“When Lindy went missing we collected data on your whole team, Captain,” Raven explained.
“Who the hell do you think you are?” Travis shouted.
“We’re the people who’re going to find Lindy, Captain. If you have a problem with how we do it, you can speak to your commander.” Joe glared at the young man. It was a good thing he’d read Travis’s mind or he might think Travis was the mole.
“Don’t worry, I will.” Travis glared back.
“We’ll leave you to deal with the police,” Joe said. “I’ll let you know if we find anything about the sergeant.”
“You do that,” Travis said, his jaw clenched.
Joe stepped over the glass and followed Raven to the elevator. They stepped inside.
“Why search the sergeant’s room if she was the traitor?” Raven asked.
“My gut tells me they’re running scared. Cleaning up any loose ends. We’ve got to find Lindy, now. I hope Sokolov can lead us to her.”
Chapter Four
“We need to leave in a few minutes if we’re going to make it to the airport on time,” Joe said. He strapped on a mini crossbow and slipped an obsidian bladed knife into an ankle sheath. If they had to walk through Shadow, he needed weapons made of all natural materials. “I hope this Sokolov guy is good enough for your sister. We don’t know anything about him. How can you trust him?”
“I don’t trust him, but Cara does and she touched his mind.” Raven followed suit and then reached for his black leather coat. “She feels sure he’s bonded with Lindy and only wants to protect her. We’ve got to trust the Great Spirit that Shadow would choose a mate for Lindy who is exactly what she needs.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t like it,” Joe said.
A knock on the door surprised them both. Joe checked the peephole and sighed. “It’s the captain.”
“Let him in, Joe.”
“I saw the SUV. Did you find Lindy?” Travis asked as he entered the room. “What about Sally? Did you get a trace on her phone?”
“The sergeant’s phone isn’t showing up anywhere. It was probably destroyed or we’d get a signal of some kind,” Raven said.
“You’ve found something or you wouldn’t be dressed to go out,” Travis said.
“Look, Captain. We don’t have to tell you anything. We’re only sharing information as a courtesy,” Joe said.
“If you don’t tell me, I’ll follow you when you leave. Miss Quiet Thunder is a member of my team. It’s my responsibility to find her,” Travis said.
“It was your responsibility not to lose her. Something doesn’t add up and until we know more of what’s going on, we can’t tell you anything,” Joe said.
“You suspect someone on my team is involved in Lindy’s disappearance? I’ve worked with these people for several years now. No one on my team is dirty,” Travis said, angry at the suggestion.
“Lindy suspected a traitor and now she’s missing. What else are we to think?” Raven asked.
“Maybe someone made her as an agent, maybe this has nothing to do with our assignment here at the embassy,” Travis said.
“And maybe you’re fooling yourself, Travis,” Joe said, letting disgust creep into his tone. The captain needed to wake up. Sergeant Miller is the traitor and now she’s missing too.
“Let me help. If someone is dirty, then I’ll deal with it.”
“Look, the only reason we’ve said this much is because of William Cody,” Raven said. “He told me you were loyal and steady and he’d trust you with his life. You want to help? Don’t let anyone know we’re going out. Make up some excuse. Don’t let on that anything has developed.”
“I’ll do one better. I’ll make sure everyone on the team knows you’re stumped and I’ll complain that you’re making me take you out to check over our old assignments. I’m still going with you. ”
“We’re leaving now,” Joe said.
“Give me ten minutes. I’ll meet you at the vehicle. ” Travis hurried from the room to play his act on the other team members.
“Why are you letting him come?” Joe asked. Just what they needed, a gung ho marine who couldn’t know about the Shadow Walkers.
“You heard him, he’d follow us. At least this way we can keep him contained.”
Joe pulled out another case of darts for his crossbow. “I’m not sure contained is the right word. Ready?” Joe opened the door.
“Let’s go meet Lindy’s mate,” Raven said taking the lead.
§
The flaps lowered on the plane and then the landing gear. This was Moscow. There would be lots of light and people. Sergei couldn’t chance being seen as a wolf. He let the change take him, his muscles stretching and his bones moving. As a man he possessed more strength and dexterity than a human male.
He climbed onto the top of the nearest crate and pulled the jumpsuit, socks and shoes out of the bag and proceeded to dress. The jumpsuit fit enough to wear. The socks and shoes were a little tight, but he didn’t have much choice in the matter. He climbed forward toward the cockpit and then lay down flat when he reached the edge of the line of crates. Tossing the bag with the empty food containers down near the door, he waited for the right moment to leave the plane unseen.
Sergei heard the plane slow and then it was on the ground and braking. He held tight to the crates hoping the load wouldn’t shift. The plane turned and then lumbered slowly forward to where they would unload the cargo.
Finally, the plane stopped. The engines shut down. He listened intently, hearing the pilots talking, and then the door opened on the side. One of the men stopped beneath where Sergei lay. It sounded like he looked for something. Sergei felt a moment of guilt for taking the food and clothes. He heard the man search and mutter and finally swear and then leave the plane.
Sergei peered over the edge. He could see two people moving toward a hanger. Then a man on a forklift drove by. The back of the plane slowly lowered. Sergei jumped down from the crate and peered cautiously out the door. Then he sprinted down the stairs and behind the large tires of the landing gear.
He heard traffic north of the airport and headed in that direction. He had no idea how he would find Raven and Joe, but he didn’t want to be found near the plane. He ran from shadow to shadow until he neared the road and then hid in a group of trees. He could see the highway and hoped his promised ride was close. Did Cara make the arrangements to meet his plane?
Sergei waited for a few minutes and then he saw a black SUV pull up and stop along the side of the road. This must be Lindy’s family arriving. He stepped out of the trees and hurried to the car. A man stepped out to meet him. Sergei slowed.
“Sergei Sokolov?” he asked.
“Zdravstvujtye.”
“Great, he doesn’t speak English,” the man muttered.
“Of course I speak English. Which one are you? Joe or Raven?” Sergei asked.
“I’m Joe, Raven is driving. Get in so we can find our girl.”
Sergei felt a growl rising and pushed it down. These were Lindy’s family members. Joe opened the back door and Sergei climbed in. He nodded at the man in the seat next to him who smelled like a regular human. Then he looked curiously at the driver, his nostrils flaring as he caught the scent of sage. A trickle of awareness told him that this man was a leader amongst his people. He possessed power of some kind, more than just telepathy. The hairs on Sergei’s neck rose in warning.
“Mr. Sokolov, I’m Raven Darkwood, Lindy’s foster brother. Thank you for coming.”
“Of course I came. Lindy and I connected during her kidnapping.”
“I see your bond. We must talk later, right now I assume we follow the golden cord?” Raven saw the mating bond. Sergei didn’t smell any deceit. He’d have to trust them.
“Yes, it connects me to Lindy.”
“Wait. I don’t see anything. What are you talking about?” Travis asked.
“Need to know, Captain,” Joe said.
Sergei felt the man next to him br
istle and glanced over to see Travis clenching his jaw, his hands fisted. The bitter smell of anger filled the car. This could be a problem. Sergei reached for Raven’s mind.
“Your man is angry.”
“He’s a soldier. He understands need to know missions. He can’t know about our abilities, nor yours, I wager.”
Sergei gave a mental shrug and turned to look out the window. Moscow was a huge city. He had never seen so many buildings and lights. He shivered, feeling claustrophobic. He liked the forests and quiet places of nature.
It was dark out. Cars traveled the highways and some of the bakeries and restaurants were open. The smells threatened to overwhelm him. He put his hand over his nose and breathed slowly.
The car followed the heartmate cord deeper and deeper into the city. Then it veered to the east slightly. Raven turned at the next street and they followed it to an old abandoned warehouse.
Sergei could feel Lindy close. He was ready to jump out and run into the structure. As if Raven knew of his intent he turned quickly and grabbed Sergei’s arm.
“Sergei, nyet!” Raven said. “Joe, you and Travis do a recon. Sergei and I will follow at your signal. ”
Joe and Travis dutifully got out of the car and headed into the shadows around the building. Raven continued to hold Sergei’s arm. It surprised him when he heard Raven speaking to Joe telepathically.
“What have you got, Joe? I want to Shadow Walk Sergei inside. We’ll get Lindy and Shadow Walk out. You and Travis can take out the rest of this nest of vipers.”
“There appears to be one man at the door. I’ll take him out and leave the door open, and then you can walk right in. Just do me a favor and don’t come out of Shadow until you’re sure it’s clear.”
Shadow Walk? What was that, Sergei wondered. Raven motioned for Sergei to follow him from the car into a space of shadows by the side of the building. Then he took hold of Sergei’s wrist, again.
“You worry too much, Joe. I’m going into Shadow in three: one, two, three.”
“Target is eliminated, come on in.”
Sergei felt a strange wrenching motion and then he was in bitter cold and darkness. He gasped when the overalls he wore disintegrated and fell off him in flakes.
“Damn. Sorry. I should have thought about that,” Raven sent telepathically. “We’ll get you something to wear later.” Lindy’s brother kept ahold of his wrist. A burning on his left pectoral muscle made him grit his teeth. He glanced down and noticed a strange mark that looked like a paw print tattoo burned into his skin.
They walked toward the warehouse and through the door, following the golden heartmate cord. Sergei could make out his surroundings in the gloom of Shadow. Wisps of dark mist circled his body. Instinctively he knew he was no longer fully in his world, but somehow in a place of between. He followed Lindy’s brother from room to room, always following where the golden cord led them. They walked right by a man standing guard. He didn’t see them.
“Joe, there’s another guard three rooms in. We just passed him and are now heading down a flight of stairs to a lower level.”
“Roger, I see him. He won’t be a problem any longer.”
Sergei followed the cord down the stairs to a basement level. He could see a room with lights on the left and pointed it out to Lindy’s brother. He could smell two people in the room, and held up two fingers for Raven to see. The heartmate cord went to the end of the hall and stopped in front of a door.
“Joe there is a room at the bottom of the stairs with two targets. I’m going to Shadow Walk us into where Lindy is being held. Sergei’s clothes disintegrated. We’ll need to get him something to wear.”
“Roger that. Nobody I’ve scanned seems to know anything of use. I haven’t even come up with the name of their boss. Travis and I will eliminate these two.”
Raven and Sergei walked up to the door. Sergei knew Lindy was on the other side. He felt his emotions start to spiral out of control and gripped Raven’s arm.
Raven shook his head in warning and Sergei realized that whatever else Raven was, he was an Alpha.
Just then Joe sent the signal. Raven gripped Sergei and pulled him through the door and out of Shadow into the light.
Sergei felt that strange wrenching motion and the cold gloom of the Shadow World was gone. Raven released his wrist. He shivered from the change in temperature, but jumped forward to the woman lying on the cold cement floor.
He reached for her and her skin felt cold to the touch. Lindy’s brother followed and slowly checked her pulse. Sergei reached for her mind. She was very weak. He gently lifted her into his arms and gasped when he noticed her delicate features. She was even more beautiful than he remembered from their shared dream. Sergei cradled her to his chest and looked at her brother. Raven nodded with understanding in his gaze.
“Hold her close, Sergei, you must help bring her back to us. Joe, you and Travis head to the vehicle after finishing up. I’m taking Lindy home. Remind Travis that we don’t want an international incident made of this.”
“He’s going to want to know how you got her out without him seeing her.”
“Assure him, she’s safe. Use the need to know again if you have to.”
Lindy’s brother put his arm around Sergei’s shoulders and then once again there was darkness and cold. When Sergei thought they were surely lost in the black swirling mist, they came out of Shadow into a hospital
“You found her!” A woman shouted as she rushed forward, her long brown hair swinging as she ran. Sergei remembered the mental picture Lindy had sent him. This must be Cara.
She hugged them both tight and with tears in her eyes walked into Raven’s arms.
“My wife, Cara,” Raven explained.
“In here, please,” a man dressed in a lab coat said pointing to an open door. Sergei studied the man with his long braids and moccasins on his feet.
“That’s Dr. Rick. He’ll examine Lindy. You need to let him look at her. Cara, honey, Mr. Sokolov needs some clothes. Can you get him something?”
“Of course.” She giggled and hurried away.
Sergei followed the doctor into the examining room and laid Lindy down. He was hard pressed to release her. He brushed the dark hair from her face and frowned at the bruise on her temple.
“Raven said they’ve kept her drugged,” the doctor said, stepping to the other side of the bed and starting a precursory examination. “She has a slight head injury and this knife wound needs cleaning and stitches. Nurse please clean the wounds and prepare for stitching. Get her out of those clothes and bring a gown.”
The doctor glanced at Sergei. “Get two gowns, at least until we can get some clothes for him.”
“Thank you.” Sergei took the gown offered him by the nurse and slipped it on. He winced when the fabric touched the strange burn. Then he helped the nurse ease Lindy from her clothes. The black sweater needed to be cut. For just a moment, he caught that wildness in her scent, but then it was covered with the smell of antiseptic. “Will she be all right?” Sergei asked.
“Her vital signs are stable. She’s strong,” the doctor said. “The nurse will start fluids intravenously while I stitch this up. I’ll run a few more tests, including a toxicology screening. Depending on what sedative they were using, I think she’ll wake in a few hours.”
“You must have a lot of questions. Why don’t you let the doctor finish up and we can step into another room,” Raven said.
“I’m not leaving her.” Sergei grabbed a nearby chair and sat down taking Lindy’s hand in his. The cold of the chair on his bare butt made him squirm.
“He sounds like all the rest of the mated tribal members.” The doctor shook his head. “Shadow marked him.” Dr. Rick finished the stitches and checked Lindy’s head wound. “The head wound doesn’t look too bad, but we’ll know more after she’s awake. We may need X rays if there’s any problem.”
Sergei looked up confused. Shadow marked him? The strange burn mark? What if Lindy had some c
omplications from her injuries? His stomach burned and he felt dizzy. His face grew warm.
“I think I need some water,” he whispered.
“Nurse, let’s see if we can get some food for this man, please,” the doctor instructed.
“Call me Sergei. Sergei Sokolov. I am in your debt, Doctor.”
“Yes, well. I’ve known Lindy since she was a girl. We all love her. When she wakes, we’ll see if she is alert and able to speak with us,” Dr. Rick said. “You can talk in here, Raven. It won’t bother Lindy. She’ll sleep, like I said. If there are any changes, press this red button.” The doctor handed the control box with the call button to Sergei. “Welcome to the tribe, Sergei Sokolov.”
Sergei nodded and smiled. “Is it all right to use your phone for an international phone call? I should contact my family. They’ll expect to find me in Moscow.”
“The phone is right there. Dial nine to get an outside line.” The doctor left the room.
Raven pulled a chair up and sat facing him. Lindy’s family was very welcoming. Of course they didn’t know Lindy’s mate was a lycan, yet.
§
Raven studied the man who was Lindy’s future husband. Sergei was tall and lean with blond hair so light it looked almost white. His blue eyes were pale as well and could look as cold as ice. Right now, however, they softened and warmed as Sergei pressed a kiss to Lindy’s knuckles.
Raven wanted to like the man, but there was something about him that sent Raven’s radar on alert. Sergei Sokolov was dangerous. The man lifted Lindy like she weighed nothing and didn’t flinch from the cold of Shadow. On top of that, he seemed to have senses stronger than the Shadow Walkers. He knew about the men in the room near Lindy’s before Raven became aware of them. Who was he, or more importantly, what was he? Raven sighed. Shadow accepted him and marked him. He was Lindy’s mate. Nothing would change that.
“I know you must have a lot of questions,” Raven began.
“As do you,” Sergei answered.
“True. We honor those who mate a Shadow Walker. No one will keep you from Lindy.”
Shadow Mate Page 4