BOOOOM!!!

Ralph’s POV

Once Maddox and I finished going over every detail of the plan, I pushed my chair back and stood. We had spent the better part of the afternoon moving markers across that map, arguing over routes, adjusting positions, and finding every weakness we could exploit. By the time we were finished, there wasn’t much left to change.

I had to admit it. The plan looked good. It wasn’t perfect. Nothing ever was. Every operation eventually ran into something unexpected. The difference this time was we weren’t charging headfirst into another battle. We were taking our time. Watching. Waiting. Picking our moments instead of announcing our arrival with an army. That suited me just fine.

I walked out of Maddox’s office and let the door click shut behind me. The hallway remained quiet. A few men passed by carrying supplies, but none of them paid much attention to me. Most kept their heads down and continued with whatever assignment they had been given. Good. I preferred it that way.

The kings thought they had beaten me. They thought taking my pack was some great victory. Bullshit. That’s what it was. I’d been running that pack for the last six years. Every patrol. Every warrior. Every decision. Every inch of that territory had answered to me.

Still… None of it surprised me. The second Traci turned eighteen, leadership belonged to her whether she claimed it or not. I’d known that day was coming. That was exactly why I’d tried to eliminate her before she ever reached that birthday. Unfortunately… That plan hadn’t exactly gone my way.

I rolled my eyes and let out an irritated breath. “So much for that.” Now the pack belonged to someone else. Corbin had stepped in. The elders had moved into position. Royal warriors watched every entrance while additional patrols circled the borders day and night. The place had become nearly impossible to reach. Almost.

I glanced around the corner before continuing outside. Nobody followed. Satisfied, I headed toward the back of the compound where several workshops had been converted into makeshift storage areas. The farther I walked, the quieter everything became. Most people avoided this section. Probably because they knew exactly who worked back here.

Jordan. Maddox’s Beta. He barely noticed me as I approached. His entire focus remained on the device spread across the workbench. Tiny tools surrounded him. Coils of wire. Metal casings. Circuit boards. Half-assembled mechanisms. He worked with steady hands, carefully stripping insulation from one wire before connecting it to another.

“How’s everything coming along?” I asked.

Without looking up, he answered. “I’ve got a few more to finish.” He adjusted another connection before reaching for a screwdriver. “After that I need to test the timing mechanisms.” A small click echoed around him. “Once those pass inspection…” He finally nodded to himself. “They’re ready.”

I folded my arms across my chest. “That’s a lot of work for one man.”

“It is,” he nodded his head in agreement.

“Isn’t there anybody else who can help?” I asked as I sounded like I was concerned.

For the first time, he stopped working. He looked up at me with his eyebrows pulled together. “You mean someone with the skills?”

I shrugged my shoulders once. “Seems like it’d speed things up.”

Jordan rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “You know…” A slow smile crossed his face. “Now that you mention it…” His fingers snapped. “Boomer.” He laughed quietly. “I completely forgot about him.” He shook his head. “That crazy bastard is even better than I am.” His grin widened. “The problem is…” He picked up another wire. “Boomer likes making everything as big as possible.” He mimicked an explosion with both hands. “Every single time.”

A chuckle escaped me. “Sounds about right.”

Jordan returned to work, carefully twisting several wires together before securing them beneath a small connector. I stayed where I was, silently watching. His concentration never wavered. The man truly enjoyed what he did.

Personally… I thought he was insane. Still… Insane people were useful. After a few minutes, I glanced around the yard. Warriors patrolled the outer perimeter several hundred yards away. Their routes never brought them close to us. Out here… It was just the two of us.

“So…” I looked back toward him. “Why isn’t anybody working with you?”

Jordan didn’t even pause. He smirked beneath the curtain of hair hanging over his forehead. “They’re all chicken shits.”

I laughed. “They’re afraid you’ll accidentally blow them up?”

He pointed the pliers toward me. “Exactly.” He threw both hands into the air. “They think I’m going to trip a wire and…” He made another exploding motion. “… boom.”

“I suppose that’s a fair concern,” I let out a small chuckle.

He laughed. “I’ve only done it twice.”

“Only?” I laughed again.

“I’m pretty sure it was only twice.”

I watched him another moment before nodding toward the device lying on the table. “Need a hand?”

He slowly shook his head. “Nah.” His attention never left the project. “I’ve got it.” A small smile crossed his face. “But I appreciate you asking.” He shrugged his shoulders. “And the company.”

Silence settled between us. The only sounds came from tools lightly tapping metal and wires sliding through Jordan’s fingers. Eventually I tilted my head. “So…” He glanced toward me. “How easy is it to trigger one of those?”

Jordan chuckled. “Oh…” He pointed toward several exposed wires before tapping a small button mounted along one side. “Very easy.” His finger moved from one connection to another. “If this wire touches that one…” He traced another line with the tip of his screwdriver. “… everything goes boom.”

I nodded thoughtfully. “That’s the only way?”

He smiled. “Yep. That’s it.”

Satisfied with the explanation, he returned to his work. I remained there another couple of minutes before saying my goodbyes and turning toward the compound.

Jordan never looked up again. He trusted me. I walked until I reached what I considered a safe distance. Only then did I stop. Without turning around, I raised my voice just enough for him to hear. “You forgot one more way.”

His tools stopped moving. “What?”

He sounded genuinely confused. I slowly looked over my shoulder. “The device.”

He frowned. “What about it?”

“You forgot there’s another way to set it off.”

His eyebrows climbed. “And how would that be?”

I didn’t answer. Instead… I kept walking. As I rounded the corner, I opened my hand and looked down at the small activation fob resting in my palm. While he’d been busy explaining his masterpiece, I’d leaned over the table pretending to admire his work. In reality… I’d lifted the remote without him noticing.

A grin spread across my face. Just like taking candy from a baby. I pressed the button. BOOOOOM!