by Eva Gordon
“Part of me wants to keep you, but I doubt you’d be on my side.”
Naturally, he knew she couldn’t let a known illegal weapons trader, unethical scientist, and now monstrous werewolf escape. “I know a scientist who can help you.”
“I doubt anyone ran a lab facility as futuristic as mine.”
“Saskia will betray you. Even if she hands you the cure, how do you know it will really work?”
Bolton sighed. “I know the cure may not work on me. Lucky for you, females never turn into an uncontrollable beast. At best, they turn into friendly wolf-dog like canines.”
“If you mean Nexus, true. She appears to have handled the chimera virus well.”
“No. I mean you.”
“Huh?”
“While you were unconscious, I thought, why not try the chimera virus on you? If you died, Saskia may have been pissed off, but more likely relieved. If you survived, I’d know it worked on another female. Having a team of female assassins to carry out assignments might prove even more lucrative than our unpredictable male chimeras.”
Emma jerked her head back; feeling as though someone just robbed her soul. “You injected me with the chimera werewolf virus?”
“I gave you the same formula that worked on Nexus, but killed Svetlana. You had a high fever the first eight hours, but then you slowly recovered.”
Emma gaped. No way. Maybe it didn’t work. “I don’t feel any different.”
“Neither did Nexus.”
She’d been trained to work with wolf shifters all her life, but to become one never crossed her mind. Never would. She loved being human with no interest in ever shifting. “No.”
Bolton laughed. “Not that it matters since you are unlikely to live long enough to find out.”
Chapter Twenty
Nik woke with a start in the cabana. He stood and scanned the area. He wasn’t alone. Still caged, he glared at the two guards. They scowled at him. New werewolves and only two of them. How insulting. Then again, they had weapons. What happened? His memory was fuzzy. I was tranquilized again. A tray of raw steak on a small table in his cage caused his stomach to grumble. He sniffed, fresh and not tainted with drugs. “Where is Saskia?”
One of the men with gapped front teeth smirked. “Business trip.”
“How long have I been out?”
The guard patted his tranquilizer gun. “Only a few hours. You can stay awake if you cooperate.”
“Let me out and I’ll help you before you turn into monsters.”
The guard with the tooth gap laughed. “Too late. I’ve been a monster all my life.”
“I see.” Nik narrowed his eyes. “Saskia left convicts behind.”
“No. She took six. The ones that murdered more people than I ever did.”
If Bolton was stupid enough to meet her, there was a good possibility of a blood bath. Somehow, he had to escape and find Emma.
Nik stiffened. Someone was outside the cabana. He cocked his head and sniffed. A she-wolf peed outside the cabana. Nexus!
The tooth gap guard snapped. “Find out who’s out there.”
The other guard ran out. Thud. Nik smiled. Looks like she came prepared to clean house.
Nexus stepped into the cabana and shot the remaining guard. He crashed to the floor and seized, death by wolfsbane bullet. In seconds, his eyes glazed over.
“I thought you were long gone, either dead or back on the mainland.” He gripped the cage bars, pulled them apart and stepped out.
“They sunk the yacht. I had to doggie paddle all the way back.”
“Did you call Rylee?”
“I was too busy swimming. I lost my phone.” She smirked. “Anyway, you can thank me for freeing you.”
“Thank you. As they say in America, I owe you one.”
“We better find a way off this island before I run out of wolfsbane bullets.”
Nik bent down and dug out a phone from the dead guy’s pocket. “Getting us a ride.” He paced. “Rylee, it’s me, Nik.”
“Where the hell have you and Emma been?”
“Long story, but I need a helicopter to these coordinates. Pronto.”
“Is Emma with you?”
“No. She is in grave danger.”
“Shit. Bad timing. We have a situation on the North Korean and Chinese border. All of our teams have been dispatched there. The best I can do is have Jesper fly to your coordinates.”
What? Jesper was the pack’s archivist and Rylee’s assistant. The albino never left the underground archives. As far as he knew, he’d never gone on combat missions. “You mean Jesper can fly?”
“Yes. He’s a pilot, our backup when our pilots are out. Trust me, he’s not bad. The team jet is equipped with the best technology.”
Nexus tilted her head and obviously heard the conversation with her wolfish hearing. “Cool.”
“Nik, who is that?”
“Nexus, a brilliant asset.”
“What?”
“Sorry, complicated.”
“Just make sure she has no memory of meeting werewolves.”
Rather than disagreeing, he nodded. “Of, course, ma’am.” No time to explain she happened to be one.
“Stay put. I’ll send the coordinates to Jesper.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Bring Emma back in one piece or it’s your ass.”
“I agree.”
“That means keeping Jesper alive, too. He is not combat trained.”
“He will not encounter any danger. It will be as though he is landing at a beach resort.”
“Good, you know what to do.”
Nik pocketed the phone. Nexus better have a strong stomach for what they had to do.
Nexus frowned. “She sounded pissed.”
“Yes. She was.” He lifted a brow. “Reload the wolfsbane rifle.”
Nexus nodded and starting reloading the gun.
“We are going on a werewolf hunt. Just don’t shoot me in the process.”
“You mean we are going to kill all the werewolves? That won’t be easy.”
“I have to before Rylee’s assistant lands.” Just my luck, a pilot with no combat experience and a newbie werewolf or rather pup. “Don’t worry. I am a good combat comrade.” Nik lifted a brow. “Do you have any idea where Bolton took Emma?”
“His property in Maine.”
“Are you sure?”
“Duh—genius hacker.”
“Good work.”
Emma paced her room. Evidently, she was imprisoned in a mansion. A chandelier and fine paintings adorned her chamber. Posh accommodations, indeed. Emma stopped and looked out the window at a pristine old growth forest. A perfect view for relaxation, except for one thing: Monstrous werewolves would soon inhabit it. She could find no escape options. The door was locked and her room located on the fifth floor. She tried to lift the window and found it sealed shut. Even if she climbed out, the fall would kill her. If she scaled down and slipped, she’d end up with broken bones. Being human put her at a terrible disadvantage. Saskia would not have much of a challenge. Her best bet was to jump off a cliff. At least then she wouldn’t be tortured to death.
Emma stared at her arms, looking for fur. Werewolves often furred, while in human form, especially if stressed. She swished her tongue over her teeth, no fangs. She experienced no extra sensory sense of smell or hearing. The drug probably didn’t take. Then again, she did have a sudden craving for meat. Who knows? She might shift next week, or next month even. Or never, Emma hoped. Too late for escape.
Bolton entered, holding a bag of gym clothes and athletic shoes. “How are we doing?”
We? “Why should it matter? I’m dog-meat anyway.”
“Feeling different, today?”
“Still human, obviously.”
“It might be too early to see if the chimera drug worked.” Bolton shrugged. “It’d be a shame if we don’t get to see if the updated formula worked.”
“Updated? Did you include other DNA?”<
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“Let’s just say, if it works, we won’t have to worry about remaining as a werewolf. Although, I plan to use the old formula for my army. That is until they go completely insane.” He handed her clothes and running shoes. “Wear this for the hunt.”
Did Bolton know he was completely insane? Emma grabbed the clothes, which were an improvement over her current attire. She thought she’d either remain in her island clothing or be given some flowing white gown. “Too bad Saskia will kill me before you see if your updated drug works.”
“My first priority is the cure. Getting guinea pigs to test the new chimera drug won’t be difficult.”
“Why not let me introduce you to someone who can help you from becoming a werewolf?”
“I don’t trust you.”
“Better odds with me than Saskia. I doubt she’ll give you the formula for the cure.”
Bolton frowned. “I’m afraid you’re right.” He smiled. “I won’t hand you over until I make sure I get the cure and it works.”
“You think she will patiently wait to see if it works?”
“Point taken, but I have no other choice.” He sighed. “If you can buy us some time, I’ll make sure you survive.”
“How?” asked Emma.
“Saskia has agreed to an official hunt while I try out the drug.”
Official, my ass. Plain and simple murder. Nonetheless, she wouldn’t make it easy for Saskia. “I need more than running shoes to get away from Saskia.” A wolfsbane rifle would be nice.
“There is a small chance the chimera drug will work on you.”
“Not that I want to be canine, but it took Nexus almost a month before she changed.”
“The new drug I gave you should accelerate the process.”
“If it worked,” Emma said.
“Perhaps stress will initiate the change.”
“How about a set of car keys?”
“You are quite amusing.”
Emma rolled her eyes. “So when do I start the run-for-my life marathon?”
“At midnight.” He smiled. “Tonight is the full moon, so you should be able to see well enough.”
She smirked. “A full moon with werewolves on the hunt, how Hollywood. The only thing missing is my wolfsbane rifle.”
A man entered and spoke to Bolton. “Sir, there’s a problem with the hunting route.”
“Explain.”
“There is a boy’s club backpacking in the area. According to the visitor’s station log, some foster child program. Our drone spotted them. They saw the drone and waved, saying they were lost.”
“What?”
“Sorry, sir. I believe they have not gone officially missing yet. Is there anything you want me to do?”
“How many?”
“One chaperone and three eleven-year old boys.”
“How the hell did they end up this far from the national park?”
“The drone spotted an empty canoe washed up miles away.”
“They need to get the hell off my land.”
“Not sure what happened to the canoe, but they must have swum ashore.”
Bolton smirked. “This will please Saskia. Plenty of little snacks for her pack of criminals.”
Emma gaped. “Have you lost your humanity?”
“Every bit of it. I may be cured, but I still plan on creating a powerful army of savage werewolves. No time like the present for a good practice run.”
“Don’t do this.” She swallowed. “Just hand me over and leave the campers alone.”
“How heroic of you.” He chuckled. “You think Saskia will postpone the predator/prey game so you can save some brats?”
“They’re children.”
Bolton opened his mouth to say something, then paused, his eyes wide as if she had told him it would rain gold coins. “Yes, children. Imagine, little werewolf pups.”
Oh, no. He wanted to use them as guinea pigs. “The drug could kill them. You can’t!”
“Why not? If Saskia and her pack find them, they are dead anyway.”
“Why not send a rescue team? Help them find their way back to the right trail.”
“Send who? We can’t have any witnesses, now can we?”
“Don’t you want PR? Imagine the headlines: ‘Billionaire rescues lost boys.’”
He waved his hand dismissively. “Hmm…” He smiled. “I think I should use infants, instead. There are plenty of hospitals around.”
Bolton didn’t need a drug to turn him into a monster, he already was. “Please, rescue the campers. Saskia will not know.”
“Rather than pissing her off, working with her is in my best interest.” He turned to leave. “Cook will bring you a good meal before your run.”
Her appetite had vanished. “Right, the last meal.”
Bolton winked. “I wouldn’t want her to catch you after only a few minutes.”
“Like running will help.”
“She’s giving you a half-hour advantage.”
“What about another alternative, like you let me go and I take you to a research lab?”
“I’m aware of all the research facilities around the globe. None are familiar with our drug. There will be no bargaining, Agent Emma York.”
“I prefer Agent York.”
Bolton left the room. He was just as psycho as Saskia. Emma went to the window and stared out. What if Nik stopped Saskia? Or had she once again trapped him? Even if he escaped the island, how would he find her?
Dinner arrived, steak, potatoes and a salad accompanied by a small pitcher of coffee and a bottle of water. Utensils included a sharp steak knife. A weapon, but not against a werewolf. It would be like attacking a wolf with a plastic butter knife. Emma sighed. Might as well eat.
Emma ignored the potatoes and salad and ate only the steak. The best steak she’d ever eaten. Or should she say the best undercooked steak ever? Ignoring the possibility of getting worms, she ate with gusto. Satisfied, she poured coffee into a mug. Think. How do I get out? She grimaced as her stomach cramped and her skull ached as if she’d been hit over the head with a sledgehammer. Her mug crashed to the floor, splattering coffee all over the carpet. She pressed her fingers over her temples. Then the sudden malaise passed as quickly as it had come. She rocked back and forth. Great, now I have food poisoning. Or could it be the change? She looked at her arms and felt her teeth. Nope, still human and most definitely prey.
Emma grabbed the bag of clothes. She slipped out of her island clothes and into the warm running outfit. Then replaced her sandals with running shoes.
She gazed at the digital clock. Three hours before midnight. She had to escape. Not only to save herself, but to save the campers.
Emma took the knife and worked on the sealed window. Every once in a while, she turned to listen, making sure no one came to check on her. She set the knife down and tiptoed to the door then pressed her ear against it. Silence. She checked the door, still locked. She returned to the window and finally pried it open. Cold wind slapped her face.
Emma climbed over the windowsill. The moon provided light to navigate. Unfortunately, there was scarcely anything to grip. The good news was no one seemed to patrol below her. She had to take the chance now.
She gingerly climbed down to the third floor. Two more to go. Voices in the front of the building startled her and she slipped.
Emma fell and rolled. Shit! Her ankle screamed in pain. She pressed her lips to keep from crying out. Her headache returned with blinding vengeance. Again, it passed before her head exploded. Her ankle took her attention. She touched it, swollen, like an eggplant.
Emma hobbled toward a tree and leaned against it. She looked back. Surely they heard. Odd. Only the dining area had light. Were they still eating? Of course, their highly attuned senses only worked while in werewolf form. Bolton would not risk his men going werewolf unless absolutely necessary.
The holler of a man coming from the front gate sent a cold chill down her spine. His screams continued accompanied by sna
rls and growls. The screams silenced. Poor man, no wonder they hadn’t noticed her sneaking out.
Emma picked up a branch and quickly fashioned it as a walking stick. Each step hurt, but oddly her head more than her ankle. Trained in night sky navigation by her werewolf nanny, she wondered what direction was best. Was there a fire tower somewhere nearby? She bit her lip, tasting the copper flavor of her own blood.
Emma plodded on. In the distance, men shouted. Not good sign. She inadvertently put weight on her ankle and cried out.
Chapter Twenty-One
Nik walked out of the pool house and set it on fire. All the mangled bodies of the werewolves he’d annihilated lay inside. His wounds had already healed from the battle. Rylee had ordered Nik to do a clean sweep. Nexus helped by shooting many with the wolfsbane rifle. Not bad for a new recruit. A well-aimed shot was unnecessary since a wolfsbane bullet anywhere on the body was lethal to werewolves.
Nexus gaped at the flames. She held the wolfsbane rifle tight as if in disbelief the fight with fierce werewolves had ended.
Jesper’s jet had landed in the open field. “Come, time to go.”
Nexus, still staring at the fire, nodded.
“First, hand me the weapon.”
Nexus frowned. “But…”
“No buts. Lycan society does not allow wolfsbane rifles.”
She rolled her eyes and handed him the weapon. “Great.”
“Don’t worry. We don’t bite.”
“Got it. More like eviscerate, maul and rip apart.”
He laughed. “You are a smart alex.”
“It’s smart aleck.” Nexus retorted.
He lifted his brow. “That’s what I said.”
“Anyway. Don’t volunteer me for anymore werewolf hunts.”
“No problem.” Nik approached the burning building and tossed the rifle into the flames. He turned. “Let’s go.”
They walked toward a small jet. Though Nik killed all the werewolves, a cleanup crew needed to tidy any evidence of their and the chimera’s existence as well as destroy the remaining lab.
Nik boarded Jesper’s jet followed by Nexus. “Comrade Jesper.”
Jesper sniffed. “Are you hurt, sir?”
“Just a scratch.” Most of the blood belonged to his enemies.