Then

The free-hanging punching bag mocked him as it came back toward him after a series of violent punches. That was the only job the kickboxing sandbag had. Take a punch, swing away, and come back for more. A job it had lived up to for the last many hours of Phoenix's relentless kicks and punches.

No mercy, no breaks. Just kickboxing training in the extreme to rid himself of everything that surged through him. It was a tossup if it was the bag or Phoenix who hurt most, but no amount of physical impact from the training could compare to what he felt. And those feelings were too hard to handle for a man like Phoenix, so he had resolved to his only outlet.

After they had landed at the airport in France, they had gone to the hotel Cellmate had booked for them, and people retreated to their rooms to digest all the information from the briefing. None of them had been in the mood to talk or eat. They needed time to think and be alone to prepare for the next day, and what they were going to face.

Phoenix had paced restlessly in his room until he could not handle it anymore. He had called the reception to hear where the nearest off-site training facility was. There was a gym at the hotel, but Phoenix had not wanted to lose his mind there. The reception had guided him to a place not too far from the hotel, where he had gone to release everything in him.

He still debated if it actually helped him, or if it just exhausted him more and would be a disadvantage during the mission the following day. It was just too much for him to process.

If disregarding the dick size conversation that he truly wished he had never had, Phoenix had still been upset about the information of Jace having seen Levi at the auction in Prague. Jace had not only battled the guilt of leaving that dog boy behind, but he had done so with the knowledge of what kind of monster Levi was. Phoenix wished he had known, had wished that Jace had felt safe enough with him to have let him in on that, because he would have been mentally prepared to support Jace. But he had been taken with his pants down and gotten forced to keep calm to not stress Jace. If he had lost it in the car or on the plane, Jace would have had to deal with that, and he needed his focus.

If he could do nothing else, he could help Jace by staying calm so Jace did not have to be weighed down with speculations of how they would handle that in the future. Jace had nothing to worry about there, it was just that knowing Jace, he would overthink until it drove him crazy. It sat too deep in him to realize that Phoenix would not hold him responsible or hail on him. They would talk, sure, when the time was right, and they did not have pressing matters hanging over their heads.

Having been told on the plane what they were going into had gutted them all. Phoenix had seen how Jace had paled at the new information Gareth had not shared with him. All Phoenix had been able to do with the others around them were to give Jace encouraging half-smiles and promises with his eyes that he would be there for him. Jace had only spoken when necessary. During the briefing, there had been no jokes or cheery attitude. There had been nothing much in any of them. And at the hotel, he had snatched his key and rushed off to be alone.

Phoenix had not wanted to disturb him. Jace knew that he just had to ask if he needed support.

Deeming he had done enough, Phoenix dragged himself away from the sandbag. He grabbed his things and checked his phone to only find a few work mails, but nothing from Jace or anything mission-related from the other team members.

The glances from the others at the gym, which ranged from tentative to fearful, followed Phoenix as he walked to the locker room to shower. It was not as private and exclusive as the club where he trained back in Dublin, but the stalls had doors for privacy, not that he really cared who saw him. They were all afraid of him by now. None would bother him as he showered and got ready to go back to the hotel.

Half an hour later, he stepped out of the gym. The night air was cold and refreshing. For a second, he wished he was like Jace, who blow-dried his hair, because it felt colder with wet hair. He did not complain. It was a lot nicer in France than in Dublin during the winter, that was for sure.

Walking aimlessly, Phoenix wondered if he should grab a coffee or a bite to eat. It was late at night already, and he had not eaten since they had sat at the airport to wait for Malachai, but hunger was not among what he needed most. There were two things he needed, and only one of them was possible. He found his phone and made the call.

"Phennie? Do you know what time it is? Are you ok?"

"Mum, I need dad. Is he awake?"

"He's over at the Hollys to help with their roof, but if you ask me, it's just an excuse for a bunch of grown men to drink beers and hammer things."

Phoenix chuckled at that. It sounded like something his father would welcome. Beer drinking and manual labor were among his favorite activities.

"I'm not your father, but I can listen if you need it?" Phoenix's mother gently suggested.

Though he did not need any of his mother's hippy-dippy crap, she had a good head on her shoulders, and she knew how to handle Phoenix when he had issues. She tried to spin everything into some peace, love, and harmony thing, but Phoenix needed to get out of his head, and his mum had always helped him there.

"It's work. Can you handle that, Mum?"

Phoenix's mother sighed. "Are we talking business, or is it the other part of work?"

It was probably not something most would have shared with their parents, and Phoenix had asked Gareth's permission before he had involved his parents in all aspects of what he was going to do when he had moved to Dublin with Gareth. Phoenix had no secrets from his parents. They were and had always been his interpreters of life and humans. He had come to them whenever he had felt something he had not understood, had asked them why and what when people had baffled him with their behavior. They were the only people he trusted with all his emotional issues, and he relied on them to guide him while he learned.

Cloud and Indigo, honest-to-God hippies with a mellow and flower-power mentality to many things, had not been happy with what Gareth was, or what Phoenix had chosen to be part of. But they had supported him because saying no to Phoenix was like shouting at the wind. They would rather be in on everything to be able to help than be kept in the dark and suddenly find Phoenix crumbling under the pressure of things he did not understand.

"It's the dark side of it," Phoenix admitted. "Do you remember that guy I told you about?"

"The one you're in love with? Sure, I do. I'm not that old, Phennie."

"Mum!"

"Ok, ok. The one you like the company of," Cloud said with a laugh. "We can call it that until you're ready."

Rolling his eyes, Phoenix smiled at his mother's usual way of saying what she thought without proper confirmation. Not that much had been needed with how he had talked about Jace every time he had been home, especially at Christmas, when his frustrations had been at an all-time high because of what had happened at the birthday party. Yes, his parents knew that too. They knew he was gay; they knew his sexual preferences, and they supported him wholeheartedly, even if they did not entirely understand.

Phoenix was Phoenix. He had always differed from them, not only because of his extreme intelligence, but his indifferent and somewhat gloomy demeanor was far from his parents'. So, why would his sexuality and sexual preferences not be different too?

That was what made Phoenix unique.

Walking around, smoking like a chimney, Phoenix talked with his mother about everything that happened in his life. It was not until his phone informed him it needed a recharge that he had to think about ending the call.

"Mum, I've got to run, my phone is dying, and I need some sleep before tomorrow. Thank you for listening to me and say hi to dad." The talk might not really have solved anything for him, but it had helped him sort out the overlapping clutter in his mind. Had helped him see things clearer, and given him a few ideas about how he had to attack his problems.

It was a start.

"Ok, Phennie. Do you want my advice, or was it enough to have someone to listen while you sorted your brain?"

"I'll always value your advice..."

Cloud laughed. "I know, but you'll not necessarily take it. I remember the time when you wanted to ride a bike without having ever been on one."

"You just had to bring that up?" Phoenix scoffed and wished his phone had run out of battery already. He looked at it and miraculously, it still had enough for a trip down memory lane.

Technology sucked!

"Because it's relevant. You saw the bike and wanted it, fought both your dad and me to get it for you, and then you treated it with care for a while until you worked up the courage to ride it, and failed."

"I truly don't need the recap." He had seen kids on tv with bikes and all the fun they had appeared to have, that kind of fun he had never experienced, so he had wanted a bike to feel what they had seemed to feel.

To understand.

It had looked easy enough.

Bikes sucked too!

"The bike and that Jace person are the same in your mind because of how your brain works. What they represent is something you covet. You're in love, and you've never been that before. It's new and you want to try it. But experience has shown you that you can fail, and you're afraid history will repeat itself."

"For Goodness' sake, mum."

The way his mother always managed to cut to the core of things and explain it to him in a way that he would understand, both impressed and infuriated him. She was right, though it probably was a bit more complicated than she had laid it out. That was how his mind saw it, simply speaking. Jace was the bike. He was everything Phoenix had not experienced, and he was afraid he would ruin it or Jace in obtaining whatever result he hoped to gain.

"I don't know what to tell you, Phennie. Be his rock, be what he needs, and be true to yourself. I know you're strong enough to keep yourself in check."

"That was pretty much what I had intended before our talk." Phoenix sighed.

"I don't care what you have to do, but you keep him safe, because I'd lose you if you lost him. That's love, son."

"Mum!"

Cloud huffed. "Don't 'mum' me. Nobody's willing to care that much or put somebody else first as you do with him unless they love them. It can be platonic love, but I know you. It's not."

"It doesn't matter. He won't ever feel the same. I'll settle for him liking me and wanting to be with me physically."

With a deep sigh, because she knew her son, Cloud did not argue with Phoenix's defeated acceptance. "You do what you think is best for now. You've never been in love before, and you don't understand how it works. Give yourself time to learn and don't think too much with that big brain of yours."

"Learn what?"

"That feelings aren't as black and white as you see them. They're not like business where you set your eyes on a certain outcome, and then, if it fails, you move on to the next deal. Feelings have nuances and they can change."

Could that bloody phone just crap out on him already?

Phoenix gripped it tightly to will it to go out. He had an idea where his mother was going, and he did not need it.

"Phennie, you can accept things as they are for now. I'm not asking you to change or even hope when you're not able to. I'm just telling you that maybe with all that you've told me about Jace, he might need time before he can feel anything that's not physical. You need to wait it out, and it might feel like failing when he doesn't respond or see you as you want. But you're strong enough to fail many times before you give up."

"I'm not failing Jace." What else could he say? There was truth to her words. They were just not his truth. And he had no intention of failing Jace at any point.

"I'm not saying you will. I mean, you'll fail yourself. If what you do doesn't work, you'll see it as a failure. It's not. And you have to know that."

Phoenix chuckled humorlessly at those prospects. "If that's what you mean, you can expect a lot more calls in the future."

"And I'll be here every time. Thank you for trusting me with your thoughts. Go get some sleep and be ready for tomorrow. Please call me later in the week when it's over, and stay safe, Phennie."

Cloud left no chance for Phoenix to reply. She had ended the call with a proverbial 'put a jacket on, it's cold outside' mother reprimand. He could only love her for that. Maybe it had been for the best that his dad was out getting drunk with his buddies.

Tired from having thought so much on top of the exercise, Phoenix went straight back to the hotel, where he ordered some food at the reception to be brought up by room service. He had barely stepped out of the elevator on his floor when he saw the slumped-over figure sitting in front of his room.

It felt like his heart leaped into his throat to obstruct his breathing. His mind could not work fast enough to distinguish between the horror scenarios running through his head. Had Jace broken down and needed him? Was he hurt? Had he hurt himself? How long had he been there on the floor, and had anybody seen him and just ignored it?

Had he failed Jace already by not being there?

"Jace?" Phoenix rushed to get to him and instantly crouched down to check if Jace was ok. He lifted Jace's head to see his closed eyes and quickly scanned his body to see if there was any physical damage, self-inflicted or otherwise, but he saw nothing that indicated that, and he allowed himself to calm down a bit. "Jace, are you ok?"

"You're here?" Jace's eyelids fluttered open, and he groggily focused on Phoenix. Then a soft smile came to his lips. "I knocked and figured you were in the shower, so I waited."

"How long have you sat here?"

"I don't know?" Jace felt confused and tired. Though he had not remembered falling asleep, he knew that foggy feeling in his brain, but he relaxed at Phoenix's half-smile.

"Do you need to talk?" Phoenix stood up and reached his hand out to Jace and helped him up. He swayed against Phoenix's chest, and though Jace had not asked directly, Phoenix decided and took matters into his own hands. Jace had come to see him, after all.

He put his arm around Jace's shoulder to steady him, opened the door to the room, and ushered him inside.

Jace could not figure out if it was pathetic or empowering that he went to Phoenix when he was out of balance. A part of him felt stupid and clingy, felt horrible about laying everything on Phoenix just because he had said it was ok, and another part of him applauded himself for being strong enough to trust and ask for help. He did not have a great track record with that.

He knew he had to stand on his own two feet the following day, but that would not be possible without centering himself, and only with Phoenix did he find enough peace to sort his mind to be strong.

Already relaxing, Jace leaned into Phoenix's strong embrace and let himself get guided to the bed, where they sat down. Phoenix's arm never left his shoulders, and a warm hand gently caressed the upper part of his arm.

"Jace, what do you need?" Phoenix leaned closer and tilted his head to rest it against Jace's. "We can talk or not. I just need to know what you need from me."

"I don't know," Jace whispered with wonder, because he did not know what he needed from Phoenix other than just being near him to relax. It had been his first thought to go to him, and it had become an obsessive thought in his mind until his feet had taken him to Phoenix's room on their own accord.

"Well, I just ordered a sandwich. Why don't I order you something too, and we can eat and take it from there?"

Nodding, Jace reluctantly accepted when Phoenix let go of him and went around the bed to the phone and called room service. He hoped Phoenix would get him something delicious, as he did during aftercare. Even if it was not aftercare, the needs were probably around the same ballpark.

"Hello, this is room 703. I just ordered a pastrami sandwich at the reception. Could you add an order of crêpes with ice cream, chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and maybe some strawberries if you have them, please?"

Jace noticed Phoenix spoke English to the room service personnel and not French, probably for his benefit, so he knew what he ordered for him. He shook with silent laughter at how well Phoenix knew him. Pancakes would make him happy, and French ones...

Hell, yes!

"Yes, please, that sounds great. And a large house lemonade too. Thank you." Phoenix hung up the phone and went to his suitcase to find his charger and plugged in his phone. He had better remember that or Gareth would have his ass if he missed anything work-related.

With his mother's words echoing in his mind, Phoenix went back to Jace and sat down, ready to be his rock in whatever capacity that would be.

They sat in silence with Jace leaning against Phoenix's side, and Phoenix's arms protectively around Jace until the food arrived. Eating in silence, the pancakes went down easily, and half of Phoenix's sandwich too, not that Phoenix seemed to mind at all. He just sat there, sipping his soda while Jace ate.

Jace made no objections when Phoenix pushed the room service cart away and guided them to lie down on the bed. The warmth going through him when Phoenix spooned him from behind was blissful.

"You're tired, Jace. You need some sleep to be at your best tomorrow. Many people will depend on you giving it your all," Phoenix mumbled into the crook of Jace's neck.

"I know." Jace lay silently for a bit and tried to relax enough to sleep. He did not have a need for a long talk. In a way, Jace had already accepted what was going to happen and his role in it, but he needed one thing to be able to sleep. "I need to ask you a favor, Phoenix."

"Anything," came the prompt answer from Phoenix.

"I don't know if Levi will be there tomorrow, and if he is, I have no idea how I'll react. If I'll freeze up in fear, or I'll lose all reason and go on a killing spree. I need you to be there for me, please." He drew in a shaky breath and nuzzled closer to Phoenix and got rewarded with a tighter grip around him. "If I freeze, I need you to snap me out of it. He can't be allowed to control me anymore. And if I lose it, you need to hold me back."

Phoenix smiled into Jace's hair. He would do whatever for Jace, but if Levi was there, the least of their problems would be Jace losing it, because Phoenix knew he would go far beyond anything Jace was capable of. They might need to hold him back.

"You have my word."

"And let me know if I make decisions that are irrational. I'm afraid my past will cloud my judgment in there." That was an actual possibility. Jace remembered how he had reacted in Prague. If those same memories and fears overwhelmed him again, he could put the mission at risk. That was not an option, and he was not afraid to ask for the support he needed to keep his head on straight.

"Jace. I'll speak up if I feel you need it. But if I don't, you have to trust that what you're doing is right and don't question yourself. All of us on your team know that you're the experienced one, that you've got your shit together, and you need to believe that too. We'll follow your orders, and we'll have your back. All you have to do is lead. You were born to do that."

"I don't think you're right about that. I was not born to lead. But I learned it from Gareth." Jace bend his head and kissed Phoenix's arm. "And you."

Jace waited with held-back breath, hoping Phoenix would understand that he was thanking him for everything. Maybe he had gone too far. They were not Dom and sub at that moment, though he had to admit that the lines were somewhat blurred with them in bed and holding each other. But he had not specifically asked for Phoenix to step in as his Dom. He had not safeworded, and Phoenix only held him, he had not been in Dom mode or crossed any line a concerned friend would not. Gareth would have held him too, if he had been asked.

"Go to sleep. I'll be right here."

Nodding like a sleepy child, Jace allowed himself to drift off. He was tired in a way he had never been before, at least not like anything he remembered. It was mental exhaustion in an extreme way. When with Levi, he had been drained. His mind had hurt almost as much as his body, but it had not felt exhausting.

He felt Phoenix shuffle behind him, and he imagined he felt the brush of those soft lips on the shell of his ear, and if it was because he was tired and almost asleep or it was wishful thinking, he could have sworn he heard a distant 'my Baby boy'. That feeling of belonging, safety, and acceptance was a new kind of warmth that spread through him, and though he still did not understand that stirring inside him, the warmth was enough to cocoon him in his sleep.

Another warmth hit his face. Jace blinked against it and instinctively reached an arm out to find Phoenix and regain the other warmth again. He had lost it at some point during the night. The safety had been there, and he had not had bad dreams or a need to wake up screaming from memories that were worse than nightmares. It had given him a much-needed peaceful sleep that had replenished his energy. Jace felt ready for the day, and he wanted to thank Phoenix. What he found was an empty bed, bathed in the sunlight that had warmed him and forced him to wake up, but there was no sign of Phoenix.

Confused and oddly saddened, Jace looked around. First, he noticed the armchair right next to the bed where a pillow lay on the seat. So, that was why the warmth had disappeared. Phoenix had not wanted to cross any lines with them sleeping in the same bed, so he had sat there next to him. He had to have been so uncomfortable, and Jace doubted Phoenix had gotten much sleep.

Next, he noticed a note on top of the pillow and reached out for it.

Good morning.

I had to do a few work calls, and I needed a smoke. Go grab a shower in your room and meet us for breakfast when you're done.

Phoenix

The handwriting was just like Phoenix, strong and precise. Also, rather beautiful, with the slight tilt to it and the curls to some letters. Especially the X made his signature look like art.

Revitalized and thankful, Jace left a note of his own and hurried back to his room to get ready.

Shower, shave, fresh clothes, and with his hair done - he had a reputation to uphold, after all, Jace went down to the restaurant where a few of the guys from his team already sat and ate

Phoenix too.

He had barely sat down with his loaded plate of French breakfast delicacies, next to Malachai and across from Phoenix and Sasha when his phone rang.

"G-man," Jace said when he accepted the call. He wanted to add one of his usual cheery comments, but considering it was quite early still, and they were off on an assignment that demanded focus and respect, he chose not to.

"Cars will pick you up in an hour. Make sure to pack combat outfits for later, but dress for a meeting."

"Will do. I'll have my guys ready."

"I hope you've picked the right team for this. You need to depend on their skills and know how to utilize them."

It was a fair warning, though completely unnecessary. Jace knew his team, knew what each was capable of, and he had meticulously chosen them for the roles they would fill during the mission.

"Don't worry. I've got men I trust, and they'll perform well."

"Good."

Gareth was gone before Jace had a chance to say anything else, not that there was more to add. A goodbye was maybe too much to ask from Gareth on a day when he was expected to lead the largest mission of their time.

"We've got an hour to eat, pack, and dress for a meeting. Then it's showtime."

Malachai and Sasha nodded, whereas Phoenix looked stoic as usual. Jace read Phoenix well enough to know that he did not need to repeat himself. Phoenix too would be ready.

Standing outside the hotel, waiting for the cars Gareth had sent for them, Jace went over the men who stood there and smoked with him. He ran through them in his mind to assure himself that he had picked the right ones and for the right reasons.

Rami was brute force. He followed orders and would at any time throw himself between danger and his team or the ones they were protecting.

Malachai and Yarro were his front runners and enforcers. People he knew could handle themselves if they got separated, or they needed to leave one behind as a decoy.

Sasha was an all-around pack mule, as unfair as it sounded. Sure, he was a brilliant fighter and that would come in handy, but he had medical training too. He was the one who would carry their essentials. Basic medical supplies and sedatives for the victims if they needed any kind of on-site tending to. He would also carry a small arsenal of tools and cutters if they needed them to free people from shackles or devices.

Cain was his sniper. He might not be as perfect as Cracker, but he was excellent, and he had an uncanny memory when it came to maps and blueprints. He memorized everything and would be their guide.

Gaine and Dante were his backup members. Hand-to-hand stars that Jace had trained himself. They would be the ones to protect the victims as the others paved the way out if needed.

And Phoenix...

He was his guiding light. The one who would keep him centered and effective. And the man could fight, was merciless with handguns, and would protect any innocent soul he saw. That much Jace knew about Phoenix.

Besides, Phoenix knew enough languages to communicate with the people they found. They could not just automatically assume that everybody spoke English. Or spoke at all with what they had been through. Jace knew from experience that people lost their voice during abuse, lost their sense of self, and staying quiet was a defense mechanism.

The cars took them to a modest-looking house outside of the city, where several of Gareth's men were entering when they arrived. Jace did not know all of them personally, but he knew enough from other cities to deduce that those he did not know were still Gareth's men. They too wore suits and looked like they were off to a convention or some business-related event, probably what Gareth had wanted, since they stayed at hotels, and they should not attract attention in their combat outfits when leaving the premises.

They had barely entered the sizeable living room when Gareth came charging at them, red in the face and eyes crazed with anger. He had spotted them entering from his place in the corner where he had stood with Cracker, Roarke, and a few city leaders.

"Hell, no!" he bellowed and pushed past people and came directly at Jace, but bypassed him and stopped in front of Phoenix. "What do you think you're doing here?"

"Jace asked me a long time ago to be on his team when it was needed. I got called in, and here I am." Phoenix said with indifference and clearly no mind to Gareth's already rising temper.

Gareth could huff and puff like The Big Bad Wolf, Phoenix could not give two craps about that. He was there for Jace, and he was confident in his own abilities. He was valuable to the team in his own way. And he wanted to help. It was as simple as that.

"You're not going!"

Phoenix took a defensive stance and crossed his arms. "I know you're the boss, and you might have the right to order me around. But my word is all I have. Jace asked, and I gave him my word. If you want me to break it and disrupt Jace's team and the roles he's set up for it, be my guest."

Grumbling, Gareth glanced at Jace, who followed the interaction with interest, though he chose to not get involved. They both knew Phoenix could handle himself. And he was probably one of the few that Gareth would allow to step out of line. It did not sit well with Gareth that Phoenix intentionally wanted to walk into another setup that could be dangerous, then knowing Phoenix, he did not care. He had embraced his part of being with the Russian mob, and Gareth had to respect that.

"Fine. But if I have to scrape your ass off the floor in some sick bastard's mansion, I'm going to kill everybody."

"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing, and I know Jace and the people on his team. We'll work well together and protect each other." Phoenix nodded at Gareth to signal that the conversation was over, and then he went to join the others, who had respectfully pulled away to let Gareth, Jace, and Phoenix battle it out.

"Eh, is he going to pop a vein, or did you cool him down?" Rami asked when Gareth had returned to where Cracker and Roarke stood. Though he was partly worried, he also knew that Gareth respected Phoenix enough to let him do what he wanted, as long as he did it for the right reasons. Rami was mostly the silent observer. He knew Phoenix was tough as nails and not just a pretty face, and he was certain that what he brought to the team was needed and for the best. Phoenix would help at any cost but do it while he kept safe.

As safe as possible, at least.

None of them wished for Phoenix to get hurt again, though they knew the risks.

"He's fine. He just had to show his opinion on it, but he's ok. He knows I can handle myself, and I'll be a good addition to our team. All clear skies from here."

Rami laughed. "You've got balls of solid brass, my man. Nobody puts Gareth in his place."

"I didn't. I gave Jace my word, and I just told Gareth I intended to keep it. Of all people, Gareth respects when others have integrity." Phoenix shrugged lightly and enjoyed that he was finally a real part of something, and not just an afterthought or a glorified paper pusher.

They all felt when the mood in the room changed. The doors were closed, and people took their positions with their teams. From the looks of it, they were about six full teams in the house, not counting guards and random people. Gareth took his place at the end of the room where video feeds on a bunch of screens showed many live feeds from other houses where teams stood gathered like they were there with Gareth. He looked at the screens and saw all his men awaiting their orders. They had assembled in the greatest number than ever before in his reign. He was proud to stand before them, proud that they were all there at a day's notice to follow him into an unknown situation.

Was he nervous? Fuck yes, more than he had ever been. His decisions always meant life or death for somebody. Always left him with guilt about the people he failed, and the family members he had to inform and console after a loved one had lost their life. It left him doubting his life and what they did.

Very few things outweighed that guilt. The loyalty he saw in his men's eyes, the unity between them, and definitely the friendships he had formed with many of them on a personal level that went beyond being their boss. And yes, every successful mission to save innocents boosted him and soothed the pain he felt inside from having to do the things he did.

"Cellmate, are we on?" Gareth asked.

"Yes. Every safe house is connected, and video feeds are functioning." Cellmate's voice sounded over the speakers in all the houses. "I have everything ready, and Horse is coordinating the information."

"I told you, Horse is not supposed to be part of this," Gareth growled and went to the microphone to yell at Cellmate.

"I'm not," Horse said from wherever he was. "I've been the one doing research on the estate, collecting blueprints of the building, and done everything that Cellmate did not have time for. Gareth, I'm good at this, and you need my expertise. I can handle listening to a few unpleasant things if it means a successful mission for you all."

It had been a strict rule that Horse could not look into something that was not age-appropriate. But Cellmate had made an executive decision based on Horse's abilities. Doing background checks, going over flight schedules, snooping into real estate, and all that boring stuff was apparently right up his alley. He had done wonders with compiling information and making files on every person they had targeted.

Roarke had provided Horse with as much as he had remembered about the different creeps, and Horse had dug deep and found stuff they were sure those fuckers would never want to see the light of day. Some of it was sensitive, and Horse had proved mature enough to handle everything.

Yes, there was some shit he had been forced to dive into, and Gareth might want heads to roll later. But the work Horse had done was the foundation for their mission to succeed.

"Gareth, I'm a fourteen-year-old, hormonally challenged male, and I've had access to the internet for a very long time. Do you really think there's anything going on that I'm not already aware of?"

A lot of chuckling and low laughter came through the speakers. None dared to say anything, but they had just watched Gareth get told off by a kid.

"We'll talk about this another day. For now, your help is needed and appreciated. But I swear to God, if you begin to wet your bed or have nightmares from this, you're not my problem." Gareth pulled himself together. He had gotten the last word, and however childish that was, it was a victory for him. Horse was an exceptional asset for him, and that was the reason he had agreed to take him in, but Gareth was the boss and had to appear as that too.

Yes, it bothered him they had dragged a man as young as Horse into the mafia life. That he had to spend his time sifting through bad guys and looking at horrors, and he truly tried to keep Cellmate in check enough to spare Horse until he was old enough. But the fact of the matter was, they needed what Horse was an expert on.

"Ok, down to business," Gareth called out into the room. People quieted down and visibly gave him their full attention on every screen. "All the information I'm about to give you will stay between us, there'll be no records of this anywhere, you've only received building blueprints, area photos, and vital information for your individual team missions, and I expect everything to be deleted by tomorrow morning."

Gareth waited for people to acknowledge. There were too many team leaders on the screens for him to check on each one, but he knew they would understand and do as they were told.

"Cellmate, if you don't mind."

"Ok, people, I hope you skipped breakfast because this will be hard to stomach," Cellmate began, and pictures appeared on a large empty screen. From the live feeds, it was easy to see they all got the same information shown.

They showed a large mansion and surrounding buildings, lawns, a horse track, swimming pools, a smaller forest area, and a lot of open space. "This place is enormous. Your individual teams will be responsible for completing one task. Your task will enable the other teams to perform theirs. Do not veer from your mission until it's completed and you've reported back to command central, who'll direct you to your next step, if there is any."

He paused for a second. It could have seemed like a dramatic pause, but his breathing told all of them how he forced himself to continue speaking.

"As you were told on the plane, you're going in to save a lot of people from the fucker who lives there. Some of those people have lived lives of horror. And we're not only talking about those he holds as his personal slaves and those brought in for the auction, as you were told." Cellmate once again drew in a shaky breath. "You're taking down an entire slave farm tonight. The estate is the largest operation in Europe right now. Count Perreault, who owns the place, is using it to train slaves. Many different kinds, and please, hold no illusions that this is sick beyond normal imagination."

"Cellmate, I can take it from here, if you want me to," Gareth interrupted when Cellmate's voice cracked at what he said. Gareth too felt sick, because he already knew everything, had seen pictures, read statements, and he wanted that organization stopped at any cost. As the leader, he was responsible for informing his men of what he asked them to do and why. He had only let Cellmate tell it because Cellmate controlled the screens and could combine words with visuals.

"No, it's ok," Cellmate reassured. "There will be teams going in to take down the auction and all the buyers there, that includes some of our own people, so if you're on auction teams, you need to do it without deadly force when it comes to buyers, but there are no rules on guards and slave handlers for you."

Cellmate went on to tell about the house slaves and the training facilities in the house. The stables where humans were trained as animals to be sold as commodities to rich, depraved individuals, the torture basements where they were trained to accept pain and humiliation and become perfect, obedient slaves, the labor slaves that had to perform hard manual labor every day to keep the estate running, and many more that had people looking green in the faces from that knowledge.

Jace reeled back at that additional information. He had only thought they were stopping an auction and saving the personal slaves 'working' there. And, of course, took out some of those creeps who were there to buy humans like they bought a pair of designer shoes. The new information about it being a slave farm hit him hard. That was absolutely a place where he imagined Levi capable of being.

The cold sweat broke out, and his heart pounded like a jackhammer, so loud it drowned out the sounds in the room. All he could hear was his own erratic breathing, and he saw the depths of hell opening right in front of him, ready to swallow him in its fiery pits when the dizziness made him fall.

That was until he felt a warm hand on his back, one that slowly moved up and gave his shoulder a squeeze. It was a gesture that Gareth had done to people plenty of times, and if anybody saw it, they would think nothing of it, though they might be too caught up in trying not to vomit at the information to notice.

He did not turn; he just slightly lifted his shoulder into Phoenix's hand to let him know how much he needed the pull back to reality. Jace would thank him properly when he could. For now, that was all he could do.

For both of them, that had to be enough.

"I'm only able to tell you all this because we've got information on the place from a few we've rescued earlier. Former slaves who've provided us with tales of their time there. Horse?"

Horse cleared his throat and took over the screens, and he pulled up photos of what had to be buyers. There was no shy fourteen-year-old kid to detect. He was mature and serious when he began to talk. "I've kept tabs on everybody who received confirmation on either a bought spot or a VIP invited spot to tonight's sales auction. I've compiled in-depth profiles on all of them, and they're being sent to every team going in with the purpose of disrupting the auction and saving those held captive there."

The clicking from Horse's keyboard sounded through the speakers and phones went off in the rooms as the information got sent to the teams assigned to do that.

Horse then informed the outside teams in charge of taking down guards and canine patrols in grids that covered the estate. They were to sweep their grids and report back when done. He assigned teams with their coordinates and mission briefs while he explained their individual tasks to perform.

At the end of all the team tasks and assignment info being sent to the right team leaders, Horse let Gareth speak.

"I know this is a lot to take in, and I'm not asking you to do this for me. I'm asking you to do this for all the people trapped in there, all the people who deserve their freedom, and a chance of a life. Yes, I might be the one orchestrating it all, but you're the ones who'll secure this."

Gareth took his time to look at each screen individually to make eye contact with each team leader to see if anybody wanted to say anything.

"You need to know this won't end with what we do today. We'll need to help these people get in contact with their families and help them with physical and mental trauma. We need to protect them if they choose to live in our cities, and we need to stay doing what we do. This might be the largest current hub of the underground slave markets. But more will pop up, and I've made it my mission to help."

"Gareth. If you need financial aid for all this, I'll gladly transfer any amount of money you need into a fund for these people," Phoenix calmly said from his place behind Jace. He had more than enough money to live comfortably, and each month he made more. He would transfer anything to take some of the burdens from Gareth.

"I second that," Cracker's voice sounded from the back of the room where he stood alone.

The way people's agreement sounded through the speakers from every group warmed Gareth's heart. If he had felt pride in his men before, it was nothing compared to what he felt when they offered to help out of pocket, even if he had intended to take on the financial burden himself. Their help would make them able to do much more if he had some money left to put into new operations.

"Phoenix, can you please set up a fund for Cracker to administrate?"

"Consider it done."

Gareth took a moment to compose himself.

"You all know your assignments. We go in from our coordinates at the time your info package says. Do what you must, but leave Count Perreault for me. That's my team's job. And I want that fucker alive!" Gareth turned from the screens to look at Jace, he nodded slightly, knowing Jace's assignment. "Get some rest, gear up, and be ready for your cars to take you where you need to go."

Confirmations rose in low murmurings.

"Tonight, that place ceases to exist!"

Hi dear Wattlings.

Thank you for reading. Sorry for the late update, I fell asleep. It happens.

Can't say anything other than sometimes even the best of us just need our mommies. Phoenix got a bit of a heart to heart, and Cloud did what she could to help.

And then the mission info was given. How do you think Jace will handle it? Will they succeed? Will Levi be there? Will the dog boy?

If you like it, then pop a vote and please leave comments. The comments are important for me to know how the story is progressing and the characters are developing. And I'd love to know what you think and interact with y'all.

Give me a follow too for updates on other work and put this book in your library. I'd appreciate that.

Love, Alix

Published: October 26th, 2021. ©Alix Davenport, Copenhagen