by Nini Church
Reno squinted at Sean. "You haven't mentioned why he was in prison."
Sean shot a glance at Aili and looked away too quickly.
Reno noticed Aili immediately cast her troubled eyes to the floor and kept them there as her complexion turned several shades of deep red. He wanted to push real hard for some answers, but didn’t.
Esme cleared her throat. “Stryker was sentenced to prison for kidnapping Aili. He had her for – a time...”
Trevor came into the great room and hearing what his Ma said, he went to her, cuddling her. A terrible time in their lives and well forgotten.
Sean stared at Aili. They didn’t always get along, but they loved each other. Had many adventures together. Never would he see her come to harm for she was the light of his family, the one who could make Da smile when he was vicious with anger and the one who could always cajole Ma around to a younger way of thinkin'. Yet, he and Marm had been right next to her when Stryker snatched her away.
Aili cleared her throat and avoided everyone’s eyes. “He took me when Sean and Marm and I were at the county fair. Came out of nowhere and grabbed me. I was gone for five days, held in a cell below ground.” Chocolate brown eyes flew to Reno as she added, “He didn’t touch me, but spent the time preparing for our mating. When he let me out, thinking I agreed to mate him, I escaped.”
“How?” Reno quirked one brow high, slipping his hands into his front pockets. He wanted to nail the closest warm body no matter who it was. Almost out of control, it destroyed him to think that fucker Stryker dared threaten his Aili again. His mate – even if no one knew it yet.
Reno meant to take a personal interest in the male. Show him the way it was going to go down and none too gently – Stryker wouldn’t be alive when he was done with him.
No one fucking threatened his female and got away with it. He was First Blood, First Order, an unsurpassed Jinn warrior who devoted his life to the safety of his King and family and many other races. As a warrior, he often put down Djinn, turned Vamps and their foul–smelling Grunts, Demons gone rabid and so on.
Reno’s world wasn't pretty by a long shot.
Shit like Stryker just made it uglier.
Aili glanced around before meeting Reno's hard blue eyes. “In the back of my cell were two broken chain links. I sharpened the edges and waited for any opportunity. He was always naked, covered himself in shit and mud, he did. So – even as a child I wanted to be a healer – I knew where to…cut him.”
Esme’s eyes flew around the group. T’was a difficult moment for Aili who couldn’t seem to find the right words. “Me daughter slashed his manhood damn near off. Tis a fecking cryin’ shame he didn’t bleed to death fast enough, I say.”
A snort of laughter erupted from Abe before she snuffled it using her mate’s muscular arm.
Matty's wide brown eyes almost popped out of her head as she looked upon Aili with newfound respect. A true female of worth.
Fifi’s head bobbed readily as if she’d considered it a time or two herself. Elron stayed mute at her side, holding her hand tightly. Almost too tightly as she continued to nod.
Reno’s wide white smile flashed as he saluted Aili. A worthy female who didn’t fuck around – just went straight for Stryker's weakest spot – his junk. Truly, he admired her.
Aili was grateful for Reno’s support, but hung her head and continued, “I was fifteen summers then. Twelve years has passed in the blink of an eye. He has been released. I’m sure of it.”
“Well if he has been released,” Jericho stood up to pace, “he’s gotta have conditions. Like he can’t contact you or threaten you. Aili you have rights.” He looked to Cal and nodded. “We’ll bring in Reed Stetson, the best legal mind I’ve ever met. Legally, we can fucking take Stryker down hard and fast for threatening you. We’ve got a lot of witnesses here that’ll put him back in fucking prison where he obviously belongs. Think about it, Aili."
Aili eased to the edge of the couch. The legal angle Jericho suggested wouldn’t work for her again. Stryker had only been given twelve years for his last sentence – guilty of kidnapping her and a host of other charges. She simply shrugged at the King’s suggestion, admitting to herself that she wanted way more than another prison term for Stryker. If anything, she wanted him dead. Deader than dead. Driven by an urgent need for revenge, Aili knew it was still wrong to want him dead, but, she did – passionately.
Esme shifted seats to sit next to her daughter and they held each other as tears rolled silently down her cheeks.
Reno flicked his eyes to Jericho before landing on Sean. “Need a team and a plan. First, recon to see what we can find.”
Curtly, Jericho nodded. Sean was all in and so was Trevor. Conn stood to his full height and Zulu buzzed to his feet. They had a team.
The females looked to one another, uneasy, but also aware it would be best to find Stryker fast before he found them. Aili and her Mither stared at one another for a few moments, before both nodded. The males might have a team, but her and Ma were formulating a plan. Not females to sit around and let others take care of them, the two often set out on their own with intentions of solving it themselves.
Cal eyed Jericho, finger pointing to Aili’s cell phone as he sidled in closer. “Simple GPS search on her cell number and our location can be locked on.”
Reno heard and turned on his heel, kneeling in front of Aili. “Mo leannan, I need your cell.” He took it from her, removing the SIM card and breaking it in two before smashing Aili’s cell phone against the heavy wooden coffee table.
Cal leaned in pawing through the debris and snatched up a tiny shiny sliver. He broke it in half between his fingers. “Done. Aili, I’ve a prototype iPhone 9. I jacked it up. It’s all yours.”
Aili nodded her thanks, too lost in her own nightmare while knowing if she didn’t do anything Stryker would win. Never! – she screamed inside.
Away from the females, Reno and the rest of the team along with Jericho and Sean, had their heads together, quietly discussing their tactics, their plan. Trevor didn’t join in, but drilled questions at Cal about the quality of his electronics and information.
Cal ignored him to run a perimeter check on the compound. He also ran security for the underground garage before announcing, “Boss, we’re all clear in the compound.”
Esme’s phone rang a few bars of Frank Sinatra’s My Way. “Oh, on speaker? Ok?” She fumbled around, nervous and scared as hell until Duke’s voice boomed over the room, “Es, aer ye fecking there? Hell and damnation! What the feck…”
“Duke! For the love of God, we can all hear ye.” Esme’s lips were pinched into a thin line. At the best of times, Duke came across unpolished, but when she was away from him too long, he reverted to a cursing three hundred and fifty pound out of control maniac male.
“Bout fecking time, luvy. Got a lead on Stryker. Last location is near Aili’s clinic, but that was three days ago.”
Trevor interrupted, his iPad clutched in one hand. “Stryker grabbed a flight outta Edinburgh. Two days ago. Exit point, Morriston Airport, approximately one hundred twenty miles north of our location here in Bellsville.”
Cal eagerly shuffled closer to Trevor. “You got vid?”
Trevor nodded, tapping the screen. “This is Stryker at Edinburgh airport. Feck, he’s gotten bigger if that’s possible.” He flipped his iPad around.
Esme dropped her eyes, refusing to look.
Aili stared at the image on the screen. He made her feel so helpless – because the next time he took her, there would be no escape.
Reno stared too. “Cal, get me a copy of that vid. I wanna see how he walks, how he moves. I wanna know him. True.”
Trevor tapped his iPad, Cal’s roid beeped, he tapped the screen once and Reno’s cell chimed. “All yours when you got a moment.”
The females drifted into the kitchen, chatting about dinner. It was all a façade, but the males didn’t know that. So easily they accepted their females need not be part of it.
Kept safe away from the blood and gore. These males didn’t know their females when it came to protecting. It was instinct with them, one or two mothers bearing it strongly.
Safely away from prying male ears, Matty had to ask, “Any chance this Stryker dude has refurbished his old place?”
Abe leaned in, asking, “Do you know where it is?”
Aili’s chocolate brown eyes lit up. “Stryker talked a lot about what it was going to be like once we were mated, how the land was going to sustain us. Land no one knew about but him. Land his Mither left him.”
Esme studied her daughter as Matty pulled out her cell phone. Abe too. “Go on.”
Aili took a big heaving gulp. “His Mither’s name was Beatrice Alice Summerwild. An American born and bred. The land’s in her name.”
Minutes later Matty, confirmed the location of the land still registered in the Summerwild name.
Abe concurred, chillingly adding, “It’s a desolate chunk of land out in the middle of nowhere with no neighbors for fifty miles around it. Are you sure about this, Aili?”
Aili refused to be ruled by fear. "Yes. I think I should find him. I need to do this. Then, we’ll alert the uh…others." Reno’s face sat square in the middle of her mind – he was going to be pissed as hell – but, he’d have to live with it ‘cause a girl had to do what a girl had to do.
"Are ye sure, lass?" Esme's question lingered.
"Yes. Yes, Ma, I am. Let's do this. I want this finished."
Abe dared to be the first to speak up about their hasty little plan that might just blow up in their faces. “How is this going to play out? We’ve got to be careful.” She had a lot to risk. A lot. More than maybe Matty…nah, not with Zulu constantly right next to her. Certainly, not Fifi with her Elron – the apple of her eye and the male of her ultimate dreams. Esme, without a doubt, loved her mate, and evidently had the skills to work around him while at the same time keeping him under her thumb.
So, for Abe, the long and the short of it was – they all had a lot to lose. Danger wasn't her middle name. It was Eloise – simple, classic – and anything but willing to walk into the most dangerous situation of her life. Stryker was a killer.
And, it was pretty clear they’d all silently just agreed, if necessary, to use Aili as bait.
A shiver ran over Abe’s body as she considered what Jericho or Reno would think about that. Maybe a little ballistic fury? Bear, a part of her since she was born as Regent of the Earth family, roared in Abe’s mind. Bear weighed in at a good couple of tons and was mean as could be when it came to killers like Stryker. She shook her head – Bear would play no part in this.
"Fine then." Esme pursed her lips. “I brought me satchel. We’ve got plenty of weapons.”
Aili smiled at her Mither. “Ma is fierce with weapons. We both are. Any of you have any skills?”
Matty grinned. “Got me a few tricks. Yes, I’m good with stars and knives.”
Esme tilted her head back. “Indeed, there’s a few to be had. Knives too. Lots of stuff in me satchel of all sorts.”
Aili looked to Abe then Fifi. “You two will stay here, hold down the fort. Don’t lie if you can help it. Just do the shades of gray.”
Fifi stared, waiting, wondering if there was a sexual tone to this new concept. Like the books – you know.
A chuckle escaped Esme. “Nae, not those beastly books. It’s a way of answering a question without answering it or telling a lie. You’ve all done it I’m sure, a time or two. Us Scots are good at shades of gray.”
A giggle and Fifi nodded. “Ah, yes. Shades of gray. Never had a name for it before now, but it fits nicely. Now, where do we say you three are if anyone asks?”
“The last you’ve seen of us lasses we were heading up the back stairs. For some girl time if you will. Do our hair, nails, legs, faces and what have you.” Esme smiled widely. “They won’t question you, for in truth the males will be glad to keep ye simple females off to the side, like. No offense intended, but tis true.”
Chapter 9
Upstairs, they didn’t waste time. Ma laid out her satchel full of weapons after unwrapping the big purple ribbon tied tight around it.
Matty plucked out two Streiken metal stars, a hand knife and another sweet six–inch curved blade meant for gutting with a thigh holster and two straps to secure it to her leg.
Aili slipped into a slinky, dark camouflage suit – one size fits all. Ma always carried extras.
Matty tried one on and liked the fit. Even if she did smell like a wild animal – the suits were embedded with Yak fibres which always carried a strong bovine odor.
Female to their core, they still took their mission very seriously.
Abe smirked. "That smell will certainly cover anyone’s scent."
“Lass?” Esme slipped into a camo suit – it fit snuggly, red hair in a tight bun at the back of head, she pulled the hood up.
Matty held out a pot of black grease and Esme dabbed it on her face before wiping the extra off on a tissue.
“Okay.” Aili considered their options. “There’s a good possibility Stryker might be back on the land his Mither left him.” She shuddered with dread. “No doubt, preparing it for my return. Let’s scout the area and bring back anything we find. Agreed?”
Matty and Esme both nodded.
“Let's do this. Matty, Ma will get us there.”
Matty stared at Esme, who took her hand as she did Aili’s. A silent and vibrationally contained – so it wasn't a dead giveaway to the males in the house – whirling vortex opened and the three walked into it linked together.
“Ma? Don’t land too close. We don't want Stryker to sense the opening or the vortex,” Aili warned.
In seconds, they materialized in a dark, thick forest. “Stay absolutely still,” Esme softly cautioned as they braced, body molecules solidifying on spongy undergrowth amid giant trees. Noses high in the air – they scented – it was natural for all three – being in enemy territory, predator territory.
Inside the dense forest, under cover of darkness, they stealthily made it through the first mile, slipping from tree to tree when they could, but most of it was spent on their bellies, wiggling along and staying low to the ground. Another half mile and Aili froze. She whistled softly and pressed two fingers to her nose – Stryker was nearby.
They stopped moving to listen intently while scenting the air.
Aili's heart pounded so hard it felt like the entire universe could hear it. Stryker was close by and it scared the feck out of her. Beyond her control, her body quaked with terror and she wanted to run and hide.
OMG!
What were they doing out here all alone?
Her, Ma and Matty were no match for Stryker – no matter how many weapons they carried. He was a monster. Slowly, she took in the misty night air and bit by bit let go of her fear, knowing she had to do this. For herself.
From somewhere within, Stryker’s threat to her life, her future, made her blood boil. She straightened her shoulders and got the tremors roaming her body under control. Next, she made an oath to herself – she’d take down the fecker any way she could. Hopefully, this risky mission helped do just that.
Esme pointed to Matty then Aili, directing them to spread out. It took a while, but they got into place, staying low to watch, wait and listen.
Full on night, the countryside was pure dark, no urban light to cast a glow. Ahead, the area was littered with mounds of huge boulders completely blocking their sightline, but from somewhere came sounds of movement – grunting even.
A shrill, terrified scream split the silent night. Esme immediately signaled to stay in place. Again, horrific screams rent the night – then utter silence. They waited moments, before Esme motioned them forward with a sweep of her hand. Ahead, the females could see light coming from behind a group of massive boulders – flickering light as heavy smoke from a fire wafted over them.
When a huge, contorted shadow cut across the light, they froze, dropping flat to the g
round. Esme wasn’t sure if they should move ahead. But, this time, Aili whistled softly, motioning them onwards. A slow creep forward, delicately inching on their bellies without snapping a stem nor twig in their paths.
Near the widest outcropping of boulders, the three drew to within a few feet of each other.
Slowly and with great care, Aili slithered up next to the biggest rock, inching closer to the jagged edge for a peek – only to be blinded by a huge bonfire.
Unmoving, Aili eyes became slits as she adjusted to the intense blazing light from the fire against the backdrop of sheer black.
Stryker had several human women trussed up next to the blazing fire – along with the one he was working on tearing to shreds. With his bare hands and teeth. It was the most hideous thing Aili had ever seen and she was used to the sight of blood.
Bile bit the back of Aili’s tongue as vomit gorged up her throat, but she still didn’t move and didn’t dare breathe. Although he might be in a rage, by being so close she was risking him catching her scent even with the rank animal odor embedded in her camo suit.
Unable to tear her eyes away from the monster covered in blood – Stryker seemed a demon from hell and crazier than ever. Aili shivered uneasily, unable to stop images of Reno from flashing across her mind as if he were warning her, begging her not to do this alone.
Slowly, taking her time, she slithered backwards to join the other two. They inched farther away until they were behind a thick outcropping of craggy boulders. Aili snapped her fingers softly at Matty.
Arched brows and big brown eyes met hers.
Aili nodded once and swept her hand up to her ear. Esme placed her hand on Aili’s shoulder in agreement.
All three females made a pact before leaving the compound that they would bring info back to their males who were the true warriors and Stryker was no match for them.
Moving for a shadowy corner, Matty pulled out her cell – screen already set to dark and silent mode. She made the call, whispering as she identified herself and ordering Calebre to lock onto her GPS coordinates.