to finish my sentence before Percy takes off from his place beside me, running at a full sprint toward the commander, who shouts, turns on his heel, and runs from the room instantly, diving through a door just before it closes.

Bigby and I glance at one another, before letting out incredulous laughs. Percy goes right to Veronica's bedside, untying her and lifting her into his arms.

"Get her out of here," Bigby says, "Byron and I can handle that little weasel. Always was a coward."

Percy nods, already halfway out the room, and Bigby and I follow after the commander, trailing behind him and making our way through the boat. We take out guys one after the other, me throwing my knives, Bigby just muscling his way through.

After a minute, we emerge onto the top of the boat, where the commander is standing with his arms crossed. This time, when he turns around, a smug smile on his face, it's genuine.

"Zane?" I ask, heart in my throat. There he is, a knife to Olivia's throat. Tears are streaming down her face, and she's holding his forearm like he's choking her. "What the fuck ?"

"What's wrong?" he shouts, "I thought you didn't care about her?"

Everything is confusing, happening all at once. Zane is here? And he has a knife to Olivia's throat? He's working with the commander? How could something like that happen?

My mind flashes back to when we first came to Rosecreek, when Aris found out there was a traitor on the team and forced us all into the river, naked, to talk to us about it. Is this what he was feeling then? This level of betrayal.

I always knew my brother was flawed, grieving, maybe imperfect, but this? Threatening an innocent woman? Working with the man who nearly killed Percy?

"You're right," I say, my voice breaking. "That's what I thought. That's what I wanted. Because it's easier than watching the people you love betray you."

"This isn't betrayal," Zane says, "this is what I've always been like."

"Maybe that's true," I say, a cold laugh bubbling up in my throat. A frigid wind rips across the top of the boat, and I see ice-slicked over the surface, see how it glints in the moonlight. Olivia's hair is blowing up around her wildly, and the commander is watching the two of us, like he can't wait to see how it plays out. "You remember our play-through of Undertale?"

"Of course," he says, laughing a bit, and I frown.

"It was just like you to choose the genocide option," I say, shaking my head, like I'm disappointed in him.

"Yes, of course, I chose the genocide option," he says, "but Byron—"

I don't hesitate. The knife is between my fingers in a second, flying through the air a moment later, and burying itself in Zane's throat, cutting him off. For good.