by Vella Day
“Since Randy and I are the only two humans, the guards won’t be able to sense when we are near.”
Connor glared at him. “Are you kidding? You sounded like an elephant in the woods. Shit, I swear I could hear you from half a mile away. The guards with their excellent hearing will know when you’re near.”
After being with Sam, he realized he had a lot to learn in that department. “That can’t be helped. Even if you’re with us, we might still make noise.”
“So what? You think you and Randy can handle a bunch of snarling werewolves all by yourself?” Rye asked.
He didn’t appreciate the lack of confidence though he understood where it was coming from. “We’re not without our talents. We can fry the bastards if we have to, or at the very least immobilize them for a while.”
“What about the alarm system?” Rye asked.
He’d already thought of that. “I’ll cut the power to the bunker and either pick the lock or locate the guard’s keys, and then enter. We’ll have flashlights so we can find our way. Besides, I know where she’s being held.”
Connor slapped his palms on the table. “All right, I agree it sounds like a good plan. What do you need us to do?” The rest of the guys were looking at him and nodding their agreement with what Connor said.
Kip didn’t believe they’d give in so easily. He glanced at Rye and Kalan, both of who could communicate telepathically, and who were probably planning a backup plan as he spoke. As long as they didn’t interfere, he’d be fine. “I’m not sure what you can do other than if we’re taken out, save Teagan.”
“What if they’ve drugged her?” Jackson asked. “Can you carry her the whole way back to your vehicle?”
Shit. That was one thing he hadn’t thought of, but he was certain he could if he had to. “We’ll deal.”
“I think I’ll stand by just in case,” Kalan said.
“I appreciate it.” He wouldn’t mind the help if they needed it since Teagan couldn’t afford anything to go wrong. Kip pushed back his chair. “I don’t think they’ll expect us to arrive before dark, so we’ll head out now.”
“Be careful,” Connor said.
Jackson tossed two sets of ear buds on the table. “I’ll feel better if I can communicate with you. If you can’t talk back, just tap the buds once, twice, and then three times. I’ll be sending the drone overhead to give you a heads up.”
“That would be great.” Kip turned to Randy. “Ready?”
“Let’s do this.”
*
With a lot of concentration, Teagan had moved her little prison to the aisle after shoving the other two chairs next to her out of the way. When she was finally free of those obstacles, she sat down to catch her breath. Only fifteen more feet to go. I can do it.
Careful not to tip over, she scooted her chair forward inch by inch, edging her way toward her purse that sat on the table. A bit bruised from the chafing around her middle and on her wrists, she finally reached the stage. The problem was that the purse was a good three feet above her head.
Because she couldn’t reach the table to knock it over, she had to resort to telekinesis, and she prayed her accuracy would be better than it had been in the past. In order to move her purse, Teagan focused her anger at the injustice of someone wanting to steal her magic, along with her fear that they’d kill her. The more she stared at it, the quicker it drew to the edge. Thrusting one more mental image at it, and the purse toppled. And so did something else. Ping, bounce, wobble.
A key! It was small and delicate, like something that might unlock her cuffs. When she’d mentally pulled the purse toward her, it must have dragged the key with it. What luck that the lazy guard just left it like that on the table. She sure as hell wasn’t going to complain.
The edge of the stage was right at finger height, so she twisted her chair around and shoved it against the platform. Looking over her shoulder, she repositioned herself until she was level with the damn thing. When she stretched out her fingers, she couldn’t touch the key.
Move, damn it.
And it did!
Suddenly her fingers connected with the key. Yes! Now came the hard part—unlocking the cuffs from this awkward position. Keeping her back to the platform in case she dropped the key—which she had no doubt she would—Teagan went to work on freeing herself. Her fingers sweated from the excursion, but after several attempts, she finally managed to get the key in the lock. One twist later, the cuffs opened. Tears of joy streamed down her cheeks.
Don’t celebrate yet.
With her hands free, she brought them forward, wincing at the pain racing through her shoulders, but there was no time to worry about a few aches. She needed to free herself completely. The end of the rope was tied to the chair leg. Most likely they feared she’d undo the rope even with her hands behind her back. While the damn knot was tight, she managed to pry it loose with sheer willpower—and with a little help from some magic.
Free at last.
Not daring to stand yet, she grabbed her purse and pulled out her phone. When she turned it on, it said no service. Fuck me.
Her hands shook, and it felt as if someone was sitting on her chest. Her only hope of getting out of there would be to use her ability to control electricity. Wanting to test her newfound powers, she held out her hand to see if she could send a bolt through the air. With her fingers curled, she focused on the electricity, and a ray of light shot from her palm. Yes! But Goddess forbid if she accidentally cut power to the bunker. The guards would be on her fast.
Her gaze shot to the door. What if they came in right now? What would she do?
She grabbed her purse, stuffed back some of the contents that had fallen out, and then dragged her chair to the left of the door to be out of their sight. If the guard came at her, she could pretend to be a super lion trainer and use the wooden chair to fend him off.
Next she gathered the rope that would surely come in handy for something, and then placed it on the seat. By hiding, she could surprise the guard when he entered. Whether she could use her magic in time was anyone’s guess.
Now to wait for some pesky guard.
*
Kip prayed his hair-brained scheme would work. He drove up the mountain as fast as he dared, but because some of the roads had a steep drop off with no guardrail, he had to use caution. His biggest fear was that once the Changelings stole Teagan’s magic, they’d kill her.
“Still only two guards,” Jackson said through the ear bud.
“Roger that.”
“Everyone else is on their way, but they promised to keep a low profile.”
They better. “Thanks. I’m pulling off the road now about three hundred feet before the fire road. I won’t be responding until we reach the compound and take out the guards.”
“Good luck.”
They’d need it. He cut the engine, and both he and Randy climbed out of the truck. This time, he decided to park farther down the mountain in case the Changelings realized where they’d parked the first time and had set up surveillance—or worse, had rigged some kind of booby trap.
“Let’s go,” Kip said.
He took off at a jog. The first part of their journey would be along the roadway, but the second part would be through the woods to the compound. Arriving during daylight would enable them to move faster. They both wore backpacks that contained bandages, flashlights, water, and some food in case Teagan needed care.
While they both liked to jog, the farther into the woods they traveled, the harder it was to breathe—at least for him. His worry was eating away at him and required more than the usual amount of oxygen.
The trees in the forest were green and dense which would help prevent the guards from seeing them—and hopefully from hearing them too.
Their plan was simple. Divide and conquer.
When they neared the end of the forest area before the clearing, Kip held up his hand for them to stop. The guards were chatting and sharing a joke, but this group wasn’t
smoking. Perhaps that wouldn’t be a big deal as long as the rest of his team remained at a distance.
He faced his brother. “Ready?” he whispered.
“Let’s do this.” Randy rushed down the path while Kip waited behind.
These next few minutes would be critical. If both men attacked Randy, it might mean his life.
“Stop,” yelled one of the guards as soon as Randy emerged into the open.
Randy held up his hands, and Kip dared to edge toward the backside of the bunker. His plan was to come in the same way Kalan had the first time.
Had Randy not been wearing the ear bud, Kip wouldn’t have been able to hear what his brother or the guards were saying. The two of them had rehearsed the script and Randy was delivering his speech like a well-paid actor.
His brother demanded they return his fiancée, Teagan. Randy was supposed to act pissed at their lack of cooperation and then put up a bit of a fight. Unless he feared he’d be killed, he was not to show his powers until he was alone with only one guard.
“Get inside,” one of the guards said to Randy. The door to the bunker creaked open. That was Kip’s cue to take out guard number two. Randy kept up a monologue with the guard about where Teagan was and where he was taking him. He had to hand it to his twin. His brother could keep his cool.
“I’m going,” Kip whispered, not sure if Randy could hear over his own rambling. Kip would have to trust his brother could handle things on his end. Trying to step as softly as possible, Kip slipped out from the cover of the forest and rushed to the hillside that covered the bunker.
With his back against the hill, he edged his way toward the front. He actually wanted the guard to shift because sending a bolt of electricity through the smaller animal would be more effective in stopping him.
Not sure when the first guard would return, Kip rushed out from the bunker and launched himself on the guard, and the two tumbled to the ground. While Kip had tussled with his brother growing up, he wasn’t trained in combat. The guard, however, had been.
Kip managed two blows to the man’s face before receiving a pummeling blow to his jaw. The guard jumped to his feet to finish him off. Before he could deliver a kick to Kip’s midsection, however, Kip raised his hand and sent out a powerful surge of electricity. The man’s eyes widened and the stench of burning flesh made Kip grimace. The guard crumpled. When he stopped thrashing about, Kip debated whether or not to finish him off but then figured the fewer deaths, the less the retaliation.
Not wanting the guard to come after them, Kip rose to his feet, retrieved the plastic ties from his backpack and tied the man’s hands behind his back, and then secured his feet. At least now, he wouldn’t be alerting anyone or come after them himself. It was always possible that when he awoke, he’d shift and break the ties. Then they’d all be in trouble.
Knowing time was critical, Kip tested the entrance but found it locked. While he could pick the lock, it would be faster to use a key. After slipping his hands in each of the downed man’s pockets, he located one. Now came for the tricky part. As soon as he opened the door, he wasn’t sure what he would find, but he had to be ready for anything.
Chapter Twenty-Two
‡
Teagan stilled as voices sounded in the hallway. If her head hadn’t been pounding so hard, she would have believed one of the men was Kip. That couldn’t be, however, as he never would be talking so loudly. It was probably Randy’s look-alike coming to take her precious magic.
Adrenaline spread through her veins like wildfire and her thoughts scattered. She needed a good plan—and fast. Tossing the rope to the floor, she shoved the chair she’d been sitting on about four feet in front of the door. Whoever came in would hopefully be treated to a chair in the face.
Before she had the chance to pick up the rope in order to fling it at the person, the door opened and someone rushed in. Stunned to see it was Randy—or possibly Randy’s lookalike—wearing casual clothes with his hands behind his back, she needed to alter her plan. Too bad her brain had already short-circuited.
A guard stepped into the room. Think. She glanced at the chair and willed it to fly. And fly it did, smacking him right in the face. Unfortunately, all that did was force him to stumble backward. He batted the chair away and let out a few curses. Shit.
Without thinking, she raised both hands and directed a bolt of electricity to flow. Never did she expect such a strong blue streak to come out of her. The man screamed. He grabbed his gut and dropped to his knees.
Blood pounded in her temples as the smell of burnt flesh reached her. She’d run over a squirrel once and was still sick to her stomach over it. Harming a person really tore her up, until she remembered these mutants weren’t human.
“Teagan, we need to get out of here,” Randy said, taking her back to the present.
She stuck her hand into her pocket and was about to extract a key when she remembered this could be a trick. “What’s your mother’s first name?”
“What?”
“Your mother’s name?”
“Alice.”
That was right, but perhaps they’d researched him. There had to be something only the real Randy would know. “What did I give Kip for his last birthday?”
“A book on weapons.”
She let out a breath and removed the key from her pocket. “Let’s see if this works on your cuffs.”
“What were those questions about?” he asked.
“I’ll tell you later.” She quickly freed Randy then grabbed her purse. “We need to get out of here.”
He took hold of her hand and then half dragged her down the hallway. When he reached the main entrance, he lifted a finger to his lips then positioned her behind the door. She wanted to ask where Kip was and what happened to the other guard, but before she could open her mouth, the door opened and Randy broke into a smile.
“Took you long enough,” he said. Randy faced her. “Look who’s here to save you.”
Once she spotted Kip, joy spread through her. Teagan rushed around the door and threw herself into his arms. “Thank you.”
“Hey, what about me?” Randy asked. “I agree to be captured and chanced getting killed so we could save you.” The humor in his tone helped take the edge off the horror.
“We aren’t out of danger yet,” Kip said. “We have to get out of here before the next shift arrives or my guard wakes up and shifts.” He slipped her purse from her shoulder and placed it in his backpack. “Hope you’re up for a jog.”
She was still a bit woozy from the drugs, but she wouldn’t let that stop her. “I’ll do my best.”
As she stepped outside, a guard laying face down on the ground groaned. Kip clasped her hand and rushed her toward the woods. She didn’t want to know what happened to him.
Once her body got used to the rhythm of jogging, she was able to keep up, though she could tell they were taking it slower for her sake.
After fifteen minutes, her energy finally gave out. “I need a break.”
She planted her hands on her knees.
“Are you okay? I have some water in my pack,” Kip said.
“Water would be wonderful.” He retrieved a bottle and handed it to her. She drank her fill. “Thank you.”
“Let’s walk.” Kip tapped his ear. “Jackson, we have Teagan. Tell the others we’re good. We’re heading to the truck now.”
She suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of love. So many men had been willing to charge into danger for her. “Tell them, I’ll bake a cake for all of them.”
“That would be great. You can thank everyone at the party this weekend. Now we have two things to celebrate.”
Fifteen minutes later, they reached Kip’s truck, and she was never so happy to see anything in her life. She just wanted to go home and hide. Then it occurred to her that the Changelings would never give up trying to steal her magic. “Do you think it’s safe at my house?”
Kip looked over at Randy then back at her. “Maybe you ought to st
ay at our house for a while. I have it alarmed.”
Randy cleared his throat. “If you don’t mind, I’d rather crash at Teagan’s place for a few days to give you two some privacy.”
He was the best. “I owe you big time,” she said.
Kip helped her into the back of the truck then handed the keys to Randy. “Mind driving? I want to make sure Teagan is okay.”
“Not a problem.”
Kip slid into the back and hugged her close. As soon as Randy pulled onto the road, reality slammed into her, and she began to shake. Those monsters could have killed her.
Kip kissed the top of her head. “You’re safe now.”
Don’t cry, don’t cry. She needed to be strong. “How can you be so sure they won’t come after me again?” Her damn voice wavered.
“We can’t be sure of anything, anymore than I can say that they won’t run up to me someday, and stab me and steal my powers.”
That didn’t make her feel any better. “If all of the Wendayans are at risk, maybe we need to warn them.” She looked up at Kip whose jaw was tight.
“I think we need to take this back to the Clan leaders and have them come up with a plan. This is bigger than us. In the meantime, we need to be careful.”
“So as not to be fooled again by a Kip or a Randy lookalike, do you think we can come up with a phrase that we say, and the other person has to respond in a certain way—something a Changeling can’t fake?”
“A lookalike?” Randy asked.
She explained how someone who looked like him had come to the house and told her Kip had a heart attack. “I willingly got into his Mercedes.”
“That is creepy,” Randy said.
Kip’s arms tightened around her. “That’s a great idea. What could it be?”
“We’ll have to brainstorm it.”
“Hey, Kip?” Randy asked as he looked in the rear view mirror. “I think we have company. And it isn’t one of ours.”
Teagan started to turn around when Kip dragged her upper body onto his lap. “Stay down. I’ll take care of this.”
He moved to the side of the car and rolled down the window. Cool air rushed in, but it brought some much-needed oxygen into her system. “Not sure who they are, but we don’t need them following us,” he said.