The Silver Guardian Bk. 02 Ch. 06

Once again maps, blueprints, intelligence and pictures were displayed on the screens as Itzli talked everyone through some further details, and dossiers were handed out to the many wolves involved.

At this point, Dante took back over to wrap up with the final operation at the club. "This is the tricky one, since it's a civilian establishment with a lot of non-targets in the building. Luckily this is mainly just María Sanchez's office, with a handful of her officers and money men who normally remain in her office at the back of the second floor of La Luna Azul. Because of these factors, we'll need to do things in a low-key fashion. Chimalli and I will enter the club through the front entrance dressed as civilians as we casually make our way to the office. Luckily, the dark lighting should mask our identities from anyone who might recognize us. We'll quietly take out the guards posted outside the office before we enter it and neutralize everyone inside. Since we're not expecting any wolves to be present except for ourselves, this should be fairly uneventful. We'll then escort Sanchez, probably bound and gagged, out through the upstairs back entrance, which is barred from the inside which is why we'll be entering through the front. There are no metal detectors so we'll be able to go in lightly armed, and this is a very small operation, just a smash and grab, so heavy weaponry won't be necessary. This operation will also be the first one; it will occur an hour before the other two operations. This timing will allow Chimalli and I to get to the main warehouse in time to take part in the main operation."

Dante locked brotherly eyes with Chimalli, who smiled and nodded his head in anticipation. Lily then wrapped up the meeting by summing up a few points.

"Normally we Lycans don't involve ourselves in human affairs, and we have strict laws against killing them. That said, this doesn't apply here. These people are a cancer on human society, are closely associated with Viktor and thus with our own kind, and they're destroying your city and your territory, as well as harming millions of people in the process with their murders and drugs. They'll all be executed in bloody combat tomorrow night, and once we can relocate their product to a suitable location, that will be destroyed as well. The boon for us is not only the cleansing of your city and the removal of revenue and existing funds from Viktor, but also our own access to a huge amount of money we'll seize from the cartel. This will be added to an already large trust for the purpose of funding the War and all the Packs aligned with the Guardians Council including of course, yours. And one final caution. Tomorrow night, anyone who sees you shift or who learns any of our secrets is to be silenced forever."

Lily paused and scanned the room, receiving nods of agreement from everyone in attendance.

"The smash and grab on La Luna Azul will begin at nine pm tomorrow night, and the two joint main operations will commence at ten. Everyone is dismissed; rest up and be prepared for some intense action tomorrow night."

***

Dante and Chimalli entered the nightclub, which was dark and thumping with party music. They were dressed as club goers with designer jeans and boots for each, with Dante in a black loose-fitting silk shirt that concealed his twin Spartans at his back, and Chimalli in a royal blue silk shirt which hid his own weaponry. They knew this had to be a fast and clean operation, so they quickly but casually wound their way across the dance floor, though they both had to rebuff (gently and courteously) several women who tried to waylay them with improper proposals. They made their way to the back of the club, which was fortunately deserted, heading for the stairs leading to the office on the second floor. There were two large men in suits blocking the way. Dante approached with Chimalli following, both of them acting as if they were tipsy and a little lost. The men reached out to stop Dante when he suddenly lunged forward, snapping his elbow into the jaw of the man on the right with blinding speed, instantly snapping the man's neck and dropping him. Before the second man could react, Chimalli surged around Dante and enveloped the man's face in his large right hand and with his left, grabbed the man's arm that was reaching for the gun in his suit jacket. He twisted his right hand, snapping this man's neck as well, before quickly lowering him to the floor.

They dragged the two bodies into a dark alcove behind the stairs and left them there, knowing by the time they were found they themselves would be long gone, and that no suspicion would be cast upon the two strangers who'd uneventfully entered the club. They then quietly made their way to the top of the stairs and to the door, where they paused and drew their weapons. Dante channeled power into his right leg and kicked the door clean off its hinges, launching it into the room, causing sudden confusion and panic as they rushed inside.

Dante made a snap scan and identified María sitting behind a large desk. For the moment she was stunned with surprise, with one non-combatant cowering in the corner and three men slowly responding to the intrusion. Dante rapid-fired a round each into the foreheads of the three armed guards, while Chimalli turned and shot the non-combatant in the head to remove him from the action. By this time María had raised a short-barreled shotgun from behind the desk and was about to fire, when Dante made a snap shot into her right shoulder, propelling her backwards as she screamed and dropped the weapon. Chimalli rushed over and slammed the butt of his pistol into the back of her head and knocked her out; she slumped in her chair.

Dante made a quick call to Lily to update her on the situation and so she could send transport vehicles to the back of the club. Dante grabbed the unconscious María, unbarred the back door and took her down the outside stairs to a transport vehicle which had arrived moments ago; her wound was dressed and she was secured for transport. He returned upstairs. A recovery team had grabbed all the bodies including the two under the stairs and loaded them into another van for disposal. Meanwhile Chimalli had collected all the computers, storage devices and paper files in the office, and the team loaded everything into a third van for transport to the interrogation facility outside the city. That was a condemned clinic that had been closed down but quietly converted for the Aztec Pack's use. They would leave the office as is and plant evidence to make it look like it had been hit by a rival (human) gang so that again, no suspicion would be drawn their way. A total of ten minutes had passed since two large strangers had wandered into the club and ambled towards the back.

Dante and Chimalli loaded themselves into an SUV and began their twenty-minute drive to the staging area for the two main operations.

***

Dante walked into the armored trailer that was serving as the mobile command HQ for the operation. Lily rushed up to him and hugged him tight, before kissing him.

"Welcome back my love, I'm glad everything went smoothly at the club. We need to get you ready for the main operation. You've got thirty minutes to get kitted out. Astrid has all your gear ready for you in the back, so hop to it and come back and check in with me."

Dante gave Lily a hug before he walked to the back and with Astrid's assistance, got himself ready. Ten minutes later he was dressed in his black tactical gear (including his weapons harness, cleverly designed to remain intact when he shifted) and all his weaponry, including his twin katana swords Twin Moons at his hips, and his twin Spartan pistols at his back. He was going without his HK416 assault rifle this time, as he'd be entering his War God state at the start of the assault and almost exclusively would be using his close combat skills to overwhelm the enemy forces.

As in previous operations, they knew their best chance of success was by launching a simultaneous multi-pronged attack through all access points of the building, with Dante leading the assault into the main entry point to focus the enemy's initial response on him and his team. With everyone except Dante taking immediate cover from which to fire, they'd be eminently capable of handling that response. With Dante would be his Hellhounds Freydis and Hilde, as well as Itzli and five of his elite Betas. It was a small team but attention-getting, and reason they wanted that attention was so that when the majority of their forces swarmed inside from the top, back and sides of the large building, they'd catch the opposition in the open.

With five minutes until the start of the joint operation, all teams were in position outside both warehouses and Dante heard Lily's voice in his mind through their bond.

Stay safe my love, and bring Hell through their door. It's time once again for you to go to work and perform the duty Luna has set before us. I love you, and I'll see you on the other side to bring you back.

Dante returned her a mental thumbs up and smiled to himself, inwardly preparing himself for the countdown to begin.

He closed his eyes and focused on the power slumbering inside of him, and he began bringing it to the surface. The air around him crackled and his body hummed with power before he opened his eyes, releasing his otherworldly glow and breathing out a hiss of blue-white steam. He'd entered his altered state, not yet in berserker mode, but he was ready. He crouched down and gathered his power, focusing it first in his right hand as he, along with everyone else, listened to the countdown from Lily in his comm unit.

"Three... two... one... Execute!"

Upon Lily's command, he braced his legs and shot his right arm forward, palm facing out, as a monumental crack split the night. A massive bolt of lightning impacted the bay doors at the front of the warehouse, which exploded inwards, throwing the warehouse into immediate disarray. In full War God mode, Dante surged forward, his long, powerful strides placing him well ahead of the rest of his team as he sprinted past the shattered bay doors before anyone inside could have a chance to respond. He drew his twin swords and sent pulses of power through them as he began his dance of death through the ranks of anyone he encountered inside. By the time the rest of his team had breached the entrance, he was already deep inside the warehouse, tearing through the enemy ranks.

By now the forces inside the building had begun to respond and were pouring fire into the cover that the rest of his team had taken as from the other entry points, Dante's main forces started pouring inside. Automatic weapons fire concentrated on Dante's invulnerable form as he moved like a specter between men whether they were in the open or behind cover, cutting each of them down in an instant as blood splashed around him onto the floor and walls. He was in his element and emotionless, as he battled his way through the warehouse, slaughtering everyone within reach.

In the midst of the chaos of battle he caught sight of the Krosch brothers lurking behind solid concrete cover, firing Russian assault rifles into his forces' ranks, starting to cut some wolves down. He spun, sweeping his katana as he unleashed a wave of pure power into their position. The concrete barrier exploded, the Krosch brothers diving away from the blast, dropping their rifles. In an instant, Dante was upon one of the brothers, who had drawn a large sword, blocking the downward swing that Dante directed at him. Sparks flew as Dante and Vasily exchanged several blows before Dante brought down a mighty overhead slash with his charged katana. It cut through Vasily's sword in an instant, taking his left arm with it. Vasily screamed in pain and horror. Dante ducked just in time as another sword came sweeping over the top of his head; Anatoly had come to help his brother. He spun around, sweeping Anatoly's legs from beneath him. Anatoly fell, but rolled away as Dante pressed his attack against the large Russian wolf.

Anatoly was cautious as he circled Dante, looking for an opening. Dante feinted right, drawing Anatoly in to lunge with his sword into Dante's apparent vulnerability before Dante spun and disappeared below his line of sight. Anatoly suddenly fell to the floor, missing his legs below the knees: Dante had sliced right through them, thus ending the fight. A blood-curdling scream pierced the air as Viktor's long-time associate realized he was now without his legs. Then Dante's steel-toed boot slammed into his temple, knocking him out. Dante then rushed over to Vasily, who was in shock, but struggling with his remaining hand to reach for a rifle just outside of his reach. Dante delivered a similar blow, knocking him unconscious as well. Dante slapped an electrically charged hand to Vasily's shoulder, cauterizing the amputation site so he wouldn't bleed out before quickly performing the same service on the stumps of Anatoly's legs.

Dante scanned the warehouse and made his way to where the fighting was still thick, cutting his way through the opposition, whittling down their forces with merciless efficiency.

Ten minutes later, the last of the fighting was over and Dante, now clad in shining crimson, stood in the middle of the warehouse, trembling with power and bloodlust now that the battle was over. Through his haze, he heard his mate's voice in his mind as she spoke through the bond.

It's finished, Dante. Stay there, I'm coming for you; stay put, my love.

Lily, Astrid at her side, rushed through the warehouse with bodies strewn everywhere; then she signaled for Astrid to remain back and now alone, approached her Warrior God. She brought her power to the fore as a green glow enveloped her and she molded herself to her King, not caring what he was covered in. She ran her hands through his hair and down his back, soothing him, and the otherworldly glows of them both faded as she summoned him back from the brink.

Dante's vision cleared and the blue glow left his eyes, to be replaced by the liquid silver pools she knew so well and loved so much. Lily smiled at him before she took her sleeve and gently wiped his face.

"Welcome back, my love, I missed you while you were gone. You were indomitable once again, and I'm so proud of you for doing what needed to be done. Let's go rest in the trailer while the recovery and cleanup teams wrap things up here, then it's time to leave with our captives and begin our data collection. Itzli captured Jesús, and one of his Betas captured Pancho. We got everyone, Dante."

Dante smiled tiredly, wiped out from the use of his powers during the battle. Hand in hand, Lily led him out of the warehouse and into the trailer to rest, with the rest of their immediate Pack members gathered in and around the trailer to guard their King and Queen. It would be a long and dark night of interrogations and eventually death before this stage of their operations in Mexico was over.

***

Dante woke up late the next afternoon, lying in bed with Lily, who was still fast asleep, recuperating from the very long night before. He lay abed, turning his thoughts over in his mind. Last night had been unavoidably distressful with the interrogation of the targets and then their disposal, but they had extracted much information that would be sent to the Guardians Council, and also for the Aztec Pack to perform their cleanup after they left, and to shut down the drug trade in their city. Once again, he recalled losing Lily and his children, and all the fighting and the close calls they'd experienced lately, and the more he thought, the more determined he became. They needed a game changer. Dante could no longer excuse himself for exposing Lily to all these dangerous situations; for placing more and more stress on her during her pregnancy. He formed some plans in his mind and was just finalizing them as Lily began stirring. She opened sleepy eyes and smiled at him before placing a few delicate kisses on the Lunar seal over his heart.

"Good morning, or rather good afternoon my love, how are you feeling?" he asked.

Lily sat up a little bit, although in her heavily pregnant state it took a bit of effort, before she stretched.

"Good afternoon my own, I'm still a little tired and sore, but I'm also hungry, which is what woke me up. Our little beasties want some food, and so does their Momma. Have you been awake for long?"

Dante sat up too, letting the sheets pool around his lap, and wrapped his arms around his mate.

"As you can tell, I'm still not up, but I've been awake for a bit and doing some reflecting. We need to talk baby, I've made a decision, and I'm hoping you'll support me on it."

Lily's brows furrowed and she looked worried.

"Is something wrong, baby? You're scaring me here a bit. What's on your mind?"

Dante drew her to him and kissed her before running his hand lovingly over her bump.

"Nothing bad baby, nothing to be worried about. But I've been mulling over my losing you and the cubs last week, and my dying and being brought back by you before that. All our battles and close calls. I just can't forgive myself any longer for continually putting you in danger. I know it all needed to happen, and I know there's no chance of our being apart; neither of us would accept that risk even if we could bear the separation from each other. So I've decided that with you only about a month away from giving birth, we should settle down for a little while and focus on your... both of us... going through your final weeks of pregnancy in a safe place with plenty of support and protection."

Lily's features brightened and she leaned towards him eagerly.

"Dante, that's a wonderful idea, and I fully support it. We've been on the go and throwing ourselves into danger after danger for so long now that I think we do need to pull in our horns for a while. Shall we go back to our cabin and spend some quiet time there as a family and give birth at the O'Connor Compound?"

Dante shook his head.

"I initially thought of that too, but we've repeatedly kicked the hornets' nest with all these blows to Viktor's organization, so he's going to want to strike back at us, and our home is the first place he'll look for us. I don't want to risk it. I've thought of a far safer place, which will also be the perfect place for our Son and Daughter to be born."

Lily was figuratively on the edge of her seat, waiting for Dante to get to the point, while she wracked her brain to think of where he was contemplating.

"Let's go to our new home, Hohenzollern Castle in Germany. We'll finally meet our Pack, and our children can be welcomed into the world surrounded by our Pack in their ancestral home and born in what will become their new home for life. It's time for us to go there baby, it's earlier than we thought, but I feel that it's time."

Lily's eyes went wide. She was speechless for a few long moments before she composed herself and spoke.

"Initially I was shocked, but the more I think about it, the more it makes perfectly wonderful sense. We're the Alphas of a massive Pack, we haven't even met them yet, and we need to. We'd be barricaded inside a castle surrounded by hundreds of Lycans... our own Lycans... there's nowhere in the world that would be safer, plus it's outside of Viktor's range of influence. It's perfect, Dante! When should we leave?"

Dante smiled in relief that Lily liked the idea.

"I think we can leave tomorrow. Our sleep schedules are out of whack right now and we're still exhausted. I'll make some calls to Mom and Dad and a few others to alert them to our new plans and have them ship some of our things to the castle immediately, so we can have them shortly after we arrive. We'll talk to Astrid and the Hellhounds right away to get the plan in motion. I'm sure a surprise visit from the Alpha Queen and Alpha King will be welcome, and our Pack will want to celebrate. Let's get showered and dressed, and we can put this in motion."