by Erin R Flynn
Noah snorted. “It’s why we mount her so we don’t have to see her. Her power and how easy she puts out is the only reason to be tied to her.”
“What is with you guys?” I choked out, scooting away as they came closer, my head throbbing from the hit and my ankle and wrist broken from the way I’d landed. I whimpered, shocked and reeling, when they got close, but then Axel was in front of me, roaring in his tiger form loud enough to make my ears ring.
He shifted back, crouching in front of me protectively. “I smell magic. Someone bespelled them.
“I sensed it too,” Nina worried, rushing over, taking in the scene and how what she and Axel were saying wasn’t even registering with them. “Get her out of here. It’s focused on her.”
“Hey, I want to fuck my whore wife,” Dain shouted as Axel picked me up. “You don’t need more men, Sera.”
“Shut up,” Axel growled at them as I curled into a ball in his arms, wanting to seriously die as they kept shouting every horrible thing they could, all the worst stuff I ever thought about myself and way beyond.
Others came racing over to help Nina manage them as Axel carried me out of there.
“Clothes,” I choked out, turning into him to hide my face as people saw us.
“What? What did you say?” he muttered as we reached the elevator.
“I need clothes.”
“Yeah, okay, mine are in the office.”
He brought us there, and luckily my bag was there with all my work stuff and a change of clothes so I didn’t have to go home in the crazy dress. I quickly threw the sweats on, hissing as my wrist and ankle healed.
“Keys?” he asked, nodding when I handed over my SUV keys and didn’t argue with him. He picked me back up, and I let him, able to hide my face against him as I finished healing… Physically.
I honestly didn’t know what the fuck to even feel about the rest.
“What the fuck just happened?” I whispered as we pulled out of the parking garage a few minutes later.
“I don’t know, but I smelled magic. Nina will figure it out,” he comforted. Or tried because I wasn’t really sure there was any that could have comforted me right then.
We were quiet the short drive to where he and his people were staying, choosing a nicer hotel since they traveled often and apparently the council could afford it. But not Timequake because it was smart to keep the lines professional. Made sense.
I didn’t even ask about going to his room or my mind really processing it, something blowing in my brain and in shock. I went right for his bathroom, wanting to shower and clean up. It took about twenty seconds for me to break down sobbing, unable to handle what had just happened.
My breakdown went on for a while, to the point I was actually annoyed with myself for acting like everyone had just died, but in a way they had to me. Those were not the men I thought I knew and what I’d thought of my life. What I’d finally started to feel comfortable with was now gone. I eventually got myself together enough and hurried to finish my shower, drying off and throwing right back on the same clothes.
Axel never said a word, handing me a bottle of water to gently say to rehydrate after all that crying. “There are two beds. Help yourself.”
“Thanks,” I mumbled, drying out my hair as I sat on the one his scent wasn’t on.
My phone rang, and he grabbed it. “It’s Nina.” I nodded for him to go ahead. “It’s Axel, we’re at my hotel. What happened?”
“I’m not sure yet, but for now, I knocked them out,” she answered, sounding tired. “Whatever it is, it wasn’t a small spell. It was snowballing. I’m fairly sure if it reached its end, they would have killed each other after fornicating with her until they tore her up and killed her. There was that much hate and malice in it. Terry Davis and my coven are here helping me sort this out. We’ll trace the source if we can, but helping them is first.”
“Yeah, for sure. Okay, well, I’ve got her so just handle them.”
“Is she okay?”
“No,” he admitted, not even trying to sugarcoat it. “I missed the beginning but arrived to the fairy who mated her beating on her and the vampire she sirened saying they use her and fuck her like it’s all fake. She’s destroyed. I mean, she healed physically, but the grief and hurt coming off of her is almost choking me.” I flinched, and he realized he’d gone too far in the sharing.
Sharing the truth with me probably.
“She’s off tomorrow and the club’s closed, so we’ll set up here and get to the bottom of this. Simone said security will keep an eye on the parking garage for people who come get their cars, and she’s got the business.”
“Ask Hestia to handle Hagan and Reagan’s phones since they get the Alpha calls and Theon’s in Milwaukee,” I muttered, crawling under the covers. “She’s training the new sirens tomorrow so they can take over the show and she can head up there too.”
He repeated it for her, and they said goodbye. I felt him move closer and then stop. “I don’t know how to help you. Do you not want to be touched or comforted?”
“I can’t sleep with people,” I answered, not looking at him or opening my eyes. “I’m fine alone. I’m used to it.”
“Get some rest,” he muttered, his words sounding hollow like he didn’t know what else to say.
I didn’t think there was anything that could be said.
12
“What?” Axel growled pretty early after the phone woke us. “Sorry, Deputy Director, I’ll get her.”
I rolled over and caught the phone. “Yes, sir?”
“Thomas, why did a woman answer Havers’s phone and say there’s no way he’s doing much of anything today and to call you? I was going to call you anyways, and then someone else is answering your phone? What is going on?”
Wow, he could talk fast when agitated. “A witch attacked the club after most everyone left last night. I don’t know the current status, but I know Havers was one of them and our witches knocked him out for his and my safety.”
“Are you okay?” he asked gently.
“I’ve physically healed. What’s up, sir?”
“The raid is going down soon. It’s been decided because all the players showed at the compound and apparently tied it off good.”
“Which means lots of headaches and hangovers. Got it. Who’s being called in?”
“You and this vampire SWAT team idea,” he sighed. “Some are truly curious, but this stinks of others thinking it will fail big and die hard as only humans can handle real police work. It’s why I’m coming with. Who can you get and fast?”
“I’ll handle it. Noah’s out, but I’ll get enough to make a good show, I promise. Text me where and when.”
“We fly out as soon as we can.”
We hung up, and I glanced at Axel. “I’m down three Betas and now have to leave the state. Can you please cover with your team?”
“Sure, I’ll play wolf Alpha for the day,” he chuckled, shaking his head.
I got on the phone and ordered people to meet us at the airstrip as soon as they could. I also warned Harris he was in charge of continuing with the bad wolves we still had left since Davis was handling the club now and everything else we had spread out. Monroe was originally going to go with us, but I talked him out of it since Havers was out and now I was leaving. Both division chiefs couldn’t be out of commission and the section chief.
He reminded me it was New Year’s Day, and my retort about criminals not caring for calendars and holidays, sometimes using it to their advantage, struck the winning blow.
Once at the suburban airport we used—and so did Galvin and Apollo apparently—it was pretty funny that we took the councilman’s plane since he could fit more than the FBI’s. That and I’d ordered all of his people that were now potentially mine to come with.
“What happened last night?” Goran asked quietly as we stored gear.
“We don’t know yet,” I sighed, not wanting to talk about it. “Someone bespelled Hagan, Reagan,
Noah, Tristan, Brian, and Dain. That or they lost their fucking minds. Axel said he smelled magic when he jumped in to protect me. Nina felt it. I’ve not been around it much. A few benign potions in Vegas and Nina’s shop, but never bad stuff. I was too shaken to feel anything.”
He opened his mouth but then closed it, frowning. “I’ll call Nina.”
“What?”
He sighed. “A woman offered me a drink, saying it was a special order from you. I told her I was in your party and not drinking. It was weird, but I thought she got Alphas mixed up and it was meant for Simone’s someone. Now I’m wondering if it wasn’t. It was towards the end of the night.”
“Was she a witch?”
“I thought human, but most of them know how to hide what they are.” He nodded when I cursed. “I’ll call Nina. I can at least identify her enough for security if she didn’t change her appearance.”
“She might have had to. I don’t know how she would have gotten in otherwise. All the tickets were sold out.”
“Witches are pretty crafty. She could have looked like staff to get in and then changed to herself. We’ll find her.”
“Yeah, okay, awesome, another problem to handle. Awesome.” I headed to my seat, clearly saying I didn’t want to talk about it anymore.
“Okay, so the situation is—” Galvin started.
“Sir, you can’t update me on a plane,” I cut in.
“Why not?”
“She has plane narcolepsy,” Zlat chuckled, shrugging when people gave him weird looks. “It’s hysterical. I’ve never met anyone who can do what she does.”
“I can’t stay awake if I try. Not unless people are bumping me or really loud.” I nodded to Galvin when he gave me a look he wasn’t buying. “Wait until we take off and try to talk to me. I’ll be out.”
We strapped in and told the pilot to head out. I was pleasantly surprised that he was also Apollo’s security and well trained, so it seemed I would get a pilot if I wanted too. Nice.
As per usual, I was out the moment the engines revved up and shaken awake when we touched down. I rubbed my eyes and just shrugged at all the looks I was getting. “We all have our little quirks.”
“Some more than others,” Galvin drawled, rolling his eyes at my antics. “You didn’t even get the background.”
“I speed read. If someone else drives us there, I’ll be caught up,” I promised as I took the file from him. We unloaded, waiting for the pilot to even lock up as he was coming with, and piled into the vehicles picking us up.
The deets were pretty basic. Militia group outside Indianapolis that thought the federal government was the enemy, thrown in with some crazy fucking religious beliefs, rounded with a great cult mentality that left us thinking not everyone inside was willing. ATF was lead, as they had the warrants to go in because of the illegal moonshine they were distilling and selling… Plus the shit ton of guns they’d traced there.
That was always a bad combo.
“Who’s in charge?” I asked the moment we arrived as I stepped out of the vehicle, my badge around my neck.
“Over there,” someone told me, pointing to a temp ops tent.
“Take two each with you and run the perimeter,” I ordered Goran and Zlat. “See what they find and get me the rest like Noah ran you through. Places like this like using landmines and booby traps, so watch yourselves and don’t get on their cameras.”
“On it,” Goran promised, putting on his vest.
I paused as I saw weapons being unloaded that weren’t approved. I glanced at Apollo, and he nodded it was fine. “Four of my people have the right diplomatic immunity as I do and can carry in this country. The rest you will have to work that out as you are with Goran and Zlat.”
“Got it. So they know how to use them too, right?” I held up my hands in surrender when Carter and the other three shot me affronted looks. “You’d be surprised how often that answer is not what it should be.”
“Fair enough, but we’re very well trained,” Carter assured me.
“Good.” I headed to the tent to find the guy in charge. Galvin was already talking to someone who was not happy. Oh boy.
“Look, sir, with all due respect, I don’t need a bunch of blood suckers messing up the case we’ve been working for almost a year because they get peckish or—”
“Can I go as a wolf, or are you worried I’m going to hump someone’s leg?” I drawled, a few people hiding chuckles.
“Do you hump legs?” he snapped.
“No, but I bite, so I’d watch yourself,” I purred. “You weren’t told we were coming? Is that the problem?” I waited till he nodded. “Well, that sucks, and I’m sorry people—not us—didn’t communicate this better. We’re not here to take over but keep your people alive. The situation isn’t stable, right? There are problems?”
He snorted. “You could say that, but we’re trained for it. Your people aren’t.”
“You’re right,” I agreed, Galvin looking like he wanted to smack me for my answer. “But they’re not untrained civvies either. We can’t get this idea off the ground until we prove it could work or be useful. But we can’t get trained to do that until the idea takes off.”
He eased down. “Yeah, yeah, I know the drill. Circle and circle some more with unreasonable expectations.”
“Exactly. So we’re not going to blow your case. We’re going to help you bring it home and let your people go home to their families, okay?” I waited until he let out a slow breath. “Let’s start from the beginning, and I won’t even stay for the photo op with all the goodies your hard work will confiscate. Not my deal. I didn’t stay for the big DEA bust in Chicago recently either.”
“That was you?”
“Yeah, me and two of the people I brought. The other one is out with something else, but they scaled up the fucking warehouse and dropped through the roof, and your people can’t do that, so let us help.”
“Fine because we could use it,” he finally relented, most everyone seeming to ease down as well.
Oh, they could use the help alright. It was a huge clusterfuck. Unfortunately, I was right about the landmines and not just on our side of the ten foot chain link fences but on theirs as well. So that screwed up a typical round up plan because we had to be careful of them too, as we tended to get in trouble if everyone died on raids.
I nodded as he explained it all, going over what most of the buildings were, normal guard rotations and everything. He also included the lighter detail since they had a huge party, surveillance catching that their normal rotations would start at eleven. That gave us three hours, less assuming people would start getting up around ten for that shift and others would sleep off the hangover.
“What did you find?” I asked Goran as I felt him return.
“They have dogs at the compound kept in the corner further from the main entrance, closer to the back one,” he answered.
“Crap.”
“Yes,” he sighed.
“We didn’t know about the dogs, but what does that matter?” Walters, the ATF guy in charge, asked.
“They’ll smell us faster than you guys. Me especially,” I answered, ducking out of the tent and checking out the main entrance. Walters moved next to me and handed me binoculars, but I shook my head. “We don’t need them.”
“Uh-huh,” he muttered.
“You guys got canine tranqs?” I asked.
“No, but we can and fast.”
“Do it. Also, can you get one of those huge mats? Not like firefighters use that deflate but more like—”
“Gymnastics landing mats?” Carter asked, nodding. “Yeah, that’s smart.”
“I thought so,” I chuckled. “If we take up positions on the other side of the gate to provide cover if they suddenly start waking, we’d have most of the main area covered without risking the landmines. In and out and over.”
“Wait, over?” Walters interrupted. “We have to bust the gate.”
“We don’t,” Carter chuckled. �
�We’ll go over it just fine.”
“ How? ” Walters growled.
“Ready?” I asked Carter, stretching when he nodded. He linked his fingers as he squatted a bit. I stepped onto his bridged hands, and as he pulled his arms up as he stood, I jumped too, flipping about twenty feet in the air before landing soundlessly right back next to Walters. “I couldn’t go higher because of the trees.”
“Holy. Fucking. Shit,” someone whispered by us.
“You’ll want the rest of our report,” Goran interjected. “The distillers are by explosives.”
“Idiots,” I sighed, scrubbing my forehead.
“Some tend to do it on purpose because it complicates everything if we raid and it destroys the evidence easier,” Walters explained.
“Fucking idiots then,” I grumbled as I headed back into the tent. “Show me where. We might need to put two over there to block any who might run to blow it. Any of your people know how to check for timers or anything rigged?”
“Yes, me and another. We could go in first and check before leaving two that would do your idea,” Carter answered.
“Good.” We marked up Walter’s map, deciding the back entrance we’d block with the huge ATF tank trucks, but our goal was really to get everyone out and in restraints before they knew we were there.
“Got the tranqs for the pups,” Walters announced.
“Not you,” I told Goran and Carter when they reached for the stuff. “We were sitting at the same table last night. You smell too much like me. They’ll still flip shits.”
“Really? Dogs care so much?” someone quibbled.
“Dude, you should see the tigers at the zoo flip shits if I’m near the railing. It’s a trip.”
“Duct tape?” Carter asked, and I nodded, thinking that was smart.
“What do you need duct tape for?” Walters asked, looking like he might not want to know the answer.
“To keep them quiet after we get them out,” I told him, shooting him a glance that clearly said duh . “After we restrain them and wake them, they won’t stay quiet.”
“Can we do that legally?” someone worried.