Perceive by K E Osborn
AXEL
Standing out the front of my home, I’m having mixed emotions. Being apart from Kenzi right now doesn’t sit right with me, but I know, to do the job I have to, Kenzi needs to be safe, and the best place for her to be safe is with my brothers at the club.
My arms wrap around her, holding her tight to me. Her stunning green eyes stare back, glistening with unshed tears as she gnaws down on her bottom lip. I don’t know why this is so hard right now. But it’s like every time we say goodbye, it is going to be hard for us because last time, we didn’t get to say goodbye. She was taken, for years, and that pain still ripples through me like it was yesterday.
So yeah, her leaving is fucking hard.
“Be safe. Camilla sounds like a complete lunatic. I can’t lose you now that I’ve found you again, Axel.” Kenzi’s fingers play with the hair at the nape of my neck.
My arms loop around her waist as I nod. “I’m always safe, especially now I have someone to come home to. You just make sure to keep Ruin in line for me.”
She lets out the most adorable laugh, making my cock ache, but now isn’t the time for that. “Since when can anyone keep Ruin in line?”
I snort out a laugh—she’s not wrong.
“Kenzi, sweetheart, it’s time to go,” Mom softly says from the driver’s side of the SUV. She looks over her shoulder to see the six bikes as an escort for the long drive back to Richmond. I’m not taking any risks.
“This is a little overkill, don’t you think?” Kenzi smirks at me.
“For your safety, pretty girl, nothing is overkill… I’ll see you soon.”
She nods, leaning closer. “Real soon.” She presses her lips to mine. That fucking spark shoots all the way through me.
There was a time I thought I would never have this again, but fuck, am I glad she’s kissing me right now.
Kenzi is everything.
“I hate to break this up, but we have to make tracks,” Curtains grumbles from the side of his bike.
Breaking free from Kenzi, I groan, sliding a strand of hair behind her ear. I lean in for one more quick kiss, then pull back looking in her eyes.
I don’t say anything more.
I don’t promise her I’ll be back.
Because when dealing with Camilla, any-fucking-thing is possible.
I unwrap myself from around her as Mom reaches out, then takes Kenzi and leads her into the car. My chest squeezes watching her walk away from me, but I know I need to do this. So, I turn my back as Kace glances at me over his shoulder.
I know we need to move.
The sound of the bikes taking off sends a ripple through me. I turn to see the car pulling off down the street.
Noah’s hand grips my shoulder. “She’s gonna be fine, man. Jack is assigning extra security to the gates now that the houses have been compromised. They’ll be here soon, and we’ll protect your girl. You need to get your head in the game for this.”
Steeling my shoulders, I nod.
It’s game time.
We left at eight last night. It took us over a nine-hour flight to arrive in Anchorage, Alaska, giving us plenty of time to get a decent amount of sleep on the plane. Then it took us another two hours to drive from the airport to Denali National Park in the SUVs our Alaskan team provided us with. Needless to say, all this travel time wears on the body. Even with our winter coats, it’s fucking cold. The wind chill factor somehow managing to penetrate even the most imperviable of kit. I guess freezing is an understatement for Alaska in November.
The SUVs come to a sudden halt. The darkened sky starting to turn as we all jump out quietly, making our way over to the chopper that’s landed on a back field, out of the way from civilians. This is only for Agency operatives who know about it. The Denali National Park and Preserve is a cover. Sure, it might be one of nature’s natural wonders, but it’s also home to Denali, the highest mountain peak in Alaska, which is also the home to The Agency’s covert prison for those who are the most dangerous to the United States of America.
“It’s so fucking cold! I prefer it when we go to the desert,” Luca moans.
Blair chuckles. “Then you complain about getting sand everywhere and it being too hot.”
Luca grins. “I’m like Goldilocks… I like it just right!”
Tanner snorts. “Yeah, you’re like a little girl, aren’t you?”
Everyone chuckles as Luca gasps out, “Hey, fuckers!”
“Guys, quiet down. We’re supposed to be in covert mode… let’s just get this done,” Kace grumbles.
I couldn’t agree more.
We all rush toward the awaiting chopper, the blades slowly spinning ready for take-off. Kace jumps in first, holding his hand out for Tanner. She ignores him, jumping in by herself. Blair chuckles as he jumps in after her, followed by Luca, Eli, then Noah, and lastly, me.
We sit, Kace, Tanner, and Blair on one side, Luca, Noah, Eli, and me on the other. As the chopper lifts from the ground, we all grab headphones and pull them on. My stomach jolting with the force.
“Hamilton, how are we looking?” Kace asks through the mic on the headphones.
“Looking all-clear, sir. We’re approved for landing,” Lieutenant Hamilton, our pilot, replies.
“Excellent, take us up.”
“Yes, sir.”
The chopper ascends high into the bitter morning air, the Denali Mountain looks so fucking majestic with the snow-capped mountains as I gaze out the side of the open door. I wish Kenzi were here to see this, she would fucking love it. We rise higher, circling the giant marvel, the waves and bends of the mountain starting to glisten as the sun rises over the peak in hues of orange and pink. I have to say, I never thought seeing a sunrise over a snow-capped mountain that holds America’s most hardened criminals could be so fucking spectacular.
My ears plug up the higher we go. I widen my mouth, trying to pop them back as we edge up the mountain. This thing is fucking high. Hamilton takes us around a corner as we come to a ledge on the side of the cliff, and I glance out to the landing pad. Four men are waiting for our arrival as one guy waves Hamilton down. Kace nods to us all, he doesn’t need to say anything—a simple head nod is all the encouragement we need.
“Keep your heads in this, everyone,” Jack echoes down our earpieces. “Don’t let that witch get to you.”
I glance at Kace, in fact, everyone does. We all know Jack was firmly aiming that comment directly at his son. No one says anything in reply as the chopper lands swiftly and delicately, then we all file out like a well-oiled machine.
We move to the giant metal doors leading inside the mountain, where three men all wearing army camouflage outfits wait for us, while the other is dealing with the helicopter.
Kace leads us as the main guy steps forward, giving Kace a firm salute. “Welcome to the base, sir. It’s a pleasure to finally have you here.”
“I’d say it’s a pleasure to be here, but that would be a lie.” Kace glances down to his name badge then nods. “No offense, Bailey.”
Bailey grins. “None taken, sir. The criminals inside aren’t for the faint of heart, sir.”
Kace cranes his neck to the side. “Believe me, we know.”
“Come on through, and we will give you and your team a tour of the facil—”
“Honestly, Bailey, we want to do what we came here for and get the fuck out, if it’s all the same.”
Bailey nods. “Yes, sir. Follow me.”
One of the other soldiers places his entire hand on a biometric scanner, at the same time leaning his eyes up to a retinal scanner, then he places his security badge on another scanner, leans forward and says his badge number into a microphone and finally the door beeps. Gotta say, I’m more than a little impressed by their security measures—they go above and beyond anything I’ve ever witnessed before. With the assholes inside, you can’t be too careful.
An alarm sounds, a green light flashes above the doors, bolts pull back and creek, then both doors slide open, groaning as they do. Snow slides off the top from where it’s gathered since it was opened last, and I can’t help but wonder how long those soldiers were out here waiting for us in the freezing cold.
Poor fuckers.
I take one last look back, admiring the beauty of this winter wonderland. I’m on top of the highest mountain in Alaska, the sun is just rising, and it couldn’t be any calmer and tranquil if it tried.
But I know inside this building, shit is going to be anything but.
Turning, I take a deep breath and walk inside along with my team.
As I enter the side of the mountain, I glance up, noticing how fucking huge this place is inside. My eyes shift upward, and it’s like there’s no fucking ceiling—it simply goes on forever. The walls are lined with hard metal, an obvious electrical wire running along the wall. The first few feet seem to be offices, probably of the soldiers who work here. Then I notice the staircase, leading up and around. On the upper level there are cells, again with electric cabling running along the walls. Guards stand outside each and every room. Red alert lights line the walls. This place is an extremely secure prison—not for the faint of heart.
“She’s near the back. We have her prepped and in a holding cell for you to question. She is restrained, so she can’t harm you or herself.”
Kace’s jaw ticks as he bows his head. “Good.” It’s all he says.
We walk down the long hall, then turn a corner, coming to a giant double security door. Bailey scans a card, places in an eight-digit passcode, then his irises are scanned. My eyes widen as I glance at Noah, and he smirks like he’s loving this shit. The door buzzes as a banging behind us makes us all turn.
A guard slams his fist on a door behind us. “Pipe down in there, asshole!”
The banging continues, like the inmate is slamming himself against the door. My muscles tense as I watch three guards open his cell. He rushes out toward us, his face covered in tattoos. His eyes red and bloodshot—wild like a raging bull. “I’ll fucking kill you!” the inmate screams as a guard slams a baton into the back of his knees sending him flying face-first onto the concrete floor. Another Tasers him, his body shocking, shaking, spasming with the electricity ravaging his body as the other types something into the control panel next to his cell. “That’s another six months to your sentence, Cyrus!”
He stops jerking from the Taser as the guards pull him to his feet and shove him back in his cell like a ragdoll. “Now shut the fuck up!” They slam the door shut, and I turn to Kace widening my eyes.
Bailey hums under his breath, “We have trouble with Cyrus. He causes shit every… single… day. I know it might look harsh, but trust me, he’s a plague to humanity. Let’s just say, he spent way too much time with little girls, and none of them came out alive.”
A low growl rumbles from Tanner’s chest. “Let him rot in there, I say.”
Bailey gestures for the open door. “It has a time lock, so we should…” He tilts his head toward the door.
“Yeah, let’s get this shit done,” Kace grunts out.
Bailey leads us through. This corridor is much smaller, and it has a ceiling. The walls are still made from the same hardened steel and the ceiling is reinforced cement. The door shuts behind us, and I hear the locking mechanism kick in. Even if we wanted to get out, we couldn’t.
I’m not sure if that makes me feel safe or trapped.
We walk the hall, our footsteps echo down the stark blankness. Then, at the end, there’s another double secure door we make our way through. As we exit, it opens to a smaller area like the one we just passed through, but this appears even higher security.
There are fucking guards everywhere.
Two on each door.
With riffles.
Men on the landings above watching below, also with riffles.
And again, I’m not sure if this makes me feel protected or fucking scared for my life.
“Bailey…” I ask, Kace turns to me raising his brow in concern. “This area is more secure than the other, right?”
Bailey nods. “Yes, sir.”
“So, what kind of people are in here, if the pedophiles and murderers are out there?”
Bailey turns to me with a bright smile on his face like he’s proud. “America’s most wanted. This is where terrorist leaders come to die. Where traitors to the state live out their lives. This is where the worst scum on the earth disappear.”
I let out a small laugh. Somehow his words do make me feel better.
“And this is where Camilla is?” Kace asks.
Bailey nods. “Right through these doors.” He does his usual security checks, and the doors beep open. The guards let us through, and as we walk into the hall, we stop at a door manned by two guards. “She’s right inside. It’s your choice to have the cameras on or off.”
“Cameras off,” Jack relays down our earpieces.
“We were never here,” Kace relays to Bailey.
“Roger that, sir.” Bailey grabs the radio on his shoulder, talking into it, “Camera in room 107 shut down until further notice. Activation code… bailey, alpha, omega, foxtrot, four, three, two.”
The radio beeps, then a voice chimes back over the comms, “Affirmative, Bailey, you are a go for deactivation room one, zero, seven. Confirm.”
“Roger,” Bailey replies into the comms with a smile. “You’re good to go. Take as long as you need.”
“Thanks,” Kace replies as Bailey presses his hand to the security panel, does some more security-related stuff, and the door activates, opening wide.
The guards aim their guns at the door as we push through. I assume it’s in case the bitch tries to make a run for it. I walk in first. My hand on the gun at my hip.
Camilla’s normally perfectly styled hair is anything but. She’s wearing an orange jumpsuit, no makeup and has a look in her eyes like she’s ready to jump out of her seat and strangle me, which I think she would if she weren’t handcuffed to the concrete table.
Kace slowly edges in followed by the rest of the team, and Camilla starts cackling like the witch she is. “Well, well, well, the prodigal son returns.”