  Jacob&#39;s Perspective
  The oppressive silence after our failure didn&#39;t last long. Our group&#39;s skills might be a mixed bag, but our ability to band together and focus in a desperate situation? That, we had mastered.
  We gathered in the clearing between the two SUVs, using the headlights like a primitive campfire, brainstorming how to crack this hard nut.
  &quot;A frontal assault is out. We don&#39;t have the numbers or the firepower,&quot; Lily said, sketching a crude outline of the factory in the dirt with a stick. &quot;And the backdoor approach just slammed in our faces and bolted itself shut.&quot;
  &quot;So, we split up. Good old diversion,&quot; Xavier summarized, arms crossed, his voice a low rumble.
  A plan began to take shape. Lily, Xavier, Adrian, and the twins would &quot;pay another visit&quot; to the slaughterhouse at first light. This time, it wasn&#39;t a p

  Jacob&#39;s Perspective
  Letting Celena be the one to expose those bastards first was a blow to my pride. Damn it, I&#39;d almost bought their &quot;regular worker&quot; act. But hot on the heels of that embarrassment came a surge of fierce pride—that&#39;s my girl. Sharp, cool-headed, always seeing through the disguise when it counts. Standing there in the cold white light, a smear of the Hunter&#39;s blood on her fingertip, her eyes as cold and piercing as a frozen lake… she was damn mesmerizing.
  Pride aside, we had work to do. The fury of being deceived and the anxiety of what was being hidden made my hands less than gentle.
  The wet thud of fist on flesh, the subtle crack of bone shifting, sounded unnaturally loud in the icy room. The Hunters held out at first, cursing us with venom in their eyes. But when I bent one man&#39;s wrist back to a sickening angle and calmly asked if

  Jacob&#39;s Perspective
  On the afternoon of the third day, when I spotted the two familiar, mud-spattered SUVs coming down the highway from the edge of the woods, their headlights flashing three times as arranged, I damn near got choked up.
  They&#39;d actually come. All of them.
  Xavier was the first out, his massive frame making the chassis bounce. He strode over and punched my shoulder with a grin. &quot;Well, look what the cat dragged in. Our little stray pup. Looks like you got into a scrap with a raccoon.&quot; He was referring to the cuts and scrapes on my neck and hands.
  Adrian was more reserved with a nod, but his eyes were sharp, scanning the surroundings. The twins, Jim and Joe, were already poking around our wrecked Chevy like a pair of curious hounds, whistling low. &quot;Whoa, man. This thing got gutted. You two walked away from this?&quot;
  Finally, Lily stepped o

Jacob&#39;s Perspective
  The oppressive silence after our failure didn&#39;t last long. Our group&#39;s skills might be a mixed bag, but our ability to band together and focus in a desperate situation? That, we had mastered.
  We gathered in the clearing between the two SUVs, using the headlights like a primitive campfire, brainstorming how to crack this hard nut.
  &quot;A frontal assault is out. We don&#39;t have the numbers or the firepower,&quot; Lily said, sketching a crude outline of the factory in the dirt with a stick. &quot;And the backdoor approach just slammed in our faces and bolted itself shut.&quot;
  &quot;So, we split up. Good old diversion,&quot; Xavier summarized, arms crossed, his voice a low rumble.
  A plan began to take shape. Lily, Xavier, Adrian, and the twins would &quot;pay another visit&quot; to the slaughterhouse at first light. This time, it wasn&#39;t a probe. It was a full-blown distraction. Gunfire, maximum chaos, designed to pull the guards and mo

Chapter 229