Page 49 of Stealing Mercury (Arena Dogs #1)

Chapter Thirty

Samantha had never felt more uncomfortable than now, wearing the tiny scrap of a red cloth and more glittery make-up than a veil dancer.

There was even glitter in her hair. Glitter and something that made it stand out in spikes and ringlets.

Rachel had at least provided reasonably sensible shoes. “In case you have to run,” she’d said.

She’d left Knock to try to get through to the guys and followed Rachel out of the port and through the throng of the passenger terminals.

They slipped through a grate in a storage bay in one of the terminals and followed an underground tunnel to the underbelly of what turned out to be one of Roma’s luxury accommodation establishments.

For someone who said she had proven her loyalty to Owens, she sure was taking every precaution.

When they finally slipped out of the building, Rachel guided her onto an elevated moving walkway that carried them to the gates of the arena.

A steady stream of brightly dressed patrons moved through the entrance in anticipation of the show.

In the center of the walkway, a line of familiar looking cages stood tempting the crowds to stop and gawk at the Arena Dogs on display.

Here the cages were safely behind security fields, keeping the slaves from reaching out while giving the illusion of danger for the onlookers.

On the level below, a massive crowd of more drably dressed spectators jostled and shuffled their way through another gate leading into the standing-room sections near the arena floor.

Rachel led her to a guarded door marked private, then led her through a lounge where privileged guest gathered to drink before the event.

The gowns and cosmetics they wore made her look sedate and boring, which was fine so long as it didn’t make her stand out and get her caught.

The far wall was completely transparent and looked over a labyrinth of partitioned spaces.

Rachel punched in a code, opening a door to a narrow metal walkway. “This is the staging area. Come on.”

Across the space, Samantha saw a crisscross of similar walkways. She nodded at a small group of men dressed in evening attire on an adjacent path. “What are they doing?”

“They’re looking over the gladiators that will perform tonight.” The men talked among themselves, occasionally pointing to the area below. “They’re trying to get an edge on the betting by seeing what condition they’re in.”

“Oh.” It was awful. She could see the men being held below in chains. Some were being strapped into leather gauntlets. Others were being oiled down. “How do you stand this?”

“This is nothing,” Rachel’s voice was light, easy. “Toughen up. It only gets worse from here.”

They crossed to the far side of the staging area and through another door, then down a level. Rachel walked them right up to a cluster of uniformed men, standing near a transit tube. “Manny,” she called. “Can you give me and my friend an escort out to the Owens Kennel?”

Rachel had explained that to get to the tunnels that would take them to Hera they’d need to get inside a well-guarded area of the kennel. Going in as privileged guests was the most reliable way.

As Manny separated from the crowd and led them to one of the transports, Samantha noticed that the men wore subtly different uniforms.

“There are five different kennels,” Rachel said. “They were established by the four men and one woman who created RomaRex.”

“Playing tour guide tonight, Lady Rachel?” Manny spoke politely as the transport pulled out of the station and moved them outside and along the tube-track.

The land around them was open, flat, and empty and it flew by at dizzying speed.

There wasn’t a soul in sight. Clearly a restricted tract.

If Rachel had seen Mercury, Lo, and Carn at the kennel they must’ve made it across safely.

If they were still there she might be able to connect with them and they could help her get Hera out—assuming she could get Hera back to the kennel once she found her. It was a damned big assumption.

***

Mercury crept along the rafter, edging his way in silence.

The guards patrolling the corridors wouldn’t hear him, but the eyes of the Arena Dogs in the cells below tracked his progress.

They’d have smelled him the moment he entered this wing of the kennel.

He found the cell he wanted and settled his body against the cool metal to wait for the two guards to reach the optimal distance in their patrol pattern.

It helped that it was an arena night. The guards were spread thin.

He barked a low yip and waited for Saber to respond. The massive male leapt to a narrow bar that had been hung in his cell to provide exercise. He swung his body up and balanced there, much as Mercury did with the rafter. The others in the cage watched in silence.

Saber got right to the point. “You’ve come for Carn’s mate?”

“Yes. I need your help.”

Saber’s unblinking stare gave none of his emotions away. “You shouldn’t have come.”

“Carn is my pack brother. I couldn’t ask him to abandon his mate.”

The big man dipped his head in a slow motion of acknowledgement.

“We need a distraction. Lo and Carn are spreading the word through the kennel.” The others wouldn’t make a move without Saber’s leadership.

Scowling, Saber shook his head. “I must think of the good of all. If they realize you breached the kennel defenses, they’ll tighten security.”

Why would security be important to Saber? The implications flared through Mercury’s brain like the snap of a glow-stick. “You have a plan to free our people?”

Saber said nothing, but his silent stare was answer enough.

The possibility was an ember of hope that Mercury would hold close to his soul, but he couldn’t abandon his promises to Carn in hopes Hera would be able to escape in whatever scheme Saber was working.

“Carn won’t leave without her. We only need the guards distracted.

Our transport has room for a few more. We could take some of you with us. ”

“No,” said Saber. “We let Owens believe this ends with you.” Tipping his big head back, Saber growled.

An answering growl sounded in the distance. Several howls sounded from other areas of the kennels.

Saber sighed. “We’ll do what you ask, but Hera isn’t in the kennel.”

Mercury steeled himself against what might come. “The guard’s quarters?”

Saber snarled. “I don’t think so, but Owens wants us to believe she’s in confinement. It’s a trap. They’ve put on an elaborate show, but none of us has scented her in days.”

Mercury breathed out a careful sigh of relief. The trap was a worry, but knowing Hera hadn’t been subjected to the guards eased his guilt.

Lo’s scent reached Mercury before he heard him. He shouldn’t have heard him at all. He was supposed to be in the east wing. Lo bounded from beam to beam, landing precariously in front of him.

“Samantha is here.” The words rushed out and worry danced in the red flames of Lo’s eyes. “She was with Rachel and one of the guards.” Lo’s chest heaved as he spoke. “They were headed toward the Lady’s wall.”

Mercury’s world stopped for a heartbeat. He met Saber’s eyes and dropped the override Knock had made for him through the bars. “Be ready.”

“Good luck.” Saber’s whispered words faded away as he and Lo raced toward the scent of his mate.

***

Rachel giggled loudly then leaned in to whisper in Samantha’s ear. “You remember what to do?”

“Yes.” Stomach roiling at the sight of the men—the Arena Dogs—stripped bare for any cruel human that would pay to see them this way, men like Mercury and Lo, she wanted the whole thing over. “You go first.”

Rachel giggled again. She traced her fingers over one of the muscled creatures chained to the tilting contraption. She gripped his already engorged cock drawing a moan. She pressed her body close and lifted one leg as if she’d climb him.

She’d been right about the guards. They were all too busy watching Rachel to notice when Samantha pressed the small mask over her mouth and nose, biting hard on the mouth piece.

She slipped the small air delivery strip from beneath her belt.

Her arm swung out in an arc, spraying them all with the anesthetic.

They dropped quickly. She reached out for Rachel and managed to soften her fall. Easing Rachel to the ground, she made sure her limbs weren’t twisted.

“Thank you.” She knew the woman was unconscious, but she hoped somehow her appreciation would get through.

Samantha wished she could free the chained men but freeing them might only get them killed.

She quickly divested the guard of his weapon.

She traced her fingers over the patterned walls until she found the seam of the hidden door Rachel had promised would be there.

At her touch the mechanism released the latches, letting the door swing freely.

Samantha shoved through then climbed down the ladder leading into the darkness.

As she dropped the last few feet she found herself in another transport-tube station.

This one was underground, cramped and obviously not recently used.

Tubes led out in several directions and a map, a stunner, and a uniform lay in a shadowed corner, right where Rachel promised they would be.

She pulled the uniform on quickly and transferred all the gear she’d carefully hidden on her person into the pockets of the uniform.

The fit was terrible, but it only needed to fool the guards from a distance.