51. Drova

51

DROVA

T he training center hummed with activity as Drova entered with Pavel. Unlike the other training sessions that she'd participated in since being allowed to join the Avengers, where Guardians often joked and laughed before the start, tonight's atmosphere was heavy with purpose.

Immortals in tactical gear were standing in small groups, talking in hushed voices, while Peter spoke with Onegus near the large display screen.

Drova knew everyone on the team from training. They were all experienced Guardians, chosen because this was untested territory for the clan and no place for newbies. She was grateful to be granted even an observer's spot.

Tonight, they were making history, and in a small way, she was taking part in it .

"Take a seat," Pavel said, gesturing to the chairs arranged in front of the screen.

As Drova settled in, she noticed one of the Guardians giving her a skeptical look. She lifted her chin, refusing to show any uncertainty. She belonged here, whether the others accepted it or not.

Onegus cleared his throat, and the room instantly fell silent. "Good evening." He activated the display screen, showing an aerial view of a sprawling Beverly Hills estate. "Our target has been under surveillance for over a week, mostly via drones, because there are no structures with a direct line of sight of the estate for us to mount cameras on. Given the heavy security, we had to be careful when flying the drones as well. We didn't see any children arriving at the estate or leaving it, but since the place has a large eight-car garage, it is easy to hide such an activity. We've noticed a pattern of no one exiting the arriving vehicles or entering them while the garage doors are open. That's not normal, especially since the garage is located in the back, and the estate is fenced off, so no casual passersby, either on foot or in a vehicle, have a direct line of sight to the entrance of the garage. That's taking precautions to the next level."

"They're protecting the identity of the so-called guests," one of the Guardians said.

Onegus nodded. "Also, that of the owners. The estate is owned by a corporation, which also pays the utility bills, so the names of the residents could be fake, which we are assuming. The corporation is owned by another entity, which is owned by a trust and so on, and it seems that the actual owner is a foreign entity."

"What about the staff?" another Guardian asked. "Aren't we supposed to catch one, thrall him or her, and get the information we need?"

"Good question. The problem is that we didn't see any of the staff leaving the estate. We know they are on the premises because we've seen uniformed maids throwing out the trash and a gardener mowing the lawn. You were supposed to be the team that collected the necessary info, and you might still end up doing just that, but I have a gut feeling that you will be going in. That's why the backup team is much larger than we initially intended."

He switched to another screen. "These are the blueprints of the house. It has two main levels, a basement, and a finished attic. The service staff occupies the attic, and the children are most likely being kept in the basement. Given the increase in the comings and goings in the last few days, things are happening over there, and this mission is likely to turn into an active extraction."

Drova's hands clenched in her lap. Even knowing what they were facing, the reality of children being not only held captive but terribly abused, made her blood boil. She forced herself to take slow, steady breaths, remembering her mother's warnings about controlling her emotions.

"Tonight still might be reconnaissance only," Peter said, taking over from Onegus. "We need to confirm numbers, security protocols, and most importantly, verify the presence of children captives. If there are children in danger in there, we will move in. It depends on what we find when we get there and if we can detect Doomers on the premises." He turned to Drova. "In either case, your job is to observe and learn. Do not even think to engage unless directly ordered."

"Understood, sir." If she wanted to one day become one of the attacking team, she had to play the role of the obedient cog in the machine, no matter how she hated doing that.

Lyall, who was in charge of the surveillance van, leaned toward her. "I'll walk you through the systems when we're in position. For now, pay attention to the layout and access points just in case your help is needed."

A surge of excitement rushed through her that the Guardian was even thinking in terms of her being needed. It was so much better than the almost dismissive attitude Peter was showing her. To him, she was a nuisance, a crazy idea of Kian's he had no choice but to humor.

The briefing continued with detailed assignments for each team member, and Drova absorbed every detail, noting how Peter had positioned his people to cover all possible contingencies. These weren't just random patrol patterns—this was carefully orchestrated choreography.

"Questions?" Peter asked when he'd finished.

Drova had several but kept silent. Her role was simple enough—watch and learn. Asking questions now would only reinforce the impression that she was a burden rather than an asset to the team.

"Five vehicles," Peter said. "Four SUVs and the surveillance van, with standard dispersal pattern. Communications check at every waypoint."

As the team began gathering their gear, Pavel touched Drova's elbow. "Ready?"

She nodded, following him toward the parking garage where the vehicles waited. The surveillance van was marked with the logo of some cable television network, which was a good call. It explained the dish mounted on its roof.

"Are you nervous?" Pavel asked when they stood in front of the van's opened door.

"Not really. I want to prove that I'm not a kid who needs babysitting, but I'm grateful for the opportunity to be an observer. In the future, though, I hope they will let me help. I want to make a difference."

"No one thinks you're a kid who needs babysitting." Pavel's expression softened. "But everyone has to start somewhere. Even Peter had to learn surveillance protocols before leading missions. He got promoted to Head Guardian when he took over the Avengers."

"Time to get settled in, rookie," Lyall called from inside the van. "We need to move out."

She gave Pavel a smile. "Good luck. And if we get to see some action, be careful."

"I will." He patted her back. "Keep sharp, rookie." He winked before sauntering away.

She watched him head to his vehicle, taking a deep breath before climbing into the van. The interior was a masterpiece of technology, housing state-of-the-art surveillance equipment.

"Sit over there," the Guardian instructed while powering up the systems. "I'll walk you through each component once we're in position. After all, you are here to learn, right?"

She nodded. "I don't expect to become a surveillance expert, but I'm happy to learn what I can."

"You never know, kid." Lyall winked at her. "You might discover that you have a knack for it."