Page 59 of Victorious: Part 3

“Great, you should have left me behind.” Brass groans.

Toxin giggles. “You can join us if you like, I do love a bit of blood play.”

Whiskey groans and Brass shakes his head, clutching to his wound. “Jesus! Whiskey, turn the boat around.” He chuckles under his breath.

And this, right here?Thisis why we do this.

Why we put our bodies on the line to fight assholes like Javier and his fucked-up Cartel.

Because our brotherhood, our family,is wortheverything.

And no one can come in and take this from us, because Defiance willalwaysfight.

No matter the cost.

Chapter Eleven

SIN

LAS VEGAS – 12:00 a.m. PDT

The Nevada desert stretches endlessly in every direction as our convoy of modified off-road vehicles cuts through the darkness toward the abandoned mining complex.

I check my watch.

11:47 p.m.

In thirteen minutes, every Defiance chapter across the country will simultaneously strike at the heart of Javier’s empire. It’s not pressure, just the knowledge that we all need to get this right.

“Ghost, talk to me about their security setup,” I call into my helmet mic as we navigate the winding mining road that hasn’t seen legitimate use in decades. Sand whips at our tires, flowing up in our wake like a dust storm waiting to create the carnage that we’re about to dish out.

“Thermal imaging shows twelve to fifteen warm bodies inside the complex,” Ghost’s voice crackles back through the comm system. “Main facility is built into the original mine shafts, with natural cover from air surveillance. I’m detecting electronic signatures from at least three different alarm systems.”

“Any signs they know we’re coming?”

“Negative. They’re running standard patrol rotations. Overconfident bastards think they’re untouchable out here. This is the only mineshaft that McClane Mining Co. and Jonas don’t have a hold on. We shoulda been checking it out, but everyone thought it was abandoned. No wonder The Rojas Cartel took advantage.”

I grit my teeth beneath my helmet. “Just wait till we fill inJonas. He’s not gonna be happy that another Cartel has been working in his mines under his nose. But don’t worry, we’re gonna flush them out for him.” I guide my bike around a bend that reveals the sprawling complex ahead. Multiple levels are built into the hillside, with the original mine head converted into the main entrance. Vehicle tracks in the sand show regular traffic, but tonight the place looks quiet.

Peaceful, even.

That’s about to change.

“All teams, visual on target. Proceed to final positions,” I order.

The convoy splits as planned. Nitro leads his extraction team toward the rear emergency exits while Koa and Mace position themselves at the main entrance with enough explosives to wake the dead. The rest of us, myself, Ghost, Warden, Bear, Axel, Flint, Hash, Deek, and prospects Liam and Will, dismount and begin the approach on foot.

The desert air is crisp against my face as I adjust my night-vision goggles. Around me, my brothers move like shadows, each one carrying the weight of what we’re about to find. If the intelligence is correct, this facility isn’t just producing drugs, it’s manufacturing chemical compounds designed to strip away free will.

Mind control in a fucking bottle.

“Hazmat suits, everyone,” I order quietly. “If this shit’s as bad as we think, we can’t afford any exposure.”

The process of suiting up takes precious minutes, but it’s necessary. The sealed suits make communication more difficult and movement cumbersome, but they might be the only thing standing between us and becoming laboratory rats ourselves.

“Ghost, kill their comms,” I order.

“Already done. They’re operating in a black hole now.”