Hauk understood why Bastien didn’t want to talk about his family and their deaths. Some memories were too crippling, and he had his own share of them. But one thing he knew for a fact.

Bastien wouldn’t be fighting alone.

After this, the Kirovarian prince had proven himself one of them.

Strong alone. Stronger together.

Nero brought them a commandeered transport so that they could stay off the street, and not attract undue notice. They made their way to a League orphanage near the Overseer’s office building, in the center of the city. It was a drab, unremarkable building that was heavily fortified, and manned by League guards.

None of them spoke as Nero drove them to a side alley so that they could unload and prepare. They’d barely cleared the transport before a shadow flickered.

Every one of them leveled their blasters at it.

“Whoa! Good guy. Please, gods, don’t shoot me. And if you do, kill my ass. I can’t take any more physical therapy. I’m done with it.”

Smiling, Hauk holstered his blaster and held his arm out to Safir. “You look like hell, buddy.”

“And feel every minsid flame of it, too. I wish I could say I feel better than I look, but I really don’t.” After shaking Hauk’s arm, Saf hugged Maris. “We have two of our own who are guards here. They’re the ones who notified us of her location, after Valari put out a call for information on her whereabouts. The problem is, we know the room. But we’re not sure which kid she is. They’re not tagged with names.” He looked at Hauk. “I’m hoping Daddy knows what she looks like.”

Hauk shook his head. “They took her from her mother the minute she was born. Sumi was never allowed to see or touch her. She only knows her name because she bribed a nurse for it.”

Shahara crossed her arms over her chest. “If I can get a cheek swab, I can run her DNA with Sumi’s and verify it.”

They all stared at her.

“What?” she asked defensively. “I’m married to a mad scientist doctor. You think I haven’t picked up a few things from him after all these years?”

Caillen grinned. “Sister Shay for the win.”

While they planned the extraction with Safir, Shahara called Syn to get Sumi’s DNA downloaded to run against Kalea’s.

Hauk thought over their ideas. “You know, Saf, it might be easier if Shahara and I can go in with your guys, and say that we were sent in to do a routine med check on the kids. That way we could run the DNA and they wouldn’t know what we were about.” It was also the best way to keep any innocents from being harmed.

Saf looked at the others. “Anyone got a better idea?”

They shook their heads.