“I understand.”

Time seemed to stretch on forever. Lauren yawned, the stress of the day getting to her. 140 wasn’t Wrath but in the dark he reminded her of the man she loved. She wasn’t afraid to have hope. I’m getting out of here and I’m going to see Wrath soon.

* * * * *

Wrath wanted to go into the dark building immediately but Brass gripped his arm, shaking his head.

“Wait. They are setting up now. We need to do this right, hit it at once from all sides and take over as quickly as possible to avoid any fatalities. The infrared is showing a lighter heat signature near the hot spots. That means it’s a human.”

Tim watched the portable tablet device monitor in his hands and spoke. “We found her.” He looked grim when he lifted his head, seeking someone out in the group clustered around him.

Wrath didn’t like the way Tim held his gaze with a look of near pity. He glanced back down at the screen.

Brass addressed the issue. “What is wrong, Tim? Tell us.”

“We didn’t detect Lauren Henderson’s heat signature right off because another masks it. She’s with one of yours and they are lying on their sides. He is right against her. She’s smaller than him, at first it seemed a blurred image but we got a better angle. They are lying together real tight.”

Rage filled Wrath. “They’ve forced bred her to one of the males.”

Shadow gripped his other arm when he tried to spin around to rush to Lauren’s aid. Brass’ hold clamped down tighter as both of them held him in place.

“You don’t know that for certain,” Shadow rumbled. “Calm.”

“Calm or leave,” Brass agreed.

He took a deep breath to regain control of his anger. He nodded sharply to let them know when he had. “We need to go in there.”

“We have to wait until the lesser heat signatures are farther away from the hotter ones. They could have guns. The problem is that we’re picking up a human close to a Species.” Tim touched his screen and turned it to show the men around him. “This is the blueprint of the building. There’s a small storage basement and that’s where one of yours is being held.” He tapped the screen. “The human is damn close. It’s harder to read the heat signatures belowground but we’ve got them here and here.” He pointed.

“We need to create a distraction,” Brass suggested.

“That’s what I was thinking. We put an SUV in the parking lot to observe the back of the building. We could set off its alarm. That might pull the human to the back of the building to check out what is causing the noise. We can breach if they fall for it.”

“Do it,” Wrath urged, desperate to get in there and find Lauren.

Tim tapped his ear. “Trey?”

Everyone on the teams could hear any chatter on the coms and a male answered. “Yeah?”

Tim outlined the plan. “Everyone get ready to blow in on my command. We all go in at once, no delays, and remember we’ve got five victims in there. We’re assuming the four New Species have never been freed so wait for New Species assistance before you free them unless we hit a hot zone.” He released his ear and stared at Brass. “Are your teams ready?”

“We’re already prepared to fight for the freedom of Species.” He glanced at Wrath. “And for the females of our males.”

“What if it is a hot zone?” Wrath didn’t even want to think about someone taking the time to set explosives or other deadly precautions that would kill anyone inside the building in case of a breach. “We aren’t abandoning them, are we?” He wouldn’t leave Lauren.

“It’s a grab-and-go if it’s a trap.” Tim frowned and held Brass’ stare. “You sure he’s okay? This is personal for him.”

“It’s personal for all of us. There are Species in there as well. He’s got a right to try to save his female.”

“Shit.” Tim sighed. “I don’t think this is a good idea. We need everyone coolheaded.”

Brass released Wrath’s arm and leaned in closer until they were practically nose to nose. “You go for your female. Don’t hurt the male with her, Wrath. Do you understand me? We don’t know the circumstances and until we do, swear to me that he’s safe from you. I give you my word to personally lock you in a room with him later if he hurt her without justified cause.”

“I swear.” They were hard words for Wrath to say but the most important thing was Lauren.

Tim reached up and touched his ear. “Set off the alarm. Everyone get ready to breach on my mark. Remember the damn layout.”

Wrath’s heart pounded and fear gripped him hard. He silently swore to get Lauren past whatever horrors she’d endured. They could deal with anything together, as long as he got her back alive.

Chapter Seventeen

A car alarm going off in the distance woke Lauren and she tensed, disorientated, but the arm around her waist reminded her quickly of reality. She was locked inside a cage with 140, her cheek pillowed on his arm and the sound she heard was a typical one.

“It is fine,” he assured her. “We hear those sounds sometimes.”

“Car alarm,” she supplied. “Everyone seems to have one these days. I’m guessing it’s windy outside or a cat jumped on it. My Tiger has set off many of them.”

“Tiger?”

“My pet.”

“Are you warm enough?”