Control

by Crissy Smith

  “He left here around nine last night. The two Walkers had been spotted hitting some of the casinos farther up the Strip. I don’t know if they were avoiding my places, or just hadn’t made it around here yet.”

  “Do you have any of the information Alex was using?” Dakota asked.

  Jackson nodded. “Not all of it was acquired by legal means, but I have everything he had.”

  “Don’t worry about that.” Dakota waved her hand. “We’re not known for always following legal lines. Some of us less than others.” She glanced over at him and Kieran grinned back. He did have a tendency of not caring about rules. So what?

  “You’ll help me?” Jackson asked quietly.

  Kieran was still grasping his wrist and Dakota reached over and laid her hand over his. “We will find him.”

  Jackson dropped his head to the table and Kieran stood so he could comfort him. He pressed his hand against his friend’s neck. It was hard to see Jackson breaking when they’d both worked so hard to get their lives back on track.

  Once Jackson was breathing more easily, he nodded and Kieran retook his seat.

  “I’ve been up all night. I knew something was wrong right away. He called me from his phone before eleven, but no one was there. I could hear a scuffle but couldn’t pick up much of what was going on. I sent some of my guys out immediately and we found his cell in an alley.”

  “Do you have it with you?” Dakota asked.

  Jackson pulled it from his pocket and slid it over the table to her.

  “We’ll figure this out. I’m going to make some calls. I know you don’t want to eat, but I need you to,” she said to Jackson before glancing at Kieran. “We have to keep his strength up.”

  “Yeah,” Kieran agreed. He waited until Dakota had stood and strolled away from them, heading toward the bedroom, before he turned his attention back to Jackson. “She’s right. You need to eat. You’ve been up all night, but we’re not going to rest until we bring Alex home.”

  “He never stopped looking for me,” Jackson whispered.

  “I know. And we’ll find him soon.”

  Jackson breathed deeply. “I already have my guys out there looking. They haven’t heard anything about Alex, but there’s talk about some shifters that have gone missing.”

  “Yes,” Kieran said. “Four we know about so far. I think there’s more that haven’t been reported. I don’t really know how many total.”

  “No Walkers?”

  Kieran was with Jackson on where his thoughts were going. “Not that we know about.”

  “Is this really happening? Could he have been taken with the shifters?”

  “I don’t know,” Kieran admitted.

  “He won’t be able to handle it,” Jackson muttered. “If it’s shifters doing this or even if he’s locked up with shifters. It will kill him.”

  Dakota was coming back quietly into the room, but Kieran didn’t take his eyes off Jackson.

  “I knew something had to have happened to him with how he reacted to Remy. He always seemed okay with Dakota, though,” Kieran mused.

  “He didn’t blame all the shifters,” Jackson explained. “He was actually always trying to get me past my own prejudice. But it’s still hard to for him to be anywhere near a wolf shifter.”

  Dakota didn’t interrupt but began to load up plates with the food Kieran had ordered earlier. Jackson continued talking even as she set a pile of eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits and gravy, and some fruit near him.

  She placed his hand on his fork and Jackson ate as he spoke.

  “He fell in love with a sweet wolf shifter named Tina,” Jackson continued. “Her parents wanted her to marry another wolf shifter from their Pack and forbade her from seeing him. They were sixteen when they first started dating. They hid it for a few years, but as soon as they were eighteen, she told her parents she was going to be with Alex.”

  Kieran found a plate in front of him as well and since the food was there, he ate.

  “She moved out of the territory and into a house with Alex and his parents. The entire Pack harassed them, but Alex wouldn’t let her go back. Nine months after she moved in, Tina’s parents, brother, Alpha and a few enforcers burnt the house down and when Alex, Tina and his parents escaped, they beat them so badly Alex was the only survivor.”

  “Fuck.” Kieran regretted even the few bites of breakfast he’d taken.

  “He was in a coma for three months before he woke. Our family were old friends and even though it took another two months before he was released from the hospital, I spent every day with him. He came home with me and I helped him heal. Until the day I was taken.”

  Kieran had to look away from his friend. His gaze caught on Dakota and she had tears pooled in her eyes. She cared so much about other people. He knew she would have done everything she could to find Alex even if she hadn’t heard the story. But now she knew what he’d suffered, she would push even harder.

  “We have to find him,” Jackson finished.

  “I’m dropping Alex’s phone off to my old partner,” Dakota said. “You’ve worked with him before and he’ll keep any secrets he comes across, but he’s the best.”

  “I always trusted Dean.” Jackson nodded.

  “My current partners, Gabe and Dare, will be here in less than an hour. They need to see the footage of Alex leaving. You don’t have to show them anything that took place in your office. But they’ll start there and retrace his steps. I know you have your own men working on this also. Keep them out there. The more help we have, the better.”

  Jackson looked relieved. “I was worried you’d want me to keep my people out of your way.”

  “No.” Dakota shook her head. “Your Walkers might be able to get more out of people. I heard you ask about the missing shifters…”

  “Yes. I wonder if the same people are responsible,” Jackson said.

  “Me too,” she replied. “And if they’ve moved to taking Walkers, they’ve either grown bold or aren’t scared. Anyone who knows you, knows Alex. If they knew who Alex was, then they will expect you to look. We want to make sure your guys are visible.”

  “That makes sense,” Jackson agreed.

  “What if this is a ploy to draw you out?” Kieran voiced his concern.

  “I’ve thought about that too,” Dakota said. “We’ll use your resources. Anything you have, but you can’t leave the hotel.”

  Jackson stiffened. “I have to look for him.”

  “No,” Dakota argued. “You have to stay safe so you don’t end up with Alex.”

  “If that will lead us to him—”

  “Give us time,” Dakota urged. “I’m not saying you’ll be a prisoner, but give us a chance to find him before you go offering yourself as a sacrifice.”

  Jackson glanced at him and Kieran nodded.

  “Fine,” Jackson agreed. “I’ll work from here and coordinate the teams. But you have to keep me informed.”

  “I promise,” Kieran assured him.

  “Okay.” Jackson ran his hand roughly over his face. “Where do we start?”

  * * * *

  Kieran hadn’t been in the lab where Dean worked. The two of them hadn’t started off on the best foot after Caspar had asked his nephew, Dean, to spy on Kieran when Kieran had first gotten to town. Kieran didn’t like anyone in his business and liked even less that he hadn’t spotted the human. It still pissed him off that Dean had managed to follow him for several days before Kieran had known.

  Plus, Kieran didn’t even find out by catching him. No—Dean had told him after Kieran had stopped three shifters from attacking two humans in an alley. He’d taken care of the shifters but then called in to the local Organization for them to pick up the men. That was also the same night Kieran had met Dakota. So while not everything that night had been bad, Kieran still held a grudge against and a small amount of respect for Dean.

  Dean sat at a desk with three monitors scrolling while he typed furiously. It was obvious Dakota was comforta
ble in Dean’s work space as she strolled right in and hopped up on one of the tables. Kieran walked in more slowly before settling against the wall and leaning with his arms crossed over his chest. Dean didn’t even look up at them when they entered.

  He barely held back a growl until Dakota peered over at him and shook her head. Kieran grumbled under his breath until Dean looked up and turned in Kieran’s direction.

  “Oh!” Dean said, blushing. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

  “Obviously,” Kieran muttered.

  Dakota glared at him before she jumped off the table and walked over to Dean. “Whatcha working on?”

  “I have this computer running all the known victims for any connections we might have missed. If they shopped at the same grocery store, if they went to the same doctor, if they used the same bank—everything. If we just find one link, we might know how and who they’re targeting,” Dean explained.

  “Sound good,” Dakota said.

  “This one”—Dean pointed to another screen—“is screening every crime in the city that could have been perpetrated by a paranormal. And, finally, the last one is looking for places that the shifters could be held. Recent rentals, leases or purchases. We’re checking every name and corporation. They have to have somewhere they’re taking the shifters to.” Dean looked over his shoulder at Kieran. “I added as much as I could, including your friend. There some variables I want to play with, but I need more information about him.”

  Kieran nodded as Dakota pulled a card out of her pocket. “This is Jackson’s IT guy. You two can work together and compare notes.”

  “Cool.” Dean took the card and stuck it in his keyboard. “Now,” he said as he rolled his chair away from the desk to another work station. “I hacked into the city traffic cameras.”

  “You what?” Kieran asked, surprised. “Hacked?”

  Dean laughed. “I can admit I’m really enjoying my new job.”

  Kieran couldn’t help but smile. Maybe he was starting to like Dean just a little bit.

  “Anyway, I think I found something.”

  “What?” Kieran pushed off the wall and stalked forward as Dean started typing something in.

  “I already sent this to Gabe and Dare. They were checking on another tip and were close to the area.” Dean stood and pointed to the screen. “Watch this.”

  The video was a common feed Kieran had seen before during other investigations. Most of the cities used the same programs.

  “That’s Alex’s car.” Dean pointed at the black BMW on the screen. “I can’t get a good view from this angle, but I’m sure it’s him. He pulled into the alley, keeping us from seeing where he’s going but…” Dean punched some buttons that had the image fast-forwarding. “Thirty-seven minutes later.”

  The interior of the vehicle was visible. It was fucking visible. Kieran peered closer. “That’s not Alex.”

  “No, but…” Dean did something that zoomed in. “Look in the back seat.”

  There he was. Alex was in the back behind the passenger seat. His head was tipped back and Kieran doubted the man had been awake. There was another person next to him.

  “Can you clean that up?” Kieran demanded.

  “Trying,” Dean said. “The good news is Alex has OnStar. We’re tracking him. Or Gabe and Dare are.”

  “What?” Kieran yelled. “Why didn’t you tell me that earlier?”

  “Because I’m having trouble staying connected. I could give Gabe and Dare general directions but, until either a warrant comes through or I figure out how to get past the last firewall, I’m only getting bits and pieces.”

  “Well, fix it!” Kieran shouted.

  “Hey.” Dakota grabbed Kieran’s face. “Calm down. Dean will figure this out. But in the meantime, we have a solid lead. We need to get hold of Jackson and update him. Then we’ll head out ourselves.”

  Kieran wanted… He didn’t know what the hell he wanted. Dean had done more in a couple of hours than Kieran could have managed. The guy really did make a good lab rat.

  He pulled away from Dakota and stomped to Dean. Dean stood, just staring back at him. Kieran had to swallow several times, then he looked Dean in the eye. “Thank you.”

  Dean nodded. “We’ll find him. We’ll find them all. Maybe Jackson’s guy will be able to help get me past the firewall. While he’s doing that, I’ll work on cleaning up the video of Alex’s car. I’ll send it to you as soon as I have something.”

  There wasn’t anything left to say, so Kieran backed up and pulled his cell out of his pocket. At least he had some news to share with Jackson. He rushed from the room even as he pressed the number.

  * * * *

  Alex Hamilton groaned from the pounding in his head. He didn’t remember drinking the night before, so there was no way he should feel so damn shitty. He was also very fucking uncomfortable. Freezing, since he was naked.

  He tried to roll over but found it more difficult than he’d expected. His body heavy and his limbs not cooperating. Very slowly, he blinked his eyes open. He was lying on his back and above him all he could see were metal bars. He frowned, blinked some more, then turned his head. More bars were on the side. He was in a cage.

  “Fuck,” he muttered as he slowly sat up.

  “Hey, man, you okay?”

  Alex turned toward the voice and it took all his control not to flinch. The naked man in the cell beside him was a wolf shifter. Fuck, that couldn’t be good. He wouldn’t have partied with a wolf the night before. And he had a really bad feeling he wasn’t in a city jail.

  Alex squinted to get a better look at the young man. He was shocked by his appearance. He actually had to lift his hand and place it over his mouth, trying to hold in bile when he got a good look at the condition of the wolf. The guy was covered in dirt and filth, but the obvious signs of torture turned Alex’s stomach.

  “Who did this to you?” Alex demanded.

  The wolf shifter was pretty young and it appeared he’d been thoroughly beaten. He also had thin cuts across his stomach.

  “I have no idea,” the kid said. “I woke up just like you did. I can’t remember what day that was. It seems like years ago. Some men, shifters, come and take me to another room. That’s when they do this.” He waved his hand over his body.

  “No!” Horror filled Alex. He’d seen similar wounds like that before. Frantically, he began to search around the room, but all he could see was more cages. Some were filled, but several remained empty. This couldn’t be happening. There was no way Alex had been captured by the same monsters who’d taken Jackson and Kieran earlier.

  “I would say it’s going to be okay, but I’m pretty sure we’re screwed,” the wolf shifter said.

  Alex shook his head. The shifter had no idea how bad it was going to get. “What’s your name?” He really didn’t want to be friendly with the guy, but the circumstances were dire and he might need an ally or two. Even if he had to depend on a fucking wolf.

  “Max.”

  Alex scooted closer to the side where Max leaned against his own bars. “Here’s the thing, Max,” Alex said. “I’m pretty sure I know the group that took us.”

  “What do they want?” Max asked. “I tried to talk to them, but all they did was put a gag in my mouth and torture me.”

  “Yeah, that’s pretty much how they work.”

  “What do we do?”

  “Try to stay alive,” Alex murmured. “My boss is a very powerful man. He’ll already be looking for me. If we can just hang on, he’ll rescue us.”

  “I was hoping my Alpha would be able to find me,” Max said as he dropped his head.

  “I’m sure he’s trying.” Alex tried to give comfort. He didn’t know anything about the Alpha. Jackson gave over anything that had to do with the wolves to one of the other guys. “I never heard of this group taking shifters, though, so this is new.”

  “I don’t know how long some of them have been here.” Max pointed farther down the aisle. “But I think one of the gu
ys might be dead.”

  “Shit.” Alex closed his eyes. Because of his connection with Jackson and Kieran, he knew the Organization was currently looking for the people who now held him. That made them very lucky. In the years Jackson and Kieran had been missing, no one knew who was responsible. “Don’t fight them. Do whatever they tell you. Escape will be almost impossible, but we will be rescued.”

  “You sound sure,” Max whispered.

  He had to be. If Alex let himself think about what was going to be done to him, he wouldn’t last a day. “I am.”

  Max groaned and grabbed his stomach. “I’m so hungry.”

  Yeah, Alex was aware the monsters loved to starve their prisoners. Jackson had been so malnourished that, even with his Walker genes, it had taken months to get rid of his sunken skin and gain just a little weight. “I know.”

  “I don’t know why they took me. It’s not like I’m anyone in my Pack. I thought it was because of an article I was working on, but now I don’t think so.”

  “I doubt that’s the reason,” Alex agreed. “You were either in the wrong place at the wrong time, or they targeted you because you’re a shifter.”

  “Which do you think it is?”

  “I don’t think it matters.” If Bradley was responsible for their current circumstances, then nothing would matter but staying alive. Even if Alex was surrounded by shifters.

  A loud bang on the opposite side of the room had Alex jerking his head in that direction. The other prisoners scrambled, lurched and crawled as far away from the fronts of their cages as possible.

  Two men strolled in and they were both smiling. Alex clenched his fists. It might take time, but eventually he was going to knock those smug looks off their faces.

  As they sauntered down the aisle, they hit cages, bared fangs and laughed. Oh yeah, these two were first-grade assholes.

  “Looky here,” the big muscular mountain of a man said, stopping in front of Alex. “Our first Walker.”

  Alex didn’t respond.

  The smaller blond stepped beside the mountain man. “I don’t know, Bruce,” he said. “He doesn’t look so dangerous.”