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“Wait,” Rylan said, an idea forming. “Raszta can track them. We just need a general location, and he’ll find them.”
Ethan’s eyes narrowed skeptically. “That mop?”
“That ‘mop’ is a highly trained search and rescue animal,” Zak said with all the protectiveness of a proud papa. “He’s smarter than most people I know, and he loves Pierce. If anyone can pick up their scent, it’s Raszta.”
Ethan considered for a moment, then nodded. “All right. We’ll take the dog.”
Rylan opened one of the SUV’s doors and whistled. Raszta leapt into the backseat.
“How many of your men are operational?” Zak asked, opening the passenger side door.
Ethan scanned his men over the hood. “Anyone want to sit this out?”
“Fuck that,” one guy said viciously.
“Not a chance,” another said.
Trent hoisted his weapon to his shoulder and gave a feral smile. “We’re in this to the bloody end, boss.”
“And,” Oz added, finally looking up from the laptop he’d be carrying around. “I’ve narrowed down their location.”
Ethan grinned. “You heard them.”
“All right, then,” Zak said. “Let’s go stop the apocalypse.”
chapter
twenty-seven
“Don’t do it, Pierce.”Rhiannon’s voice was steady, though her eyes were wide. “Don’t give them what they want.”
Drake’s eyes hardened. “Your talents, in exchange for her life. A simple trade.”
Pierce’s mind raced. He couldn’t let them hurt her, but he couldn’t unleash the full power of Tectra-X into the world either.
“Tick-tock,” Drake said softly. “Make your choice.”
Pierce took a slow, shaky breath, then nodded.
“No!” Rhiannon protested. “Don’t. I’m not worth it.”
Of course she was worth it. To him, she was. But he was also very aware of the stakes here. He needed to stall, needed time to think.
Behind his back, he clenched his fists in his best approximation of the sign for trust. He just hoped she saw it and realized what he was trying to say.
“Smart man,” Drake said and pulled a pocket knife from his coat. He flipped it open and approached slowly. “I’m going to cut you free now. Don’t try anything stupid, or she dies.”
The tie broke away, and he rubbed his wrists, trying to work some feeling back into his fingers. Blood rushed back into hishands, the pins and needles almost unbearable. Two guards grabbed his arms, hauling him to his feet.
“Take him to the lab,” Drake ordered. “And ensure she remains... secure.”
As they led him away, Pierce signed,“I’ll come back for you.”
Rhiannon managed a faint smile and mouthed, “I’ll hold you to that.”
They escorted him down a dimly lit corridor, the air growing colder with each step. Pierce’s mind was a whirlwind. He needed a plan—fast.
They entered a large room filled with equipment. In the center stood Tectra-X, a sleek matte metal cylinder with an array of small, circular devices radiating out like the arms of a deadly spider—seismic nodes, each one designed to burrow deep into fault lines.
