We piled out of the transport and took up our positions within the group. Kee would loop the surveillance footage while Lexi got the floor hatch open. Then we needed speed to carry us into the main part of the bunker before the kidnappers could mount a defense and trap us in the entryway.

Eli and Chira carried the heavy rope and floor anchor that would allow us to bypass the ladder. This afternoon we’d practiced fast roping off Torran’s roof just to refresh our muscle memory.

We crept through the trees, sticking to the darkest shadows. The heavy red moon was barely a sliver in the sky, so we didn’t have to worry about moonlight giving us away, but we were careful anyway.

Torran called us to a halt at the edge of the forest, and I relayed the signal to my team. “Kee, you’re up,” I said over the comm. “Lexi, you’re on deck.”

“On it,” Kee confirmed.

She pulled a slate from its attachment point on her thigh. A few minutes later, she said, “Surveillance is looped. I didn’t see anyone on the cameras below.”

A moment of doubt struck. Was the person we’d seen before just a palace guard on a random sweep? If not, where was everyone? I shoved the doubt aside and tapped Torran’s shoulder. “We’re good to go,” I said aloud so the comm would pick it up for my team.

Torran led us to the gate and it took Lexi less than ten seconds to slide it open. Torran could’ve gotten us in with his access, but we’d decided to be as stealthy as possible in case someone was watching for him.

The door to the building opened just as easily, then Lexi moved to one of the machines along the wall that looked exactly like every other machine. Rather than tapping on the screen, she flipped a manual switch, one of ten seemingly identical switches. How long had it taken her to find the right one? No wonder they’d been gone for hours last night.

The floor split along what I had thought were natural cracks, revealing a square about a meter wide. Thanks to the night vision in my helmet, I could see the ladder leading down, but the slightly off color made me think it was pitch-black.

Chira and Eli set up the rope while the rest of us kept an eye on our surroundings. After Chira placed the anchor, Eli gave the rope a hard yank, then dropped the rest of the coil into the hole. I heard a soft sound as the end hit the ground.

Torran moved to the rope and disappeared. As our strongest fighter, he would go first to secure the room. And as a telekinetic, if anyone fell too fast, he could catch them. Eli and Chira swung their rifles up and watched the door. They would come down last.