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"My phone's gone, but I can log in from any computer." Axl tries to stand, grimacing with the effort. "The battery should last at least 24 hours."

"I'll get a laptop," I say, already moving toward the door.

When I return with the laptop, Axl's sitting up, holding an ice pack to his jaw. I hand it to him, and he starts typing rapidly, pulling up a tracking program.

"Come on, come on," he mutters, waiting for the system to connect. A small dot appears on the screen, blinking steadily. "Got her!"

"That's the old military testing ground," I say, recognizing the location. "It was decommissioned years ago."

"Or so they wanted everyone to think," a new voice says from the doorway.

We all turn to see Evan standing there, his usually perfect appearance is disheveled. His tie hangs loose around his neck, and his hair sticks up like he's been running his hands through it repeatedly.

"What do you know about this?" Onyx demands, stepping toward him.

Evan's face is grim. "Hammond has her. He came to my office earlier tonight."

"Hammond?" I repeat, the name hitting me like a physical blow. "The guy from the press conference? The one pushing for containment?"

"The same," Evan confirms, stepping into the room.

"And you're just telling us this now?" Onyx's voice is deadly quiet.

Evan meets his gaze steadily. "I came as soon as I could."

"What does he want with Dahlia?" Axl asks.

"She's an Omega," Evan says simply. "And she found the cure. That makes her the most valuable person on the planet to him."

The implications sink in, and I feel sick. "We need to get her out. Now."

"We can't," Evan says. "If I move against Hammond, I lose everything. My company, my resources, everything I've built."

The room goes silent. I stare at Evan, not quite believing what I'm hearing.

"You're not serious," I finally say.

"Hammond has connections everywhere with the government, military, and even police. If I fight him directly, I'll be ruined."

"So what?" Onyx steps closer to Evan, towering over him. "You're just going to abandon her? After everything?"

"I'm being realistic," Evan snaps. "Hammond's offering me a deal. If I cooperate with him, Dahlia stays safe."

"And if you don't?" I ask.

Evan's jaw tightens. "Then he'll use her for his breeding program, and I'll still lose everything."

"Breeding program?" Axl repeats, "What does that even mean?"

"He wants to create more Omegas," Evan explains. "And enhanced Alphas. He wants an army he can control."

"With Dahlia as what? His brood mare?" Onyx's voice shakes with rage.

"I don't like it any more than you do," Evan says. "But my hands are tied."

"You disgusting dog." I lunge at him and throw my fist against his jaw before I even realize I'm moving. He staggers back, caught off guard.

"Your hands are tied?" I snarl, grabbing him by the shirt. "Dahlia trusted you! We all did!"