The Beasts dropped to all four, drawing wheezing breaths, while the others behind them stood in a stupor.
Steel gleamed, and Peter yelled, “Dave, don’t!”
But the sword went straight through Philip’s chest, the tip black with blood as it came out the other side.
Pain held her breath, eyes wide in disbelief, stinging from the cold. For a second, everyone went still, silently watching as Dave pulled the blade out and Philip’s body crumpled to the ground. A mask of pure confusion took over Dave’s face. His first kill. The first life he’d taken, and not in self-defense.
He looked at the sword as if he were surprised to find it there, before it fell from his hand.
Peter was the first to move. But as he held up his hands and took a step closer, Skull and Phoenix leapt to his side, and Dave started.
His eyes went wide, and in a flash, he was gone.
Chapter 47
“Goddammit!”
Jane flinched at Peter’s harsh voice.
He turned on the leering Beasts, the three closest to him back on their feet. “Nobody move!” he barked. “We can fight each other, or we can take that lab. Choose.”
Levi cursed, baring his teeth at Peter and the girls, but didn’t move from his spot. Jane held his stare, her hands resting on the hilts of her swords, her shoulders tense. Anger and wonder mixed in his gaze—and worry, so dark it was almost fear.
“Everyone back to your positions!” Peter ordered, then looked at the Beasts again. “I’ll call for you when it’s time, you have my word. You can have your men. We don’t need them, don’t want them. Just don’t fucking hover behind my back.”
He didn’t wait for Levi’s response and strode straight to Philip’s body, Skull following him while Phoenix stood between them and the Devil’s Sons. He was probably itching to get his scarred hands on them.
“They’ll go,” the Beast said, “but I’ll stay and watch. Just me.”
“Fine,” Peter said, crouching over the dead half-breed.
The Beasts disappeared behind the building, and the Ghosts got back to their positions in the air. The few that stayed on the ground pulled closer to their boss, the girls striding in the lead.
“We finally storming the place?” Pain asked, sheathing her sword.
“No,” Peter growled, hauling Philip up onto his shoulder. “There’ll be no storming.”
The girls looked at each other, their faces identical surprised masks, and hurried after Peter.
Pain motioned for Chad to keep close to her side, while ahead of them, Phoenix took out a flashlight and strode through the gaping front doors.
They followed him, Skull, and Peter through dusty hallways, Ryan and Marco behind them, Rob and his brother stopping to guard the entrance along with a few others. Their footsteps echoed in the empty building, the creaking of leather too loud. Soon enough, they came upon a big hall with two trapdoors.
Peter jerked his head at the nearest one, and Skull grabbed the handles.
“Back off,” Skull said, and when everyone got out of possible line of fire, threw the double doors open.
The opening glowed white. Hushed voices sounded from it.
Peter stepped forward, but Skull stood in his way with a curt shake of his head. He took Philip’s body from Peter. Carefully, he eased it down on the stairs and backed off.
“Your boss is dead,” Peter said in a loud, clear voice. “And Victoria killed herself days ago. We’ve already rescued everyone you’ve abducted. It’s over. You got five minutes to decide. Either you give up all weapons and walk away from here, or we storm the basement, arrest everyone down there, and send you straight to our friends at NYPD. I’m sure at least a few of you have a reason to avoid it, and if not, we’ll make one up for you. Five minutes.”
Barely two minutes had passed when the first two AKs were shoved over the edge.
“We surrender!” a male voice called out from downstairs. “Don’t attack!”
Two more rifles followed, then two handguns.
“We got no beef with you people,” Peter called out. “It’s your boss we wanted. Step away from the trapdoor. We’ll take the weapons and leave so you all can come out. You play nice, and we won’t touch anyone. We’re here for our people, not you.”
More whispers from downstairs.
“Does that mean we’re not getting paid?”
Peter sighed. “No, but you also aren’t getting arrested.”
“What’s gonna happen when we come out?”
“You go home. That’s it.”
Another hushed conversation, then, “All right. The stairs are clear.”
They collected the weapons and left the hall. The exit shone yellow, blinding after the dark maze. The cars had pulled up to one side, and more were coming through the trees, including two black, nondescript buses, and three enormous crew cab trucks.
Jane glanced at Marco as they retreated behind their vehicles, where they’d be safe in case the Commandos were planning something, and the humans would be blinded by the headlights. Marco’s eyes kept darting to the road, a scowl etched into his face.
The first Commando appeared in the doorway just a second later. He held his arms up, the mask covering his face. Once his eyes adjusted to the light, and he saw that no one was about to jump him, he took a small, careful step outside.
“It’s all right, come out to the center!” Peter hollered.
Jane peered across the clearing, worried about the Beasts changing their minds and attacking the humans, but it was only Levi at the corner, watching the scene with narrowed eyes.
One by one, the Commandos came out into the light, six masked men followed by five women in white coats and parkas, then three more men who clearly had also worked in the lab.
“Open your coats, show us you got nothing there. Your waistbands and
