No matter what she threw at the soldiers, her small group was too outnumbered to win.
A vicious blow caught London right in the spine, slamming him forward into the cave wall. He turned, snapped off a three-foot stalagmite and launched it through the air.
The shifter tried to jump out of the way, but even with his advanced reflexes, the missile was a blur. It impaled the beast, cracking ribs and shoving out most of his internal organs as it ripped through his body. She could see through the man’s torso as he crumpled to the ground.
“London. Retreat.”
Even whispering, she knew he heard her when he hesitated for a few seconds, the muscles of his arms straining as he held himself back. Then, with a final nod, London followed Randolph’s example. He leapt in the air, grabbed a small shelf in the wall, and vanished from sight, leaving a small trail of blood behind him. Raven could only sigh in relief.
There was so much blood and death in the cave, she hoped it meant the remaining shifters wouldn’t be able to catch his scent and follow it back to him.
But there was one way to make sure they would be safe.
Eliminate all the shifters.
If she pumped them full of enough voltage, they would forget about their prey and come after her. Raven gathered more current, pulling it from her bones, ignoring the way her body ached like she’d been out in the cold too long. She tossed it at the nearest shifter, hitting him in the shoulder.
It didn’t even slow him down.
Durant shot forward, aiming low, knocking the shifter clear off his feet.
Only three more of the creatures remained.
The soldiers shoved away from the walls and began to push forward after the shifters. They’d switched guns, pulling the smaller sidearms from holsters strapped on their thighs and began to take aim at the few remaining shifters. “Head toward the female. We want her and any purebloods taken alive.”
Darts winged through the air, targeting every wolf they encountered. One dart slowed the rogues down, leaving them vulnerable, two darts left them disoriented, a third dropping them to the ground unconscious.
As the shifters advanced, they took malicious pleasure in stomping on the wolves who were shot so full of chemicals they couldn’t move, snapping as many bones as possible while they searched for their next target.
One shifter hesitated as a young wolf cowered before him, trying desperately to pull his broken, mangled leg behind him. In response to his reluctance, a soldier lifted a black remote. The shifter immediately grabbed the collar clamped around his throat and gave a yip of pain. His eyes went wild, and he reached down, slamming the rogue’s head against the ground repeatedly until the fallen wolf stopped twitching, his skull almost completely incinerated.
Sweat actually beaded on her brow while she formed another sphere, then slammed it into the shifter’s back. The beast bellowed in pain, his back arching at an impossible angle. When he whirled toward her and snarled, Dominick drew back his arm and knocked the shifter back a few feet. Nadia worked in tandem with him, darting forward, using her claws to rip up whatever flesh she could reach, slowly whittling him down until bones gleamed in the dim light.
Bile rose in the back of Raven’s throat as she sought to gather more energy, but the thickness of the rocks blocked her attempts. Even if she could push through the stone, there were no power lines for hundreds of miles, no source for her to use. It took twice as long to gather enough current from her abused body to form a small globe, and pain seared along her veins like she was being shredded from the inside out.
Only a few shifters remained, the soldiers forcing them to advance.
Raven held the sphere, allowing the current to sizzle in her palm. “Retreat.”
Her throat was dry as she spoke the dreaded words that would leave her at the mercy of the labs once again.
Griffin gave a grim nod, grabbed two of the injured wolves, and dragged them to the safety of the escape tunnels. Dominick bristled, only relenting when a blood-splattered Nadia grabbed his arm and jerked him away. His gaze swept over the abandoned cavern, his face impassive, his eyes devastated at the destruction. “Come with us.”
It was a demand.
“I have to do this. There is no other way, and you know it.” She waved them away. “Hurry, we don’t have much time left.”
Dominick gave her one long, last, grim look, as if testing her determination. It took everything in her not to whimper and beg not to be left behind. “We won’t stop searching for you.” He gave her a final nod, grabbed Nadia’s hand, and pulled her into the tunnels after him.
Then there was only Durant.
“Hurry.” She threw the last globe at a shifter trying to sneak up on him, knocking the wolf into a group of soldiers, electrifying them all. Her vision dimmed a fraction, growing dark around the edges as she swayed. “Go.”
With a growl that seemed to shake the very ground, he stepped in front of her and dropped into a protective stance.
Horror rooted her to the spot. “You promised.”
Durant shook his head, his face determined. “I did no such thing.”
Raven opened her mouth to refute him…then recalled it was Dominick who had promised. She cursed herself for her own stupidity. She hadn’t even noticed that Durant had remained silent. “Don’t do this. You’re a purebred. If they capture you, they will run tests on you that you might not survive.”
When he pay no attention to her, she called upon every ounce of her remaining strength, and got right up in his face. “Leave.”
Durant winced when her alpha power blasted through their connection.
He reluctantly backed away, growling low in his throat, struggling to disobey her command.
“Behind you.” The words were torn from him.
The distraction was all it took.
Durant shot forward, slamming into a shifter who was aiming for her back. Durant smashed the creature into the solid stone wall, leaving his back vulnerable, and one of the soldiers took aim. One…two…then three darts landed. One in the shoulder, one in his back and one in his leg.
Something inside her broke.
Raven charged the soldier and grabbed his arm. He swung his gun toward her, shooting her with a dart at point-blank range, right in the gut. Grabbing the tip of the gun, she wrenched it upward and allowed the current so much a part of her free to wreak havoc.
Metal was a great conductor, and the soldier’s grip tightened reflexively as electricity swept through him, dropping to his knees. His blood began to heat, then boil, leaking from his eyes, ears and nose before she finally released him.
She had no hope of defeating the soldiers in a physical fight. She was good, but London was right—she wasn’t brutal or fast enough to go in for the kill.
She pulled out the dart, her hands itching to call her sword and eliminate the threat, her plan to rescue Rylan a distant memory.
She couldn’t trade Durant’s life for Rylan’s.
They would have to find another way.
The three remaining shifters edged forward, and Durant stepped between her and them, letting out a roar a warning. One of the shifters flinched, another hastily backed away, but the soldiers were there to prod them forward again.
The three shifters charged in unison.
Durant ducked under the arm of one, grabbed the appendage, and twisted until she heard the snap of bone. He used the shifter’s momentum, swung him around, tossing him at the second shifter, leaving himself vulnerable for the third shifter to attack.
Claws raked down his back, and he arched, his tiger roaring in pain and outrage. In seconds, the three shifters were circling him again, the soldiers right behind them. Another dart struck his shoulder. He shook his head as if to clear it, staggering to remain upright, and her heart broke while he desperately struggled to remain standing to defend her.
Raven stole every scrap of current within her reach, even pulling it from the shifters, until it built into a burning wave, churning
and eager to cause mayhem.
“Down!”
Durant didn’t hesitate, dropping flat as she released the scorching wave of pure energy.
A few of the others heard her yell as well, and didn’t hesitate to take cover.
The wave slammed into the three shifters and two dozen men. The animals took the brunt of the force, screaming in agony as their beasts tried to tear themselves free of their human form.
The soldiers didn’t fare much better. They withered on the ground, their heartbeats erratic and faltering as they struggled to survive. Ignoring them, Raven stumbled toward Durant’s still form, battling to stay conscious while burnout rippled painfully along her nerve endings. Air burned her lungs, her muscles screaming with agony as she finally reached Durant’s prone body.
With shaky fingers, she touched his neck, not even daring to breathe until she found his pulse.
Slow but steady.
His fingers twitched, as if sensing her presence, determined to protect her, before the drug pulled him under again.
She searched her core, desperate for even a scrap of energy to give him, anything to make him wake up, but there wasn’t anything left. Very slowly, feeling like an old woman, Raven stood, then reached for Durant’s arms, determined to pull him to safety.
A soldier, his nose smeared with blood, his helmet askew, staggered into view. A sneer curled his lips, hatred burning in his eyes as he lifted his gun and took aim.
One dart hit her high in the chest, then another hit her in the thigh from a second soldier who slid out from behind a boulder.
Raven swiped the darts away, the drug swirling like acid in her veins, the sensation sickenly familiar, thanks to her long stay in the labs. The drug was created to suppress a shifter’s beast, leaving them weaker than a human, and easier to manage.
She’d built a tolerance for the chemicals, but her system was already compromised.
She could feel herself weakening.
When one of the shifters marched toward them, Raven placed her body protectively in front of Durant. That seemed to please the shifter. He gave her a bloody smile, madness gleaming in his eyes as he drew back his arm. She tried to duck under the punch, but her body had turned clumsy and slow, and the blow slammed into her jaw, dropping her to the ground in a bone-jarring thud.
Determined not to give up, Raven pushed herself up on shaky arms.
“Jesus.” One of the soldiers crept closer. “She just won’t quit.”
“Fucking paranormals.” A kick to the side took her by surprise, the boot cracking into her ribs, stealing the air from her lungs. “She took out the whole team, nearly killing half our men in the process.”
Hatred and loathing darkened that voice.
Raven crashed to her ground, unable to do anything when a group of men came to stand over her and Durant. When the last remaining shifter crouched near Durant, Raven twisted, dragging herself toward him one painful inch at a time.
The shifter lifted his fist, then slammed it down on the back of Durant’s kidneys.
He did it again and again, pummeling Durant’s vulnerable body.
The men seemed to enjoy watching her crawl.
The shifter didn’t notice her in his little rampage, until she reached for him. He grabbed for her hand, his claws extended, ready to shred flesh from bone.
The instant their skin touched, she pulled down hard on every ounce of energy she could reach. The shifter roared in outrage and fear, desperately struggling to escape her touch, but she tightened her grip, refusing to release him. After a few seconds, he dropped face-first to the floor, too far gone to even bother to catch himself, the bones of his face crunching at the impact. She didn’t stop, even when his heart fluttered madly, then began to fade.
“Son of a bitch.” A pair of army boots stepped into view.
There was a muffled sound of air as three more darts pierced her back, the long, metal tips pinching as they sank a couple of inches into her spine. He didn’t stop until he emptied the gun into her, the trigger clicking even after the darts were gone.
Her last image was of Durant’s battered face.
Chapter Twelve
DAY SIX: FIRST DAY IN CAPTIVITY
Raven regained consciousness in fits and starts, her body unresponsive when she tried to leap to her feet, her limbs felt weighted, as if chained down. She wasn’t even able to crack open her eyelids, and horror slammed into her when everything came rushing back.
The soldiers.
The fight.
They took Durant.
She desperately reached for her dragon, felt the beast stretch lazily under her skin, before snuggling back into a contented slumber. No matter how she prodded the beast, she couldn’t break through the barrier of the drug.
Panic clawed up her insides, her lungs straining for air as she struggled not to hyperventilate. The astringent smell of bleach stung her nose and penetrated her frantic thoughts, the warm touch of sunshine catching her by surprise.
For the first time since waking, she managed to take a deep breath. No smells assaulted her, not even a hint of dirt or blood or feces.
Not the labs.
She wasn’t imprisoned underground.
Relief stole the starch out of her spine, the feeling lasting only seconds, when reality smacked her upside the head.
No labs meant no Durant or Rylan.
Her whole cockamamie plan had failed, from start to finish. Not only was she now alone, she lost another member of her pack, and scattered the rest of her people to the winds.
Determined to get back to them, she took stock of her injuries. The effects of the drug lingered, making her head feel thick and heavy. While her jaw ached, the rest of her body was only mildly sore.
Which meant it had been at least one, possibly two days since she was taken.
Ignoring the twinges of pains, she stretched out her senses to search her surroundings.
Electricity teemed along the ceiling, and she nearly sagged in relief at having a weapon handy. Without a second’s hesitation, she soaked up the raw current hard and fast, like a glutton, replenishing her supply, so she would be ready to act in case she had to fight her way out. Only when the air began to crackle, did she finally taper off her intake, not wanting to draw attention.
The energy ricocheted through her, searing along her insides, her bones taking their own sweet time to absorb the charge.
Unable to take the dreaded suspense of not knowing who lived or died, Raven reached for the cords connecting her to her pack.
The lines were vibrant and strong…except Rylan. Though weak and worn, it still remained steady. When she tried to communicate with any of them, the silence was ominous. Either the drugs were interfering with her abilities, or, more alarming, they were too far away to reach.
Determined to figure out where the hell they’d taken her, and what they’d done with Durant, Raven used the energy in her body to clear the drugs out of her system. Pain seared along her veins like a wave of fire, the current steadily burning through the sedative. After five minutes of utter agony, she concentrated on opening her eyes, the lids fluttering before her body finally obeyed.
Light immediately blinded her, tears streamed from her eyes, and she blinked until the room gradually came into focus.
Despite bars covering the small window, sunlight flooded the tiny cell. No chair or dresser occupied the room. The walls and ceiling were glaringly white—sterilized from the previous resident. She couldn’t pick up even a faint scent under the overwhelming stench of bleach.
The door captured her attention. It was made of metal, at least an inch thick, with a single slot at the bottom for food, and a window with a wire mesh between the panes near the top. Heavy metal rivets held the door together, reminding her of a submarine. What stood out the most was the lack of a knob.
It could only be opened from the outside.
While it would take time for her to tear it apart, it wouldn’t be impossible. The metal was inf
used with magic. Hell, even the walls exuded the overly sweet scent she associated with magic, as if centuries of use had imbued the building itself.
But one thing didn’t make sense.
Even with magic, the place wasn’t strong enough to hold a shifter determined to escape, when they could easily rip off the door, crush the stone walls, or even dig through the plaster of the ceiling.
This was not a cage for a shifter.
It left her wondering what type of mess she landed herself in.
Not that she could do anything about it right now.
Determined not to be helpless when they returned for her, Raven worked on wiggling her fingers and toes. Even moving them a fraction of an inch felt like she was trying to lift a car. It took a good ten minutes before full, if somewhat slow, movement was restored.
Instead of being chained down as she feared, her wrists bore a set of lightweight, magical shackles, which explained her difficulty in absorbing electricity. Everything had to be forcibly yanked through a spell created to block magic.
The absolute quiet of her surroundings left her mind free to wander, and she couldn’t help wondering who managed to escape, and who was captured. The soldiers decimated half the wolves, while the other half were either shot full of drugs or left crippled. Durant was obviously a pureblood, so they wouldn’t have left him behind.
Raven hoped she’d done enough damage to discourage them from going after the rest of the pack and scrubbing the tunnels.
She managed to take out the last of the shifters, so as long as Randolph and London remained hidden, they should be safe. An hour passed before she finally managed to sit upright, and another hour before the room stopped spinning.
While concentrating on not becoming sick, she noticed the cot was bolted to linoleum so old it had begun to crack. Beneath, she saw splintered plywood that had long ago rotted away, revealing ancient gray stone that had also begun to disintegrate.
The room reminded her of an old castle, the walls consisting of roughly chiseled rocks that had been smoothed over time. The ceilings were the only thing that didn’t fit the antiquated building structure, with both a light and a mounted camera in the corner.
Electric series- Raven Investigations BoxSet Page 40