Chapter Ten

Kincaid held onto Zadie's hand tightly as they hit the queen's chamber doors at a run. Once inside, he got the full scope of how serious the situation was.

The queen along with Rex and Jedrek Lionhart were huddled together talking to Portia and Molvan. He caught words like ‘emergency broadcast' and Molvan was pointing to something on his iPad. "The Border City town square is the only place large enough to take incoming."

He kept walking, his eyes looking for the one person he knew could tell him what was going on. He found Meryn at a huge makeshift workstation outside her bat cave. It looked like they had taken three six-foot tables and made a ‘U' shape for her to sit at. Behind her the twins were sitting at their own six-foot tables completing the cubicle.

Kincaid would have thought Meryn was stuck inside, but he watched as Ryuu glided through the one-foot walk way to hand Meryn a bottle of water.

Water?

Meryn took it and nodded. She opened the cap and downed half a bottle.

Kincaid felt sick to his stomach. Meryn was willingly drinking water. It was bad.

"Meryn, where do you need me?" he asked, steering Zadie into a nearby chair. He tried to give his mate a smile of reassurance, but judging from the skeptical look she gave him, he didn't think he did very well.

"Kincaid, move over to where Kendrick is. You'll be going in with them, main building," Meryn replied, adjusting the mic on her headset.

Kincaid walked over to where Kendrick, Thane, Justice and Law were watching Meryn carefully.

"How bad?" he asked.

Law looked tense. "I've never seen her like this, and we had a nuclear scare once."

Kendrick with his eyes still on Meryn replied. "She found the last warehouse."

Kincaid started doing mental math and Kendrick placed a hand on his shoulder. "Yes, the last one. Nearly three-thousand people."

Kincaid felt his knees go slightly weak. Now Meryn's urgency made sense.

"How did she find them?" he asked.

Kendrick scowled. "She was the only one smart enough to give the kids credit. She asked Aeron if they heard anything from the bad men that might lead them to another location. The boy said he had heard one of the men joke how the units and the queen were blind since they were working so close to them. She focused her efforts around Monroe and came up with a bill of sale that seemed suspicious. An outside company bought up land about ten years ago to build a processing facility, yet no records of manufactured goods were documented. No trucks in or out. Once she hacked some of the gate cameras it was confirmed we found our location."

"Processing facility? Not a warehouse? How big is this place?"

Thane pointed to Meryn's station. "Big enough she immediately called in Noctem Falls and Lycaonia."

"You mean the units?"

Law chuckled. "No. This is Meryn. She called in nearly everyone she could, down to the damn squires."

"Okay boys, I'm in…oh my god!" Meryn covered her mouth and stared at her monitor. The boys turned in their chairs, then stood as one, their expressions masks of horror.

Meryn recovered first.

"Aiden! Give the order now! We need to get in position, explain either on the way or once you're there. I've already reached out to éire Danu unit leaders, Colton and Adriel. But they can't do shit until you give the order as Unit Commander."

Aiden nodded. He walked over, kissed her fiercely. He made the single mistake of looking down at her monitor. He brought out his phone and typed quickly.

Seconds later nearly every warrior in the room received an email with instructions to report to their unit leaders for orders.

When he was done, he tapped the comms link at his ear. "éire Danu warriors move out! Meet at the fountain!"

Kincaid met Ari, Gage and Priests' eyes.

"Be safe!"

"You too!"

They left at a dead run.

Meryn tapped at her keyboard and shook her head as if to clear the image. "Back to it boys!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Shaken, but determined, the boys went back to their stations.

"Let me know when your units come online."

"Yes ma'am!"

"Meryn, we're here," a disembodied voice called out.

"Did you review the blueprints I sent?"

"Yup!"

"Noah, you'll be in charge of leading Aiden's team of éire Danu units. They will be hitting the West Building. Sending you links to the cameras now."

"I'm in," Noah replied.

"Two rooms with friendlies, two guard's rooms, a room with a device, a staging room and a common room. Each room has an electric lock, we're going to make those things work for us. When the signal is raised, lock the doors to the friendlies. Keep an eye on combat, once Aiden gives all clear, unlock the doors and guide them out."

"Connecting with Aiden, now," Noah said, in a clear, firm voice.

Meryn moved on to the next assignment.

"Jaxon, you'll be with Colton, leading our home team. They will be going in the North Building. This is one of the smaller buildings, so timing will be more critical. One room with friendlies, one room with a device, a staging room, a guard's room and a common room. You won't have as much time to get those doors locked since the guard's room is right across the hall from where our people are being held."

"I've got this Meryn," he reassured her. "I'll bring Colton online the second he's in position."

Meryn turned as if she was about to move on to Nigel, then tilted her head. "What do you mean you'll bring him online when he's in position."

Jaxon chuckled darkly. "I got Rheia to chip his ass last month on a bet. I'm tracking him using GPS."

Meryn sputtered once, then shook her head. "As you were," she said, trying not to laugh.

"Nigel, you have our friends from Noctem falls, Adriel will be your point of contact. You have the East Building. It has two rooms with friendlies, a room with a device, a staging room, two guard's rooms and a common room. Your fun factoid is that whomever is maintaining this place let the camera in the common area die and didn't do any maintenance. That will be a blind spot for you."

"I have Micah on another line Meryn, he will be a second set of eyes for me once inside," Nigel answered.

"Good job." She leaned down and answered a line on her computer.

"Meryn?"

"Hey Adriel, you will be point of contact with Nigel, he'll be getting you up to speed and you'll have to trickle that shit down to the unit leaders."

"Of course. I'm sending Eva Mae to you."

"Why?"

"To make me feel better."

When she didn't respond he sighed. "And because Sebastian and Magnus insisted."

"Fine, but she'll need to be able to move when I say move."

"She is there for you, my dear."

"Good luck out there."

"May the gods guide you," he said, then disconnected.

"Meryn! Where are people going to be?" Laelia yelled out.

"Auntie! What do we have?" Meryn bellowed.

The queen turned, looking more frustrated than Kincaid had ever seen her.

Before she could answer, Jedrek and Rex gave a quick bow to the queen. "We're heading out to coordinate the lions to help with incoming." Rex looked to Meryn, his eyes pleading.

She waved him off. "I got ‘em. We'll watch for Ari and Declan."

Looking relieved he followed his father out the door.

Watching them depart the queen answered. "We were prepared to eventually take in the missing people, but we had not anticipated doing it all at once."

Meryn blinked. "We don't have room do we?"

The queen shook her head. "Not to sort and shuffle with the speed we will need to."

"Right." Meryn tapped away on her keyboard.

"Meryn, darling, what can I do?" a smooth voice answered.

"This is why you're my favorite Magnus."

His low chuckle was clearly audible from his line. "Adriel left here a few moments ago. From my understanding all units are meeting in éire Danu then from there will take portals to the location in question."

"That's right, but I'm not working on units right now."

"What do you need?"

"We need a landing zone."

"Like for an airplane?" the prince asked, sounding confused.

"No. We need a place to send survivors. We're hoping there will be as close to three thousand as possible. We can't support that right now."

"Gods, above," he whispered. He cleared his throat. "Send us half."

The queen rushed forward to stand looking down at the speaker on Meryn's desk. "Magnus…"

"No arguments, Aleksandra. Meryn, send us half and I swear to you on my life they will be cared for as if they were my own children."

The queen simply nodded and kept wiping away her tears.

"She's nodding. Thanks, Magnus, you have no idea how much this helps."

"Oh, I have a pretty good idea," he retorted. "It is time we put this center of healing to work. How better to do that, than in helping two women I care for very much," he said, before disconnecting.

Meryn looked around. "Cas! You okay with going to Noctem Falls?"

"Is it to use my gift on the survivors?" she asked, standing from where she had been sitting with Zoe, Izzy, and Zadie.

"Yup. We have Amelia here to start the psychobabble, but you can help do that there. Maybe color code post-it-notes or something," Meryn suggested.

"I'm heading there now." She turned. "Psychobabble? Really, Meryn?"

"Correct me later," Meryn waved her off.

"I will go with you," the queen said to Cas. She turned to Brennus. "I need you to go to where our people will be arriving. They will need to see you. I will be going to Noctem Falls for the same reason. They will need to see that they are safe, we represent éire Danu to them."

Brennus looked like he was about to argue but ended up kissing her instead. "Not a single scratch," he warned.

She smiled wanly. "You too, my love."

She joined Cas at the doorway, then turned to Portia and Molvan. "Meryn speaks for the crown while Darian and I are gone."

Both simply placed their hands over their hearts and bowed their acceptance.

Meryn shrugged. "Whatever." Turning back to the water healer. "Laelia, you and Radclyffe will be meeting up with Rheia and Adam coming in from Lycaonia. Snag Anne and Amelia on the way out. Y'all are going to triage and set up medical tents off to one side in the Border City town's square."

Darian walked over. "Does she really have to go?" his eyes full of worry.

Meryn looked at Amelia who was fuming at her own mate. "Yes. I know you're worried about princey nugget, but they'll be just fine… I."

"Hey there, sunshine," a southern drawl called from the door. "These portals sure are gettin' a workout."

Meryn broke into a huge smile. "Just in time. Eva Mae, I need you to guard my big sister-cousin with your life. She's an empath, but way better than me. She's going to help the survivors. The second she looks like it's too much for her, bring her back here, even if you have to fireman carry her out."

Eva Mae nodded. "You got it, Boss."

Darian was all smiles and Amelia was now staring at her cousin, mouth open.

"I can help," Zoe volunteered. "I can warm up the square. I promise I won't set anyone on fire!"

Meryn nodded. "Stay with Amelia and Eva Mae."

Together all four women left, bundling up against the cold.

"Darian, head down to the town's square, you too Oron. Catch up with Aiden. Darian, you'll be responsible for opening a portal to Noctem Falls, Oron you're opening a portal back here. Send half the survivors here, half go to Noctem Falls," she ordered. She paused. "Tell Rheia to send anyone there who is critical and in need of immediate surgery. They're better equipped."

Both fae princes bowed and ran from the room.

Meryn's computer rang. "Yello, talk."

"Hey Meryn, it's Dav."

"What's up?"

"Lycaonia's Old Guard just showed up with the unit warriors. Where do you want them and us?"

"Dav, split the Old Guard into three teams and have them move out with each group."

"And my team?" he asked.

"I need you to form a perimeter around the town's square. Call Priest's bio dad, they can patrol from the air. I don't want to bring these people here then have a ton of fucking dark portals pop up."

"Gods above," he prayed lowly for a moment then responded. "I can contact Gaius. Ever since that eaglet mated, the birds have been popping in more."

"Cool, I'll leave you to it. Call Pip if you have an emergency, he'll text you, so you have his number. All my other lines will be in use for the next hour or so."

"Will do," he said then hung up.

"I have my phone right here Meryn," Pip announced, holding it up.

She wrote down and number and gave it to him. "Text Dav so he has your number. Thanks for being my back up line."

"I cannot do computer things. But, I can answer the phone and organize messages," he said proudly.

Meryn dialed a number, and they all heard it ring.

"Meryn, sweetheart?"

"Hey Sebastian. Heads up. My Auntie is coming there to help the survivors."

There were a few seconds of silence.

"The Queen of the Fae is coming here?" he asked, his voice cracking slightly.

"I leave her in your care," Meryn said, in a quiet, serious tone.

"I have to go."

"Bye."

"Thank you," Brennus said, looking like he could breathe a bit easier.

Kincaid inched closer and looked at Meryn's set up. Each of her six monitors showed something different. She had a monitor each dedicated to Noah, Jaxon, Nigel and Neil. She was basically coordinating the coordinators.

"Meryn, West Building team assembled and debriefed, they are on standby on comms one," Noah announced.

"East Building team is online, ready to go and on standby as well," Nigel called out.

"North Building team has been ready, they are on comms one, but Meryn, Colton said he wanted to talk to you," Jaxon said, rolling his eyes.

Meryn smiled, then typed a few things, suddenly the sounds of low voices and breathing could be heard in the room. The boys were monitoring lines and adjusting volumes as needed.

"Attention!" Meryn said, and suddenly everything got quiet. "Units, you have three main objectives. Once the signal is given, shut down those devices, kill anyone who stands in your way and rescue our people.

The devices are centered in each building, and they look to be feeding energy into the main building. I don't care how you do it but turn those things into scrap metal."

"Yes, ma'am!"

"We are not taking any prisoners. There is nothing they can tell us at this point that would be worth keeping them alive. Kill them and dispose of the bodies to keep the locals ignorant."

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Get our people home. Your guardian angels will be locking the doors to our friendlies to keep them from running into combat. Unit leaders, you will have to give them the all-clear to get those doors open. The survivors are then to be escorted to the main building where two portals will be open. One to Noctem Falls and one to éire Danu. Now, I know not all of you have medical training, but use your best judgement. Try to get the more critically injured to the Center of Healing in Noctem Falls and try to keep families together if possible."

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Meryn?"

Meryn shook her head. "Yes, Colton?"

"No prisoners?" he asked.

Kincaid heard the unasked question.

How bad can I be?

Meryn smiled and it was almost serene. "Fuck em up. Show me why you're second ranked warrior, Colton Albright."

"Leave it to me," he answered, his voice turned gravelly. Kincaid could hear how close to the surface his wolf was.

"Godsdammit, Meryn," Aiden griped, now faced with the task of keeping his best friend from committing war crimes.

Meryn just laughed.

The men howled and cheered.

"Go get ‘em boys!"

One by one the unit leaders cut the comms, and the room was quiet once again.

Finally, Meryn turned to them.

"I feel like I'm forgetting something."

Zadie shook her head. "I can't imagine what it could be."

Frowning Meryn shook her head. "Kendrick your team is going in front and center, just the way I know you like it."

Kendrick simply nodded his agreement.

"I ran a thermal on the building. Whatever those devices are pulling from the fae, the energy is being run from each satellite device in the outbuildings to the main building's center room. This looks like the original site. Their machines are pulling from them one by one." She took a deep breath. "They're processing as we speak, it's what I saw earlier. If it had been one of the newer warehouses, we'd be too late. They'd have been taken out all in one go."

Kincaid felt anger as waves of ice water flooded his veins. She kept it together enough to organize this massive strike, after seeing that?

Meryn continued. "Your building has the main room and command center that looks like it's security for the whole place and three side rooms."

Kendrick's jaw tightened. "No friendlies?"

Meryn shook her head sadly. "Those rooms are where they've stacked the dead."

Kendrick's head dropped back as his lips moved in silent prayer.

Law eyed her with deep admiration. "It's why you updated us last, isn't it? Did you anticipate the queen leaving?"

Meryn nodded. "It was a fifty-fifty she'd head to Noctem Falls though. I thought she'd probably stay in the city and help down at the…" Her eyes widened.

"Fuck!" she looked around frantically. "Portia!"

"I'm here, Your Highness!" the assistant said, stepping forward.

"I need one of those scroll thingies that will update people."

"Of course."

"It needs to go out in ten minutes."

Portia straightened. "Your will, shall be done."

"Do I type it out?" Meryn looked around for a pen.

"Just tell me dear," Portia answered, quill in hand.

"People of éire Danu, my name is Meryn and as you have heard the queen announce in the past, I am Eamon Vi'Eirlea's daughter. Right now, I am coordinating efforts to bring our missing people home. However, please be prepared. Not all who are coming home will be alive. If you are not waiting to see if a family member is alive or dead, please go out and help your neighbors. Turn on every light in your homes and open your doors. We need safe warm places for these people to go. Please, help."

She looked at Portia as she stumbled over the words. "I don't know how to be fancy like Auntie."

Portia wiped at her eyes and walked forward and kissed Meryn's forehead. "You don't need to be. Just stay as you are. They will respond to your honest and sincere call for aid." She bowed low before she and Molvan left in a hurry.

Meryn went to turn back to them and paled. "Abraxas!"

The doors to the garden swung open as the tree guardian rushed forward. "What has you calling to me with such urgency? Are you well?" The tall man moved with grace.

She reached out both hands and he simply floated over the tables to get to her. "I am here."

"We found the last warehouse. But, a lot of fae are dead. Can you alert the other guardians, so they don't go into shock again? Let them know we're doing everything we can to bring as many back alive as possible, but it will be sad for a while," she begged, clutching at his gossamer sleeves.

"I will ensure they are prepared. Thank you, for protecting us, little one." He kissed both her hands, then simply disappeared.

Izzy came in from the kitchen and placed down a tall glass of iced coffee. She looked and Ryuu who nodded. "She had water."

Exhaling, Meryn's mouth moved as if she were mentally going over a list. Absently, she picked up the coffee and closed her eyes in relief.

Kendrick straightened. "Meryn, what is our objective?"

Meryn opened her eyes and gave him an evil smile. "There's no one to save. I'll let you decide on what the signal should be to have the units move in."

"You spoil me," Kendrick said, then bowed. "I know I compare you to me quite a bit, but I was never this good at your age," he shook his head. "I would be hard pressed to keep up now."

Her phone rang this time, not her computer. She answered, putting it on speaker as she did before.

"Hello?"

"Hey chér . I heard you was planning a party."

"Perfect timing. Where are you?"

"We played warrior and are with Colton's group. You got him practically foaming at the mouth, Red Queen."

"Stay with them until Deadpool gets there. Then y'all are on escort duty. Witches will be doing witchy things. I need you guys to do bullet things. Afterward, I need you all on clean up. Bodies, hard drives, the usual."

"How dirty you want this?"

"Three words, darlin'. Make me proud."

"Lawd! Girl, you know how to talk to a man. Tell Deadpool, we have his six," he purred, then hung up.

Thane scowled. "I am going to kill him for talking to her like that."

Law shook his head. "If I can't kill him, neither can you."

"Why can't you kill him?" he asked.

Law pointed at Meryn. "He makes her laugh."

Meryn looked down at Neil. "When the guys are in position, loop the video footage I sent you to their command building. I'll cut their comms, then you can let Kendrick know to start."

Meryn grinned, then looked at Kendrick.

"Do your speed walk thingie, Aiden's ready to go."

"As you command," he said, giving a sweeping bow. He turned to Kincaid. "Take my arm and prepare to move quickly."

Kincaid looked over to where his mate sat with Brennus.

"I'll be with the kids, you come back to me in one piece," she said smiling at him, though her eyes were filled with tears.

"I promise," he said, then took Kendrick's arm.

The room became a blur and suddenly they were standing at the portal in the town's square.

"Do you need to vomit?" Kendrick asked, calmly.

Kincaid breathed through his nose as his mouth watered. "No," he said stubbornly.

Around him he saw his queen, Amelia, Laelia, Radclyffe and two others pointing and coordinating tents going up. Whatever they found at this facility, it looked like their people here would be ready for them.

Kendrick's eyes strayed to his own mate. The look of pride was one he could relate to.

"They are amazing, aren't they? The women," Kincaid asked.

His king just nodded, his eyes still on Anne. "Rheia says she is the best nurse she has ever met, yet now she is tied to me, drowning in politics. This is what she was born to do," he pointed to where Anne held a clipboard and was directing a group of volunteers.

"She was meant to be your mate. Our people will benefit from her strength," Thane said, choosing his words carefully.

"All of these pretty women and they're all mated," a familiar voice lamented.

"Gambit, the warriors that are mated to these pretty ladies are going to gut you," Law warned.

"Life is meant to be lived dangerously. If I die and the last image I see is a beautiful woman, it is a life well lived, non ?" Gambit answered.

"If he is murdered, can I help recruit his replacement? Red Queen's taste in personnel leans toward the psychotic," the tall blond complained.

"Present company excluded of course," the barrel-chested, red-head said, laughing.

Law shrugged. "You can certainly try to tell her what to do, Legolas." He eyed the stockier man. "She hand-picked you Gimli, you would say that."

The blond Law called Legolas turned to them. "How is she? She normally passes out after missions like this. It's like she overclocks her brain."

"What!" Thane exclaimed loudly.

Law winced. "She'll be fine. She has that squire now."

Thane got his phone out and sent a text.

Kincaid leaned forward a little. "Texting Aiden?"

Thane scowled. "Why distract him? I sent a text to Ryuu to watch her health and that she has history of passing out once the adrenaline wears off."

Kincaid pulled out his phone and sent a similar text to Zadie. If she could wrangle toddlers, he was sure his mate would manage Meryn.

A piercing whistle sounded as the men began walking through the portal.

Kendrick's expression was definitely wolfish when he finally tore his eyes away from his mate to look at them.

"Move out."