“Wow...” she whispered. “So that’s it. I heard Nick talk about it, but I never thought I would see it for myself.”
“You’re seeing it in its lowest state,” Alicia replied, gazing over the grounds. The grass for over a hundred metres all around was suffering from lack of care. A browning of the surface, huge areas of chopped up earth and weeds over growing. Alicia knelt down, feeling the grass around her feet, finding a small chain buried in the dirt. “Could you?” she asked Nicole, holding it up.
Nicole took it with a look of confusion. Yet before she could ask what was going on, Alicia had unclasped her necklace with the Slade crest, and brushed some earth away to reveal a lock hidden in the ground. She pressed and clicked the crest and two doors formed and lowered slowly, connected to the chain in Nicole’s hand. They revealed a hole resembling an entry to a cellar. Alicia helped Nicole inside and when both of their feet hit the floor, tugged on the chain so the doors retracted back up. The chain retreated back up into the ceiling of the tunnel they were in. “It spins as it goes back up. It shakes the dirt back over the doors as it goes around and around, so it’s as if nothing happened,” Alicia explained, leading the way along the dimly lit tunnel. Crude lamps were dug into the walls every fifty metres or so, some were blinking. “Had to be careful when building this. It runs off the estate’s power, so couldn’t draw too much or it would alert someone.”
“You built this?”
“Yup. Just under eight months it took me. It comes out at my bathroom. Wilson thought I was just being a demanding bitch when I said I wanted my en-suite. I wouldn’t leave him alone about it until he finally relented. He thought I wanted men to do it, but I just wanted no one to question why I was spending so long in there and no one came in to bother me, which was most important. I made such a fuss and then it looked like nothing was being done. Little did they know I was actually underneath my bathtub hollowing out all this.”
“Why didn’t you tell Wilson?” Nicole asked, using her hand along the wall for guidance in the dark. “Didn’t you trust him?”
“I loved that man, faults and all. I trusted him but I couldn’t rely on him. He drank too much. I could always see him spilling the truth out when he was drunk to some underling. Or worse, to Creed. This was my idea and mine alone. I wanted a place I could go, to bring Nick if things got really bad. Ironically, when they did get really bad this place was of little use. The mansion was completely overrun and I needed to get him far away as quickly as possible. Out of the country, not just the mansion. The Sikorsky was his best chance. Besides myself, I could only trust my cousin Alex to look after him.”
“I met her. She was lovely. Well, from the little I could notice.”
“That’s right, I forgot you met each other. Even when we were kids, she was always looking after people. I hated putting that on her, but you do what you have to for the ones you love.”
“Including starting a war?”
Alicia stopped just before the stairs to her bathroom. Turning to Nicole, she tried to guess her tone and found what she felt was an answer. Nicole knew this is what Alicia would think to do for her son. War. For an innocent baby. Tynan would never give him up after going to such trouble. And there was no way in hell Alicia would let him have the baby. A war between a grandmother and a tyrant would cost lives. But at the core was the life of a newborn boy. It was overwhelming. And terrifying.
“Whatever I need to do to bring our family back together. I will level the place to get him back.”
“Ours?”
“If you want it. You have more than one wolf who loves you and wants you safe. I’m not your mum, but I hope you can learn to treat me like a grandma one day.”
Nicole gave a trembling smile, thanking her without words. They came up under her bathtub, the entire thing shifted to the side over their heads. Alicia went first, then lifted Nicole up and out, leading her out of the room and down the hall. Alicia thought to be careful, but the fact was it didn’t matter if they were seen, just as long as her secret passage had closed, and it had.
Alicia followed the sounds of the most voices, which seemed to gather in the old war room. With a slap of her palm, the door popped open. “Excuse me, gentlemen!” Alicia snapped, marching forward. “What is being done to bring your Alpha back home?”
The room had roughly ten occupants. All looked up. Some looked surprised, others curious, the rest dropped their heads to continue on with whatever they were doing. “Nothing,” Alistair replied. “As per our orders.”
“What?” Alicia replied.
“We were contacted by Radha. Talia is safe and we were to do nothing.”
“Where is she then?”
“She’s probably still there. Nursing her wounds and how stupid she was, coming this close to starting a war. That has been looked over, and we are now aligned with House Ross.”
“You mean this house submitted to him…” Alicia closed her eyes and held a breath. “I told her to stay here, but she’s her own person.”
“Who risked the lives of all in this house on a foolhardy adventure, playing hero with her idol?”
Another stood up and faced Alistair. “You forget you are speaking to Alicia Slade?”
“I haven’t forgotten,” Alistair replied, still looking at her. “That name may have meant something once, but no more. You come here demanding answers we really have no obligation to give you. This isn’t your house anymore. This isn’t even a house with the way it is lead…” he finished with a sneer of disgust. “One barely past her teens with extraordinary strength does not make an Alpha. And her mother that beds as many virile wolves as possible does not make an Alpha.”
“I agree,” Alicia replied. “So do something about it. Fight with us.”
“Us? What, you two?” Alistair pointed briefly to Alicia and Nicole.
“Maybe. What’s wrong with that?”
“You are delusional, that’s what. In any case, you know as well as I do, any action must come under the direction of the Alpha.”
“You know as well as I do that’s complete bullshit. When did Wilson order the removal of his own head?”
“You would expect us to mutiny, especially after that?”
“I expect you to fight! To stand for something. Look at this place, what has happened here? To you all? I cannot believe you would just lay down like this.”
“You expect us to fight your squabbles. Lay down? We are following orders. Something I have always done. I fought on Wilson’s side. And though I did not agree with what happened, I would’ve fought for Creed. I would’ve fought for you had you been the Alpha. I think it is wrong to follow Tynan. You want to say the house has declined? I won’t disagree. But these were the actions of those higher than I. There is no fight here, Alicia. It’s over. Wolves know their place. They follow their Alpha’s.”
“Wolves follow their hearts.”
“He has my son…” Nicole said.
Alistair looked confused for moment. “Your son?”
“Please…he’s just an infant. I don’t know what Tynan is doing to him. He wants to use him as a weapon. I’m not a wolf as you can tell. I fell in love with one and I’m the mother of one. I don’t know the politics…and I don’t want you to risk your life for me. For him. But…” Nicole fought back more tears, seemingly determined not to cry. “I’m hoping you’ll help me if you can.”
Alistair looked down, the words and her tone leaving a mark on him, when suddenly he, Alicia, and the rest of the room, looked to the right of the room, out the window. All the wolves heard it, an approaching aircraft. Coming fast.
“Were you expecting someone?”
“No,” Alistair said evenly.
“Sensors that pick up approaching weaponry still active? They still connected to the anti-aircraft guns?”
“Yes. But…” he turned to her. “If we are now aligned with House Ross…”
“He’d have the codes…”
Alicia and Alistair both had the s
ame thought, screaming for the others to leave. Alicia grabbed Nicole by the arm and had only taken a few steps with her before the screeching whistle of a missile and the earth-shattering explosion.
Alicia pushed Nicole forward just as she herself leapt back from falling debris. Supports snapped as the ceiling crumbled down, cascading the space around Alicia in cement and dust as yet another missile struck somewhere outside. Alicia swatted away the thick cloud, stumbling over bits of the room until she met a wall of rubble. “Nicole! Can you hear me!?” she screamed.
The response came through coughs. “I’m here...I’m ok.” Alicia’s knees trembled and she fell face forward into the rubble as yet another explosion rocked the mansion. “Quick! The passage we came through. Use it to get out. Head right to the end and I’ll find you.”
“But what about you?”
“Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine. Just get yourself to safety. Now go!” Alicia heard the scurry on the other side before she moved away to the others in the room. Alistair was on his feet, checking over members of the pack lying in front of him, shaking them. But it was no use. A ball of fire billowed through the windows just behind them and both he and Alicia had no choice but to jump out into the courtyard, where the aircraft hovered. Alicia landed on her haunches and took a brief glance before running full pelt away from the gunship’s search light. Two missiles streaked from the aircraft, only missing them because they leapt clear. The force propelled them almost twenty feet forward.
Alistair landed in a roll but collided with Alicia, who wasn’t so lucky, her foot snapping upon contact with the ground. Alistair ignored her pleas and wrapped her arm around his neck, scooping her up in his arms and running towards the hedges. The searchlight roamed for them but appeared to have lost them after their unwitting jump.
“Stay here for a minute...” Alistair whispered as Alicia bit her lip and screamed behind her teeth as he snapped the bone back into place. “You’ll heal soon.”
Alicia and he both stilled at the sound of her name coming from the aircraft. It shouldn’t be possible, but it was. Alicia looked up to see Tynan Ross on the ground, a sickening smile on his face, holding the arm of a terrified Nicole in his hand. “Secret passage Alicia? Really?” he chuckled, pulling her closer as she tried to fight her way free.
“You fucking cunt...” Alicia seethed, before screaming the exact three words again as she charged from the hedge, ignoring Alistair’s cries for her to come back. The adrenaline surged through her, numbing the pain of her foot as it re-broke with every running step she took. The estate she called home for the better part of two decades was ablaze, not long after being ridden into the ground despite Talia and Alistair’s efforts. Nicole was screaming, petrified, fighting him off, or trying to. Alicia, though in a rage, was still alert enough not to run headlong into danger. The missiles wouldn’t be fired at a target so close. They would have to use bullets, which she could take. Or if there was a God in heaven, hand to hand. She would slowly splinter every one of Tynan’s ribs.
Tynan saw her coming and merely laughed. With a brief flick of his hand, one of his soldiers threw a hose from the craft to him. He pointed it and with a gleeful smile, erupted a pulse of flames from the head as he dragged Nicole into the craft with him. Alicia dodged the first, and leapt over the second, but caught the edge of a third blast on her side. She faltered as the door to the craft closed.
*
“I’ll come quietly just please don’t hurt her,” Nicole cried.
“Oh it’s far too late for that.” Tynan replied. “My vision of peace will not be disrupted by a she-bitch. It won’t, I tell you!”
“Sir! On the right!”
The pilot called out just before Nicole yelped and covered her face as a body slammed into the side of the craft.
“Get us out. Go!” Tynan replied.
Nicole cringed as the person, a dark-haired girl, began pummelling the door with a fist, holding on with her other hand. Where she came from Nicole didn’t know. Her silver eyes were almost slits, concentrating her frantic effort to get Nicole out. She grunted and wheezed through her elongated fangs as the door bent inwards. Her strength was breaking it down. Her roar shook the cabin as Nicole felt it rise high in the air, but the girl didn’t stop. The height made no difference to her as she again struck the solid steel and Perspex again and again.
If Nicole could just reach her outstretched hand, she could be pulled through the gap...
“Oh Talia. I had such hopes for you. Goodnight my dear...” Tynan said before pointing the hose at the destroyed door. Nicole yelled and tried to push it away but it was too late.
“No!” Nicole screamed as Talia, who had tried so hard to free her, was engulfed in flames and screams as she slipped off and plummeted to the ground fifty feet below. Nicole didn’t see her land as the craft pivoted and launched itself forward, away from the chaos, the wind whipping her hair, yet she could hear Tynan’s voice clearly.
“I would’ve thought you’d be grateful. I’m taking you back to your boy.”
“So I can breed your wolves?”
“I am willing to renegotiate. It turns out you are more pivotal to my plan than I first thought. Your son is sick.”
“What?” Nicole lunged for him. “What have you done to my baby?!”
Tynan swatted her attempt away. “He needs his mother. A rare condition among infant Alphas in which a child without its pack close by can die. It also severely affects the pack members. Ah…I see by the look on your face this isn’t a surprise to you. Alicia has been feeling the effects no doubt. So, are we willing to play nice during the calm?”
“Calm? What calm?”
“There is always a calm leading to a war. A stillness across the battlefield as the armies march towards their fate. I’ve always said I do not want conflict, and it’s true. But I have spent years preparing for it. Crippling, destroying and ransacking those who do not share my vision. I can see them coming. Alicia is one of them. Completely outnumbered, totally outgunned. But she won’t care…” Tynan smiled to himself. “She will come. For you. For her grandson. With Talia, with any that can muster the courage or the stupidity. They will fall like so many others. There are none that can stand against me. I bring order to chaos as you will soon see, yet again. But, should you cooperate, I will grant you protection. You may not understand yet, but I am your best option at keeping your son alive. Need I remind you, if it wasn’t for me he would be dead.”
Nicole could’ve retaliated. Verbally or more. But one thought kept creeping into her mind that stopped her. She just wanted to hold her son. A way out, a way to help Alicia get in, might present itself. But for now, it was best to get to her baby.
“I haven’t forgotten.”
Chapter Sixteen
A New Plan
Alicia ran forward, watching in horror watching Talia fall. She tried to run as fast as could but she stumbled, blood seeping through her jeans. She couldn’t reach her in time. She crumbled to the ground, pain gripping her lower half, as Alistair sailed over her and came down with Talia in his arms. In the same movement, he laid her on the ground and patted down the flames. Alicia half crawled over to see Talia, whimpering heavily.
“You’ll be ok. You’ll heal soon.” Alicia said softly, stroking her sweat soaked, singed hair.
“I failed...” Talia said, scrunching her eyes and hiding her tears. “I tried to get her. I tried...”
“There was nothing else you could’ve done. We were trying to organise a rescue for you. It’s me who failed. I walked away from my house, my name. Now both lie in ruins.”
Talia turned her face slightly to the burning mansion, now in pieces. “I can’t do anything about the house, but we can about the name. We have to get your grandson back. And his mum.”
“I’ll let you recover first.”
“Are you both insane?” Alistair retorted, “You both are in no condition to fight anyone, least of all Ross’ Army.”
“What do you
suggest?” Alicia winced.
“Stay out of sight. Save yourselves.”
“Not an option,” Alicia replied.
“Of course it is!” Alistair said, looking to Talia. “You cannot possibly go along with this?”
“And why not?” Talia asked, picking off the crusty black scabs and revealing pink skin underneath.
“Because you’re the Alpha. You’re supposed to lead with smarts, not guns blazing into anything that comes your way. Call me a coward all you want. It’s suicide.”
“Ok then, coward,” Talia shrugged. “If you’re that frightened, I’ll kamikaze that fortress by myself if I have to.”
“I’m not frightened. I’m tired. Of all this. You think you’re the only one that has wanted to take down Ross? That no one else had the bright idea he might be a bigger threat than most realise? Ross hasn’t touched this house for years, but Creed kept track of his movements and I was one of those who did the scouting. I assumed he did so with Wilson’s instructions but now I think that’s not the case. Ross has been building an armada.”
“I know. I’ve seen it,” Talia said.
“Did you know he possesses, among other things, nukes? If that doesn’t at least make you think twice, you are childishly naive. Nuclear weapons, whether stolen or bought., are in his possession. Ross cannot be taken. He defeated house Kent...”
“Kent?” Alicia asked, shocked. “They’re gone?”
“Within four hours, and he suffered no loss of manpower. They lost half their soldiers. Kent, at the time, was almost equal to House Slade. Everything they had. Everything: money, resources, equipment, men, artillery, all of it, now belong to Ross.”
“You knew all this and you did nothing?”
“I reported directly to Creed. As the trusted right hand of Wilson, I didn’t even think to go directly to Wilson. It was Creed who did nothing. Perhaps it was that he saw all these movements and that they were away from our house that things were left alone. Observed only. We were once, possibly, the only house that could’ve stopped him. Then the subject of succession came along and everything else took a back seat. What point is a house with no clear future, no direction?”
Pack Master (Undeadly Secrets Book 4) Page 10