Silver Chains

Chapter One

Theo

"We're moving in boss," I motion for our guys to move ahead, signaling them to keep their eyes open and guns ready. Blaise, the crazy motherfucker, is already inside and I hear the tell tale sign of screaming that signifies he's already having fun.

Fun, for him, usually ends with someone being taken back to the building and a whole lot of blood in the trunk due to some missing appendage or another. Last time, the guy was missing his dick and didn't even last long enough to drag him down to Blase's den. Needless to say, he was completely livid and disappeared for hours, probably torturing some other soul that was unfortunate enough to cross his path.

Granted, the types of souls we're up against deserve every nightmare that we can think of giving them.

This operation is no different, and I trail two of our guys into a giant living room where a woman and her daughter are cowering. I hold a finger up to my lips, giving her a sinister command to stay silent. She probably knows we'll kill her otherwise. But if she allows us to deal with this issue, whether it's her husband or brother or some other person she knows, without getting in our way? She'll be relocated and taken care of.

She'd be stupid to open her mouth right now, and luckily she nods before we move on.

"Update." My boss' voice is strained through my earpiece. He's used to being out here with us, but the bounty on his head is too high to risk it. This operation should take care of that but there will be plenty of others that will follow.

"Zabini is fucking around somewhere, but so far so good. We're moving into the basement now, should have the girls out soon. Wife and kid will be included," I shoot back, grinning up at a camera as we pass it on silent feet, our guns drawn and ready. Even though he doesn't respond, I know he has already hacked the security system and is watching as we move through the house.

Suddenly music blares through the mansion, some heavy metal band that echoes off the absurd amount of marble. My boss' chuckle lets me know he's behind this particular trick and I laugh, sending the guys forward into the basement. I kick down a door, leading the slaughter as bullets start ringing out. About ten girls duck into a room and I quickly move to cover the door, my hand stinging from the constant recoil of my gun. "You're a crazy fucker," I know he hears me when he turns the music up louder, almost covering the sound of gunfire.

It lasts for a few more seconds before we've taken down all the guards and Blaise appears at the foot of the stairs, covered in blood from head to toe. "Anyone of importance down here?" He strides in, kicking at people as he goes, "I only found one person to play with upstairs."

Sam, one of our musclemen, clears his throat and leads Blaise towards someone as I turn to enter the room behind me. "Get them out of there, Pansy is waiting upstairs with transportation to the clinic. See you back at the house." The music turns off just as he cuts our line of communication.

Attempting my best comforting smile, I call the girls out from their hiding places. I stumble, actually stumble, backwards when a very familiar curly head of hair makes an appearance. It's been fifteen years since I've seen Hermione Granger, but I would recognize that hair anywhere. My smile drops as I flick my gaze to her forearm, the raised scar tissue stark against her pale skin. It's not the only thing that mars her. She's covered in cuts and bruises, her lip is split and she's favoring her left leg, leaning her weight onto it as she wobbles.

If I'm expecting some sort of emotional reunion, I don't get one. She lunges at me with her fists raised and a feral cry, "Don't fucking touch them!"

I grunt as she knocks me backwards and my head painfully clonks against the floor. Her fist connects with my jaw before I'm able to lightly grip her wrists, "Granger! Granger calm the fuck down!"