Azure (The Silver Series Book 5)

by Cheree Alsop

  “Take a right here,” I whispered. Floodlights that towered above us lit every inch of the road. I knew it was only a matter of time before the unauthorized truck was spotted. The thought of finding information that might lead to Rob or Nora sent a sharp pain through my chest. I wouldn't give up any advantage we could gain.

  “There's storage to the left. We might be able to hide the vehicle there,” Gem suggested, leaning over the map next to me.

  Jaze pulled under a three-sided storage shed filled with stacks of moldy hay bales. When we climbed out, the scent of fermenting greenery, opportunistic mice, and the arid smell of gunpowder filled my nose.

  “Keep together,” I whispered. Jaze, Gem, and Kaynan fell in behind me while Jet kept watch at the corner. I pulled out the photo. “This looks like the control center. I say we take the shortest route there, quick in and out.”

  “We could have interrogated the guards at the gate,” Kaynan said. He adjusted the dark sunglasses he wore to hide his red eyes and gave me an apologetic shrug. “It might have saved us a headache.”

  Jaze shook his head. “No one tells the gate guards anything. They'd be a liability and Ron's been one step ahead since he got Nora back. Let's just hope he doesn't know we're coming.”

  Jet's expression said otherwise as he led the way across a short stretch of asphalt and under an arch cut in a thick hedge.

  The scent of blood colored the air with iron the further we walked. The next arch led us to a series of posts with small, flat boards nailed on top. The scent of day-old gunfire was unmistakable, and the feathers and chunks of wings and feet twenty-five paces away tainted the air with a mild scent of decay. By the blood marks on the ground and the surrounding bushes, the birds had been alive just before they were shot, and some even after.

  A surge of pity ran through my chest that the creatures had died at Rob's hand. It felt silly to bemoan chickens, but I had vowed to save every life from Rob's clutches, and I was determined to include each walk of life in that vow.

  We crept further down the hedge and came to a cement enclosure with a large, black, daunting gate at the entrance. A quick check showed the gate to be locked. We could scale it, but the more suspicious activities we performed, the more likely we were to catch someone's attention.

  “I've got this,” Kaynan said quietly. He slipped something into the lock, jiggled it, and the lock popped open with a faint click. The werewolf then slipped back behind Jaze and Jet, a touch of chagrin to his smile.

  “Glad to see your skills put to good use,” Jaze said without a hint of reproach.

  “Nice to have a chance to use them,” Kaynan replied evenly.

  “I’m just happy I didn’t have to break the gate down with my muscles,” Gem said. She flexed, showing her pathetically skinny arms. “I’ll save these babies for later.”

  The others laughed and I smiled at the sparkle in her eyes. She might have been the weakest of us, but she was still the bravest. I opened the gate and waited for the others to pass through, then shut it quietly behind us. The cement walls rose about ten feet high and stretched for a long distance before branching off. Several tunnels forked away from the main walkway.

  “A maze, really?” Kaynan asked dryly.

  “Original,” Jet replied. His eyes glittered darkly. The way his gaze roamed the landscape and his muscles tensed as though he was ready to take down an army set me on edge.

  Jaze looked at me and I gestured right. Going straight and turning left at the end was the quickest path, but it also went right past what looked like a guard station and I would rather be safe than sorry. We walked quickly down the cement walkway and I know I wasn't the only one who felt a little claustrophobic behind the tall walls. Gem slipped her hand into mine and I gave it a reassuring squeeze.

  We passed one gap in the wall that led to an empty cement enclosure that smelled strongly of fear and werewolf blood. The next gap revealed chains on the ground, excrement, and more blood; the scent said that the recently missing inhabitants had been there a long time, suffering from wounds and neglect.

  I gritted my teeth and Gem and I both passed the next gap without looking, but we heard sounds of disgust and exclamations from the others that matched the scent of death and decay in the air.

  I led the others to the end of the row, then we turned and walked slowly down the back aisle. Fortunately, there were no more gaps in the cement wall. We waited at the exit of the maze until a rotating camera finished its path and turned back in the other direction, then we slipped past and crept through a small stand of trees to another enclosure.

  The building showed as a black square on the map. Mouse had circled it and written coordinates on the right side in case we had any trouble reaching it. He said that was where all the electronic transmissions came from and guessed it was the central station for the training grounds. The building smelled of humans and I wondered how many we would find inside.

  Two guards stood at the only door, assault rifles held loose in their hands and bored expressions on their faces. Jaze and Kaynan raised their guns, then Jaze counted quietly and they both pulled their triggers. Two darts flew through the air to land in the necks of both guards. One let out a soft exclamation, then they slumped to the ground.

  We walked silently across the small cement clearing and I used the key card Mouse had given me to open the door while Jet and Kaynan pulled the bodies into the trees. They caught up to us inside. I folded the aerial picture, wishing we had a map of the inside but knowing we had gotten lucky so far. I pulled out my gun and took the right hall with Gem, Jaze and Jet took the middle, while Kaynan went down the left.

  Our goal was to find someone in charge and interrogate them, then compare the information when we met back at the truck in fifteen minutes. It wasn't much time, but we figured any longer and we would risk bringing down the entire training facility to practice on our hides, though Jaze pointed out dryly that would definitely help us find Rob, just at the wrong end of his gun.

  The building turned out to have more of a classroom setting than a control center. Gem and I passed four classrooms containing about twenty Hunters each. The thought sent chills through my body that there were so many extremists waiting to take down werewolves. I worried about the other members of our team and hoped they were being careful, then a loud hum sounded and the lights shut off.

  The windowless building was pitch-black. Whoever had tripped the power apparently had shut off the back-up generators as well, because no emergency lighting showed. Cries of alarm went up from the classrooms as Gem and I hurried past, their gray images and wide stares making both of us smile.

  We followed the hallway to the left, then found a closed door with ‘No Entrance’ painted in big red letters on the outside. “Subtle,” I said softly. Gem grinned and tried the door. It was locked. I gripped the handle in both hands and turned it sharply to the right. A pop sounded, then the door swung inward.

  Flashlight beams bounced around the room as five or six men called out to each other, checking fuses, following wiring, and trying to get the cameras and computers back online. A man about six and a half feet tall stood at the back of the room giving orders. He didn't look as frantic as the rest, but I could smell the anxiety that flowed from him and knew he hid it well.

  “Stay out here,” I whispered to Gem. She nodded, her eyes wide.

  I stepped into the room and followed the wall so I could crouch behind the desks if they shone their lights in my direction. I was almost to the man when shots rang out. I froze, then saw Kaynan stand with his hands up. All six of the men had their flashlights trained on him. Blood trickled from Kaynan's shoulder and I wondered if they used silver bullets. The fact that this was a Hunter training facility made the possibility very likely. We didn't have much time to get the bullet out.

  I crossed the remaining ground to the leader quickly, then wrapped an arm around his neck and jabbed my gun into his ribs. “Call them off,” I warned him in a low growl.

&n
bsp; His muscles tensed and I thought for a moment that he would fight me, then he let out a breath and said, “Drop your guns.”

  “But Chief,” one of the men protested; he shut up when he saw that his commander was at gunpoint. All guns dropped to the ground and Jet collected them with a gleam of satisfaction in his eyes.

  Jaze escorted the other five men from the room and left Jet to guard them. When he returned, I had the Chief in a chair with his hands tied behind his back and my gun pointed casually at his chest.

  I felt the seconds tick away before we got the bullet out of Kaynan's bleeding shoulder. “You should get that looked at,” I said.

  “It's alright,” the Alpha replied. He rolled his shoulder and winced. “At least, it's not going to kill me anytime soon.”

  “But it's probably silver,” I pointed out. “Is that a risk you're willing to take?”

  He gave me an assessing look, his red eyes calm. “Silver doesn't affect me the way it does the rest of you. I'll be fine.”

  “Nonetheless,” Jaze said. “You should put some pressure on the wound so you don't bleed to death. Dying would really put a damper on our mission, and I don’t want to explain to Grace that her stubborn boyfriend refused to take care of himself.”

  Kaynan chuckled and accepted a waded up cloth Gem wordlessly handed him. He turned away to tend to his wound. I leaned against the desk by the Chief and studied him carefully.

  The man wore a dark blue dress jacket over a black shirt, matching dark blue pants, and shoes that looked like they had never been scuffed in their life. His hair was black and slicked back, and he wore thin glasses that now sat askew on his nose. He regarded me calmly, though a slight hint of fear mixed with his bran muffin and aftershave scent. I decided to press my advantage.

  “We're werewolves,” I began without preamble. “All of us, and there are more werewolves and actual,” I stressed the last word, “Hunters on their way. We're looking for Rob and I know you have information that will lead us to him.”

  The Chief's eyes tightened, but he gave no effort to answer me. I looked over at Jaze and shrugged. “Looks like we'll have to bite him.”

  “Bite him?” Jaze's eyebrows rose, but he played along. “Don't you think that's going a bit far?”

  I smiled a predatory smile. “When he turns into a werewolf, he’ll have to answer because we’re Alphas.”

  The Chief's face had gone pale at the mention of getting bit. I placed a lot of faith in the lie, but knowing Rob, he would feed his extremists with as much bunk about werewolves as he could to make them want to kill us that much more.

  He shook his head. “Don't bite me, please. I have a family.”

  “It's not that bad,” I pressed, drawing closer to him. “One bite and you’ll be hunted for the rest of your life. Your family will never be safe.”

  His face paled further and he finally said, “What do you want to know?”

  Jaze met the Chief’s eyes. “We need to know where we can find Rob.”

  The Chief shook his head quickly. “I'll tell you anything but that, anything at all. It's just, well, he'll-”

  “He'll kill you if he finds out you sent a pack of werewolves to attack him?” I guessed.

  He nodded, his watery eyes worried.

  I held out a hand. “Where’s your wallet?”

  He hesitated, his eyes flicking from Jaze to me. I lifted my eyebrows slightly. The Chief nodded at the desk behind us and I found a brown leather wallet in the top drawer. I pulled out his driver’s license and checked the address. “Look at it this way. You can either tell us what we need to know and go back home to your family,” I gave him an honest smile, “And I promise if you tell us what we need to know, you and your men will leave here with your lives, and after we have Rob you won't have to worry about anyone coming after you.” My gaze darkened. “But if you don't tell us, I have no choice but to bite or shoot you and your men because I can't have you running to Rob and telling him we're on his trail.”

  I raised my gun and aimed it at the center of his forehead. I hoped he didn't notice the point of the dart protruding from the end. His eyes met mine and I held his gaze. He finally sighed and nodded. I lowered my gun. “Just remember,” I said in a tone that left no room for argument. “What you tell us must be the truth, because if you lie and more innocent werewolves are hurt at Rob's hand before we have the chance to stop him, then you're family will always be in danger. I've never lost a trail, and I will find you.”

  He swallowed, then met my serious gaze. “I'll tell you the truth.” At my nod, he continued, “He’s holed up in a house in Mancos, Colorado. Go to fourteen-fourteen Old Mill Road.”

  Getting the exact address surprised me. “How do you know he’s there for sure?”

  The Chief gave a chagrined shrug. “The house belongs to a prominent supporter of the Hunters.”

  “Extremist Hunters,” Kaynan said.

  I untied the Chief’s hands and stepped back. He rose uneasily to his feet and rubbed his wrists. “I'm free to go? Just like that?”

  I nodded. “We're not vicious killers, no matter what garbage Rob feeds you.”

  “But let me remind you one thing,” Jaze said. He took a step toward the Chief and the man backed a step away. “If you are being honest, and I feel that you are, you just told us the address of your boss' location. If you sound an alarm after we leave this facility and tell Rob what happened, he will undoubtedly kill you and possibly your entire family for the information you gave.” He glanced at me. “And there's no doubt in my mind that he will draw out your death so it's painful and agonizing.”

  The Chief's face blanched and he nodded quickly. “I've been thinking about taking up farming,” he said. I was surprised to hear that he was being honest. “It would be a good way to leave this all behind.”

  “An excellent idea,” Jaze agreed. He held out his hand. The Chief hesitated, then shook it. He shook mine, too, then we joined Jet at the doorway and left. I tossed the Chief’s wallet in a garbage can near the front door. Jaze glanced at me but didn’t say anything. We exited the building to find Jaze’s Hunters and werewolves swarming the training facility. It was odd how reassuring I found the small wolf paw print they wore on their hats and uniforms. Jaze gave his orders to shut down the facility, then we crossed back to the jeep and left the Hunter training grounds feeling as though we had truly accomplished something.

  Chapter 22

  The address led us to a sweeping house on a hill in the beautiful Colorado countryside. The hope that I would soon be reunited with Nora made the crisp night air smell that much sweeter as we walked softly through the underbrush about a quarter of a mile from the house. Jaze's Hunters had staked out the place since we spoke to the Chief, and they reassured us that Rob was there and apparently unaware of our pending take-over.

  “Senator Braken’s house. I still can’t believe it,” Kaynan said, peering down the hill at the well-lit yellow-paneled, white-shuttered sprawling manor amid bushes, carefully manicured trees, and vast expanses of trimmed lawns that would make a stealthy approach difficult. To top it off, cameras swept every angle of the yard, rotating so that their views intersected and no shadow was left unsurveyed.

  “Makes sense,” Jaze replied quietly. “He’s always stood in the way of the government helping werewolves. We should look up several of his supporters and see if they’re in some way connected with Rob as well. I know a few agencies that’ll be interested if they’re compromised.”

  “That’s a great idea,” Kaynan replied, then, “Charlie wasn't kidding when he said the place was tight.”

  Jaze turned to Mouse. “Where's the electrical access to the house?”

  Mouse pointed, his small computer already out and two cables ready. We followed him to a spot not too far from the house and hidden in a stand of trees. Kaynan and Jet began to dig with the small shovels they had brought from the jeep while Jaze, Gem, and I kept watch. They pulled up the wires and Mouse clipped his cables to th
em.

  “Finished,” Mouse said a second before all of the lights went out, bathing the house in darkness. “I estimate five minute before they start the generators.”

  “It'll be enough,” Jaze replied. “Thanks.”

  They shot two guards with tranquilizer darts at the northeast corner of the house, then we crept around to the back where a wide deck was guarded by five more guards armed this time with what appeared to be grenades and submachine guns no doubt loaded with silver bullets.

  “You got this?” Jaze whispered.

  It took me a minute to realize he was talking to Gem and me; he, Jet, and Kaynan all had guards lined up in their sights.

  “Vance, take the second to last one on the right; Gem, you take the last,” Jaze whispered. He lifted his gun and we barely had a chance to aim before he whispered, “Fire.”

  I squeezed the trigger gently and saw a dart bloom from the neck of my guard. All five men fell to the deck with thumps loud enough that I worried someone would overhear. I glanced at Gem and she gave me a wide-eyed look, but her hands held her gun steady. We waited for a moment, but when no one showed up, we jumped over the deck railing and Jaze slowly opened the sliding door. He slipped into the dark dining hall and the rest of us followed. Gem slipped her hand into mine and I led her through the darkness after Jaze’s team.

  My heart gave a leap at Nora's scent permeating the air, the carpet, and everywhere I turned. The scent was days old in the dining room, but grew stronger as we went down the hall. A guard stepped in from a side door and Jet took him down with a sleeper hold before the man could make a sound. His eyes gleamed in the darkness and he stalked as gracefully as a hunting cat from one door to the next, his hands opening and closing into fists as though he could barely wait for the next attack.

  Kaynan followed closely behind to flank Jet on one side while Jaze took the other. Jet acted as though he led with his nose instead of his eyes, and when Nora's scent grew stronger behind a door that led to the basement, he gestured to make sure I didn't miss it.