Chapter Three

Jeremy

I woke with a start, hearing a pan clang in the kitchen. The security quarters were in the basement but in the mornings, every damned sound could be heard through what I assumed was a poorly built and completely uninsulated floor.

Thinking about it too long made me worry about all the other sounds that would reverberate through the thin walls of this place. It may look pretty well-built from the outside, but there were signs that the builders hadn't done a good job. Cracks in the Sheetrock and ceilings. A baseboard missing here and there.

Didn't matter to the bosses, of course. No need for baseboards and tight insulation when you were running a house of fucking horrors.

Throwing my legs over the edge of the bed, I forced my head off the pillow. I wasn't getting enough rest. The guards slept on squeaky cots with less support than a feather. Springs and ridges dug into my back, making me dream of my bed at the compound.

The quicker I got the intel I needed, the faster I would get back to that bed, my family, and my team.

Reaching over to my backpack, I picked up the phone and unplugged it from the charger. I pressed the button to see the time but didn't bother with anything else. Neither my brother nor anyone on the team would text me. We'd decided that in advance. I would text them info when I could, but those messages would be immediately deleted and not responded to in any way. We couldn't risk messing this up.

We had to start breaking up breeding rings before they were established.

"Meeting in ten," Amos said. He had taken a leadership position of sorts among the guards. Of course, the only leaders in this place were the big bosses. The ones without faces.

To me, that made them cowards, but the guards and others held them in some kind of villain esteem. It made me sick.

There were several grunts from those of us who got to sleep the night before and who were now awake. Our schedules were sporadic and made no sense, but I assumed they didn't care as long as the place was covered.

I showered and got dressed, forgoing breakfast in favor of coffee. I missed team breakfasts.

Shaking my head, I sent the thoughts of home to the back of my mind. Lamenting over what I missed didn't do me any good.

I needed to focus.

We gathered in the entryway, which was bigger than all the team bedrooms in the compound combined, and waited for someone to lead the meeting. There was some grumbling among the ranks as we waited more and more. By the time someone came in, it was a quarter past the time we were told to report.

The man had on a suit, but he wore a mask, a hat, and sunglasses. Didn't surprise any of us. The so-called bosses loved their anonymity.

"We have an announcement," the masked man called out. Duh. We weren't here for our health. "A shipment is due to arrive in the next two to three days, depending on uncontrolled circumstances."

My coffee revolted in my stomach. Shipment meant people. People meant omegas. They spoke as though we were receiving a load of wholesale toilet paper instead of the truth: they were bringing omegas to be held here, abused, in order to be breeders for their evil plots.

"There is more." The man waited for the murmurs to die down. "We are experiencing a shortage in alphas to help with our needs. We are going to have every one of you step up. All of you will be participating as we see fit. That's all. Keep your eyes peeled and do your jobs. Your life and your income depend on it."

My face heated to record temperature as my heart pounded. My fingers balled into fists, and my knees threatened to give way. The other males around me had mixed reactions to the announcement as the man darted out a side exit. Some were excited and smiling.

Excited.

To rape omegas.

Others were grumbling and complaining as though the person in charge had asked them to do a pesky task like unloading the dishwasher or folding the laundry.

Their lack of disgust drained away all my trust and hope for males and the world in general.

"I'm gonna run before my shift," I croaked out, trying to sound as normal as possible. I had to get out of here.

I backed out of the room slowly, trying not to give away my desire to run for my life. Far away from this evil display of power and greed.

The narrow hallway closed in on me. Without thinking, I reached for the nearest knob and stepped through the doorway. Closing the door behind me, I took a breath. "Shit! This is so fucked up."

"Hello?"

I froze in place. Damn it. I wasn't in a closet as I'd thought. And someone had heard me.