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“The source,” Matt says. Urgency roughens his tone. “It’s nearby. Looks like… maybe a mile away. Not far outside the fence.”

My jaw clenches, sending spears of pain through my teeth and down my neck. “He’s watching in person,” I bite out. “The fucker is right here. He wants to make sure no one escapes this time.”

Dante’s expression is grim. “This changes things. It’s good, because we can intercept him. Make damn sure he doesn’t get away. But it means we’ll have fewer people going inside. It’s doable, of course?—”

“I want to go after him.” I hold Dante’s gaze. “I want to be the one to take him down.”

“I know you do. And I don’t blame you. But.” He pauses. “With the explosives potentially inside, you’re our best bet at disarming them.”

Fuck.

He’s right.

And if my desire for vengeance wasn’t so strong, I’d have thought of that already.

Yes, I want to be the one who confronts the monster behind this. The monster who hurt Tate and nearly killed her.

But my personal feelings aren’t important here.

It’s about the team. About keeping their partners and children safe.

About protecting Tate.

After a brief hesitation, I lift my chin at Dante. “I know. I’ll go in. But once you get this fucker, I want to see him face to face before we turn him in.”

“Done.” He nods at me. “Okay. Here’s what we’ll do. Matt, send me the asshole’s location. Rhi and I will go after him. Once we have him secured, we’ll give the signal to cut the feeds and breach the fence. Matt, Niall, and Erik, you guys will go inside to meet up with Tyler and Rafe, then extract the captives.”

He casts a quick look around our small huddle, and we all give quick chin lifts in agreement.

“Alright.” Dante pulls out his Sig. “Rhi. You ready?”

She nods. “Ready.” Then she glances at me with understanding and determination in her gaze. “We’ll get this guy, Erik. Make him pay. I promise.”

Moments later, Dante and Rhiannon take off into the woods, moving like shadows.

While we wait for them to reach their target, Matt, Niall, and I carefully approach the southern end of the circular fence that surrounds this new version of the game. As the fence comes into sight, I’m amazed all over again at the sheer effort that went into setting all of this up. How many hours, days, it must have taken. How much money it cost. All to find a new and horrible way to kill people.

Matt thinks the people—person?—behind this used contractors through the dark web. People who hire themselves out to anonymous sources, each fulfilling a small part of the game. People who don’t care what laws they’re breaking or who they hurt as long as they get paid.

People like the pilots who transported us to Maine. The intruders who broke into my cabin. The men who abducted Rafe and Tyler and brought them here. The dozens of people it must have taken to construct something like this.

We’ll get them all. Make sure they’re punished. I don’t care how long it takes.

About a hundred yards from the fence, we stop to take cover in another cluster of trees. The metal wires along the top of the fence reflect dully in scattered beams of sunlight that filter through the trees.

The sight of it throws me back to the island. To standing before the fence, knowing it was up to me to get Tatum out of there safely. To how brave she was, even though I know she was terrified. To the hug she gave me when we finally got to the other side.

I’m making it home. There’s no question of it. And when I get back, I’m telling Tate I love her.

A soft crackle sounds in my ear, followed by Dante’s voice. “We got him.” A beat, and then, “The fucker’s armed with AK47s. So he could take out anyone who got through the fence.”

Rhi’s voice comes through right after. “Not anymore.” Grim satisfaction tinges her tone. “This asshole won’t hurt anyone else. And we’ve got him right here for you, Erik. I told him you can’t wait to meet him.”

A dangerous smile curves my lips.

Oh. I can’twaitto meet him.

“Alright,” Matt says. “I’m shutting down the feeds. That includes the triggers for the traps. So anyone who’s watching won’t be able to do anything.”