by Crystal Dawn
“Do you have the list of team members yet?” Hercules asked.
Zeus responded, “I’m going with the suggestions from each group.”
Because of the scope of plan to hunt all locations on the list, people were selected from all departments, not just security. Hades and Doc would be the only ones going on each mission, or they would be until the Origin team trying to capture her was taken down. Hades smiled to himself, he would have nearly two full days alone with his mate. He thought of all the exciting things he could do with her. It wasn’t that sex was all he wanted her for, no that wasn’t the case. It was a driving need to consummate their relationship and ensuring she was addicted to the pleasure he alone could give her. Planting his seed in her belly was another part of the need he felt.
He would take this time to build on their physical relationship so his beast, the animal side that required only the basics, would stop pushing at him for more. Doc was fertile and he couldn’t fight the need to procreate. He wanted babies, lots of them, and he wanted them with her. He was so hard it hurt, his cock was swollen and aching with the need to sink into her accepting warmth. He led her to his quarters, he would help her move her things there soon. He would have to be careful how he worded the invitation, she could be prickly about her independence. They entered his quarters, he didn’t intend to let her out until they had to go.
He couldn’t believe how fast two days could go. He ached in places he had never hurt before, but it was a good pain. It reminded him he was alive and in love. He noticed Doc had a few aches and pains of her own. They headed out to the planes, they would go to Washington DC this time before catching a copter to Greenland. Everyone’s attitude was serious, this mission was important and might save lives. Searching out their lost brothers was the most important task they could be given. They wanted every male of their kind to be free and have the chance to find a mate and have children.
There was a little talk except for the speculation on how many of their brothers they might find and what shape they’d be in. They also worried about the fight they knew they would face at some point, though it was good that they knew in advance. Hades and Doc slept most of the way to their first stop. They were awake in time for the landing.
Mark stood outside the Hummer that would take them to where they would stay for the night. Hades felt a little guilty he had mentioned Mark’s willingness to tag Kyler and his need to talk to Zeus, but he had put it in his report not brought it up in person. He was surprised when Mark greeted him smiling and held out his hand.
“I appreciate what you’ve done for me and I won’t forget it. Zeus is letting my brother come here next week. It means a lot to me, Hades.”
“Glad I could help. I hope everything works out as well as possible.”
“We won’t drop the ball this time. He’ll be where he can’t harm anyone and he can get the help he needs.” Hades just nodded, what the hell could he say to that?
The driver held the door open as Doc got in and Hades dumped their bags in the back. He slid in next to her while Mark sat up front with the driver. He knew the way things worked, Mark would keep his distance now until he needed something else. It was fine with him, he had a mate to cuddle. Maybe that would be better behind closed doors, but he felt too much need for her to keep his hands to himself. He wrapped his arms around her pulling her close.
Anyone looking could see the honeymoon look, and not just on him as she leaned into him breathing his scent in deeply. Thank goodness her feelings were clear and deep now and he could keep her right next to him. The distance that had been between them for so long had just about killed him. Now, after being so close, he would never be able to stay away from her again.
They arrived at the building they would stay in and even had the same room as before. The others were put in rooms all around them, Doc’s safety was paramount. It would be a long ride tomorrow, but he intended to give her a longer ride tonight. They could sleep on the copter, the trip would go faster that way.
He smelled coffee then he remembered they had coffee pots in the room. He wouldn’t turn down a good cup of coffee to help him wake up, but he wasn’t obsessed about it like all of the female mates had been so far. He kissed his mate and whispered a thank you for the coffee before he took a sip. Doc and Sierra made the best coffee, maybe because it was strong enough to get a soldier going. Cherish was an incredible cook, but her coffee just didn’t give him the jolt his mate’s did, but it was Cherish who usually made the coffee in the kitchen at Olympus. That was probably because she was the biggest coffee addict out of all of them.
He dragged around, showered and dressed so they could get on with the business of breakfast. He stomach didn’t growl, it roared. He would admit, but only to himself, that Doc had worn him out. She didn’t seem any worse for it, but he was. If he didn’t wake up, the guys would rib him forever, especially since Doc was hopping around singing to herself. He felt a flood of masculine satisfaction roll through him that his mate was so sated and joyful. Yeah, he’d done that!
They made it to the lobby joining the others then out to the Hummers to go to eat breakfast. Once they were done, they were off to the copters for a long ride. At least he could hope for sleep, his mate would make an excellent pillow. The only problem is he ended up being the pillow and even though they both slept, he would bet money she slept more comfortably than he did.
When they finally set down, every muscle in his body ached, he could tell he wasn’t the only one. They all stretched as much as they could then headed down the trail to find the facility that held his brothers so they could free them.
His head hurt as he struggled to remember exactly what had happened. He felt the cold from the ground seeping into his skin. Cold was all around him and if he’d been human, he’d be dead. He struggled and finally managed to open his eyes. The dead and wounded lay scattered around him, many burned beyond all recognition. They were Origin, not his brothers thank goodness. They had pushed him until he had turned it loose on them. His team had already spread out, they weren’t near him only the enemy was. He never used the gift, it was too scary, too unpredictable. He breathed in as deep as he could, he couldn’t scent her anywhere near.
This time the attack had been launched as soon as they landed. Their people weren’t well trained so Origin thought to win by overwhelming the gods with sheer numbers. They were all surrounded individually with too many for anyone but a god to overcome. The only human among them was Doc and he saw them herding her away. He was in the middle of so many he had no way to get to her. She was his and they dared to touch her. The power grew inside him and all his people were too far away to be hurt so he released it. Even his people gasped at the destructive power he unleashed and those who were too far away to be killed but within a certain distance were knocked unconscious for a brief time.
Lu had probably been the closest of his brothers and even though he had a similar gift, it had not protected him from the impact of Hades’s gift. He was out for the count and would probably be out for a while. He didn’t think it would kill him, Lu was strong and he wouldn’t go down that easy.
He knew what it was and what it did to those nearby. They burned from the inside out, their heads exploded from the pressure inside that their bodies could no longer contain. He caught Doc’s expression from the corner of his eye, visible even in the distance. Terror, stark unmanageable terror that might drive them apart even though he had just reclaimed her. He wanted to follow to save her, but he was just too drained to do any good. He felt himself sliding to the ground as his mind began to dim. He may have taken out more than half of them, but there were still plenty left to cause trouble. He fought to stay conscious but it was a losing battle.
The ache in his head was now a dull throb and he was weak as a kitten from unleashing his gift. He looked around noting the copters had left them, self preservation had ruled. He saw other gods standing a distance from him afraid to come to close. He wasn’t sure anything could
help him now. Doc was gone and he thought he might go crazy.
He saw Argos come into his line of vision. “You should keep your distance,” he said.
“All of us just woke up from the disturbance of your gift. I wasn’t avoiding you nor would I, you saved us all. A few were herded away including your mate, but we’ll hunt them down. I suspect they were taken to the facility. They may believe us all dead, won’t they be surprised?” Argos asked with a cruel smile. He was a good person, but a terrible enemy. He would terrorize Origin with his last breath which made him a good male to fight by his side. He leaned down holding out his hand which Hades took. He pulled him up and Hades looked around noticing Lu had been moved, hopefully somewhere more comfortable than the ground.
“Do we have any confirmed losses?”
“No, but four are missing, three have wounds that will heal, and one needs medical care soon.”
“Who is it that needs the care?”
Argos looked sad. “Dragos has several life threatening injuries. One on his head, one on his chest, and one on his lower back. We have done all we can with a med kit, but we need Doc and a med facility.”
“Which way?” Hades asked and no one pretended not to understand.
Nikias answered, “They went southwest cross country. No roads nearby, I think they are heading straight to the facility we search for.”
Hades liked that Nikias was on their team because he was an exceptional tracker, it was his gift. They gathered what they needed ditching what was unnecessary then they followed the obvious trail that had been left behind.
“How long were we out? Has everyone woke up?”
“I’m not sure but I would guess at least an hour passed judging by the sun. Lu is still out, he took a hard hit being so close to you, but he will be okay,” Nikias replied.
He would leave some of Pedro’s men to deal with the bodies. They took the weapons Origin’s soldiers had carried and distributed them to those who needed them but when they started going through the pockets and removing the jewelry from the dead, Hades turned away so they wouldn’t see his disapproval. It was true there was no reason to bury their valuables with them, but some of them left behind families that would need whatever they could get. He had never thought that way before he had met Sierra and Doc. He had been with their dad when he died training him and the rest of Zeus’s team. He felt guilty whenever he thought of it.
He made the hand motions that told his team and those of Pedro’s that would follow them, to spread out five wide and follow the trail. It wasn’t long before they came upon a body. It was one of Origin’s men and his throat was cut.
“I think your lady is leaving breadcrumbs,” Nikias said with a smile. Most gods would have shot the enemy or if they had no gun, snapped his neck but Doc was good with knives and carried a couple hidden on her.
If she still had her weapons, maybe she hadn’t been captured at this point. He could hope for the best while he planned for the worst. It had been too long for him to scent her because of the cold and the time, his senses weren’t up to the task. He moved faster, he could hope he might make up some of the time they were behind. He tried not to worry about what was happening to her because for now it was out of his hands, but he was sure they wanted her alive.
They moved carefully over the level but icy ground. The scouts he had sent ahead came back telling him they had only two miles to go before they reached their destination. He sent the scouts to take a group and circle to the back entrance so they could cover all the doors. They found no more bodies and no further signs of struggle so Doc must have been incapacitated, since he knew she would fight to her last breath.
They finally were within sight of the place though the part above ground looked more like a shack than a lab. Looks could be misleading and in this case they were. He hoped she was in there, she just had to be. Two of his team moved up to break the code on the door lock. A satisfying click sounded and the door was opened. Two others went in with guns at the ready followed by more. They assumed the others at the back door had also been successful. They met resistance at each double door in the hallway as they made their way deeper into the facility.
The team that entered the back of the building caught up to them and they all proceeded down the hall checking each room they came to. So far Origin employees were all they had found. One of his men shouted, he had found an elevator. An additional level explained why no gods or demons had been found because they preferred to keep their kind below ground. They went down, but he left half his men behind so he wouldn’t be trapped a level below if the elevator was knocked out.
They hit the jackpot on this level, there was cage after cage of gods and demons. Some were in good condition while some were in terrible shape. Hades had them find the doctors and nurses Origin always kept around in their labs. He got on his radio to get Dragos brought to them so he could receive the help he needed too. All the cages were opened and the four missing gods were found but there was no sign of Doc. Had she escaped her attackers?
Hades got his team organized and medical care was given to those who needed it. Food was found and prepared so they could all eat, and beds were found so they could rest in shifts. He contacted Olympus and Zeus would contact the copters who had gone back to the nearest fueling station which was hours away. They would have to dig in and stay for a while. He radioed for the rest of the team to join them. He would send out small teams to look for the copters but he would wait until it was time for them to return.
He had Nikias chose a partner then head out to try to track his mate down. Another pair was picked out to go if Nikias wasn’t back in four hours. She was human and even with her changing chemistry couldn’t move nearly as fast as a god. He could only hope they would find her since this was a dangerous place to be by yourself even as a god, a human would have little hope of surviving for long.
He tried not to drown in regrets, he’d made the best decision he could with the available facts. He just tried to believe she would return to him. Anything else was simply inconceivable and would drive him crazy. He followed Argos to the cafeteria so he could eat to keep up his strength. When she needed him he would be there for her. Argos sent him to bed so he could rest, he considered saying no but he was tired. Before he left he got a head count, seventy-four gods and twelve demons rescued. It was a good mission if he found his mate and returned to Olympus with the lot of them.
His radio buzzed, Nikias had found tracks. He would follow them, but he suggested sending the other pair of trackers straight south in an attempt to cut her off. Hades called Argos and had them sent. He felt better as he laid down on the narrow cot trying to rest even though worry ate at his mind. Somehow he managed to sleep despite his concerns. He woke achy all over, probably from using his powers. He normally refrained from using them because his brothers weren’t the only ones who feared them, he feared his gift too.
He contacted Argos finding out that he had only slept for two hours but that was two hours more than Argos had slept. All the patients were stable, Lu was up and at them, and everyone was accounted for but Doc. Nikias was moving in on her position and so was the other team of trackers. He would feel better once she was sighted.
His heart hurt and he wasn’t sure exactly why. He had noticed Zeus, Hermes, and Darius were never far from their mates but he had assumed it was because they didn’t want to be since none had been mated long. Was it possible it was because of this hollow painful feeling that distance brought on? If they didn’t find her soon, he feared he might go crazy from not just the emotional anguish, but the physical pain he felt. It occurred to him that she might feel this as well and it made him worry more.
The radio sounded and he grabbed it up quickly. “Tell me something good!”
“We’re close enough I can scent her and two others. I suspect they are stalking her, but I can’t be sure. I want to try to take them out as soon as I catch them. What are your orders?”
“Take them down on sight
.”
“Roger,” Nikias answered gleefully. He, like the rest of the gods, hated Origin soldiers fiercely.
A knock sounded on the door. “Hades?”
“Come in Argos.”
“Keelan wishes to speak to you. He is the leading god here.”
“Send him to me.” Argos nodded leaving to send Keelan to him.
Big, that was Hades first impression and red was his second. The god was big like Hades was, being both tall and broad, but the shocking red hair that looked like living flames drew more attention than his size. Irish ancestry, Hades figured, noticing the sharp jade green eyes that missed nothing.
“I’ve heard we’re being freed?”
“You’ve heard right.”
“Now what?”
“You have choices, not many but they are yours to make. Zeus offers you a home with the rest of your brothers. There you will be free to find the work you choose and to make a family as Zeus, Hermes, Darius, and myself have. Zeus has a daughter and a babe on the way while Hermes child will join us around that same time. Darius and I are not yet fathers but we both plan to be.”
“You have found mates? Truly, tell me this is not a joke for some of my gods could not stand another disappointment.”
Hades felt the hard look come on his face. “My mate is being hunted by Origin. They have tried to take her because she is a doctor and a specialist on gods and demons.”
A look of horror came across Keelan’s face. “You have mated one of them?”
“No, rest easy brother. She is a geneticist and has never worked for Origin. She is brilliant and has worked with us since the day we were freed. She came with the group who freed us and saved some of us that had been tortured and left to die. Just as all of us are different, so are all humans. Their differences are greater than ours, some of them are evil, like some of the Origin scientists and leaders have shown themselves to be, but others are not. Those we have mated have so far been exceptional humans. You will like them, it’s impossible not to.”