“But Orion is Five Eyes, and he obviously knows about you.”
Karma smiled. “When Five Eyes ‘discovered’…” More air quotes. “…the threat six months ago, they assigned Rand to go undercover in the terrorist group. We knew about him but he didn’t know about us. But after you arrived, we couldn’t protect you the way we protect our members because you wouldn’t follow the drills. We knew things were heating up over there so we revealed our operation to Rand and swore him to secrecy. He convinced the terrorist leader that they should have someone planted here to watch our members, and Mesker agreed to let him pretend to join our commune. That’s when we set up his tent next to yours.”
I thought about that for a minute. Okay, so that explained why Stemp hadn’t told me anything about his parents’ secret life. He didn’t know. But he probably knew about the Five Eyes operation right next door. So he’d manipulated me to come out and protect his parents while it was going on. No wonder he kept delaying my departure, the sneaky bastard.
And his parents wouldn’t have any way to know he was directing clandestine operations in Alberta if they didn’t have any official contact with the intelligence community…
God, what a tangled mess.
“Bringing me here was a hell of a risk,” I said. “What if I’d just been a nutcase with a gun? What if I’d tried to kill you and Orion instead?”
“You’d be dead,” Skidmark said with chilling affability. “And we’d report to the police how you’d been tragically killed by a cougar. Poor silly little girlie, always going off in the woods by herself even though she’d been warned about the big mean cougar. That’s why we circulated the rumour about the cougar, so the members would back us up if we had to kill you. But we were pretty sure you were law enforcement. I had you pegged after that first run-in with Ratboy. And we figured guys like Kane and Helmand wouldn’t be friendly with you unless-”
My phone vibrated, and I picked up to hear Kane’s worried voice. “Aydan, is Nichele with you?”
My heart contracted to a small cold lump in my chest. My voice came out equally small. “No.”
“She’s gone.”
Chapter 34
“She’s gone?” I echoed stupidly. “She can’t be. Nichele would never go wandering around outside in the dark. Did you check the kitchen and the latrines?”
“Yes.” Kane sounded as worried as I felt. “She’s not in her bed beside the stove or in her tent. Hellhound is stationed at a vantage point overlooking the main building, and he’s been there for at least half an hour. He didn’t see her leave, so she must have been gone before that.”
“Shit, we’ve got to-”
Moonbeam pressed a button on the console and the din of the Spirit bells poured into my ear from Kane’s end of the connection.
He swore, but my heart leaped with hope. “John, this is good! If she hears the Spirit bells she’ll come running. She’s been tight with Aurora since she got here.”
“I hope you’re right,” he said. “But I hate the thought of all these civilians milling around while the terrorists are on the move. I’m at the main building now. I’ll wait for you here and call you as soon as I see Nichele.”
“I’m on my way. Tell Hellhound to stay where he is, okay? He’ll be able to give us a birds-eye view.”
I barely waited to hear his acknowledgement before hanging up and hurrying to the console to study the commune map. The dots in the encampment churned like a stirred-up anthill, already beginning to stream toward the main building.
“Which one’s Nichele?” I demanded.
“Here, dear.” Moonbeam pointed at a dot halfway between the bridge and the main building.
It wasn’t moving.
“Something’s wrong.” I jammed my night vision headset on and wheeled to run for the door.
“Stop!” Karma’s deep voice halted me, and I turned to see him and Moonbeam pulling night-vision goggles from a locker as well. “We understand your concern for your friend, but our responsibility is to all our members, Nichele included. This Calling is part of our original plan with Rand. We want all our members behind bulletproof walls until the terrorists are clear of the commune. Moonbeam and I will be holding positions between the main building and the bridge in case they pose a threat to our members as they leave. You and your team can help if needed.”
A flash of memory recalled Orion’s affronted voice: ‘Moonbeam and Karma perform very important rituals when the Earth Spirit calls. Sometimes those rituals can be extremely uncomfortable…’
Yeah. Or life-threatening.
Despite the band of fear tightening around my throat, I forced myself to wait in silence while they collected an earpiece each. Skidmark turned to me, holding out a third.
“Here,” he said gruffly. “Use mine.” As I secured it in my ear he gave us a look that could only be envy. “Damn emphysema. There was a time when I could take out a little weasel like Ratboy with one hand tied behind my back.”
To my surprise, Moonbeam stooped and dropped a kiss on what I assumed were his lips behind the tangle of facial hair. “You still could, dear,” she said gently.
He wheezed his usual laughter, but his eyes were soft as he touched Moonbeam’s cheek with his callused fingertips. “If the fight only lasted fifteen seconds and I had oxygen after.”
“It wouldn’t be the first time you took a man down in less than fifteen seconds,” Karma said. “But we need you here.”
Skidmark tilted his head in resigned acquiescence and turned back to the console to press buttons. “Radio check.”
His voice sounded clearly in my ear and I said, “Mine’s fine.”
Moonbeam and Karma added their confirmations, and Skidmark nodded, his gaze already locked on the tactical displays. “Good and readable. Go.”
Just before I ran for the door, I glanced again at the commune map. Almost all the dots were moving toward the main building.
Nichele’s was terrifyingly still.
As we jogged down the hill, Karma asked, “Where are Helmand and Kane?”
“John is at the main building,” I panted. “I don’t know exactly where Arnie is, but he’s in position with a full view of the main building.”
“In position,” Moonbeam repeated. “Does that mean he has his rifle set up?”
She wasn’t breathing any harder than I was. I hoped I’d be in as good shape when I was her age.
If I lived long enough to be her age.
“I assume so,” I replied.
“Tell your team to use firearms only as a last resort,” Karma said. “We don’t want to alert the terrorists that we’re armed. We’ll go directly to Nichele’s last known position. Moonbeam and I will stay out of visual range of the main building so Kane and Helmand don’t see us. You can get Nichele into the main building and join the meditation. Leave Helmand in place. If you and Kane can leave the meditation without arousing suspicion, do. We can use the support.”
He delivered the entire speech in short sentences with deep breaths in between, but he didn’t sound winded. Now I knew why the gym was the most up-to-date part of the commune.
I fumbled the phones out of my pocket and hit the speed dials. Hellhound and Kane picked up simultaneously, and I panted, “Is Nichele there yet?”
“No,” Kane replied.
“Shit, shit…” I bit off the waste of breath. “I’m still a few minutes away. It took me a while to get away from Moonbeam and Karma. They’re pretty shaken up.”
Jogging beside me, they both grinned, looking thoroughly invigorated.
“Don’t fire any shots unless you have to,” I added. “We don’t want to tip off the terrorists.”
“Acknowledged. Almost all the members are here,” Kane said. “Should I start searching for Nichele?”
“Yes…” I hesitated, wondering where to direct him. If I sent him in the direction of Nichele’s dot, he might run into Moonbeam and Karma…
“I’ll begin a search grid at the main building
,” Kane said. “When you get here we can divide up the area.”
“Okay, thanks,” I agreed with relief, and hung up.
We were nearing the main building when Skidmark’s voice spoke in my ear. “Nichele’s on the move. Heading for the main building.”
“Oh thank God!” Relief turned my knees to water and I stumbled to a halt.
Moonbeam and Karma stopped on either side of me and we hunched over panting.
Moonbeam straightened first. “Well, Storm Cloud Dancer, we’ll leave you to go on to the building. Karma Wolf Song and I have a commune to protect.”
I eyed her curiously, realizing for the first time that I hadn’t seen them arm themselves. “How exactly are you going to do that?” I asked.
“Oh, we both carry pistols at all times,” Moonbeam replied cheerfully. “Loose garments are convenient. You wouldn’t believe what Karma Wolf Song has under his sarong.”
A devilish grin spread over his face and I protested, “Too much information!” and hurriedly changed the subject. “But I thought you said you didn’t want gunfire.”
“We’re both experts in hand-to-hand combat,” Moonbeam assured me with a smile. “Well, Karma Wolf Song is. I used to be. The arthritis in my hands bothers me quite a bit now, so the garrotte is my weapon of choice these days.” She produced a lethal-looking length of wire with wooden handles from another recess of her caftan.
“Okay, now you’re scaring me,” I said with considerably more truth than I cared to admit.
“Go to your friend,” she said kindly. “We’ll start the fireworks as soon as the terrorists begin to move.”
“Okay, good luck.” I hugged them both and ran for the main building.
Nobody was there when I panted up, and I punched my speed dials. “John? Arnie? Any sign of Nichele?”
Two negative replies accelerated my already-pounding heart.
In my ear, Skidmark said, “She’s still moving toward the building, but slowly. Couple hundred yards out.”
My earlier relief evaporated without a trace. “Oh, God, maybe she’s hurt,” I blurted, before remembering Kane and Hellhound didn’t know I had inside information.
Fortunately it wasn’t too much of a non sequitur and Kane replied, “Stay positive, Aydan. I’m searching a grid to the southeast, so why don’t you take the northeast? Hellhound, do you have eyes on us from up there?”
“Got a visual on Aydan near the buildin’. Lost ya in the trees, but I still got your thermal… hang on! Just picked up a thermal north-northeast of Aydan.”
At the same time Skidmark corroborated, “Go north-northeast from your position, you should run right into her.”
Sucking in a breath that caught in my throat, I hurried forward.
“Take off your night vision so ya don’t blow your cover, darlin’,” Hellhound reminded me. “I’ll tell ya which way to go.”
I gulped and juggled the phones while I pulled off my headset and stuffed it in my pocket before placing a phone to each ear again. “Thanks. I completely forgot.”
“That thermal’s straight ahead,” he reassured me. “Headin’ right for ya… shit!”
Without my night vision I didn’t immediately see what had caused his consternation.
Then Ratboy stepped out of the forest into the moonlight with Nichele’s limp body slung over his shoulders.
My chest constricted on a sob of terror. Only a tiny whimper choked from my lips.
He let Nichele slither down, holding her against him with an arm under her armpit and across her breasts. Her head lolled against his chest, her arms dangling, but her feet moved feebly as though she was trying to stand.
His vicious grin glinted in the moonlight, almost as brightly as the bayonet he held against her throat.
“I found your little whore friend,” he sneered. His fingers dug savagely into her breast and Nichele twitched and whimpered. “What is her life worth to you?”
“Anything you want.” My voice came out high and tremulous. “Tell me what you want and I’ll do it. Anything. Just don’t hurt her.”
“What’s happening? Storm, report!” I barely heard Skidmark’s demand, every cell of my being focused on Ratboy.
“Target acquired.” If I hadn’t known it was Hellhound speaking I wouldn’t have recognized his voice in the flat distant tone of a killing machine.
“Hold your fire!” Kane’s command issued from the other phone. “Wait and see if we can take him without alerting the others.”
“Hang up the phones and drop them, whore,” Ratboy said.
I clicked them off and let them fall.
“Storm, report!”
Just shut up, Skidmark.
“Tell me what you want,” I begged Ratboy. “I’ll do anything.”
A sudden touch on my pant leg made me yelp and snap a glance downward. Peaches chirruped her little song of purrs as she wound around my ankles, and I nudged her gently back toward the building with one foot, my heart hammering.
She tried again, clearly annoyed by my lack of response. Then she abandoned me and waddled toward Ratboy and Nichele.
“Peaches, no!” I hissed. “Here, kitty, kitty! Come on, Peaches…”
Tail in the air, she stalked away from me without a backward glance. Sick horror seized me at the sight of Ratboy’s expression.
“Here, kitty, kitty,” he mimicked in a squeaky voice. He bared his teeth at me. “The kitty likes me.” The bayonet stroked Nichele’s throat, obscenely shiny against her skin. “The kitty likes me better than your little whore friend likes me. But which one do you like better? The kitty?” His voice hardened. “Or the pussy?” He jerked Nichele higher against him.
Her head was on his shoulder now. Hellhound wouldn’t have a clear shot.
My entire body felt encased in ice, my lungs unable to expand despite the fierce battering of my heart against my ribcage.
“Just tell me what you want,” I whispered.
“Here, kitty, kitty.”
“WHAT DO YOU WANT?” The shriek tore my throat and I dimly heard Skidmark swear.
Ratboy smiled, his teeth silver in the moonlight, his eyes black empty holes. “I want you to pay. And here’s what will happen to your little whore friend if you don’t do exactly as I say.”
He released Nichele to swoop down and seize Peaches by the tail, his bayonet flashing toward her.
Peaches twisted in his grip, screaming agony and defiance.
Ratboy’s head exploded.
Chapter 35
An instant later the echoing whipcrack of Hellhound’s rifle split the night, the sound arriving after the bullet had done its work. Peaches hit the ground on all fours and fled like a streak of furry lightning into the forest.
I dashed toward Nichele as Skidmark swore again in my ear, a short curse bitten off before he snapped, “Shots fired. Starting fireworks now.”
The first explosion of the fireworks slammed more adrenaline into my veins even though I’d known it was coming.
“Storm, report!” Skidmark demanded.
“Ratboy kidnapped Nichele and Hellhound shot him,” I gasped as I slid to my knees beside the two still forms. I wrenched Ratboy’s body off Nichele, barely noticing the protests of my muscles in my haze of fear.
Nichele was drenched in blood.
My heart stopped.
My world stopped.
A high-pitched keening filled my ears.
My hands wouldn’t work. Quivering bunches of useless fingers at the end of wooden arms.
I pawed helplessly at the blood.
Make it stop.
Oh God, make it stop.
Then Kane was there. Making a rapid examination before he laid her gently on the grass and turned to take my face between his palms.
I tried to push him aside. How could he leave her?
He gripped my wrists. Wouldn’t let me go to her.
My best friend since childhood. The sister I’d never had.
I jerked and struggled in his gr
asp.
“Aydan, stop! It’s not her blood! She’s fine!” Kane’s words finally penetrated.
My shrill keening faded to silence, my throat feeling like with broken glass. Unable to speak, afraid to believe, I stared at him.
“Come and see.” His baritone was warm and soft, a blanket of comfort wrapping around me. Gentle hands on my shoulders guided me over. “See?” Kane used his sleeve to wipe the blood from her face. “She’s not hurt. It’s not her blood, Aydan. She’s all right. Just drugged or something.”
I slowly became aware of my surroundings again. Fireworks exploding in the night.
I should be feeling fireworks of joy.
Nothing.
“Aydan. Come on, Aydan.” Kane patted my cheeks, smart little slaps that jarred me back to myself.
I sucked in a breath and collapsed in his arms. “Oh thank God! Thank God!” I trembled in his embrace for a long moment, hugging him fiercely before I pulled away.
“Okay,” I said. I sucked in another breath and let it out slowly, forcing my mind and muscles back under control. “Okay. We need to get her inside and cleaned up. If she’s drugged, she might not remember this.”
Kane nodded and scooped Nichele up as though she was weightless. “Get your phones,” he said as we hurried toward the building, and I detoured to where I’d dropped them.
One was vibrating. I fumbled it into my shaking hands and punched the talk button.
“Everythin’ okay?” Hellhound’s anxious rasp was nothing like the cold implacable voice that had dealt death only moments before. “Is Nichele okay?”
“I think so.” I pocketed the other phone and forced my quivering legs into a jog toward the main building. “She was covered in Ratboy’s blood and I panicked, but John thinks she’s just drugged. Nice shot, by the way.”
He didn’t acknowledge the compliment. “How about Peaches? Did that asshole…” His question faded and the sound of his swallow came clearly over the line before he tried again, “Is she…?”
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