Lara dropped her gaze. “No. No one.” She straightened her shoulders and released a sigh, resignation pouring off her. “I’ve already found my love for a lifetime. Problem is, he’s taken. There’s no one else for me.”
“Lara, that can’t be.” Asia put her hand to Lara’s shoulder.
“Yes. It is.” She raised her chin a notch. “He doesn’t know and that’s fine. I’ll be fine.”
Lacey and Sterling stepped into the hall. Their eyes wide open and shiny, they looked to Asia as though they maybe overheard the conversation.
“Who’s in love? Who are we happy for?” Sterling asked.
“Me.” Asia’s qualms about sharing this shiny new development were quickly dissipating. “Conrad and I.”
“That’s lovely.” Sterling gleamed. “Congratulations.”
Lacey drew Asia into a hug. “Congrats. I’m so happy for you. It isn’t a secret, is it?” she whispered.
“No. We’re as of a few moments ago coming out in the open. Not that we were ever a secret.” Asia’s words fell out of her mouth, unrestrained. “Well, it just happened pretty fast.”
“Sterling, Lacey,” Ben called. “Where are you going to sleep?”
Lara motioned to the living room. “We better join the others.”
Michelle handed out blankets as everyone grabbed a spot to sleep, some on the floor, others snuggled up on the couch, loveseat, and chairs.
Conrad stretched out on the carpet and pulled Asia down beside him. She curled under his arm and drew the blanket around them both. In the darkness, she closed her eyes and allowed the beat of his heart to lull her to sleep.
Minutes later, or what felt like minutes, Asia opened her eyes, face to face with Jojo standing on her chest. “Good morning.” She rubbed his head, then checked the clock on the mantel. She’d been asleep for two hours. Voices in the kitchen told her others were already up. She shook Conrad. “Wake up,” she said softly. She kissed his cheek and he stirred.
One eye popped open. “Time to get up?” His groggy voice gave her goosebumps. “Is there coffee?”
“Take a whiff.”
A smile slipped across his face. “Must have coffee.”
“You’re cute when you’re sleeping. But it’s go time, remember?”
Conrad groaned. “I remember.” He sat up and stretched, while Asia stood to her feet and watched him.
“I’ll meet you at the coffee pot.”
“Save some for me,” he pleaded. “I’ll be right there.” He jumped to his feet and headed to one of the bathrooms.
In the kitchen she found Sterling and Jackson quietly discussing the plans for rescuing Casey along with Kennedy, Booker, and Shaun.
“Good morning,” she muttered. How long until we leave?” She poured herself a mug of coffee and sipped it slowly, allowing the hot liquid to bring her to life.
“Twenty minutes, tops.” Kennedy leaned against the counter top, guzzling water and chit chatting with Lacey and Ben.
Asia surveyed her clothes. She sniffed herself. “I need a shower and fresh clothes.”
“We all do,” Tizzy said. “I feel disgusting. But no time for that stuff. We need to move out.”
Michelle strode into the kitchen wearing what looked like a pair of Casey’s sweats. They hung on her loosely and she’d rolled up the sleeves and pant legs. “Has everyone had water? We’re not taking time for more food.”
Conrad walked up to Asia and wrapped an arm around her waist. “We ate just two hours ago.”
He’d apparently splashed his face with water and soap in the bathroom and combed his hair. To Asia he looked a little rough around the edges but still handsome, even though his blonde hair stuck up at the back of his head.
He saw her surveying him and shrugged. “It’s the best I could do.”
He kissed her and grabbed a mug of coffee, not waiting for it to cool.
A few minutes later, with everyone geared up and dressed for the rescue, Asia smiled inside, thinking the living room looked like command center, a war room for tactical maneuvers, with Michelle managing communications.
“Once we arrive, stick together and minimize talking. Text Michelle if something comes up, not each other,” Conrad said. “We don’t want to draw attention to ourselves.”
Booker nodded. “Right. We’ll drive in groups, so find a seat in either Asher’s Tacoma, Conrad’s Rover, Lara’s Crosstrex, or Ben and Lacey’s Sedona. We’ll meet at the spot near the fence were we hope to get access onto the preserve. From there we’ll follow the plans we’ve discussed. Good luck, everyone.”
“Take care of yourselves.” Michelle slanted her head. “I want to see you all back here very, very soon.”
She stood at the door as they each left the house for their vehicles. Asia hugged Michelle hard as she passed her by.
Chapter Fourteen
The no-talking admonition wouldn’t take effect until the colony and their human helpers arrived at the destination, but Conrad sat in heavy silence with Asia in the vehicle. His joy over his new love with her was overweighed by the sobering danger of what they were about to confront.
He reached for her hand and held it tightly. “We’ll be all right. The colony has faced danger before and come out of it just fine.”
Asia’s eyes sparkled in the darkness. “True. I’m fine. Nervous.”
He smiled at her, not fully knowing where the line stood between his spontaneous response to her lovely face and her ability simply to evoke delight. “Seems appropriate for the occasion.”
He turned his attention back to the road. His thoughts turned as the miles passed. The silence didn’t feel awkward. He never felt awkward with Asia. They’d been through some tough things throughout the duration of their friendship. This would be one more.
“When did this almost nonstop danger begin for the colony?” Asia stared out the window, the back of her head toward him. “It hasn’t always been this way, has it? I mean, the colony has always been peaceful, but how long have the members been guardians of the universe?”
He knew she was feeling the weight of the chaos she’d been involved in lately. He knew he should not tell her the thoughts plaguing his mind right then. He knew the answer. It all began when humans became a part of the colony.
Muscles in his hands tightened. He fisted them, ignoring his impulse to speak his mind, grateful she couldn’t read his thoughts.
“I should know, but I don’t. The colony was formed a long time ago. The members have always kept their identities secret and kept to themselves as much as possible.”
“Right. So when do you think things changed? Are the things we’ve gone through just recent things?”
He couldn’t stop himself. “You shouldn’t ask me, Asia. Not if you want to hear the truth.”
From the corner of his eye he saw her whirl away from the window. “What truth?”
He gathered himself, bracing for her protests. “The danger came into our lives when we began engaging with humans.”
The daggers from her eyes were expected, but still Conrad’s self-defense pattern rose up. He sat in silence for what felt like hours when it was only seconds. Just long enough for Asia to gather a breath.
“Conrad, that’s not true.”
“Isn’t it? Think about it. Casey had been friends with Jackson since high school. But it was when Jackson’s father, William Carter, put Jackson and Lacey in danger, that Casey changed his relationship with his friend. He became a protector. That first situation with Carter led to more danger and more humans involved with the colony and learning our identities. It all goes back to human activity.”
There, he’d spoken his truth. Asia already knew how he felt about humans, but this direct accusation that they were the source of the were-cats’ dangerous encounters would be hard for her to take.
“I’m sorry you feel that way.” Her words came out quiet, somber. “Your mind has been poisoned by your upbringing, Conrad. You’re better than this. Human behavior is di
fferent than ours, but they are not as a whole evil.”
He peered at the approaching preserve, the reality of what waited there rumbling in his chest, and felt the years of loneliness and feeling different swirl in his gut. But the years of living among humans had shown him what they were like. Egotistical, careless, short-sighted, brutal.
“I’m sorry. You see things differently.” Even to his own ears he sounded detached.
He didn’t want it that way, but it was self-preservation. An old pattern that had always kept him safe.
“No, I’m sorry. For you. Such a belief will harm you and those you love.”
He clenched his jaw, fears creeping through his body. Maybe he’d been too quick to let down his guard and trust his heart. “Let’s table this and get our game faces on, what do you say?” He tried for levity, but it flopped on the floor when he saw a wall go up in Asia’s eyes.
“Sure.”
He pushed the exchange out of his mind as he pulled up onto the grass and parked beside Asher’s Tacoma. He needed all his brain cells working on what was to come.
Kennedy nodded, the signal that she’d shut down security. Without talking, they all walked the short distance to the place in the fence where Conrad had cut it. He motioned them through, then squeezed through himself.
With Conrad at the lead, Asher, Asia, and Tizzy sprinted to the far side of the building, while all the other were-cats but Kennedy set up watches in pairs throughout the treetops. Kennedy, with her tablet, joined Ben and Sterling and Jackson and Lacey in patrol on the ground.
At the far side of the building, Tizzy crept toward the building. She studied it for a minute, no more, than leaped high up the two stories to the flat roof. She landed softly, and Conrad watched as she stole across the roof.
Dawn had not yet arrived, so darkness permeated the grounds. He suddenly realized the humans with them were at a disadvantage. They couldn’t see in the dark. He turned in their direction and saw the two groups back in the trees, each sporting a flashlight. He sighed, feeling stupid. It should have been covered in the planning meeting, but at least Sterling and Lacey and Ben and Jackson, seasoned investigators, knew what they needed. He grimaced to himself. Even after what he’d spouted in the car with Asia, he realized he did trust the humans in their life. But, admittedly, he believed they were the exceptions.
He turned back and saw Tizzy signal them to follow her. He signaled Asia first to climb up. She leapt to an overhang halfway up. Another jump and she was on the roof.
Conrad flashed her thumbs up, and motioned the others to follow. Quickly, they each made their way to the roof, where Tizzy had located an access hatch. She’d checked out the other end, she whispered, and it led down a ladder and into a large storeroom.
The idea of dragging Casey up the ladder didn’t set well with Conrad, but they’d have to make it work.
Inside the storeroom he saw the others look around, sizing up what was stored there. Adrenaline pushed him to move, find Casey. He opened the door at the other side of the room, just to peek out. He saw an empty hall. He gathered scents. An odor of alcohol and other chemicals mixed with human scent wafted to him. He didn’t know any of those scents, but he paused when he picked up the whiff of were-cat.
He motioned everyone out and together they followed their noses down a hall that circled to the right. This was the second floor, the one where they’d found Asia’s mother.
The rooms they needed were close.
Conrad jogged to another room. It was a room they’d seen before. It was different this time. The men in the beds were gone. He kept following the hall, suspicion spiraling up his spine.
Tizzy sprang ahead, peeking in windows and moving, room after room. She raised her nose at the precise moment Conrad caught a whiff of a familiar scent. Casey was close.
Sprinting to catch up with Tizzy, he stopped short at her side when he got a whiff of human. Two of them. Conrad motioned to Asher and pointed in the direction that the scent was coming from.
Conrad and Asher marched around the corner, Asia and Tizzy fading back momentarily.
Asher’s face took on a look of focused concentration as he and Conrad approached two guards sitting at the door of a room.
“Hey, you there. Stop. This is a restricted area,” ordered one. Both guards jumped up and pointed guns.
“Stay where you are,” ordered the other guard. “What are you doing in this building?”
“Sorry, sir. We’re lost. Where are the baby tigers?” Conrad fixed his gaze on the guards, waiting for Asher’s nudge to take effect. When he saw one of the guards reach for his radio, Conrad leaped on him, knocking it out of his hand. The radio flew across the floor and smashed into a cement wall, splintering into pieces.
Then the pressure of Asher’s nudge took over. Conrad didn’t know what the nudge suggested, but he could guess by the men’s subsequent action. One of the men unlocked the door to the room they’d been guarding while the other sat on the floor, a slack expression on his face.
Conrad tossed the guard still standing to the ground, but he didn’t need to, he realized. Asher had nudged them both to sit still on the floor, just outside of the room.
Inside, Conrad found Casey, alone, lying in a bed, unconscious. “Asher,” he whispered, “find a tablet with Casey’s records in it.”
Meanwhile, Tizzy and Asia ran into the room and straight to Casey. Tizzy checked his pulse and his respirations, then stopped to release her breath. “Thank God,” she whispered.
“Casey, can you hear me?” Tizzy shook him gently.
Casey murmured something unintelligible and his eyelids fluttered.
“Stay with him, please, Tizzy.” Asia peered over Asher’s shoulder as he stared at the tablet. “Here, let me take that. You’re already expending energy and brain activity to keep those two under the nudge.”
“Thanks.” He walked to the door and leaned against the doorframe, his brow knitted in concentration.
Urgency pulsed through Conrad, waiting for Asia to find useful info on Casey. He focused his keen hearing, testing for sounds from outside the building.
With a wave, Tizzy caught his attention. “I’ve been monitoring for sounds. Nothing has popped up yet.”
“Okay, I have Casey’s information.” Asia didn’t look up as she scrolled down the chart. “He’s received one injection of Ativan, a sedative. That probably was the injection the big guy gave him when he caught Casey. The second is scheduled for nine o’clock tonight.” Her hand flew to her mouth. “Oh my gosh, he’s scheduled for an implant in the morning at eight.”
Conrad quickly flipped through reams of thoughts in his mind. “Were-cats have fast metabolism. We may be able to rouse him enough to get him up. It’s five thirty right now.”
Tizzy’s eyes widened. “We’ve got to get him out of here.”
“Right. Let’s get him on his feet, if we can.” Asia pulled Casey up and he tried to talk again, then slipped back down. “Help here?”
Conrad raced to the bed. “Let me try picking him up. He can revive as we go.”
Asher grabbed the key ring off one of the guards and the guns. He winked at Conrad. “Watch this.” He reengaged with the guards. The men stood and walked into the room and sat down. “I told them to wait here.”
Asia pulled at Casey’s left side with help from Tizzy. Conrad lifted him, groaning. “He’s big but so am I,” he grunted.
Asher locked the door and caught up with the others. As they trotted back toward where they came in, Conrad picked up new scents. Human and were-cat. “Keep your senses tuned in. We don’t want any surprises.”
With stealth and speed on their side, the four of them made it to the storage room door. Tizzy flew up the ladder and opened the hatch.
With Asia’s help Conrad moved Casey to his shoulder and headed up the ladder. As he got closer to the opening the scents grew more intense. He peered into the darkness and found the other colony members. Something restless in his gut told him o
ther subtle sounds from somewhere farther away were going to be bad news.
Asia and Asher climbed out after him and closed the hatch.
“Where am I?” Casey tried to lift his head.
“You’re with me. Conrad. I’ve got you, man. Keep quiet.” He motioned to the others with him to jump down. Ideas for getting Casey and himself to the ground floated around in his mind. If Casey was still too sedated to walk, it was going to be nearly impossible.
“I’ll take him.” He hadn’t noticed Tizzy standing behind him. “I’m strong enough and I can make it one jump. Easy cheesy. Trust me.” Her eyes met his, challenging him.
“I don’t feel right about it, Tizzy.”
“You don’t trust me?”
“You’re so small. I can’t expect you to be able to do this.”
“You’re seeing me as a human. I’m not. I’m not as strong as you are but I’ve got what it takes. I’ll take care of him.”
Reluctantly, he laid Casey over Tizzy’s shoulder. She immediately walked to the ledge.
“What’s happening?” Casey’s voice was getting clearer but he still slurred his words.
Conrad heard Tizzy’s sweet voice assure Casey. “It’s okay. Hang on tight. I’m about to jump.”
Conrad held his breath. Oh God, what have I done? Then he heard Tizzy’s feet thud. He ran to the edge and watched her carry Casey into the woods. I guess she was right. She could handle him.
He leaped to the hangover, then to the ground. He stood just inside the forest for a moment, gathering information from his senses. The sounds he’d heard a few minutes ago seemed to have quieted down. The scents still wafted in the air, prickling his skin. It was his signal to get off the grounds.
He threaded his way to where he saw the others waiting. Casey was standing beside Booker, his arm draped over Booker’s shoulder as he appeared to be delivering his healing touch.
“Good to see you upright and conscious,” Conrad said, grabbing Casey’s hand. “With some help can you make your way to the vehicles?”
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