The gunshot rang out through the building, loud and sharp.

Leo’s head whipped around.

Outside... nothing but silence.

Then more gunshots came, quick and from different guns, sounding like a full-on fight.

Reyes was right there with him. "That was way too close."

Leo gritted his teeth. "Zayden and Azalea are out there."

"Should we—"

"No." Leo cut him off while he scanned the auction hall.

Sixty-one guests knelt on the floor, zip-tied and under guard by what remained of their team.

Maksim Karza was on the floor, bleeding but still secured.

The thirteen female operatives were on stage—safe, but visibly shaken.

They couldn’t just take off.

They couldn’t ditch the scene.

Not until someone else showed up to take charge.

Leo grabbed his comms. "Liam, what’s happening out there?"

All he got back was static.

Then Liam’s tense voice came through. "Hang tight. I’m keeping an eye on it."

Leo waited.

Then he heard more sounds from outside, sirens and ambulances, getting closer.

Reyes looked over at Leo.

Leo didn’t say anything. He kept his gun aimed at the guests, watched the exits, and focused on breathing steadily.

Nolan, one of their guard, tall and a former military dude, walked up. "So, what do we do?"

Leo hesitated. He wanted to dash outside to see Zayden and Azalea. But he had to stay in charge; it was his job.

"We hold our ground," Leo said. "Until the FBI gets here. Then we’ll extract."

Nolan nodded. "Got it."

The sound of an ambulance siren got louder as it sped closer. Then it stopped. Doors slammed, and people yelled. Someone was being loaded into the ambulance.

Leo shut his eyes for a second. Please.

His comm crackled with sound. Liam’s voice came through. "Leo, the FBI is two minutes away with several units. You need to leave. Now."

Leo turned to Reyes. "You heard him."

Reyes nodded and started signaling the team with quiet hand gestures. Military-style. Everyone got the message; it was time to move.

But Leo wasn’t ready to go yet. He walked to the center of the room and looked at the sixty-one guests kneeling, monsters, predators, child buyers. All caught.

He raised his voice, clear and loud.

"FBI’s on the way. It’s over."

Some guests shot him glares, some looked away, and a few were in tears. Leo didn’t care.

He turned and headed for the side exit, his team following right behind, eight operatives, all masked and armed. Reyes was the last one in line.

They moved through the hallway, past guard bodies and empty rooms, until they got to the exit. Leo stopped to listen.

Sirens, lots of them, were getting louder. Cops, FBI, and news crews were all heading to the building.

He clicked on his comm. "Liam, how close are they?"

"About ninety seconds to the front entrance. You need to get moving," Liam replied.

Leo pushed open the exit door, and cool night air hit him. They found themselves at the back of the building, in a dark, quiet service area.

Charles was there, waiting by three black SUVs with their engines running and six guards ready.

Charles saw them and nodded. "Finally made it."

Leo almost smiled. "We made sure they stayed put."

"I bet they loved that," Charles said.

Leo’s team jumped into the SUVs quickly and efficiently. Leo and Reyes got into the front SUV with Charles, while the other operatives split between the two remaining vehicles. The doors closed tightly behind them.

Charles shifted the car into gear but didn’t drive off just yet.

They could now hear it, the sirens right outside the building.

Tires screeched, doors slammed, and radios buzzed to life.

FBI.

Charles looked over at Leo. "Now?"

Leo nodded. "Now."

The SUVs rolled out, moving slowly and carefully, headlights off.

They took a back road behind the building, steering clear of the chaos.

In thirty seconds, they reached a side street.

In sixty seconds, they were three blocks away.

Gone.

Leo let out a breath, took off his mask, and raked his hair back.

Next to him, Reyes did the same.

Charles, sitting in the front passenger seat, turned to check on them.

"Is everyone good?"

Leo nodded. "All operatives made it. Mission’s done."

There was a brief pause.

Then Leo asked the question he’d been dreading.

"What went down outside?"

Charles’s face turned serious. "You don’t know?"

"We heard gunfire and then the ambulance. Who got hurt?"

Charles took a deep breath. "Zayden got shot."

Leo felt his stomach drop. "How bad?"

"Bad. Chest wound. He wasn’t moving when I saw him. Aylin and Azalea were both covered in blood, shooting at Alpha. I arrived just as they finished him. Alpha is dead. But Zayden—"

Charles’s voice caught.

"The ambulance took him. He’s in critical condition."

Reyes cursed under his breath.

Leo just stared straight ahead.

Zayden was critical.

The man who led them... might be dying.

"Which hospital?" Leo asked, his voice flat and controlled.

"Mercy General. It’s the closest one, about ten minutes from the auction hall. Alexander is there, too."

Leo made a decision. He looked at Charles. "Change of plans. Reyes and I are going to the hospital."

Charles nodded. "What about the team?"

"You handle the team. Take them to the tower. Make sure everyone is accounted for. Keep Liam safe, and check on Selina. Make sure she is still secured."

"Understood."

Leo leaned forward and tapped the driver’s shoulder. "Pull over. Next block."

The driver complied. The SUV slowed and stopped at the curb, with the other two vehicles halting behind it.

Leo got out, and Reyes followed.

They walked back to the second SUV, and Leo opened the door.

"Nolan, you’re in charge. Follow Charles to the tower. Secure the facility and wait for further orders."

Nolan saluted. "Yes, sir."

Leo closed the door and walked back to the lead vehicle, but Charles was getting out.

"What are you doing?" Leo asked.

"Going with the team. You two take this vehicle. The driver will get you to the hospital."

Charles climbed into the second SUV, and Leo watched him go. Then he got back into the lead vehicle, with Reyes sliding in beside him.

The driver took a quick glance in the rearview mirror. "Mercy General?"

"Yep. Fast."

The SUV pulled out and took a different road.

Behind them, the other cars headed toward the tower, splitting up, each one with its own goal now.

Leo stared out the window, watching the city drift by. Reyes sat quietly next to him, both thinking the same thing, Just let Zayden be okay. Please.

*****

Liam was in the van, the screens still showing the auction hall, but the feeds were all blank now. His team had cleared out, and the FBI had shown up. It was done.

He’d seen Aylin run out, watched the showdown with Alpha, saw Zayden get shot, and saw Aylin and Azalea take Alpha down. Now, he sat alone in the van, his hands shaking.

He needed to get moving. He had to get out of there.

Liam switched off the systems one by one, wiped the hard drives clean, and got rid of the evidence. Then he hopped into the driver’s seat, fired up the engine, and drove away.

The van—disguised as a luxury limo—rolled through the streets unnoticed.

Liam was heading toward the tower, his hands shaking as he gripped the wheel tighter.

Zayden brought them together. Gave them a reason to fight.

No. Not now.

Right now, he had to get to the tower, secure the place, and make sure everyone was okay.

He stepped on the gas, the tower came into view—tall, dark, and imposing. Their home base.

Liam pulled into the underground garage and saw other SUVs pulling in at the same time.

He parked and got out. The SUVs parked next to him, and operatives started getting out, worn out, bloodied, but alive.

And then he saw Charles.

His dad. The man who raised him, trained him, and taught him everything.

When Charles spotted him, he made his way over. Liam met him halfway, and without even thinking, without caring who was watching, he wrapped his arms around his dad in a tight hug.

"It’s over," Liam said, his voice muffled against his dad’s shoulder.

Charles hugged him back. "Yeah. It’s done."

There was a brief pause.

"But Zayden—"

Liam pulled back and looked at his dad’s face, seeing the worry and fear reflected there.

Liam nodded. "I know. I saw it happen on the monitors. I saw—"

His voice cracked.

Charles held on tight. "He’s tough. He’ll pull through."

"You can’t know that for sure."

"No, but I believe it."

Liam looked into his dad’s eyes. "Are you trying to cheer me up? Or yourself?"

Charles gave a sad smile. "Both."

That’s when Liam broke.

The tears he had been holding back came rushing out. He hugged his dad again and broke down completely.

"He did everything for us," Liam managed to say between breaths. "And I can’t help him."

Charles held his son close, letting him cry. He didn’t tell him to be strong or to knock it off; he just embraced him.