Chapter 49

As soon as we're sure the south side of the compound is clear, Boris and I head straight down to Nessa. They make their way North with Lev's guidance, and Evie and Alexi are closing in from the other side, picking off guards one by one.

Alexi and Evie tell us they have taken out ten of the guards, but they can't find the final two. Kai informs Nessa they will be in the girls' bunker. Just as we meet up, I see the brave child who has stepped up to help us, and it registers just how young he actually is. He can't be more than eleven or twelve.

Yet, he stands tall and looks like he belongs here, just like the rest of us. His back is straight, and he watches our surroundings as if it were normal for someone to jump out at him. He almost reminds me of myself.

I look over at Boris, who's studying Kai carefully. Then I watch as he glances to where the kid is holding Nessa's hand. The both of us are clearly torn between slapping it away and letting him have this comfort.

It's the look on Nessa's face that I believe has us dropping any idea of separating them. She was so adamant about not being a mother, but she has no idea how much this small gesture is helping the child at her side.

"Hey there," I greet the kid, holding out my fist. He bumps it before shaking Boris' outstretched hand.

"You with her?" Kai asks.

I grin. "Something like that."

Nessa narrows her eyes on me but I ignore it, shooting her a playful wink.

"Pretty brave of you to step up here and help us. Got anything we should be aware of?"

A branch snaps in the distance, and we all freeze. Lev's drone turns to investigate, but when it comes back to give the all clear, I think we are all able to breathe again.

"They are sneaky," Kai says in a low tone. "One of the exercises they run with us is letting us believe that if we can get away from here, then we would actually have a shot at being free. I still feel like one of them might jump out from behind a corner and tell us this was all a joke."

His hand falls from Nessa's, but she turns to face him as I kneel in front of him, grabbing his hand and squeezing it tight.

"This is not a joke," I vow, finally feeling the piece of me that was desperate to rescue them relax a little. "You are safe now. I swear it."

Boris steps up behind me.

"There is a house stocked with food and clothes waiting for you. Real beds and bathrooms for everyone. You can all walk out the front door at any time you wish. You will not be a prisoner again."

Kai studies all of us. After a minute, his shoulders sag and he lets out a long breath I could swear was almost a sob. But he catches it.

"Okay, I believe you."

I never knew how much those words could mean to me, but as I look up into this kid's striking eyes, a sense of accomplishment fills me.

I stand as the rest of the team gathers around us, and we form a plan on how to get to the girls. As far as Lev can tell, the guards inside of their bunker are none the wiser to the fact that the rest of them are dead.

Since we don't want to risk losing any of the kids at this point, Kai suggests that he, Boris, Alexi, and I go back to get the boys on the bus. One of Alexi's men is going to drive them to our secured property, and they will have four armored cars following alongside them at all times.

We aren't taking any chances.

As Kai approaches the door and types in the key, we listen closely. A short boy with dark skin is the first thing I see when we step into the silent space, a gun raised at us.

Kai puts up his hands, and the second the kid recognizes him, he lowers the weapon.

"You did good, Maven," Kai says as the rest of us file in. "Where is Stiles?"

The boy in question steps out from behind a dresser in the back of the room, his gun raised and a smile on his face.

"We both knew Maven wouldn't shoot," he says, lowering the weapon, and I notice him flick on the safety. "I put him in front to be a distraction so I could pick anyone off who came in here for us without you."

Well, it sure is a good thing Kai came with us instead of staying back to help form the plan for getting the girls with Nessa, Evie and Damien.

"You both did good," Kai praises. They seem to take that to heart. This kid is a leader, and a good one at that. "Go ahead and hand them your weapons. I think we have it from here."

Maven practically throws his weapon while Stiles is more skeptical.

"You sure, Kai?"

Alexi clears his throat and steps forward.

"I will assure you of your safety. However, if you can prove to me that you can handle the weapon, I will allow you to keep it during transport as a means of protection. Once everyone has arrived safely to the house, I will need you to return it for our protection."

Stiles looks Alexi up and down. I have no idea what the guards here have done to these boys, but you can see that trauma is practically written on their forehead with a flashing neon sign underlining it.

"How do I know that once we get to the next destination that things will be different there than they are here?"

Alexi shrugs. "There is nothing I can give you besides my word."

Boris steps forwards then, and Alexi nods to him.

"I might be able to do one better than that, Son."

He slowly approaches the kid and pulls a phone out of his pocket.

"I assume you have not been allowed to contact anyone since you have been here?"

The boy's eyes light up as he stares at the device with hope. "We haven't."

"Is there anyone you wish to call right now that would help you trust us?"

The boy reaches for the phone with a trembling hand. He pauses an inch away, almost as if he fears Boris will take it back and mock him. But the old man holds steady, and eventually Stiles grabs it.

He looks at Kai before dialing a number, then back to all of the other kids before he hits the call button, and the sound of ringing fills the silence.

"Hello?"

"Mom?" A beat of silence passes as Stiles' face seems to harden. "You did it, didn't you? You sold me."

Another beat of silence. "How are you calling me, Stiles?"

The kid looks around the room, then seems to lock eyes with me. "Don't worry, Mother. You will find out soon enough."

He ends the call and hands Boris the phone. "Most of us suspected our parents sold us. If we come with you, then you have to promise to teach those of us that want to know what you know."

I swallow hard, not wanting that life for any of them. But what other choice do they have?

"I will make you a deal," Alexi says. "I have a person on our team who will talk with each of you individually, and if she clears you to train with us, then we will allow it."

This time, Stiles doesn't hesitate. He turns around and addresses the room. "Let's go then."

While most of them agree, the younger ones seem to still be hiding. Kai helps us coax them out, and we get the bus driver to provide a few car seats because the six year olds are smaller than I would have imagined.

Kai personally buckles each of them in when Lev says there's chatter between the guards calling out to the others. He is able to hold them off, but wants to know the plan.

The bus leaves, and the team, along with Kai, makes their way to the north side again.

"Hey," Kai asks me.

"What's up?"

"You got the guy who did this to us?"

I nod, thinking of how Evie told me she sliced through his neck with one of my obsidian blades.

Kai takes a deep breath and shakes his head.

"Good. That man really scared us today. Especially after what he did to some of the kids."

A lump forms in my throat as he talks, but what throws me off is that he said ‘today'.

"What do you mean, today?" We have eyes on Donovan, and he's still in Ireland. Who else could have been here?

Kai shrugs. "I know he told us his name, but I was more focused on trying to keep some of the little ones calm. They were scared of him. I might know it if I heard it though. He calls himself our sponsor."

It's on the tip of my tongue to start spewing names, but Lev catches our attention first.

"They are getting too suspicious, guys. What's the plan?"

I look at Kai, and he shrugs before looking back at everyone.

"Fire?" he suggests as Evie and Nessa come into view. Az's ears perk up as we file in around them, but seem to settle once we are all here.

"That's what we were thinking," Nessa says.

"The girls know me. They trust me. As soon as you remove the guards, I want to be the one to go in." Kai is unwavering in his determination, making me smile as I look at Nessa.

We all agree, and Damien sends Az to search the area for signs of anyone else. Lev's drone follows over Az, keeping an eye out while Evie and Nessa head to the door of the bunker with Kai.

Kai knocks on the door, luring the guards to it. When they open it, we stay out of sight.

"You have to hurry, there's a fire," Kai says, pointing behind him. Both guards walk out, their eyes immediately focusing on Kai.

"I don't see a fir–" That's all they get out before two bullets take them down, courtesy of Evie and Nessa.

While everyone gets the girls loaded on the bus, I call Kai over to me, Damien, and Boris.

"What did you mean your sponsor was here today?"

Kai's brows scrunch. "The one who has been pulling all the strings and setting everything up was here for a visit. He assessed our fighting and then got rid of the weak links ."

We all exchange glances. "What did he look like?" Damien asks.

Kai shrugs. "Like some creepy Irish dude."

Feck. So it is Donovan.

"But it doesn't matter because you killed him, right?"

Well shite, without even meaning to, we broke the kid's trust already.

"We killed those who first set this up. We have not yet gotten to the ringleader of this compound," Boris informs him.

Kai's face pales. "We need to be careful. He could still be here."

"On it," Lev says over the comms. "I'm almost finished breaking through their security, then I can scan the area for heat signatures."

My anxiety still spikes. I look back at Nessa as she steps off the bus. She and Evie both seem so relieved, and I don't want to take that from her. If her father's here, then that would be a shit show.

He's a coward though, so I'm sure if he was here, he'd be long gone by now.

The bus heads off and the armored cars follow along closely. Kai stays behind with us. This kid is quickly becoming part of our group.

"I think there's one more thing I need to show you."

Kai looks down at the ground.

"It's pretty awful, but they deserve to go home too."

That's when his words register. Their sponsor was just here and got rid of the weak links.

As Kai begins to direct us, we hear faint cries coming from inside the girls' building.

"How many girls got on the bus?" Kai asks Nessa.

"Twenty one."

"There were twenty three." His eyes widen but I pat his shoulder.

"Take Nessa and Evie with you. Damien and Az will watch your back. Alexi will have another car come around. Tell me where I need to go."

Kai gives me instructions for where to find the children we were too late to save. Alexi has a drone follow us to scan the bodies so we can get them back home, and Boris calls someone to help us transport them.

I have a feeling I will never be able to unsee what we are about to walk in on.