by M. D. Grimm
“Are you Glenn?” the short blond man asked. His voice was so strong, it should belong to a man double his size. It commanded respect and submission. Glenn knew an alpha when he met one—even one who wasn’t a shifter.
“Yes,” Glenn said, hearing himself again when the helicopter was finally silenced. He then noticed the pilot, a tall and striking redhead who knelt inside the helicopter, looking at their surroundings. She put him in the mind of an Amazon.
“I’m Agent Poe,” the blond man said with a nod. “This is Captain Odin.” He gestured to the tall man. “And this is Agent Isis.” He gestured to the curvy woman. “The pilot is Agent Genii.” The redhead nodded.
“Where’s the letter?” Agent Isis said. Her voice was deep, curt, and in contrast with her appearance.
“In the truck—”
“How often did you handle it?” she asked as she opened the passenger door and grabbed the letter.
“Not much. Read it once, put it in my pocket. I touched only the corners when Agent Poe told me to handle it as little as possible.”
“Good, maybe I can get something from it.” She walked away from them, closed her eyes, and held the letter tightly in her hand.
Glenn looked at Agent Poe. “How’s this supposed to find Hunter?”
“Agent Isis has the ability to find things that are lost,” Poe said. “That includes people, shifters, whatever.”
“What if he’s with the Knights already?” Glenn asked, looking at all the agents.
“Then we’re led to their headquarters.” A small smile cut from glass touched Poe’s mouth. It made a shiver of fear run down Glenn’s spine. “If that’s the case, then we stop the Knights before they destroy any other lives.”
Glenn nodded. He wanted Hunter back, and that was all he cared about. But the rational part of him knew it would be glorious if the Agency could stop the Knights once and for all. Children like Hunter would no longer be taken and trained—manipulated. Corrupted.
Everyone watched Isis, who seemed to be in her own world.
“How long does it take?” Glenn said impatiently a few silent minutes later.
“It depends,” Poe said, his face expressionless.
Glenn grunted and began to pace again. The sun was fully up now and it wouldn’t be long before somebody noticed them. A helicopter was hard to miss. Maybe he should tell his father what had happened—
“He’s traveling,” Agent Isis said, her eyes popping open.
Glenn swung around as Poe walked to Isis.
“And?” Poe asked.
Isis’s eyes were fuzzy, unseeing. “They are heading south. Fast. I am blindfolded and there is a loud—I am in a private plane.”
Poe cursed and Glenn stared at Isis. It was like she was Hunter.
Isis closed her eyes again, and Agent Genii stepped out of the helicopter.
“Poe, a second?” she said. Poe frowned but walked to her. While Glenn was curious, he couldn’t take his eyes off Isis to focus on what Poe and Genii were talking about. Captain Odin stood off to one side, observing their surroundings. Despite his impressive size, his presence was silent, and Glenn almost forgot he was there.
A few moments later, Genii and Poe came back to join them, and Genii touched the edge of Hunter’s letter, never once touching Isis. She looked at Glenn and nodded at him.
“You love him?”
Glenn blinked. “Hunter? Yes, I do. He’s my mate.”
She nodded. “And he wrote this to you, out of love?”
“I—yes, he did. He had a vision of the Knights attacking my herd, and he just—left.”
She smiled. “We’ll get him back, Glenn.”
Her voice was soothing despite the situation and his pounding heart. He nodded but couldn’t smile. Genii closed her eyes, and Glenn glanced at Poe while he watched both women with a frown and his arms crossed over his chest. He didn’t appear angry, simply frustrated.
Glenn understood how he felt. He also knew about the Agency—what they did, who they were, and had met several agents during his life. He trusted them without hesitation, though he just wished they’d hurry up.
“Agent Poe?” Glenn asked, staring at both women.
“What?” he asked curtly.
“What is Agent Genii doing?”
“She’s psychic, and that includes telepathy. She might be able to communicate with Hunter.”
Glenn’s jaw dropped and his hands trembled. Excitement coursed through him and he couldn’t stand still. He started to pace even as his deer paced inside his mind.
“Hurry this up, ladies,” Poe said.
Agent Genii’s eyes suddenly popped open. “Dallas, Texas.”
“Let’s go,” Poe said.
Isis, her hand still gripping the letter, was led by Captain Odin back to the helicopter. Her eyes were glassy as if she was in a trance. But as Glenn ran after them, Poe turned around and held up a hand. The other agents climbed into the helicopter.
“Don’t even think about it,” Poe said.
“I’m not staying behind,” Glenn said, pressing against Poe’s restraining hand. “He’s martyring himself to protect me and my herd. I’m the reason he left the Knights. I have to save him.”
“Glenn—”
“He’s my mate!” Instead of wanting to flee back into the safety of his forest, both of his spirits wanted to rescue his mate. His other half wanted to fight, to defend, to protect. It felt strange to actively seek a battle but this was one he couldn’t run away from. His nature was gentle and peaceful but right now his desire for blood overrode it. He and his deer wanted to gore and trample some knights.
Poe closed his eyes with a grimace. Glenn vaguely noticed they were drawing a crowd. People pulling up to park and camp, campers returning from the forest, and a few other rangers were staring or scratching their heads. Genii had started the helicopter, and Poe and Glenn needed to shout to be heard.
“Of course he’s your mate,” Poe said, and he didn’t sound happy about it. Glenn frowned. He would fight to get on the damn helicopter, even if it was against an agent.
“Dammit,” Poe said. “We don’t have time for this. You do what I say from here on in.” Poe pointed his finger at Glenn. “You are a soldier and I’m your captain. Got it?”
Glenn swallowed hard and nodded. They climbed into the helicopter, and Poe sat in the co-pilot’s seat. Glenn sat beside Isis.
“Captain, call for backup,” Poe said. “We need everyone we can spare. Get them ready. What did Hunter tell you, Genii?”
“Not to follow,” Genii said as they lifted into the air. Glenn noticed the others putting on headphones and glanced above and spotted his own set. He put them on and pressed them closer to his ears, determined not to miss anything.
“He also said not to let Glenn come—”
“Fuck that,” Glenn said.
Genii sent him a smile over her shoulder. “I told him we were coming and that he should tell us where the Knights are located. Whatever he could tell us about HQ.”
“Why would he know?” Poe asked. “When Shannon didn’t have a clue?”
“He didn’t.” Genii said. “But while I was in his head, we both heard one of his captors mention Dallas. Then Hunter told me that before he’d left for his rite, he’d spoken to his mother on the phone and it had been a Texas number.” Genii shook her head. "Fucking Dallas, Texas. He also confirmed that HQ moves around. He used to live there as a child but once he reached teen years, he was sent away to substations. Seems the Knights keep kids close until they start to mature.”
Glenn watched the interaction between the agents, trying to keep his mind off the fact that he was no longer on solid ground. He’d never flown in his life and distinctly disliked the sensation.
“Where in Dallas, though?” Poe asked. He wasn’t looking at Genii. He was looking at Isis. The agent’s eyes were still unfocused and her hand was crushing Hunter’s letter. Glenn wanted to say something about it, but if it helped find Hunter, then
what did it matter?
“The building will look like just a normal office building,” Isis said, her voice hollow. “It is under the fake company PurNex. That is HQ.”
Glenn didn’t like Isis speaking as if she was Hunter. Isis shuddered and closed her eyes, her body slumping in her seat.
“Perfect,” Poe said. Then he shook his head. “Hidden in plain sight. Bet it’s downtown Dallas, as well.”
“Creepy, right?” Genii asked as she took a sharp turn in the air. “I mean, how similar their operation is to ours?”
“We are nothing like them,” Poe snapped, and the entire helicopter went silent. “Never say that again.”
Genii flew for a short time in silence, and Glenn could feel the tension, like a cloud, fill the helicopter.
“Captain," Poe said. "Call the techs, have them start hacking into PurNex’s systems. I want codes, access to their files. They’ll have cameras so I want access to them as well. Get them moving.”
“Already on it.”
“Oh, Glenn,” Genii said. “Hunter also said to tell you that he plans on making this up to you when the Knights are taken down.”
Glenn sat back and a smile grew on his face. Hell yes, his mate would make this up to him. Dumbass. Wonderful, beautiful dumbass. He rubbed his arms and wished Hunter was in them. He wanted to smell him again, touch him again. Glenn looked out the window, and his stomach jittered when he realized how high they were. He grabbed the seat and looked back inside the copter. The turbulence was getting to him, and he wished fervently that they were on the ground.
“Easy there,” Captain Odin said. His voice soothed and Glenn took a steadying breath.
“We’ll get him back,” Odin said. “And the Knights—”
“Are done,” Poe said, his voice hard. “I’m going to get that son of a bitch. I swear.”
Glenn didn’t know who “that son of a bitch” was, but Poe’s voice and tone encouraged him. Poe was definitely someone he wanted on his side. They all were.
Hunter had a bag over his head, and he was in a car. He didn’t know how long it had been, but he needed to use the bathroom. And he’d rather focus on that than what would happen to him when he got to headquarters. He knew that was where he was going. That was where his mother worked and she would want to talk to him personally. Panic fluttered painfully in his stomach and he sucked in air.
They’d tied his hands behind his back and his legs were tied at the ankle. He was also gagged. Hunter heard the honks of car horns and the blare of radio speakers from cars beside him. The windows weren’t open, making him sweat. He sat in the middle of the backseat with two grunts beside him. Grunts weren’t knights—they were hired thugs. A knight was probably driving, with another knight riding shotgun. There was no chance at all of escape. But he never seriously considered it—the agent had told him to stay put. That they were coming for him. He never thought he would be happy to see anyone from the Agency. His mother had told him to always watch out for the agents—to shoot first and never ask questions.
But now they were his only hope.
And Glenn. Glenn was coming for him. He was conflicted about that—part of him wanted Glenn to stay safely at home; the other part was thrilled that Glenn wanted to rescue him.
The car slowed and turned right. The noise of traffic was cut in half as they drove through a parking structure. It was probably next to headquarters. Hunter’s muscles tensed as he strained his ears to hear where he was. The car kept turning and the slight incline told him they were climbing up, floor by floor. Were they going to the top?
His stomach flipped. Was he meeting the boss? The leader? Not just anyone could meet the boss.
Arcas.
Hunter hunched his shoulders as the car lurched to a stop. Rough hands grabbed him and dragged him out of the car. His ankles were loosely tied, allowing him to walk, but restricted his stride. He shuffled along with hands gripping his shoulders.
He’d called his mother when he’d driven to a town miles away from the forest, to put as much distance as he could between him and Glenn’s herd. He’d told her that he quit, knowing the cell phone he’d left in the glove compartment had a tracker in it, allowing her to find his location. There were substations in nearly every state, and it wasn’t long before they found him. One of them had struck him over the head and then tied him up. From a truck to a plane to a car, they’d taken him to Dallas, Texas. Now what were they going to do?
They were inside now. They walked down a short flight of steps, which was highly difficult for Hunter, and the rough hands were merciless. They turned right and shoved him unceremoniously into a room. He hit the floor hard and rolled to his side. They took the bag off his head and roughly removed the gag from his mouth. The lights were bright in his eyes. He squeezed them shut and curled into himself. The door slammed shut and he blinked his eyes open, gasping in air. At first he thought he was alone, and then he felt a pressure in his mind, and he pushed against it, fighting the penetrating force.
“Mother, stop,” he said, his voice hoarse. He couldn’t see her, his sight was still blurry and the lights were still blinding.
“Why? Why should I stop?” Janice’s voice was higher than usual. He heard her footsteps behind him, her high heels that were always needle-thin.
“You broke my heart,” Janice said, stopping close to his head. “Why shouldn’t I break your brain?”
Hunter gritted his teeth and fought against tears.
“You adopted me,” he said. “You should have loved me.”
“I did love you,” Janice said, kneeling next to him. She touched his cheek with her fingertip, and he shivered. Her skin was ice cold.
“But when my son betrays me—he is no longer worthy of my love.” Her voice was distant, uncaring. Long gone were the sweet tones and gentle touch of a mother who he so desperately wanted to make proud.
“You failed, Hunter,” she said with clipped tones. “Not only did you fail to kill a shifter, you proclaimed you would never kill a shifter. You proclaimed that you were no longer a knight.”
“I’m not,” Hunter said.
“No. You certainly are not.” She sounded disgusted.
She put more pressure on his head, trying to penetrate his brain. But he’d grown familiar with her tricks, and he shoved memories of Glenn and his herd deep into his mind, shutting the doors and locking them tight. Everything else she would penetrate, but she would never get to his hidden compartment.
She’d often told him that the brain wasn’t something you could read like a book. It was a labyrinth of memories and information which often had no direct connection. An invader trying to find a single solitary memory would discover it was like trying to find a needle in a pile of needles. She’d told him this before he’d become trouble for her—before he’d begun to question things. Now he was sure she wished she’d never told him any of that. He’d managed to hide his doubts for all those years, but now he allowed her to see them. He wanted her to know that he knew she was full of bullshit and that the Knights were murderous thugs. But she would never learn of Glenn.
It was painful, her penetration. It was a migraine but all over his head, ice picks digging into his temples, the back of his head, between his eyes. He wanted to weep.
“You thought you could mold me,” he said, hoping to distract her. “You thought you could train me like a mindless soldier. A killer with no conscience, just another tool for the Knights.”
“I thought I could make you understand,” Janice said, and some of the pressure lifted. “I thought after everything I told you, everything I showed you, that you would understand we are on a righteous mission. We are meant to purify the world—”
“Save it,” Hunter said, struggling against his bonds. “The world needs to be purified of murderers and sadists like you. Shifters aren’t the problem, the Knights are.”
She slapped him.
“How dare you—how could you betray your family like this?” She leaned her head o
ver his face, allowing him to see her for the first time since being thrown into the room. “After everything I gave you. After everything the Knights provided. You owe us loyalty and instead you flush it down the toilet. You ungrateful little prick.”
Her face was contorted into something ugly and deranged. He bared his teeth at her.
“The Knights have never been my family!”
Janice stood and kicked him in the stomach. He grunted and curled tight, an instinctual reaction to protect himself. Her kicks continued and she used those deadly heels to dig into his side. His bonds were too tight, but he still struggled.
“What happened to you?” Janice asked, kneeling in front of him. “What happened in that park that turned you against us?”
Hunter said nothing. He glared at her.
She raised an eyebrow. “You found shifters, didn’t you? You let them brainwash you.”
“You’re the ones who tried to brainwash me,” Hunter said.
Janice leaned back. “Well, it’s not as if we don’t know about those shifters. Hid themselves in plain sight, didn’t they? Park rangers. Now we’ll just have to go in there and round them up.”
“Don’t you fucking touch them!” Hunter said. Then it felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped on him.
Janice smiled smugly, her eyes bright. Hunter had a sudden and delirious desire to strangle her. He wished he could take back his words. Janice had tricked him. She didn’t know for sure if the park rangers were shifters. She made an educated guess.
“Thank you, Hunter,” Janice said and tapped his face. “You still have some uses.”
She stood and pulled out a radio. She spoke into it and Hunter, hatred pumping through him, twisted his body and kicked out his legs. He caught her ankles and she crashed to the floor. She dropped the radio and he swung his body around. Then he brought his heels down on the radio multiple times, smashing it to pieces.
“I’ll never let you hurt them!” Hunter said as Janice scrambled to her feet.
“You son of a bitch! No wonder your parents abandoned you!” Janice kicked him square in the groin with her pointy shoe and Hunter yelped in pain.