Page 25 of Rescued by Four Alphas (Claimed by the Four Alphas #2)

" W hat do you mean 'right now'?" I demand, "Be specific."

The communications specialist shrinks under my gaze, his fingers fumbling with the equipment. "The transmission was clear, sir. The primary subject, which we believe is your mate, has entered early labor. They mentioned 'accelerated extraction protocols' are being initiated immediately."

My world narrows to a pinpoint. Twenty minutes ago. Twenty fucking minutes. Anything could have happened at that time.

I sweep my arm across the nearest surface, sending maps and equipment crashing to the floor. "We move now. Not at dawn. Now."

"Evan," Leo's voice cuts through my rage. "If we go in unprepared, we'll get ourselves killed and leave Dahlia with no rescue at all."

"He's right," Onyx growls, stepping closer. "But we can accelerate the timeline. The facility's shift change happens in forty minutes. That's the perfect window to strike."

"I understand your urgency, guys, but an assault hours ahead of schedule without final positioning is suicide. My advance teams aren't in position yet, and we haven't completed the perimeter…"

"We don't have time for what we need," I cut him off, "Every minute we wait is another minute that madman is hurting my mate and my children."

"Evan," Leo places a hand on my arm, "we all want to get to her, but…"

I shake him off. "They're inducing labor, Leo. Do you understand what that means? They're going to either force her to give birth now or cut our babies out of her and slice them open like lab rats while they're still breathing."

The cabin goes deathly silent. I watch as the reality hits each of them.

"Mr. Rivera," I turn to face the mercenary, "I'm tripling your fee. Whatever you need, equipment, personnel, weapons, name it and it's yours. But we move now."

Rivera studies my face for a few minutes, then looks at Leo, Onyx, and Axl before he signs. "Triple is generous," he says slowly, "but my men aren't prepared for a daylight assault."

"I don't care if they're wearing fucking pajamas," I snarl. "Get them ready."

Onyx moves to my side. "Rivera, I need you to understand something. This isn't just a rescue mission for us. That woman is carrying our children. All of ours. We won't leave her behind, and we won't hesitate to die trying."

"Speak for yourself," Leo adds grimly. "I'm not planning to die. I'm planning to make them die."

Rivera exchanges glances with his lieutenant, then nods sharply. "Give us 40 minutes to get my snipers in position and bypass their outer security grid. We can't go in blind."

"We don't have forty minutes," I snarl.

"Then we have to improvise," Rivera says grimly. "But some of my men will die because we're not ready."

"So be it."

I pull out my phone and dial Oliver. He answers right away. "Sir?"

"I want the helicopter squadron redirected for immediate extraction. Activate all available Blackthorn Security teams in the northwest region…"

"Yes, sir. How many units?"

"All of them." I pace across the cabin. "And get Jensen on the satellite. I want real-time imagery of the facility and thermal imaging of all underground levels."

"That would require access to military satellites, sir. The legal implications…"

"I don't give a damn about legal implications, Oliver." My voice drops dangerously low. "Use whatever access codes are necessary. Call in every favor we're owed. If anyone objects, double their annual salary. I want those satellites online now."

"Yes, sir." His voice turns clipped and professional. "Anything else?"

"Contact our friend at the telecom hub. I want all communications to and from the Montana quadrant jammed for a three-hour window. Make sure it looks like routine system maintenance."

I end the call and turn to Leo. "What's your status?"

Leo is already strapped up and ready to go. "Comms are encrypted and operational. Rivera's tech is syncing with our systems now. Axl is prepping the sniper positions with Vega."

"Good," I nod, trying to focus through the red haze threatening to consume my thoughts. An image of her bloodied face flashes through my mind, and I must grip the edge of the table to stay upright.

Not again. I won't fail her again.

My phone buzzes with an incoming call from our tech lead, Jensen.

"Talk to me," I answer.

"Sir, we're in. We've breached their preliminary security protocols and have access to their surveillance system," Jensen reports. "The facility is on high alert. There appears to be a code red situation in progress in the medical sector."

My heart stops. "What kind of situation?"

"Unclear, sir. But there's a lot of movement and security personnel mobilizing toward the lower levels. Wait…" I hear rapid typing in the background. "I've got visual confirmation. There's blood in one of the examination rooms, and there are two people in medical attire."

"And Dahlia?" I demand.

"I'm still searching," Jensen says. "Their internal tracking system shows a movement in zone 4B, section 12. It's a storage area on level 4. Two heat signatures were detected."

"Who's the second?"

"Unknown. But a group is approaching the storage area now." Jensen's voice tightens. "Sir, they're heavily armed."

I close my eyes for a brief moment, struggling to contain the wolf clawing at my insides. When I open them, everyone in the cabin is staring at me, waiting for my command.

"Send the coordinates to all team members," I order. "And I want eyes on Reid. Find me that bastard."

"Perfect," Onyx snarls. "I'll handle him personally."

"No," I shake my head. "Reid is mine. But I want him alive long enough to piss his pants in fear."

"Mr. Blackthorn," Rivera approaches as I check my weapons one final time. "I need to be clear about something."

"What?"

"You hired me to lead this operation. That means following my commands even in the heat of battle." His dark eyes bore into mine. "Your Omega needs a living Alpha, not a dead hero."

"I understand the risks," I reply coldly.

"No, I don't think you do." Rivera steps closer. "I've seen that look before in men who don't plan to come back. That's not acceptable. My team doesn't sacrifice themselves for employers with a death wish."

"I don't have a death wish," I snap. "I have a mate who needs me... Who needs us."

"Then act like it," Rivera counters. Follow my plan. No heroics. Or I pull my men right now."

We stare at each other for a long moment. Finally, I give him a tight nod. "I'll follow your lead until we locate Dahlia. Then nothing will keep me from her."

He seems to accept this compromise. "Mount up."

As we prepare to leave, Leo grabs my shoulder. "Evan, whatever happens in there, we stick together. That's how we win this."

"Agreed," Axl nods, slinging his equipment pack. "We've got each other's backs."

"Always," Onyx agrees.

The journey to the facility perimeter is short, but I check my watch obsessively, counting the minutes and imagining what might be happening to Dahlia with each passing second.

"Satellite feed confirms increased activity at the front entrance," Jensen reports through my earpiece. "They're mobilizing a response team. Someone inside must have tipped them off."

"Any visual on Dahlia?" I demand.

"Negative. The storage room where we detected a signal has no internal cameras. But six armed guards are approaching that position now."

"That's manageable," Leo says through comms. "Rivera, can your team handle the distraction while we breach from the east?"

"Affirmative," Rivera responds. "Onyx, can you confirm the service tunnel is clear?"

"It's clear for the next ten minutes," Onyx says. "After that, they will rotate guards."

"Team Alpha will breach the main entrance here," Rivera points to the front gate. "And create maximum distraction. Team Bravo will access the service tunnel on the east side and aim for the elevator that leads directly to the 4th level."

"And Reid?" I ask.

"No visual yet," Jensen admits. "But we're tracking movement in his office on level five."

"Lock down his office. I want him alive," I say. "He's mine."

Rivera gives me a knowing look. "Focus on your mate, Mr. Blackthorn. Revenge is a luxury for after the extraction."

The assault begins precisely according to plan. Team Alpha launches an explosive attack at the main entrance, breaching the outer security gate. Alarms immediately blare across the facility, and automated defense systems activate, including gun turrets mounted on the perimeter wall.

I'm with Team Bravo, and we're moving low and fast toward the service tunnel entrance. Axl's voice comes through my earpiece.

"Two tangos on the east parapet. Taking the shot." Two muted cracks follow. "Clear."

We reach the service tunnel entrance as gunfire erupts at the main gate.

Rivera's men are engaging the facility's security forces, drawing attention away from our approach.

The diversionary tactic is working, but we can already hear the distant thump of helicopter rotors. His reinforcements are coming.

"Jensen, status," I demand as we breach the outer door.

"Security forces are converging on the main entrance. Seventy percent of the personnel have been diverted from internal positions. You have a clear path to the elevator."

We move through the tunnel in formation, our weapons ready. The air is thick, and the tunnel smells of damp concrete and stale air. My heart pounds in my chest and sweat trickles down my spine despite the cool temperature.

"Contact," our point man whispers, signaling us to halt. Ahead, two guards block the entrance to the facility.

Rivera signals with his fingers, and two of his men move forward and snap their necks before they can raise an alarm. We continue forward, entering the lower levels of the facility.

"Team Alpha reporting heavy resistance," comes the update through comms. "Automated defenses are active. Multiple casualties."

"Hold position," Rivera orders. "And keep drawing their attention."