Chapter 80
Kane’s POV
My wolf stayed restless under my skin, every instinct screaming at me to stay vigilant as the weight of this entire plan now rested on our teams shoulders…
Kion had commended our idea to use the tunnels to infiltrate the compound without being detected and each team agreed to find a position in the trees to have eyes on the snipers from afar. This way, they would watch for us taking them out, using this as their go ahead for their own attacks… but one problem remained, which was that we still hadn’t heard back from the third team!
Purcell trudged ahead of us, his pace quick despite his obvious fear. He kept glancing over his shoulder at me, his eyes wide, like a rabbit sensing a predator nipping on its heels.
He wasn’t wrong.
If this tunnel didn’t pan out how he had promised, then I’d make good on my earlier threat.
“Keep him moving, it surely can’t be much longer!” I said lowly to Viktor, who nodded and muttered something in Russian to Purcell. The man responded with a flurry of words, his voice tinged with panic.
“What now?” I snapped.
Viktor smirked faintly. “He’s just saying he remembers the way. He’s not lying to us. Yet.”
I narrowed my eyes at Purcell’s back, who was visibly tense but kept walking.
He’s probably worried about being seen with us – being found out as a traitor and a snake by Dimitri’s men.
The forest gradually thinned as we descended further into a hollow. The ground leveled out, and the faint outlines of large, jagged rocks began to emerge through the snow. Purcell stopped abruptly, pointing to a cluster of boulders near the base of a frost–covered slope.
“There,” Viktor translated as Purcell gestured frantically. “He says the entrance is hidden under those rocks. It hasn’t been used in years, so it might be
buried.”
I stepped forward, scanning the area carefully. My wolf’s heightened senses picked up faint traces of stale air wafting from beneath the snow–covered debris. It smelled damp, old but not entirely sealed off.
–
“Dig it out,” I ordered as four of my own men rushed in, followed by some of our Russian team, with Seth also moving in to oversee things for us.
Our men made quick shifts in to their wolves, using their enhanced power and strength to nudge the rocks aside before their claws extended as they tore into the frozen earth, tossing chunks of snow and ice aside at record speed.
Within minutes, a small opening began to take shape, the jagged outline of a steel hatch being revealed to us – the dark tunnel emerging and confirming
Purcell’s truth.
Purcell said something, his voice shaking, and Viktor translated: “He says this is it. It leads directly under the fence. The way is narrow, but it’ll get us inside if the tunnel hasn’t collapsed yet…”
I moved forward and crouched near the opening as soon as the wolves managed to pull the hatch door upwards with a loud creek, peering down into the black void to find a set of ladders. The air that wafted out was damp and reeked of mildew. The tunnel was barely wide enough for a man to squeeze through let alone a wolf in his full form.
–
1/3
1:40 pm P
Chapter 80
“Looks tight,” Seth muttered, leaning over my shoulder. “You sure we can even fit through that with those big ass shoulders of yours?” He mocks, as I roll my eyes at him.
“We don’t have a choice,” I said. I turned back to Purcell, who was watching nervously. “You go down first.” I stated with a point.
Viktor relayed the command, and Purcell’s face went as pale as the snow around us. He stammered something, shaking his head, but one sharp growl from
me had him scrambling toward the opening.
“Don’t kill him yet,” Viktor said with a wry smile. “We still need him to lead the way.”
Purcell squeezed his way into the tunnel, his slimmer build managing just fine.
Viktor followed next, his men then going after him, and then my pack.
I went last, keeping an eye on everyone ahead of us and offering to close over the hatch knowing that it would weigh a ton.
The start of the tunnel was tighter than I’d even expected. The rough stone walls pressed against my shoulders, and the darkness was almost suffocating to be in. I could hear the labored breathing of the men ahead of me, along with the faint drip of water echoing throughout the passage.
“It opens up a bit as you get further in!” Viktor calls back to me, offering a glimmer of hope that we would actually make it through to the other side.
“Great! Let’s keep moving,” I barked back, my voice low but confident.
The tunnel felt endless, each inch forward a test of patience and endurance. My wolf growled in frustration, the confined space grating against his instincts to be free. But I forced myself to focus. If this tunnel got us past the snipers, then it would be worth it!
But after what felt like an eternity, the faint glow of moonlight seeped in from the far end – as we began to whisper messages down the line in order to
communicate.
“Alpha Viktor says that there is another ladder and a manhole that can be popped off easily… if we send Purcell up first, he can check that it’s clear and also disguise the rest of us if it’s not…” one of my men whisper to me, as I glance down at the many heads in front of us – knowing that Viktor was waiting patiently towards the front for my response.
Giving a final nod, the chain of whispers starts up again as each person passes a brief ‘thumbs up‘ to the teammate in front of them.
With that, all I could do from the back now was wait for everyone else to move.
Purcell would emerge first, given that he could be trusted to stay loyal to us as opposed to blowing our whole operation…
But if he did, then I’d be sure to worm my way up there with enough time to snap his scrawny fucking neck!
After long minutes of waiting on the edge of our boots, the queue began to shuffle forward, as delight filled me knowing that we had successfully made it
inside Dimitri’s compound!
When I was finally the last to emerge, I straightened up and took a deep breath of the icy air, grateful to be out of the suffocating tunnel and glancing
around at our surroundings.
We were now on the inside of the fence, just as Purcell had promised as my eyes found him crouched behind a wall of crates, offering him a stiff ned of approval.
He deserved that much from me right now.
2/3
1:40 pm P
Chapter 80
I joined the group behind the walls, as the men all eyed me patiently waiting for their next instruction.
From this angle, we had a clear view of one of the nearby watchtowers. A sniper’s silhouette was visible against the faint glow of the torches, seated on a
chair with his back to us…
The good thing is, he won’t be looking for anyone to shoot from beneath him, only from the outside fences…
“We’re inside,” Viktor said quietly, his voice tinged with satisfaction. “Now what?”
I glanced at the team, my mind racing. The snipers were still a threat, but we had the element of surprise on our side now. If we could take them out silently, the rest of the team would have a clear path to the gates…
“We split into groups for each tower,” I said, my voice low but commanding. “Don’t shift to kill them, use the knivand get them in the throat if possible – less noise that way. Viktor, take your men and handle the towers on the left. Seth, you take a group for the ones on the right. I’ll handle the ones round back with Purcell and the others; he can lead us there. After that; hold your position quietly on the towers while we wait for the other teams to reach the gates. By then, it will be time for war!”
Viktor nodded, already motioning for his pack members to follow him as he briefly translated the plan – each man reaching in to their bags for their hunting knives with a nod of understanding…
It was go time!
Comments
5
Write Comments
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
