by Sydney Addae
Pietro turned and threw his leg over his bike. “I’ll text it to you. Send my payment to the same account as before.” He started the motorcycle and drove off.
“I never liked him,” Thomas said.
“Me neither,” Lizzie said as she and Matteo entered the room.
“Do you want me to follow Prokam or head into town?” Max asked.
“Come in, we need to plan,” Thomas said.
Matteo sat at the table with a wry smile. “I’m not too fond of Pietro either.” He looked at Lizzie. “I cannot allow him to find out anything about you.”
She cupped his cheek. “We don’t use our real names when we travel. Never have. If there are any photos, they’re distorted. Whatever he finds will lead them on a merry chase but won’t circle back to us. We’ve danced this rodeo too many times to leave trails. I’m sorry you’re troubled by what he’s doing.”
Matteo took her hand and kissed her palm. “He’s been disinherited for a long time and is angry. I no longer own the hotel and wish them the best. That chapter of my life is over.” He looked at Lizzie. “We’re writing a new book.”
She smiled at him.
Thomas nodded as he looked at Noah and then Mia. “See what you can learn from Prokam. He’s showing up in too many places. I don’t like coincidences.”
Noah stood, extended his hand to Mia. “How far back should we go?”
“At least a month. No, make that six months. I want to know what he’s been up to. Schmidt acted as if he had something on Prokam. Maybe he does. Most importantly I want the connection between Prokam and Raven,” Thomas said. “I’ll update Hawke and pull him in.”
NOAH AND MIA MOVED to the sofa to get comfortable while the others watched the monitor. Matteo and Lizzie moved to sit near them.
“What are you about to do?” Matteo whispered.
“We dream-walk,” Noah said. “I’ll go back in time through what I call the dream realm to a specific period to find someone or something. I can watch what happened that day, gather clues, information. Mia picks up emotions, thoughts, that kind of thing. Comes in handy sometimes.”
Matteo’s eyes widened. “I can see how it would. Do you need anything?”
“No. We’re good.” Noah looked at Mia. She nodded. He closed his eyes. Seconds later he stood in the middle of a road with a light post in front of him. A gray mist rolled forward. He extended his hand. The mist swirled and leaped into the middle of his palm.
“We’re looking for Prokam, somehow he’s involved with a kidnapping and that’s never a good thing,” he said before looking around the dimly lit space.
Mia walked toward him. “Ready?”
Taking her hand, he nodded. Focused on Prokam’s face and name, they flew back in time and stopped.
They were in the corner of a bedroom. Two people lay entwined on the bed asleep.
“Can we go back a few hours or forward when they’re awake?” Mia said. The air ruffled, the scenery changed. Prokam and a gorgeous woman sat in front of the television laughing at whatever was on the screen.
Noah moved so they could get a better view. “Thomas, do you know her?”
“No. There’s nothing in his bio about a significant other or wife. Could be the person he called from the car earlier,” Thomas said.
Noah moved around the house searching for clues to her identity and found nothing. They returned to the living area as the movie ended. Prokam turned off the television, stood along with the female and embraced.
“Tired?” Prokam asked.
“Yes. It was a long trip home.”
“I missed you, next time don’t stay gone so long,” he murmured against her neck.
“You know how Miriam is. Everything has to be done just right or she goes into a rage. At any rate, as long as you do what she wants we won’t have any more problems with her for a while.”
“Surprised she asked me to do this. I mean she’s made it clear what she really thinks of me,” he said as they moved to the bedroom.
“She’s not that bad.” They looked at each other and laughed. “Yes, she is.”
Noah continued listening, hoping for more clues. When they lay on the bed, he moved backward two days.
Prokam sat at his computer talking on the phone. “How soon can you send it?” He continued typing numbers into a spreadsheet.
Noah moved closer so they could read. “He’s collecting crystals of Kirlethanium, why? For Miriam or the military?”
“Good question,” Thomas said.
Prokam hung up, rubbed his forehead and made another call. This time he wired payment for a small shipment of Kirlethanium. Not enough for either the military or Lyrill.
“Is he a user?” Mia asked.
“Doesn’t look like one,” Thomas said as they watched Prokam make another call. “Hawke, what do you make of Prokam’s behavior?”
“If the woman in Prokam’s life is from Lyrill, she needs the crystals to survive. Possibly more than if she still lived there. Chances are he’s stockpiling enough for her, which also benefits him in the long run,” Hawke said.
“If he’s finding the crystals for her, why is he dealing with Schmidt?” Thomas asked.
“And why did he purchase the necklace with Kirlethanium crystals for Raven?” Mia asked.
“We need answers to both those questions. How soon can you isolate and scan Prokam?” Hawke asked.
“Once we learn his location, we’ll pick him up. Noah, can you find out where he lives?” Thomas said standing.
Noah moved several times before locating Prokam driving. “Give us a few minutes.” It took an hour to find a memory of Prokam returning home. “Got it.” Noah gave Thomas the address.
“I’ll contact you once we have him so Silas can question him,” Thomas said.
“I’ll let him know. Storm is standing by to go pick up Raven,” Hawke said, making it clear what he expected as the outcome from talking to Prokam.
Noah and Mia opened their eyes moments later. Pearl gave each of them a bottle of water.
Max lay sat on the sofa near Lizzie. “Where will we take him?”
“Barticus has another place an hour from here with a secure basement. It was the first house he offered us. I’ll take him there,” Thomas said.
“Do you need to take him anywhere? Why not touch him, get what you need and leave. If you’re quiet he might think he’s dreaming and not be aware he’s under suspicion,” Damali said.
The others looked at her.
“In and out like ghosts. Get what we need and leave everything in place. If we need to deal with him we can, but for now, he hasn’t done anything other than purchased a necklace and found crystals to save his wife’s life,” Damali continued. “We can’t just kidnap people for no reason. It’s uncomfortable.”
“I could get inside, turn off the alarm and let you in,” Max said.
“Did he go home? What if he’s not there and is in town looking for others with information?” Pearl said.
“We’d wait,” Max said.
“Or we could talk to him before he goes home,” Pearl said.
They looked at Thomas.
“I hear your concerns Damali, they’re valid. We’ll only move him as a last resort,” Thomas said.
Damali nodded.
“I hoped to do this quickly, but Pearl’s right, we don’t know where he is. One thing for sure, he will eventually go home. I’ve been looking at the map to his place, we’ll head out. If we can intercept him we will, if not, we go inside, get the information and leave.” Thomas stood. “Max, Pearl, with me.”
They left the room.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
THOMAS DROVE IN THE direction of Prokam’s home. Pearl was in the passenger seat and Max in the back. The GPS had them turn onto the main road leading to the house. Once they identified the house number, Thomas scanned the building.
“Two heat signatures.” He looked at Max through the rearview mirror. “He’s in there. You’ve got a few cho
ices this time. Chimney? Dryer vent? Or roof vent?”
Max looked at the house as they drove past it. “Any will do. I’ll pick one and let you know when I’m closer.”
Thomas eased to the corner stop sign. Max shrunk, hopped out the window and ran back toward Prokam’s house. Thomas rolled up the window, continued driving several blocks and parked.
“It’s quiet, I haven’t heard any movement and when I peeked in, they looked asleep,” Max said.
“Did he turn on the alarm?” Thomas asked as he and Pearl slowed and headed toward the house.
“Yes, I’ve got the code. It’s a common system, not a lot of bells and whistles. I’ve already disarmed it,” Max said.
“We’re here and coming inside.” Thomas opened the door and entered with Pearl following. She closed the door softly behind her. The scent of sex filled the air.
“Re-arm the system in case he wakes up.” Thomas pointed to the panel.
Max morphed to his normal size and entered the code before shrinking again.
Pearl touched Thomas and they became almost transparent as they moved toward the bedroom. Thomas moved silently toward the bed.
Once there, he touched Prokam’s forehead. “Hawke, I’m in,” Thomas said as he rifled through Prokam’s memories. Pearl merged with Helen and kept her asleep while sharing her memories.
Decades ago, Prokam had been recruited by the Liege and believed the hype. Initially, he thought their goals and missions were honorable. Thomas was surprised by the things Prokam had seen and done without question at Lord Roderick’s request.
“Slow down. Roderick sent him to spy on Lyrill through Helen? The woman he married?” La Patron asked.
“Yes. I think that’s what saved Prokam’s life. He fell in love with Helen and escaped Roderick,” Thomas said. “Prokam met Schmidt through an old Liege contract and sold him the information he had taken from Roderick’s warehouse. They’ve known each other for over five years.”
“Seems like Schmidt had Roderick killed. Did he do it at Prokam’s request? Or to tie up loose ends?” Hawke said.
“Probably a combination of both,” La Patron said. “Where’s Miriam in all this?”
“Prokam suspects his wife had something to do with the Prime Minister’s death to escape the castle. He died not long after Roderick. The timing is suspicious,” Thomas said.
“Miriam was crowned queen after her father’s death and has not allowed him to return. She’s angry Helen ran off to be with Prokam. Either she doesn’t like him or doesn’t want Helen to have a man who loves her while she doesn’t have anyone in her life. Prokam thinks Miriam is not only jealous of Helen, but she’s a selfish, bitter, grape who despises happiness in others,” Thomas continued.
“Probably right,” La Patron muttered.
“Here it is,” Thomas crowed. “Miriam, through Helen, had Prokam purchase the necklace for Raven and send it to her. He came up with the idea to tell the women it was from Lucian.”
“Did he replace the stones in Raven’s necklace? Add the suppressors?” Hawke asked.
“I don’t see anything about that,” Thomas said slowly as he filtered through decades of memories quickly and efficiently.
“Why? What does Miriam gain from Raven and Lucian? From the Central American Pack?” La Patron paused. “Prokam is the bridge, the connection between the two. He’s the reason those men are searching for Kirlethanium and he helped Miriam do something with Raven.”
“For the most part, everything he’s done has been to keep his wife alive. Schmidt paid him for the information. It’s muddy whether Prokam asked Schmidt to kill Roderick but that’s not a mark against him. Barticus searched high and low for Roderick for years, his death was just a matter of time. Otherwise, everything else I see is his desperate attempt to keep Helen alive,” Hawke said.
“If Miriam took Raven, what could she do with her? It makes no sense. What am I missing here?” Silas asked.
“What I recall from Miriam’s interaction with both Tyrese and Damian, she wanted a child. Does she still want that? Another thing to consider, Miriam was told no by both men. Maybe she’s not taking chances this time by keeping Raven sedated so she can breed her,” Hawke said.
“Breed Raven? Why? Lyrill has known of full-bloods for decades. Miriam can enter into an agreement with candidates at any time to impregnate her or carry a child or anything else. We’re missing something,” Silas insisted. “My gut says Miriam is involved with Raven’s disappearance, but I don’t know why. Is there a way to use Helen or Prokam as leverage to get more information on Raven?” La Patron asked.
“Miriam doesn’t like Prokam. She has only recently allowed Helen to return for a quick visit to Lyrill, they aren’t very close. Helen doesn’t trust Miriam and avoids her. She doesn’t know why Miriam asked Prokam to buy the necklace and wants no part of it,” Thomas said. He looked at Pearl. “Does Helen know what Miriam wants with Raven? Or if she took her?”
“No. Since Helen ran off to marry, Miriam no longer shares things with her. They aren’t as close as they pretend in public. Helen isn’t aware of the kidnapping. Is Prokam? Pearl asked.
“Now that you mention it, I haven’t come across anything about Raven’s kidnapping. That’s surprising,” Thomas said. “Despite what he told his wife or how he acted earlier, he’s afraid of Schmidt. Not what they’ll do to him but what Schmidt might do to Helen. Prokam believes the man is besotted by her,” Thomas said.
“I’ll send Storm to Lyrill as soon as the plane refuels. Returning Raven home is my number one priority,” La Patron said. “Thanks again, Thomas, Pearl and the others.”
“You’re welcome,” Thomas said.
“This could turn into a mess. Miriam has always been a problem waiting to happen, should’ve dealt with her years ago,” La Patron muttered as he left the link.
Thomas and Pearl released the sleeping couple and rearranged them as they found them. Quiet, they retraced their steps into the living area to meet Max.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Silas leaned back in the seat in his office. Jasmine remained in their suites with Jackie and Renee. Storm had been adamant that Renee could not travel with him to a hostile location and no matter how much she asked, he never relented. Instead of remaining in her suite to wait for word from her mate, Renee parked in their living room with a fake smile and questions in her eyes.
Initially, he planned for him and Jasmine to wait together, preferably in bed, while monitoring Storm’s rescue attempt. His pups prevented that and rather than deal with their questions, he sat alone enjoying the solitude.
“I heard about Thomas’ exploits the other night. Seems like the Olympians are a real deal. We may need to monitor them,” Angus said.
When Silas learned there was no Alpha amongst the Olympians, he decided to keep an eye on them. It was only a matter of time before the Joint Chiefs realized their biggest mistake. You never create something you cannot control. Not everyone in the military was loyal to their country and would eventually go rogue if they hadn’t already.
“I agree. I’m sure we’ll hear about it. Fortunately, the Goddess already placed them in the Chimera category which means we can defend against them as well as hunt those who become a problem in this country.”
“Has Storm arrived?” Angus asked.
“Yes. One of Amynta’s Pack members picked him up and is taking him to Lyrill. So far he hasn’t picked up her scent.” Silas refused to allow that tidbit to get him down. He hoped when Storm was closer he would find something, anything to solve the mystery of Raven’s whereabouts.
“Good. I’ve prayed for a safe recovery. It’s been almost a week, that’s too long,” Angus said as if Silas didn’t know. He didn’t respond.
“Let me know when he’s in position,” Angus said into the silence moments later.
“Will do,” Silas said as he leaned back and closed his eyes again.
“Alpha, I have arrived and stand on the border of the White Cla
n lands and Lyrill. The land is warded and I cannot smell anything through the wards. The Alpha believes she can open a pocket for a short time to allow me to inhale a few times before soldiers arrive to investigate the breach.”
Silas inhaled and made a decision. “Do what you need to do to determine if Raven is in Lyrill.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Keep the link open so I can monitor the situation along with Lucian, Angus, and Barticus.” Since Amynta’s links were limited to Asia and Barticus, he would pull in his mate, just as Silas would open for Jasmine.
“Yes. Sir. She is here and opening a hole.”
Silas linked with Lucian and the others. They watched in silence as the wall between the two lands tore as Storm stuck his hand into the hole, widening it until he could step through. Once on Lyrill lands, he took several deep breaths and ran at a dizzying, blurred speed.
“What’s going on?” Lucian asked.
“I don’t know yet,” Silas said. Storm moved so fast they couldn’t track him.
When Storm stopped, he stood on a patio, taking several deep breaths. A few people stopped, stared and pointed at him. He took off running again.
“Well, that was different,” Angus said.
“I think he’s searching for her scent,” Silas said. “He won’t leave without searching everywhere for her.”
“Thank you,” Lucian said.
Storm stopped again. This time he was in the middle of several homes. People peeked out their doors and windows to stare at him as he turned slowly in a circle. Once done. He took off running again.
Over the course of an hour. He stopped eight times. Twice he stood in the middle of a castle, startling staff to the point one lady dropped a glass vase full of flowers. He moved so fast by the time an alarm was raised he was in another part of Lyrill.
When he stopped the ninth time, Storm spoke. “Her scent is not here.”
Silas’ heart dropped. He had been so certain Miriam had taken Raven. “Thank you. Return to White Wolf land. The Alpha has not recanted the spell to open the hole and you should be able to tear another one through the wall and leave.”