Still, something bugged him. He’d gone from attracted to her to sleeping with her at record speed and even now he ached to return and have more fun in the bedroom.
Maximus bit back a growl. He wanted to believe in destiny like CJ, but their destiny thus far had been cruel and unforgiving. Trusting the world to deliver their mates didn’t make sense. They’d been free of the Corps for a while and hadn’t stumbled upon their own Vestals. They’d even participated in rescue missions and only managed to find other hybrids’ Vestals yet not their own. If anything, the universe was mocking their plight.
No. Destiny wasn’t kind. There was no such thing. There was only taking destiny into their own hands like now.
They would find Quinen, and they’d make him fix what he’d done.
* * *
The hybrids surrounded the hidden entrance. Maximus double-checked the drone feed on his sat phone confirming its location. Now that they were close and looking, they could make out the slight disturbances in the soil marking their way in. The door was huge, large enough for vehicles, making Maximus wonder about why it needed to be that large. He’d not been watching the feeds the entire time, but he’d had Decimus and Seneca both keeping an eye on the drone feeds in case their prey decided to not stick around for a group of angry, heavily armed hybrids to show up and deliver the pain.
Maximus slung his rifle over his shoulder, crouched, and felt along the ground until he found a latch. He yanked it up with a grunt before tracing along the cool, wet metal until he found a latch on the other side.
He tilted his head. “Not hearing or feeling anything that might be an alarm.”
“No need,” Cornelius said. “I’m sure they’re already ready.”
Agrippa stepped forward. The dark-haired hybrid eyed the door with an eager look and patted a pouch. “Time to blow it?”
“It’s metal underneath some grass and shrubs,” Maximus said. “If they had a bunch of guys underneath there, I think we’d be see something on the thermals.”
“Or hear something,” Tiberius said. “Remember that thing in Morocco?”
Agrippa moved back, looking disappointed. “My C-4’s here waiting.”
“No.” Maximus patted the edge of the door. “Let’s see if we can open this up the old-fashioned away.”
Gripping the side, he pulled with a grunt of exertion. It rose a few inches before his muscles burned. He slowly lowered it. The enemy probably knew they were there, but there was no reason to alert them with a massive explosion if they weren’t. He also didn’t want to risk accidentally killing Doctor Quinen until they got what they needed from the man.
“This is barely moving,” he said. “They must have some sort of machinery they use, but at least I could get it to budge.” He pointed to three sides of the door. “Two men on each side. The rest of you watch our backs until we’ve got some clearance.”
Tiberius, Cornelius, CJ, Decimus, Zephyrus, and Maximus all took up position. The remaining hybrids stood in a loose circle, a couple keeping an eye on their perimeter while the others kept their weapons at the ready in case guards rushed out of the door.
“On three,” Maximus said. “One, two, three, pull!”
The hybrids all growled in unison, their muscles challenged by the heavy thick metal door. Muscle and willpower met sheer mass, the huge door creaking up inches and then feet. Other hybrids ran over now that the bottom was exposed and pushed at it. Long hydraulic cylinders provided evidence about how the door was normally opened. Maximus didn’t want to spend the time investigating but assumed the latches could be tripped remotely as well.
A large inclined tunnel lay underneath the open door, along with a set of narrow train tracks. The height and width were more than enough for a mining cart or a tiny vehicle. Maximus frowned, looking around the area. There was no obvious major damage or deep grooves around the untracked ground suggesting no vehicles had entered or exited from this tunnel recently.
“Maybe you were right about it being the back, Tiberius,” Maximus said.
He sniffed at the air. There were obvious human scents lingering in the air, and they were relatively fresh. They mixed with other harsh smells, chemicals, oils, and the like that suggested an active facility. Dim red light shone from deeper in the tunnel, which curved shortly after the entrance. So far, all they had was track and lights.
“It’s awfully quiet,” Cornelius said with a frown.
“All the better to ambush us with,” CJ joked.
Maximus advanced into the tunnel. “Keep your eyes, ears, and noses alert. They might have pulled back from the entrances in case we blew them.”
Agrippa kicked at a pebble. “It’s still intimidating when the enemy blows open your door.”
“And unnecessary in this case. Now stay sharp. Nobody talk unless necessary. We might not get good comms in here but activate them just in case.” Maximus adjusted a dial connected to a small receiver tucked into his harness.
The hybrids continued along, Maximus on point, rifles at the ready, but no one saying a word, even their breathing shallow. They followed the corner to a straight tunnel that only extended for another twenty yards before flowing into a wider concrete room with three smaller concrete tunnels, more hallways really leading out of it. A rusty-looking old cart sat at the edge of the tracks, empty. Despite the weathered look of the concrete, the red emergency lights on the walls looked far more recent in vintage.
A cracked crate lay on its side, surrounded by shards of glass. Beakers and flasks lay inside. There were obvious scuff marks from boots all over. There were
