by Vella Day
According to Jackson’s drone, the sentries had two-hour shifts, and this group of two had recently changed. For this intel alone, the drone had been well worth the expense.
Because Sam was more experienced in night maneuvers, Kip and Kalan were to follow his lead. Kip had to work hard not to give away his presence. He was no expert when it came to walking softly through the dense foliage. Kalan, however, was very light on his feet, despite his large size.
As they drew near, voices sounded from the encampment. Sam held up his hand and Kip and Kalan stopped. The guards were chatting and laughing, and even Kip could smell their cigarette smoke. Sam indicated it was time for him to do his magic, and that Kip and Kalan needed to stay put. Apparently, Sam had to be within a certain number of feet from his targets before his power of projection could work.
Sam disappeared through the trees into the night, which caused the cicadas to stop their trilling noise. Hopefully, that wouldn’t alert the guards that something was going down. Hell, it seemed as if every animal had ceased moving.
A strong breeze blew the leaves, and Kip’s pulse jumped. He’d been on many surveillance missions before, but none as critical as this one. Should anything go wrong, it could cost him his life.
Kalan stepped next to him without speaking and motioned he was going off somewhere to shift. His assignment was to sneak up behind the bunker and take out the sentries. Sam said he’d help.
Kip remained behind, awaiting Sam’s all clear call. He tried to detect the location of the rest of the team, but he heard nothing to indicate they were near. While he didn’t have extra sensory hearing like the shifters, leaves crunching or branches snapping should have given away their position. Pride swelled at the McKinnon brothers’ abilities to approach without a sound.
What seemed like an eternity later, two clicks in his ear bud sounded, followed by a pause and then one more click. It was code for it being safe for him to enter the area. Kip had to trust that the sentries had been immobilized and that the other team members would be close by. It was his and Sam’s job to find the Wendayan magic and retrieve it, while the others were to make sure they weren’t interrupted.
Weaving his way through the trees toward the faint light over the bunker, Kip emerged into a clearing. Once he scoped out the area, he rushed up to the entrance. If he hadn’t been aware that the big bear standing over the two prone bodies was Kalan, he might not have approached.
Kip checked out the two downed men, both of whom appeared to be breathing. Good. He bet they’d have a major headache, however, when they woke. Killing them would have caused a quite a stir.
“Door’s locked,” Sam whispered.
That was where Kip came in. Connor was good with picking locks, but too often the job required him to be in his shifted form, so Kip had learned the craft. He’d spent months practicing, and he hoped this system wasn’t too sophisticated for his talent. Just as he removed the picks from his backpack, a wolf appeared. From his brown forelock and gray body, he recognized Connor who then shifted into his human form.
“Thought you might appreciate some help inside.” He kept his voice low.
“Thanks.” Connor retrieved a lightweight jumpsuit and shoes from Kip’s backpack, along with his electronic gear.
After dressing, Connor waved his sensors. His job was to disarm the alarm system, assuming he could find the location of the keypad or whatever the Changelings used. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be complicated or take too much time.
Kip could cut the electricity to the whole bunker, but then they wouldn’t be able to see well inside. The flashlights weren’t that powerful. Furthermore, he wasn’t certain if the Wendayan magic needed electricity to remain viable.
Connor ran his hand along the rim of the doorjamb and shook his head. He pointed to his eyes and then motioned he’d check along the side. A minute later, the light above the door flickered and Connor came back into view, holding up his thumb.
So far so good. Now, it was Kip’s turn to do his thing. Seeing where to put the picks wasn’t a problem as the door had an overhead light, but getting the damn gears to align would be the tricky part. While Connor could have done it, it was now Kip’s job.
It was possible the sentries had keys, and just as he was about to ask Sam to check, the gears slipped into place and the door opened. Kip let out a long-held breath.
The plan was for Sam to enter first because even though he wasn’t a shifter, he was an expert in military tactics. Jackson hadn’t detected anyone inside, but it was good to be cautious. Kalan was to stand guard outside and would roar if trouble neared.
With his weapon in hand, Sam stepped in. Seconds later, he reported, “All clear.”
Kip followed Connor inside. Emergency lights faintly lit the narrow corridor, but it was enough to see. The arrangement of the rooms was not what he expected, however. The bunker consisted of one long tunnel with doors on each side. Emergency lights bordering the ceiling dimly lit the area.
As if they each knew what to do, they started turning doorknobs. Kip was the first to find one that opened. He stepped inside the darkened room, pulled out his flashlight, and surveyed the interior. Holy crap. The room had black curtained walls with some kind of stage at the end. About ten chairs sat in rows, separated by an aisle. What caught his attention were the glowing red eyes about six feet off the floor. He shone the light on what appeared to be a replica of a half human with a wolf’s torso and head. Unless the magic was stored in the eyes, he needed to move on. No telling how long they’d have before someone tried to contact the bunker. No one knew for sure whether the guards were supposed to check in or not.
The last place Kip wanted to be was stuck inside a bunker with flesh eating wolves outside ready to attack. Kip exited that room. Many of the doors were still closed, but a few sat open. Connor popped his head into the hallway and motioned Kip to look.
Kip lifted his mic to contact Sam. “Connor might have found something.”
One of the doors opened and Sam stepped out. They both trotted down the hallway. Connor held open the door and Sam went in first. Kip remained at the entrance, not sure what to make of the contents. The room was perhaps thirteen feet wide by fifteen feet long with a long wooden table in the middle, and a lit glass cabinet against the far wall. Inside were five different colored globes about a foot each in diameter that were pulsing different colors. One was bright blue, but the rest were dimly lit and barely flickering. The remaining globes were either yellow, green, brown, or orange. White sparks flitted inside the mostly gelatinous fluid and then dimmed, just like fireflies. His heart beat way too fast. Had he really found his brother’s magic? He could only hope.
The last piece of the puzzle that convinced him he had found the Wendayan magic was that inside each of the globes was a sardonyx knife.
Connor jiggled the handle to the case. It was locked. Kip debated just smashing the glass, but he wanted to try to pick the lock first.
Just as he extracted his tools, Connor put a hand on his shoulder. “I heard Kalan roar.”
“Fuck.”
“We need to hurry,” Connor said.
“I’ll check on what’s happening outside,” Sam said.
It might be dangerous for him, but Kip didn’t have time to debate the issue. Because of the time constraint, Kip stepped back and kicked the pane with his heel. The glass shattered and an alarm sounded.
Shit. He thought Connor had taken care of that. There was only one thing to do. Kip raised both arms and forced as much electrical disturbance through the air as possible. Two seconds later, the lights extinguished and the alarm stopped. He had no doubt that the main compound had been notified however.
Connor opened Kip’s pack and withdrew several cloth sacks. Without a word, they gathered the five orbs and carefully placed them inside. Unfortunately, they were too big to stuff back in his pack, so they slung them over their shoulders. Moving as quickly as possible, they rushed to the entrance. Because of Connor’s excellen
t sight, Kip followed behind, but the light from the glowing orbs would have been enough to guide him.
“Incoming,” Jackson said over the com. “You’ve got about ten heat signatures headed your way.”
Shit. “Thanks.” Though that wasn’t surprising. The alarm had sounded.
Shouts came from outside along with animal growls. That wasn’t good. Just then the door to the bunker opened and Sam stuck his head in. “Come on.”
Kip and Connor dashed outside. Kalan was battling three wolves by himself, and Rye and Devon were fighting their own foes. As much as Kip wanted to shoot the bastards, it might create more trouble than they wanted, and his first priority was to retrieve the magic.
Connor swung his two sacks off his shoulders and handed them to Sam. “You two get these back to safety.”
Before Sam could object, Connor had shifted into his wolf form. Seconds later, a yelp pierced the air, and one of the original guards, who must have come to, was now dead.
As much as Sam probably would have asked to stay and fight, Kip needed help carrying the glass containers to safety. Understanding what was needed, Sam took off and Kip followed. Not wanting the globes to break, he latched one sack over his shoulder and held the other two firmly against his chest. Sam only had two globes, so he was able to hold them away from his body to prevent them from banging into each other.
Branches and a few cobwebs slapped Kip in the face. They darted around tree roots and climbed over a few downed trees. In order not to trip, Kip had to lift his feet high to avoid any stump or rock. Sam might not be a shifter, but he sure seemed able to see well at night. If Kip had another hand, he would have used his flashlight.
As they forged farther into the woods, the yelps and squeals faded. Worry was his constant companion. How could Connor, Rye, Devon, and Kalan fend off ten or more wolves?
“Guys, head east by five degrees,” came the voice through his ear buds.
“You’re tracking us?”
“Yes,” Jackson said.
“How’s the rest of the team doing?” Kip asked, his pulse beating so hard it was difficult to hear over the rushing blood.
“Can’t tell for sure, but there are a shitload of them. I’ve sent in reinforcements. You might see them come your way.”
“Understood.”
Fifteen minutes later, he and Sam arrived back at their cars but hadn’t passed anyone. About five more cars were parked on the fire road than before when they first arrived. Hopefully, they belonged to their reinforcements. With extreme care, Kip and Sam strategically placed three orbs in the back, and then placed one on Sam’s lap, and one at his feet.
“Let’s get out of here,” Sam said.
Kip jumped into the front seat and peeled out of the lot, forcing himself to be careful not to take any of the mountain curves too fast. The mission would fail if any of the globes broke.
Once they were almost down the mountain, Sam turned toward Kip. “What are you going to do with these?”
“I’m not taking them to Teagan’s house, that’s for sure. Until Randy gets his magic back, I’m not storing it at our house either. It will be the first place the Changelings look.”
“Randy might need to relocate for a few days then.”
“Good thinking.” Kip mentally went through locations that would be safe to keep the magic. “There are only two places I can think of where the orbs wouldn’t be stolen, and I don’t want to bother James at this hour.”
“Given all the information he has provided you guys, I bet he wouldn’t mind.”
“Perhaps, but the office should be good enough. If the Changelings can break into our place, we don’t deserve to be in the security business.”
Chapter Fifteen
‡
Kip was thrilled when Sam and he arrived at the downtown office with the globes still intact. Glad for the cover of night, he parked in the back lot, because he didn’t need anyone to notice that they were carrying pulsing lights into the office.
As soon as they entered the main office area, Jackson rushed up to them. “Is that the magic?”
He sounded like a kid at Christmas. “We hope, but before we take a look, how are the others?”
“Connor called and said the reinforcements came just in time. Once the Changelings realized they were outnumbered, they took off.”
“And the team? Is everyone okay?”
“The group should be here shortly and we’ll find out then, but Kalan was injured pretty bad. The rest just have scrapes.”
Kip wasn’t surprised there had been injuries given how many wolves were attacking Kalan when he and Sam exited the bunker. Being a shifter, most of Kalan’s injuries would heal fairly quickly. If any were really serious, they could always add Missy’s powers of healing to the mix.
Carefully, both of them carried the globes into the conference room and removed them from their sacks in order to check for any markings that would indicate what was in each container.
Jackson followed them in then whistled. “Can you tell which one is Randy’s?”
“I’d only be guessing, but because Randy’s was taken recently, it makes sense it’s the blue one because it’s the brightest.”
“What are you going to do with them?” Jackson asked.
“Keep them here until tomorrow. I’d like to take them to James and see what he can tell us.” If anyone knew what to do with the globes of magic, it would be him.
Sam placed a hand on his shoulder. “Remember, Randy shouldn’t stay alone tonight.”
His serious tone caused Kip’s gut to clench. He didn’t need to mention their sister was also with Randy. “Shit. Maybe we should contact James now. The Changelings are bound to figure out who stole their precious magic—or rather retrieved our magic.” His voice actually wobbled. “I’d hate to think that we Wendayans have to spend the rest of our lives constantly having our magic stolen, and then having to retrieve it.”
“Totally agree. I’m also worried about my sister,” Sam said. “It’s pretty clear a Changeling wants her magic too.”
Jackson placed a hand on Kip’s shoulder. “Let’s not jump to conclusions. Why don’t we hear what Connor has to say first? He was in that fight. He might be able to figure out something that will keep the Changelings at bay.”
Kip doubted it. “Short of someone inventing an item that could detect a shifter for us Wendayans, I don’t know what he can do.”
Urgent voices sounded outside the back door. “They’re here,” Jackson said. He took off, acting as if time was critical.
Leaving the globes in the conference room, Kip and Sam joined him in the main room. The door opened, and Kalan, who was dressed only in his jeans and shoes, had an arm over Rye’s and Connor’s shoulders. Blood and gouges caked his face, arms, and torso. He looked bad and very weak.
Because shifter injuries would be hard to explain to a hospital full of humans, the office had an infirmary set up in back for this kind of occurrence. Connor, Rye, and Devon who had their own share of wounds, half dragged, half carried Kalan back there.
This was the worst injury Kip had seen in a shifter. Most of the time, they healed so quickly that he was beginning to believe they were invincible.
“What can we do to help?” Kip asked with Sam next to him. He wondered why Kalan shifted into his human form in the first place, but perhaps his adrenaline was working overtime. Maybe after he shifted, his injuries overwhelmed him.
Kalan grunted. “Can you get my mate here? She’s at my parents’ house. I need her.” Each of the words he spoke seemed to take a lot of effort. He dropped down onto the cot and grunted.
It was after ten and Kip wondered if Elana would be better off not knowing about her mate’s injuries. Only then did he remember Kalan mentioning that mates could sense each other’s distress. In that case, she was probably frantic. Teagan would have been too if they’d been shifters. “You got it. Have you called her?”
The briefest of smiles crossed his face. Kip sna
pped his fingers at another mental lapse. Mates could communicate telepathically. Most likely, Kalan didn’t want Elana to drive alone at night in her distraught condition.
Jackson knelt in front of his big brother. “You gotta shift, bro.”
“It’ll hurt like a bitch, but I know I have to do it.” Kalan eased off the bed. “Stand back.”
Because he needed a lot of room, everyone edged toward the door. Once Kalan removed his blood stained pants and shoes, fur flew and bones cracked, and seconds later, Kalan was back in his bear form. He dropped down onto the cot, and Kip hoped it wouldn’t break under his weight. Hopefully, someone had the foresight to reinforce it.
“Watch over the magic,” Kip said to the rest of the team. “Sam and I will be back shortly.”
Kip had to assume Kalan would communicate with Elana to tell her that Sam and he would be there shortly to pick her up. He’d been to Kalan’s house, but not to his parents’ place, though Kalan had pointed out the house a few months back. Kip just hoped he remembered where it was.
As tempted as he was to dash over to the Bertas’ house to collect Teagan, she’d be safer with them than at her place. He certainly didn’t need her at the office, fretting over Kalan and the other men’s injuries.
Less than ten minutes later, Kip turned into the shifter compound. As soon as he spotted the house, he was relieved that all the lights were on. The moment his wheels touched the driveway, the front door opened, and Mr. and Mrs. Murdoch, along with Elana, rushed out.
Sam and he jumped out of the vehicle in anticipation of their many questions. “Kalan will be fine,” Kip assured them.
They all talked at once. What he could gather from their fast chatter was that they all wanted to see Kalan, to make sure he would be okay.
Elana grabbed his arm. “Should we ask for Missy’s help? She helped Rye when he was severely injured.”