“She reported several members of your team had instances of memory loss, including you. Why didn’t you report it?” Joe asked.
“Hell, I’d been drinking. I thought it was a onetime instance. What was I supposed to say? Sir, I’d like to report that I’ve been an idiot?”
“At least four members of your team have had similar occurrences. Only one of the others had reason to believe it was drink related, a bar fight I believe.” Joe lumbered to his wife and ran his hand down her long red hair, needing to touch her.
“Look, Mr. Running Bear,” Captain Travis rubbed his hand over his face, “we work hard and play hard. It’s not uncommon for one of us to need a break. Sometimes that includes sleeping it off. I’m not sure what you’re getting at. All I want is to help find Miss Quiet Thunder. She’s one of my team and I don’t want to lose her.”
“That’s all we want too, Captain,” Jessica said quietly.
“We’ll let you know if we find anything,” Joe said, walking Travis to the door. “Until then, we’ll be here.”
Travis shook his head and closed the door behind him.
“What do you think?” Jessica asked.
“He doesn’t know any more than we do, but he’s sincere with wanting to help Lindy. What did you find on her computer?”
“She has good security. It took me a while to get in. Lindy went through files looking for other instances of missing time in the team. She’d found one other instance that happened right before she took over the team from Tatiana.”
“I’ll let Raven know, maybe Tatiana will remember something.” Joe sat in the other chair and shook his head. “I don’t like this. Lindy’s been missing almost twenty-four hours. We need to find her.”
“I might have a couple of leads. Lindy did a little telepathic snooping into the team members’ thoughts. She kept a short list and only three team members were left to investigate, Corporal Randal, Sergeant Miller, and Lieutenant Riggs. The others she checked didn’t know anything.”
“Good for her. I think we need to meet the rest of the team, don’t you?”
“The sooner the better.”
“I’ll give Travis a call and get him to set it up. I also have an idea about how we can contact Lindy’s supposed mate.”
“Really? How?”
“I’ll explain after I contact Raven.”
§
Raven paced his office. He knew he needed to give Joe a chance to work, but he couldn’t sit still. A subtle telepathic nudge let him know Joe wanted to make contact. Raven reached for his friend.
“Here, Joe. What have you got?”
“I need a tribal courier to come through Shadow and escort Lindy’s laptop to the lab. I need to know if it’s bugged. We tracked her cell phone and it led right to the Moscow River, so we can assume someone dumped it. I’m concerned that we’re running out of time. My gut says we need to hurry. I have an idea, I’m not sure is even possible.”
“What are you thinking?” Raven asked.
“Is there any way you or Cara could connect with Lindy’s mate? Can you follow the telepathic bond joining them?”
“I don’t know, Joe. He doesn’t appear to be tribe or I would say yes. Even if we attempt it, we don’t know he will answer. Cara and I will try if you think it’s the only way. But it seems like a violation of their bond.”
“Whoever has Lindy must know we’re looking into why she was taken. I’m afraid they will fear we are on to them and kill her to keep her from talking.”
“I’ll get Cara now, I don’t want to lose my sister, Joe, or her mate.”
“Roger that, let me know if it works.”
§
Sergei would need his strength to find Lindy in Moscow. It was a big city and he wasn’t even sure which airport he would be flying into. He let himself drift off to sleep. A pull on the heartmate bond made him hope that Lindy was once again coming out of her drug induced sleep.
He reached for her through the heartmate cord, letting his dream take him. He sent her a mental caress and walked out of darkness into a room filled with people. A bar served drinks while a band played in the corner. Puzzled, he frowned. This wasn’t his dream. He’d never been here before.
A woman with long dark hair, wearing a red dress, turned at the bar and smiled when she saw him. “You came,” whispered in his mind.
He moved toward her, taking in her slender build and small stature. A punch of lust hit him hard. She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, and she was his. Her chocolate eyes filled with warmth as he reached for her hand and brought it to his lips. “I will always come for you, Lindy.”
Her cheeks turned pink. Sergei couldn’t help but brush his fingers against their softness.
“Will you dance with me?” Lindy asked.
“It will be a pleasure to hold you in my arms. Come.” Sergei led her through the crowd to the wooden dance floor and drew her close. His breath caught at the perfection of their coming together. They fit. She sighed and laid her head against his chest. He rubbed his cheek against the silkiness of her hair. She smelled of wildflowers and sunshine and a hint of something wild. It almost smelled like she could be lycan, but the scent was too faint. He ran his hands down her back, following her natural curves.
Lindy moved to look at his face and smiled up at him. He kissed her. Nothing could have stopped him at that moment. Her lips were nirvana. His good intentions went out the window as the chaste kiss turned deeper, more erotic. He licked at her bottom lip and she opened to him. He reached up and tilted her chin to take better advantage of the wonderful taste on his tongue. He pulled her closer until their bodies pressed together. Her arms went around his neck and her fingers clutched his hair, pulling tightly. The small sting reminded him to be gentle with his mate. He pulled back, lightening the contact until he could force himself to lift his head.
He smiled at the dreamy look on her face, the look his kisses gave her. A sudden pain in his arm, made him catch his breath. Lindy cried out clutching him. Her eyes widened as she looked up at him. Panic crept in. He wasn’t sure which one of them felt the emotion, maybe both. He held her as everything faded. Only Lindy remained in his arms.
“The drugs…” she whispered, her body dissolving.
“Fight them, lyubov moya. I’m almost to Moscow. I will find you.”
His arms were empty. She was gone.
He wanted to howl, but knew in his heart, it was a dream. He reached for Lindy again through the mating bond and found only darkness. She was unconscious. He shook his head and opened his eyes. It was strange, for a minute, he thought there was someone else in the link. He stared at the ceiling of the plane, holding Lindy’s image in his mind. Remembering the feeling of her in his arms. It would take seven hours to get to Moscow.
§
Joe gave the tribal courier Lindy’s laptop as well as her personal things to take to Isanti. When they found her, and he wouldn’t think of another ending, they would Shadow Walk her to New Mexico. She wouldn’t be able to carry anything through that wasn’t made of natural substances. It was easier this way.
“Ready to go, honey? Travis and two of his men are meeting us downstairs. The sergeant is out shopping. They expect her back in a few hours. Corporal Randall seems to be the last person to see Lindy before she went missing. I want to know what transpired and what he has to say for himself.”
“Almost ready,” Jessica called from the bathroom.
The door opened and she walked into the bedroom. “I did some snooping into the marines’ backgrounds. Randall’s mother has cancer and he sends all his money home to help with her medical expenses. If someone on the team is dirty, it could be him. He might be open to bribery, if the price was right.”
“I’m not sure I should have brought you here. If one of these marines is behind Lindy’s disappearance, it could be dangerous to have you near them.”
“You’ll keep me safe, Papa Bear. I have no doubts. Let’s interview a couple of marines.”
Joe escorted her out of the room.
§
“Sweetheart, just because you couldn’t reach him the first time doesn’t mean it won’t work. Come here.” Raven held out his arms to his wife. Her bottom lip quivered, and he feared she was close to tears.
“We’ve got to find her. I can’t even think about her not being part of our family.” Cara let him draw her onto his lap in his office chair and hold her close.
“We’ll find her. Don’t give up hope. I wonder if the reason you can’t reach him is the distance. Maybe we should go to Moscow.”
“Oh, could we? Derek and Kathy can keep things together here.” Cara’s expression brightened.
“We need to check with Dr. Rick and make sure it’s safe for you and the babies.” Frederick “Rick” White Fox, resident doctor of Isanti, Inc. would know if the cold of the Shadow Dimension could harm Cara. Raven wasn’t taking any chances with his pregnant wife.
“I’m sure if I bundle up it won’t be much different than going hiking in the cold. My body heat will keep the little ones safe in the womb. Please, Raven. I want to do this! Flying to Moscow will take too long.”
“Go on and change. I’ll call down to the clinic and meet you in our apartment.”
“Oh, thank you.” Cara got up from his lap and leaned down to brush his mouth with a kiss. “I know I can reach him from Moscow. Don’t be too long talking with Dr. Rick.” She hurried from the room.
Raven smiled. His heart felt near to bursting and it was all Cara. He picked up the phone and dialed the clinic.
“Get me Dr. Rick, please.” Raven waited for the nurse to fetch him. “Rick. Is it safe for Cara to travel in Shadow with her being pregnant?”
§
Sergei moved restlessly, trying to find a comfortable position in the cold cramped space. The drone of the plane’s engines was so loud it was hard to sleep. More than anything, he wished he could magically get to Moscow without having to wait seven hours.
He reached for his woman’s mind following the golden mating bond that tied them together. Lindy fought the drugs in her system, but she was still more out of it than not.
“Family talk…” she whispered in his thoughts.
Sergei had no idea what that meant. He waited. Lindy showed him a picture of a woman with long brown hair. A cool energy seeped into their telepathic link.
“Please help us…” a woman’s voice sounded in his mind. Sergei frowned.
“Who are you?” he asked.
“I’m Lindy’s sister-in-law. You’re Lindy’s mate. What’s your name?”
“Sergei Sokolov.” Lindy’s family must be strong telepaths to reach him through the heartmate bond.
“Sergei you must use your telepathic link to Lindy to track her. She’s in grave danger.”
“I’m coming. I’m in a plane even now.”
“A plane? Where are you flying from? We’ll pick you up at the airport.”
“Siberia, the crates say Mirnyy Mine to Moscow.”
“Do you know which airport you’re flying into?”
“No. Sorry.” Sergei shook his head. There were several airports around Moscow. He wasn’t much help.
“Not to worry. We’ll figure it out. There will be men to meet you when you land. Raven and Joe. They’ll help you. You must find her.”
Sergei heard the panic in the woman’s voice and tried to comfort her. “I’ll do my best, lady.”
“Cara, my name is Cara.”
“Cara, long have I waited for a mate. I’ll do everything in my power to find Lindy and make her safe.”
“Thank you, Sergei.”
The link went silent. Lindy moaned and tossed, her fear coming through the mating bond. Sergei sent her reassurances. He was proud of her strong will. She was a fighter.
A prick against her skin followed by the cold rush of chemicals meant her captors drugged her again. Her struggles slowed and her mind clouded. She reached for him in a panic.
He caressed her mind with his presence. “You’re going to be all right, milaya. Rest for now, I’m almost there.”
Possessiveness swamped him and he realized some of it came from his wolf spirit. His wolf wanted his mate. The need to hunt and protect made him growl. Sergei tried to calm his wolf, taking deep breaths to slow the beating of their heart. The plane could not go any faster. Sergei estimated another three to four hours in the air. He shared the information with his wolf spirit and felt it settle down to wait. Sergei sighed and closed his eyes. He hated waiting.
§
“We’ve got to find out where the plane from the Mirnyy Mine is landing!” Cara paced in front of the bed in the Hotel National.
“Calm down, sweetheart.” Raven shook his head and glanced at Joe. They’d arrived an hour ago. With Joe and Jessica’s help they’d built a telepathic bridge so Cara could speak to Lindy’s mate.
“I know someone who can get us that information. Let me make a phone call,” Joe said rising from his chair and retrieving his phone from the nightstand.
“Would you like something to eat while we wait?” Jessica asked. “You’re eating for three now.”
“I’m not sure I can eat anything. Something tells me if we don’t find Lindy soon, we’ll lose her,” Cara said.
They quieted as Joe began speaking.
“Ivan, Joe Running Bear. How’ve you been?”
They chatted a few minutes. It didn’t take long for Joe to get the information. Sergei’s plane was due in at Sheremetyevo International Airport on the freight side of the runways.
“Thanks, Ivan. I owe you one. No, I can’t get-together. Catch you next time. All right. Bye.” Joe hung up and winked at Cara. “See? That was easy.”
“Who’s Ivan and how do you know him?” Jessica asked.
“He’s a cop here in Moscow,” Joe said. “I met him during an assignment. He’s a good guy and an honest cop. That’s hard to find here in this day and age. I saved his life, so he feels he owes me. One of these days I’ll introduce you. Right now, I’m going to make arrangements for a vehicle so we can pick up Mr. Sokolov. His plane is arriving in three and a half hours.” Joe picked up the phone and called down to the front desk.
“Why don’t we check with Captain Travis and see if the sergeant is back from her shopping trip. I don’t like that she was conveniently missing when we interviewed the other team members,” Jessica said.
“You said the others didn’t know anything. She probably doesn’t either,” Cara said.
Raven shook his head. “Lindy told me she was sure there was a traitor on the team. Someone knew where the team members were and when they were scheduled for duty.” Raven stood and took two bottles of water out of the small refrigerator in the room. He offered one to Jessica, she shook her head. He handed one to Cara and then opened the second one for himself.
“Our vehicle should arrive in an hour or so,” Joe said putting down the phone. “Why don’t I call Travis and see about Miller.”
§
“Mr. Darkwood.” Captain Travis reached out to shake hands with Raven. Joe smiled at the look of hero worship in the young man’s eyes. “You probably don’t remember me. We worked on an assignment together a while back. My team escorted you into an Iranian stronghold. That was before I was assigned to the embassy detail.”
“Nice to see you again, Captain.” Raven shook the outstretched hand.
“This way, sir.” The captain motioned before leading their small group into the elevator.
“No need for the formalities, Captain,” Raven said as they followed him inside. “I’m a civilian now.” The captain nodded and pressed the button.
Joe and Raven convinced Jessica she needed to escort Cara through Shadow back to New Mexico. Something big happened here and they wanted the women safe. Neither one had been keen on the idea. There would be consequences when the men got home. Joe shook his head. He’d have some groveling to do for sure. The elevator doors opened and they stepped into the hallway. Light
streamed in from the windows showcasing a beautiful sunset even though it was only half past four in the afternoon.
Travis ushered them down the hall to the sergeant’s room. Joe took note of the door to a stairwell right across the hall. If someone wanted to make a quick getaway, they could take the stairs down to the parking garage.
“This is it.” Travis knocked on the door. He frowned when the door swung open. It hadn’t been locked. They all looked in to see the room in chaos. Someone had been searching for something.
“Sally?” Travis called out. “I’ll call the police.” He stepped into the room and picked up the phone.
Raven and Joe followed. Joe took in as much as he could. He couldn’t tell if there had been a struggle, or the person who did this was extremely angry, breaking the bedside lamp and ripping the sheets. Women’s clothes lay scattered on the floor. Something glinted next to the bed. Stepping over the glass on the carpet, Joe knelt and picked up a small gold hoop earring with a wolf head in the middle. His heart clenched when he recognized it as belonging to Lindy. She loved wolves and Joe gave her the earrings for her birthday.
“I think we can assume Miller is our traitor.” He held the earring up to show Raven.”
“What are you basing that assumption on? An earring?” Travis asked. “The police are on their way.”
“Lindy’s earring,” Joe said.
“They’re women. Lindy could have loaned the earrings to Sally,” Travis said.
Joe looked at Raven and shook his head. Lindy didn’t loan things special to her. She always said she didn’t want the karma of being resentful if the item in question came up missing. They used to tease her about it when they were kids.
“Can we trace the sergeant’s cell phone?” Raven asked.
Joe nodded and slipped Lindy’s earring into his pocket. He pulled out his cell phone to send a text to Isanti.
“How the hell did you get the sergeant’s cell phone number?” Travis asked, his hands on his hips.
Shadow Mate Page 3