They drove back to Sundown Apartments in an uncomfortable silence. Only when they reached the lot did Jordy thank Adrian for all his help and Kazimir mumbled his appreciation too, preparing for his plan to inform the rebels everything that he'd learned.

"If you need anything, I'm always a call or text away, Kaz." A sympathetic smile touched Adrian's lips.

Kazimir forced a half-smile back. "Thanks, I will."

It seemed like a farewell, a final parting from a friendship that blossomed over a coincidental encounter. Emmett expressed his doubts about the officer, and Kazimir knew that once he got his lover back, he'd never speak to Adrian again.

Kazimir hesitated before following Jordy to the stairwell, casting one look back at Adrian's truck as it disappeared from sight down the road. He needed to grab his motorcycle keys and get going, before Adrian put his plan into action.

"I've gotta go," Kazimir told him, breezing into the living room to fetch his keys. "I'm not sure when I'll come back, but I've gotta save Emmett."

"Kaz, wait. Don't do this." Jordy stood in front of the door, arms crossed over his chest. "You heard what Adrian said. We don't know if that's where they've taken Emmett. We could walk right into a trap. You could get yourself killed."

"I believe Adrian, but we don't have the time to wait and see what's going on. If I was kidnapped, Emmett would go through hell just to get me back. He wouldn't sit back and let the cops handle everything. For all we know, he might be on death's doorstep."

Jordy sighed. "Then I'm coming with you."

Kazimir froze. "What? No, you don't need to do that. Don't put your life at risk for me. You don't even like Emmett."

"No, I don't but that doesn't mean I want him dead. And I know how much that asshole means to you," Jordy replied.

Why did Jordy have to be so persistent? Why couldn't he just let him walk off to his death?

"I'm going to tell Alfie and the other rebels," Kazimir admitted. "We'll come up with a plan to rescue him. I'll be fine. You don't need to worry or tag along with me."

"Alfie's going to barge into that place guns ablazing. He won't give two shits about what happens to you as long as he gets Emmett back safely. And if it does happen to be a trap that doesn't kill you all, Alfie's gonna finish you off."

Kazimir shuddered. "I mean, Alfie wouldn't... He knows Emmett would be upset if something happened to me."

"Emmett ain't around. For all we know, he's dead," Jordy snapped. "So before you go back to those gang members, think about who's actually been there for you. Who did you turn to first? You always come back here, Kaz. You know that I'd do whatever I can to help you out, and I don't want to see you get yourself killed over something stupid."

"What do you expect to do then?" Kazimir asked. "There's not a chance in hell Alfie will let you into the hideout."

Jordy shrugged. "I don't need to be. You're not gonna break down the place with them. You'll stay back with me. We'll let them get inside first, distract whatever guards they might have, and hopefully make it through there safely. We're getting Adrian and Adam on board too, in case things take a turn for the worse. If it looks like the rebels aren't faring well in the fight, we won't even dare step foot near the place."

"I don't think they'd be too happy with me for getting the police involved." Kazimir shifted on his feet, teeth clenched tightly down.

"I'd rather us be as safe as possible, considering how dangerous and stupid this plan is," Jordy replied. "I think we'd be best off letting the police handle it and we wait from the sidelines, like back in one of their police cruisers. That way they won't mistake us as an enemy. I'm sure Adrian wouldn't mind doing that."

"I don't know..."

"Wouldn't Emmett rather be rescued and brought back to you, unharmed? What if you get killed out there? You're not being rational about this. While you're an official member of their gang, that doesn't mean you need to throw yourself into danger for them."

Kazimir sighed. "Alright, fine. I'm not a fan of this plan, but I guess you're right about it being our safest option. I'll just have to sneak away from the rebels and not let Alfie realize I've gone to the cops."

"Don't worry about him. Just stick by my side or Adrian's and we won't let him get to you," Jordy assured him. "When Emmett's back, I'm sure things will go back to normal for you guys."

Kazimir nodded. "You're right. This plan of yours is a lot better. I guess I better get Adrian on board with it before I tell the rebels."

"Yeah, we'll figure this out. If Emmett's being held there, then we're gonna find him and bring his ass back."

💀

Out in the countryside, Kazimir admired the vast amount of land as they traveled down the narrow, serpentine roads. He leaned against the window, watching some cows beyond their fences. Jordy had the radio on low volume; a hip hop tune played through the speakers.

"I can't believe we're really doing this," Jordy said. "You're lucky that Adrian said it's fine for us to drive out here."

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry I got you involved," Kazimir replied.

"You didn't pull me into this. I offered to help," Jordy told him. "No need to apologize. I just wanted to make sure you didn't do anything to get yourself killed."

When they neared the building, Kazimir's heart pounded in his throat. He expected the worst, but it seemed like they were the first ones to arrive. Hidden behind towering trees, they had coverage from whoever else lurked inside that old building. Kazimir wasn't sure if that's where they held Emmett but one thing was for certain. Someone was using that damn building. Otherwise, why were there cars parked around it?

"I need to check it out." Kazimir undid his safety belt, propping his door open.

"Kaz, don't do this. Just wait for backup. Adrian's gonna be here soon," Jordy insisted.

"I know. Tell him, I'm sorry." Kazimir carefully closed the door behind him and made his way up through the colossal trees. Pulling his phone out, he sent a text to Alfie that he'd already arrived.

It would've been wise to wait. Although Kazimir carried his gun on him, something held him back from charging into the place. Somebody probably guarded it, watching everyone who came and went. If he stepped one foot onto the property, they'd blow him to smithereens.

As a car pulled up through the gravel road behind him, Kazimir froze. Staying crouched down, he peeked out, only letting a breath of relief out when he spotted Alfie and Charlie amongst the crew piling out of the three vehicles.

Kazimir pulled himself off the ground, sparing a glance behind him before making his way over to Alfie. Dirt covered the knees of his Wrangler jeans and hands. His stomach did somersaults as he imagined what kind of elaborate plan Alfie had to infiltrate the place and hopefully save Emmett, if that's where he was.

"I've got somebody on the inside," Alfie said. "So we now know for sure that Emmett's being held here. They're using this facility to keep women hostage for prostitution, according to my source. They've been holding Emmett with the women, keeping him in filthy fucking conditions."

Kazimir paled. "That's awful. Can we help them escape too?"

"That's the plan," Rylee replied. "It will also cause a distraction so we can save Emmett. We just have to hope that they'll listen to us and want out. I know some women in those conditions get attached to their abusers or fear the consequences of leaving them, especially if they've been there for so long."

"How will they escape?" Kazimir asked.

"Well, some of them can climb in the back of our trucks or try their best to run up the road." Alfie gestured behind him with the flick of his thumb. "Our primary focus is on finding Emmett. Don't forget that. It's horrible how these women are stuck here, but we're not cops or saviors."

"Also, stay in groups," Rylee added, standing close beside Alfie. "Don't separate and go off on your own. You might feel like you're tough shit, but those bullets will kill you instantly. These fuckers ain't messing around and we want as less casualties as we can. I do have Sal on call, ready for anyone we need to bring in after this war."

"War? Kazimir repeated.

"Yes, war." Alfie's stern glare settled on Kazimir. "As right hand of the Voiceless Rebels, I commence war on these fuckers for kidnapping our leader. If something, God-forbid, has happened to Emmett then we'll make damn sure none of these assholes leave this place alive. Is that understood?

Everyone nodded, whispering amongst each other as they drifted into their groups. One led by Charlie and the other by Alfie, with Rylee helping him. Kazimir stuck close to Charlie as he gave orders, pointing out where they'd ambush while Alfie and his crew would come up from the opposite side of the building.

A vibration in Kazimir's pocket made him tense up. Despite how it persisted, he didn't answer and opted to turn his phone off when the call ended. He couldn't let it ring or vibrate while inside that building. Not if he wanted to make it out alive. He knew Jordy had to be worried about him, and deceiving him into tagging along was awful, but it was the only way he'd let him come without ratting him out to the police

"You ready, little man?" Charlie's large, clammy hand rested on his back.

Kazimir gulped, giving a feeble nod. "Yeah, I guess so."

"You've got your gun with you, yeah? And it's loaded?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah, I'm good."

"Well, there's no point in waiting around here anymore. Let's go fuck shit up," Charlie said, grinning. "Just stick by me, okay? We're gonna get these assholes to see who they've messed with."

Kazimir inhaled a sharp intake of air, willing his frantic heart to calm down before he suffered a heart-attack. If only he'd listened to Jordy and Adrian. As he gazed up at the building, nerves squirmed in the pit of his stomach but he knew Emmett would have risked everything for him if it had been him kidnapped.

"Let's save Emmett."

Their group quietly emerged from the trees, spacing out enough to form a half-circle as they approached the building. At least they had their rival's cars to hide behind if things took a turn for the worst. Kazimir half expected someone to be waiting for them when they neared the property, but he heard nothing. He kept his eyes peeled for any snipers as well, but again, nobody made any sudden movements.

"Something's not right," Charlie muttered.

Just as they reached the door, gunshots rent the air. Kazimir ducked down, wincing upon the ear-shattering impact. He expected bullets to reign terror on them, but when he reopened his eyes, he realized nobody had been shooting at them. The Black Vipers had stormed out from the back of the building, where Alfie and his crew should've been infiltrating the place.

"Oh fuck." Charlie gripped his gun in a shaky hand, gazing back that way. "Change of plans. We're gonna break into this bitch instead."

Everyone gave a nod of acknowledgement, trusting Charlie's judgment. Kazimir agreed, letting the big man take the lead. Kazimir used his own gun to shoot the lock, not wanting Charlie to be low on bullets when they entered.

Charlie crept inside with cautious steps, keeping his body hunkered against the door and walls. Kazimir kept close behind him, almost enough to bump into the man. Only a smidgen of light guided them through the abandoned factory, where machinery had dust coating them, but endless boxes filled the area, likely a part of their drug supply.

Sudden gunfire made Kazimir freeze. Two men emerged from an adjacent hallway, firing at random. Kazimir shrunk behind Charlie while he opened fire back, as did the other guys in their crew. Every nerve ending bullet that whirled through the air made him nauseous. Where the hell was Emmett? They needed to find him before they got outnumbered.

After the two men were laying in pools of their own blood, Charlie crouched down and retrieved a walkie on one of the men. Charlie cranked it up, listening to the orders from somebody on the outside.

"Here, keep listening to this." Charlie handed him the walkie.

"Okay." Kazimir squeezed the walkie tight, until his knuckles whitened.

They progressed further inside, only needing to handle a few men who came at them firing their weapons. None of them could deter them so far, but Kazimir didn't get his hopes up too soon. They still needed to figure out where they kept Emmett prisoner.

"Dammit, this is why Alfie should've been in here," Charlie groused. "I ain't got a fucking clue where he's at."

"They probably consider the women and Emmett like their drugs, just supply. That means they're stored somewhere in here." Kazimir gestured around the building. "We already saw their drug stash. I'm thinking they're holding them below ground. Maybe there's a way to get lower? Like a basement portion of the building?"

"Fuck, yeah, that's a good idea, little man. Come on, let's see if we can find a way down there," Charlie replied.

As they ventured further into the building, Kazimir couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Why didn't they keep more people guarding the inside of the place? Maybe they'd assumed Alfie and his crew were all that the Voiceless Rebels composed of.

More winding turns through the building, and Kazimir thought they'd never find a way out. Only when they neared the kitchen did they finally get a lead on where the women might be. Charlie and Kazimir peeked inside, noticing fresh food on three silver trays. Bread and some kind of lunch meat with cups of what looked like apple juice.

After seeing nobody else inside, Charlie pushed the doors open, until they hit the backs of the walls. He stepped further inside, inspecting every inch of the kitchen before gesturing for Kazimir and some of his guys to get inside. Charlie sniffed at the sandwiches, wrinkling his nose.

"Fucking nasty bologne. We gotta get Emmett outta here."

"Where the hell is he?" Kazimir asked, pacing around the old kitchen. "We've been all through this place. I haven't seen a way to go down to the basement yet either."

"Maybe it's hidden," Charlie suggested. "They don't want no one to easily find a bunch of kidnapped women, yeah? They must have it locked up or something heavy's guarding the way down there."

"Good point."

"Man, I wish we had a layout of the place," Charlie said. "I hate to say it, but maybe we'd be better off splitting up into two groups here. We've got almost half of us in here, but everyone else is outside fighting. I know it's not what we planned, but it might work. Is everyone alright with that?"

Nobody argued against Charlie's words. They had one group backtrack and scour more places that could've been overlooked while Kazimir stayed with Charlie's main group to move onward from the kitchen.

"Do you think this was all a trap for us?" Kazimir asked. "What if Emmett's not even here? This could be just a drug supply house."

"Come on, don't talk like that."

Just when Kazimir lost hope, Charlie found the hidden entryway from the basement portion of the building. They'd reconstructed a set of stairs in what used to be an employee's lounge. Charlie descended down into the darkness first, illuminating the place with the flashlight app on his phone.

More voices cracked over the walkie, but Kazimir barely heard them over the pounding of his heart in his head. A miasma stuck him hard, almost enough to make him puke. It reeked of dirty laundry and sewage and rotted food. When he spotted the cages, he gasped, stumbling into Charlie's back.

"You good?" Charlie asked him.

Kazimir shook his head, covering his mouth with one hand before slowly removing it. "What the fuck is this?"

"It's awful, I know. Just look around for a set of keys, okay? We can help them out of here, like Alfie planned to do. I'm gonna see if anybody might know Emmett here. If they'll talk."

While Charlie and the other guys scoured the damp, disgusting area, Kazimir tried not to hyperventilate in such a vile place. How could people be so cruel and inhumane? He never expected this. He never should've followed Charlie down there. He should've stayed behind with Jordy in his truck.

"Yo, Kaz!" Charlie called out to him. "You find any keys?"

"No, none."

"I found a lady here who remembers Emmett. They took him away last night. Dunno where, but she says when they take them away like that it's usually to see clients," Charlie explained.

Kazimir hurried over to him, nearly tripping over his own feet to hear what the woman had to say. Where had they taken Emmett? They hadn't killed him already, had they? Were they too late?

When Kazimir reached the cell, he froze. Every being in his body trembled as he reeled back against Charlie. The woman lifted her head, soulless eyes gazed back into his as he choked out, "Mom? Is that... you?"