by Kate Douglas
Not a damned thing. They’ve kept me blindfolded, wearing nothing but my skivvies, and I’m chained to a bed. From the accents I’m hearing, I think I must be somewhere on the East Coast, but I’m not sure.
We think you might be in Virginia. Daddy, Anton asked if you can hear birds singing?
Birds? What the fuck do you—
Daddy? You’re not in charge here. Do you hear any birds?
Damn. He knew it was Tia’s voice, but she sounded as if she’d developed a little more backbone since the last time he’d seen her. She sounded so much like Camille, it made him ache. Grinning to himself, Ulrich did as he was told and listened.
A crow called from somewhere nearby. Ulrich gave the information to Tia.
After a moment, she responded. Concentrate on the sound. Focus on it as if you were trying to talk to the crow. Can you do that?
Ulrich focused. The crow seemed closer, the cawing louder. He felt something unexplainable, a physical sensation of something crawling through him, over his shoulders, and away. The crow called again and pecked at the window. Three sharp taps. Then it was gone.
What the fuck was that?
That was Anton Cheval, Daddy. He’s in the crow, controlling its mind. He’s outside now, checking on your location. Be patient. What happened? How did they get you?
His mind reeling with so many surprises, Ulrich concentrated on what he could understand. His daughter’s voice was a link to life, to freedom. He reported all he knew and kept to the basics. I was asleep. Four men. Professionals. Military, I think. Had me tied up and bundled out of there too fast to think clearly. Glad you called Cheval. I was sure he could help.
Ulrich could have sworn he heard Luc’s laughter. You there, too, Stone?
Yes, sir. Are you okay? Injured at all?
Just my pride. Have they ransomed me? I have no idea why they took me.
We’ve got some ideas, nothing concrete. We’ll get you out of there as soon as we can. Be patient. Try to watch for our contact. We may arrive in some unusual form, if Cheval has anything to do with it. I’m not sure how long we can keep this link open.
Where the hell are you?
We’re in Montana, Daddy. At Anton Cheval’s home.
Impossible. No way in hell could they cover that much distance with mental speech. They talked about a link as if it were a damned phone line, not the nebulous power of one mind communicating with another.
Ulrich heard the crow again, the series of taps at the window. He sent a thought in the direction of the unseen bird.
Anton Cheval answered him.
Mason? You are about an hour west of Reston, Virginia, far enough from the city that it’s fairly rural. You should know this: your kidnappers have asked for an exchange. Tia’s life for yours.
Ulrich sputtered in outrage. Goddamned bastards.
Quiet. I can’t maintain this form for long. We intend to free you before any such exchange takes place, but we must let the kidnappers believe their plan is working, especially if we want to find out who is behind this. We’ll try to maintain communication, but if we can’t, remember we are going to get you out. Wait for our contact. For now, concentrate on the crow.
Ulrich did as he was told, feeling utterly ridiculous and totally helpless. Blindfolded, chained to a bed in his fucking underwear, thinking about a goddamned bird…. He was as worthless as an old lady.
An old lady with a mouse running across his spine. He shuddered at the odd sensation that lasted only a heartbeat.
Thank you. I would not have wanted to remain a crow forever. However, it was the perfect form to scout your area.
Cheval, when I get out of here, you and I need to talk.
He heard laughter in his mind. Cheval’s laughter. Be patient, my friend. I’m glad you’ve not shifted to escape your chains. The room is filled with cameras. I saw them from my perch at the window.
I suspected as much. Take care. Tia, I love you. No matter what happens.
Nothing’s going to happen, Daddy. Except the fact that we’re coming to get you out.
He felt the link slip away like a live thing that had somehow attached to his mind. Ulrich lay back on the hard mattress, adjusted his shackles, and thought about what had just occurred. Obviously, there was a lot more to Anton Cheval than his Chanku heritage. Whatever it was, Ulrich was thankful Cheval was on his side.
He missed his pack, especially Tia. And Luc. Damn his hide, but Ulrich was almost certain he’d sensed something in Tia he’d not known before. She’d bonded with Stone. He was sure of it, though he wasn’t certain how he felt about Luc’s position in his daughter’s life.
Lucien Stone could be a real hard-ass when he wanted to be, though Ulrich loved him like the son he’d never had. The man fit his name much too well. Ulrich wondered how he’d handled Tia finding out about her mother. She would have discovered everything if they’d mated as Chanku. Ulrich should have been there, damnit. A father should always protect his daughter.
Not lie to her.
He had to assume Tia knew about Camille. She would realize Ulrich had lied to her all these years. He hoped she didn’t hate him. She couldn’t, not if she was trying to save his ornery hide.
Ulrich’s brain wouldn’t quit spinning, so full of questions he felt as if he was going to explode. He wanted to shift. Wanted to run through the woods and feel the wind against his muzzle. Needed the honesty of the beast, the cleanliness of the wind.
He wanted to hunt. Hell, he really wanted to hunt the bastards who held him, who’d essentially emasculated him, chaining him up like this. Anton thought Ulrich hadn’t shifted because of the cameras. There’d been a better reason not to shift in order to escape.
Ulrich tugged at the tight collar around his neck, felt the heavy chain linking him to the wall. Chanku paws might have slipped the shackles holding his human wrists and ankles, but the one around his neck was a killer.
Drugged while still in San Francisco, Ulrich was thankful he hadn’t attempted a shift the moment he regained consciousness…. The iron band under his chin would have crushed his damned Chanku neck.
Chapter 17
AJ and Mik arrived in Montana just in time to refuel Cheval’s jet and fly on to a private airport near Reston, Virginia, ahead of Tia. Tinker went along with them.
Somehow Stefan had managed to transfer the ticket that should have been waiting for Tia at San Francisco International Airport to a smaller airport in Montana, closer to their current location. The plane was due to arrive within minutes of her scheduled flight. Anyone checking would think she had flown out of SFO, according to plan.
Tia knew she should have felt nervous boarding the plane, but she had an almost preternatural calm about her. She also had plenty of backup. Luc sat several rows behind her, and Cheval was, of course, in first class with Keisha.
She grinned, trying to imagine his imperious self shoved into sardine class on the plane, and couldn’t. There was something so otherworldly about the man, as if he were royal or blessed or quite possibly alien. Tia loved the way Keisha kept him grounded.
Obviously, Anton loved it, too. The man was totally besotted with his mate. Would Luc one day look at Tia with his heart in his eyes? She hoped so. For now, Tia knew he still walked on broken glass around her, still worried about every little thing.
Once this entire charade had ended, she fully expected some time to work on the two of them.
So long as it ended well.
Tia thought about Xandi and Stefan. They were on a separate flight out of another city, due to arrive about an hour before Tia and her group. All of them, perfectly normal in appearance, converging on Dulles airport around the same time.
Most of them practically strangers, yet willing to risk their lives for a man they hardly knew.
All because they were Chanku. Tia was beginning to think of it as another word for family.
She wished she could contact her father on her own. Wished she could tell him they were on their way, that all
would be fine. Instead, she snuggled down into the seat and closed her eyes. As tired as she was, sleep was a long time coming.
Tia followed Anton Cheval and Keisha Rialto off the plane, and hoped the car they’d arranged for would be exactly where it was supposed to be. So much of Ulrich’s rescue depended on luck, on all the puzzle pieces falling together exactly as planned. She glanced once over her shoulder but avoided making eye contact with Luc. Disguised as he was, though, with his baseball cap pulled down over his eyes and his dark hair trimmed short, she might have missed him if he weren’t a constant presence in her mind.
Tia readjusted her handbag on her shoulder and quickly walked the length of the concourse before turning toward the escalator to the baggage-claim area. Her father should be waiting just outside, unless his captors had lied.
Which, of course, was exactly what everyone expected them to do, especially since none of them had been able to contact Ulrich mentally.
Tia kept reminding herself that Ulrich was alive, that his mental silence might merely mean his captors had drugged him, or that he slept too soundly to hear Tia’s mindtalking.
She stared out over the baggage-claim area as the escalator took her slowly down to ground level. A nondescript man dressed in a chauffeur’s uniform held up a sign near the foot of the escalator. Tia read her name, nodded in his direction, and followed the man.
Anton and Luc’s approval let her know she was doing okay so far, but their quiet presence in her mind didn’t alleviate the butterflies that suddenly took flight. The claims area was practically empty so late at night, but Anton and Keisha managed to remain inconspicuous though still close as Tia followed the silent driver out the door toward the curb where a black Lexus waited, parked with the motor running just behind a crosswalk.
The man stopped and turned toward Tia, though it was impossible to see his eyes through his dark glasses. “Wait.”
Tia nodded and stopped in her tracks while the driver walked around the back of the car and climbed into the driver’s seat. The windows were tinted too heavily for her to see if anyone else was in the car. She heard a click, as though a door lock released. Tia was peripherally aware of Anton and Keisha waiting near the car’s front bumper, as though checking to see if the street was safe to cross.
Tia almost blew it when Keisha stumbled and dropped her purse, but Anton leaned over and picked it up as if nothing had happened. The two of them continued across the street.
Tia glanced back toward the car in time to see the passenger door slowly swing open. A large man climbed out of the car, acknowledged Tia with a slight nod, and then reached around to open the back door.
Hoping against hope that her father might be inside, Tia couldn’t hide her disappointment when the door swung open to an empty backseat. Before she had time to react, the large man grabbed her handbag off her shoulder, shoved her into the car, slammed the door, and got back inside.
Tia fell to her knees on the floorboard and then slammed back against the leather seat when the car surged forward. She grabbed for a handhold, fought the overpowering instinct to shift, to become the wolf.
A hissing noise caught her attention. As the car skidded around a corner, Tia glanced up and realized a dark glass window separated the front and back seats.
Her hand rested on a tank of some sort. A valve at one end hissed ominously. An odorless cloud slowly filled the back compartment of the Lexus.
Luc, you were right, it’s a trick. Some kind of gas….
Tia! Standing just inside the double doors leading out of the airport, Luc caught Tia’s thoughts, and then nothing. He put aside his fears, his anger that she should be caught in this horrible mess, and then slipped into the persona that had kept him alive so many years with Pack Dynamics. Cheval? They’ve gassed her. I think she’s unconscious. Did Stefan get the backup bug planted? The guy grabbed her purse. I imagine they’ll toss it as soon as they get away.
Yes. Under the front bumper, and the signal is loud and clear. Meet us in front. Keisha and I are bringing the car around. She’s got the trace going. Stefan and Xandi have gone on ahead. The Lexus is on the airport access road; looks like they might be heading for the Dulles Toll Road. That’s my guess.
The car appeared, and Luc reached for the back door before Cheval brought the vehicle to a complete stop. “Where are they now?”
“Just leaving the airport access road.” Keisha held up a small handheld device with a screen so that Luc could see it. A tiny green blip led away from the airport.
While Luc watched, another blip pulled in behind the first, and then a third. “There’s AJ, Mik, and Tinker, right on schedule.” Staring at the tiny dots moving slowly across the screen, Luc realized he was sending up a prayer for Tia’s safety. Thank goodness they had planned for such a contingency! Luc had grown so accustomed to Tia’s constant presence in his mind, he felt totally lost without her.
Right now, though, there wasn’t a damned thing he could do but wait. He hated the fact that she’d agreed to Anton’s plan, hated knowing she was in danger. He sat in the backseat, his mind open and waiting for Tia’s voice. A few more minutes passed, dragging like hours, before Keisha showed Luc the screen once more.
“See this third blip? That’s Xandi and Stefan coming in behind us. This one is Tia. They’re on the Dulles Toll Road.” She flashed her mate a quick look that spoke volumes and then turned back to Luc. “Don’t worry, Luc. We’ll get her back.”
“Not too soon, though.” Anton glanced back over his shoulder and winked at Luc. “Not until we can get the bastard that set this up.”
“Agreed.” But he didn’t have to like it. Hell, Luc was trained for operations like this! He took a deep, calming breath and slowly let go of his resentment against Cheval. Ulrich’s best chance for survival lay in the wizard’s hands. So did Tia’s. It was time to put all the alpha posturing aside and follow Anton Cheval’s lead. Luc settled back in the seat and pulled his cap over his eyes. He’d lost track of time but knew it must be well after midnight. He caught snippets of mental conversation between AJ, Mik, and Tinker, knew they must be drawing close. Sensed that Anton and Keisha were talking with one another as well.
Luc put out another mental call for Tia. Nothing. His chest ached and he felt her distance like a physical blow. She had to be safe. He would accept nothing else. With that thought uppermost in his mind, Luc willed himself to rest.
One thing he’d learned over the years of service in Pack Dynamics was to conserve his strength. Worrying accomplished nothing. Of course, he’d never cared enough about anyone to worry the way he worried about Tia.
He’d barely fallen asleep when he realized Keisha was leaning over the seat, shaking his shoulder.
“Luc, wake up. They’ve switched cars. AJ, Mik, and Tinker are still on them, but we’ve lost the bug. Try to reach Tia. See if she’s awake. Let us know when you finally make contact.”
Tinker checked in. They were heading west on Highway 7. Luc tried again for Tia without luck.
Whatever they’d used to knock her out had definitely done its job. He couldn’t contact her. Luc fretted, wondering if she was okay, if they might have given her too much gas, but he forced his mind away from any negatives. They wouldn’t help bring Tia back.
Time seemed to crawl, but Tinker continued reporting back. They’d managed to stay within sight of the vehicle, an older Cadillac that was fairly easy to track.
Luc realized the car was slowing, pulling off whatever side road they’d been following. Taillights glowed dimly in the darkness ahead.
Anton’s quiet voice popped into Luc’s mind.
The car is just over that rise. AJ’s got night goggles. He’s watching a small barn. The Caddy is parked out back. No sign of anyone yet. They’re still in the vehicle. Must be waiting on something or someone. Let’s move closer. I want to see for myself. No more verbal speech. Luc, see if you can reach Mason.
Luc nodded. He sent out a searching thought for Ulrich as he quietly g
ot out of the rental car. Hey, boss…you there?
Luc? Where are you?
Just over the hill from your hotel room. I thought you had better taste than this. It’s a dump. We’re moving into position so we can see the layout a little better. Tia’s just outside, but she’s been drugged. Don’t try to contact her. We don’t want her to react to voices she shouldn’t be hearing before she’s fully awake.
Gotcha. I thought I heard some activity. Can you see all sides of the building?
No. Not yet. Luc stretched out on his belly at the top of a small rise. The only light below came from the interior dome light in the car. Knowing Tia was so close, yet still in mortal danger, scared the crap out of him.
At least now the operation belonged to Luc. Anton had easily ceded control to Luc, acknowledging his experience in situations such as this. Luc filled in Ulrich as much as needed.
We’re a bit southeast of you, just over a small rise. AJ, Mik, and Tinker, Cheval and his mate. Stefan and Alexandria should be moving into position as well on another rise across from us.
Where’s Jake? You haven’t mentioned him.
Long story. Later. Hold tight until I get back to you.
Like I’ve got a choice? Ulrich’s mental grumble would have made Luc smile under better circumstances.
Luc quietly followed Anton and Keisha through the brush.
Another car pulled slowly into the yard and parked next to the one holding Tia. After a few moments a man got out, moving stiffly. Luc felt his nonexistent hackles rise. AJ? Mik? Recognize this guy?
The rescue in Florida? That’s Secretary Milton Bosworth. He’s a fucking cabinet member! I don’t believe it.
Believe it, Mik. That’s the same bastard we pulled out of the cave.
I don’t get it—what’s the connection? He’s supposed to be one of the good guys. What the fuck is he doing in the middle of a kidnapping? Tinker’s questions were the same ones Luc wanted answered as well.
Luc heard a quiet rustling and glanced to his right. Anton and Keisha were shedding their clothes. Naked, each one shifted and headed in opposite directions. Luc knew Stefan and Alexandria would do the same thing, until the barn was surrounded by wolves.