◆◆◆
Blaze led his men to the front door. They paused as Dove took a closer look. His face was grim when he turned to look at them. “I was right; the front door is wired. I disarmed it, but I’d bet my family jewels we’ll find out this place is completely wired.”
“Great, why can’t anything ever be easy,” Blaze muttered as he quickly relayed the information to the others on the com-link. “All right, let’s get this done.”
He walked quickly down the hall to the stairs that led to the basement. Luckily, there were no other signs of explosives between them and the lower level. The stench of urine, blood, and pain was so strong as they entered, Blaze knew they were in the right place to find the prisoners.
Blaze let the wolves begin to search. Tank and Falcon went in one direction; while Jake and Shadow went in another. Blaze decided that he and Dove would continue to the sub-basement to search there. Again they took the stairs and were met with a more distressing scent—fresh blood.
“You don’t think?” Dove whispered.
“Even if Radar is dead, we don’t leave one of our own behind,” Blaze said firmly. He motioned for Dove to head in the opposite direction. Meanwhile, Blaze headed toward where the scent of blood was strongest. He opened the doors to some of the other cells along the way and didn’t know if he should be pleased or worried that they were empty. From the dried blood stains in the windowless rooms' floors and walls, whoever had been kept there most likely never left.
He stopped outside the last door. The scent of fresh blood was so strong he was almost afraid to open the door. For a moment, he remembered the smiling face of their missing pack member. Radar was their nerd. He was easily embarrassed and tended to get lost in his computer most days, but he had proven he was more than able to stand up for himself in a fight.
They clearly had missed his ability to find almost anyone using only a few pieces of information. If Radar had been looking, they would have known where Alpha Clifton had disappeared to within weeks, instead of months. Shaking off his negative thoughts, Blaze checked the door for any sign of explosives and then carefully opened the door.
“Oh my god!” Blaze couldn’t help himself as he saw the bloodied mess curled up in the corner of the small dark room. His heart was in his mouth as he slowly entered. “Radar?” For a moment, there was no response but then he saw it, a slight twitch in one of the man’s legs.
Blaze tapped his com-link. “I found Radar, and he’s alive.”
◆◆◆
Grant felt a small amount of relief. At least one of the people they were looking for would be rescued. He hadn’t heard anything about Jake’s sister and could only hope they found her as well. He glanced around the room he currently stood in. It was clearly a lab of some kind, but he had no idea what it was being used for. The equipment looked new, and the area was clean; unlike most of the other rooms on the floor.
Of greater concern was the scent of many shifters on the floor. That combined with the sign of new restraints on many of the beds, restraints clearly designed to hold a being with supernatural strength, meant there had been more prisoners than they first suspected. Even worse, he’d found a she-wolf in one of the rooms who was dead. It was also clear she had recently given birth.
A closer inspection of the mother showed she hadn’t died from childbirth. Her head had been severed. Her breasts were still full of milk; so, the pups couldn’t have been very old. Sadly, there was no sign of the pup or pups. What kind of a monster was he dealing with? Worse, what the hell had they been doing here? From the looks of the operation, the lab had been here for more than a few months.
Again, the computers seemed to have been taken, and there were no records to hint at what Alpha Clifton was doing; or where he had gone. A low growl escaped Grant’s lips, and he clenched his fists. The bastard had escaped him again.
Grant was brought out of his musings by Shadow’s voice on the com-link. “Guys, all the cells on the lower level are empty. Jake has found the scent of his sister. It’s leading towards the sub-basement. We’re going to follow the scent to see if we can find her.”
“Be careful and report anything you find,” Grant responded. “I’m heading downstairs to finish up with my father and David. Blaze, you need to get Radar out of here.” He didn’t wait for a response as he headed back downstairs. It didn’t take long for him to find his father and brother in what looked like the security room.
“Did you find anything?” Grant asked as he entered the room.
“The computers have been wiped, so I don’t think we’ll be able to get much from them. Dad and I have been taking some of the hardware to the Seattle Pack’s sentries. Jason or Mack might be able to get something from them.” David replied.
“There wasn’t anything of value in any of the other rooms, except I did find this in one of the trash cans,” Forest held up a matchbook cover with the name of Leather Bound on it.
Grant had heard of the BDSM club and that the franchise was run by some magi. He wasn’t sure what coven, but it was another link to the magi. “Of course, it’s not my kind of club; from what we know of the wolves that surround Alpha Clifton, it could mean nothing.”
Grant shook his head, “Keep it. I’ll have Jason do a complete workup on the clubs when we get back. Who knows, maybe we’ll find Alpha Clifton and his band of killers holed up in one of them.”
They were interrupted by Blaze’s voice on the com-link. “Falcon and Tank, I need you both with me to help with the evacuation of Radar. I’m in the last cell furthest from the entrance.”
“How bad?” Falcon’s voice responded. Grant remembered that in addition to being a weapons expert, Falcon was also the medic for the team. If Blaze wanted him, Radar’s condition must be more than he could handle.
“It’s bad, Falcon. He won’t be walking out.” From the tone of the team leader, it must be life-threatening. But then the shifter had been held captive for months, and if the headless she-wolf was an indication of how Alpha Clifton treated prisoners, they were probably lucky Radar was still alive.
Grant tapped his com-link, “Any luck finding Jake’s sister?”
“Jake found a hidden door in the sub-basement. There’s a cabinet in the supply room. The tunnel is behind it. From the way Jake is acting, his sister must have gone this way. We’re going to go in a short distance to see if we can find any sign of her.” Shadow said softly. From the echo quality to the man’s voice, Grant was pretty sure Shadow and Jake were already on their way.
“Be careful and immediately report if you find anyone down there. Don’t engage without backup, do you understand?” Grant ordered. He didn’t like the two going alone, but he understood Jake’s need to possibly find his sister. Shadow had proven he was a skilled warrior and Jake also was a strong wolf.
The alpha turned to the two shifters in the room with him. “You guys finish up here. Let Rafael know we’ll be leaving just as soon as we can get Radar out and follow up on the lead Shadow and Jake found. If we can figure out the direction of the tunnel, the beta of the Seattle Pack might be able to help us figure out where the exit might be. If we are lucky, we might still be able to catch Alpha Clifton.”
“Where are you going?” David asked.
“I’m going to the sub-basement to backup Shadow and Jake. We need to wrap this up and head back home sooner, rather than later.” Grant didn’t wait for a response as he headed for the stairs.
◆◆◆
Blaze knelt on the floor beside his bloodied comrade. There was so much blood, he didn’t even know where to start. He turned at a sound behind him, his hand on his gun. Luckily, he recognized the form of his teammate. “Falcon, I’m glad you’re here. He’s breathing, but I don’t think he’s conscious.”
“M,not fallin fer it.” Radar’s voice broke the silence. It sounded like the shifter had swallowed sandpaper, and was so soft, Blaze doubted he’d have heard it without his enhanced hearing. Falcon moved closer and quickly opened his pac
k to pull out his first aid kit. He also knelt before he gently turned Radar onto his back.
“Just take it easy, kid, old Falcon will have you fixed up and ready to rock and roll in no time.” Falcon began to assess the injured man. After a few moments, the medic sat back on his heels. “The good news is, most of this blood on Radar doesn’t belong to him. At least I can’t find wounds that would account for this much.”
“Radar? Can you tell us what happened?” Blaze asked as he placed a hand on the shifter’s knee. The man jumped as if he’d been electrocuted.
“S,not real, gotta hold on…” Radar tried to roll to his side, but Falcon stopped him.
“It’s okay, buddy. I know you’re confused but I promise you, we’re here.” Falcon glanced over at Blaze, “He’s probably been hallucinating. It’s common for someone who has been in solitary for as long as Radar may have been.”
“Is it safe to move him?” Blaze asked.
“We’ll need to cover his eyes,” Falcon paused and looked closer at Radar before he growled, “and we need to get this damn submission collar off him. It explains his badly healed shoulder. If he’d been allowed to shift, it would have healed correctly.”
Blaze put a hand on Falcon’s arm as he reached for the collar. “Wait, maybe we should leave it on him until Doc can get a look at him. If he is hallucinating, it wouldn’t be good to have him shift before we can get him someplace safe.”
“I doubt he can shift in his condition, Blaze. Besides, I need to see underneath it.” Falcon put a hand on Radar’s shoulder. “I know you might not understand right now bud, but I am trying to help you. Let’s start by getting this collar off—argh!” Falcon grunted as Radar pushed him back. The injured man reached for the collar and shook his head. His eyes squinted for a moment, “Blaze, s’really you?”
Blaze moved closer, “We’re here to take you home, Radar. Let Falcon do his job, that’s an order, soldier.”
Radar looked toward Falcon for a moment, before he looked again at Blaze, “She said you’d come, s’not possible I told her.” The injured man’s eyes closed briefly. For a moment, Blaze thought the man had passed out; but then he opened his eyes again. He glanced at the door when Tank entered, followed by Dove. A smile formed on his cracked lips, “Gang’s all here, who’s got the beer?”
Falcon shook his head as he once again knelt beside the injured man. As he reached for the collar, Radar once again knocked his hand away. “Let me help you, Radar. You heard Blaze, we need to get you patched up enough so we can get you out of here. Now, let me take the collar off so I can finish and then we’ll go get that beer, okay buddy?”
Radar shook his head and placed his hand on the collar, “Can’t take it off.”
Before anyone could respond, Dove moved closer. “Can I look at it? I won’t take it off, I promise.”
The injured shifter nodded. Dove lightly ran his hand over the collar and stopped near the lock. He sighed and sat back on his heels. “I was afraid of something like this.”
“What’s going on?” Blaze demanded.
“That’s what I was coming here to tell you, I decided to take a closer look around, and I found it,” he paused and ran a hand through his hair, “there’s a bomb attached to the boiler. There is a remote switch, and I’m guessing Radar is wearing it.”
“S’right, Sammy warned me, said not to remove the collar until everyone’s clear,” he swallowed, “wasn’t sure why but makes sense—m’the bait in the trap.” Radar’s shoulders slumped. “Leave me…”
Blaze looked at Dove, “Can you disarm it?”
Dove stood and placed his hands on his hips, “Does a bear crap in the woods?”
Falcon snickered, while Tank shook his head at their comrade’s response. Even Radar managed a smile. Before Blaze could answer, the demolition expert answered, “I already disarmed the bomb—what the Hell??” Dove yelled as the room shook. The sound of an explosion roared through the air, while pieces of rock and other debris that Blaze rather not think about rained down on them.
A moment later, the com-link came to life with Alpha Grant’s voice. “Someone get down here right now! Shadow and Jake are buried alive!”
Chapter 18
Sparky couldn’t believe he finally made it back to the compound. The young man who had escaped with him was sound asleep on the seat beside him. As he parked their borrowed vehicle, he let his head fall down onto the steering wheel. It would be so nice to just close his eyes for a moment. A loud banging on the window caused him to jump and ended his reprieve.
He glanced outside the window and looked into the mismatched eyes of his mate. “Sparky, unlock the door!” Charlie said as he yanked again on the handle. Sparky stared at his mate, the feeling of being home intensified as he felt his mate’s relief flow over him. He quickly unlocked the doors and found himself pulled from the car and held in the powerful arms of his mate.
Sparky couldn’t help himself, he pressed his nose into the crease between Charlie’s neck and shoulder. He breathed in deeply the scent of hot chocolate. The fact that his mate smelled of his favorite drink made him smile, all he needed was the marshmallows and his day would be complete.
The jeans he’d stolen from a laundry mat reminded him of how tight they were when his cock pressed painfully against the zipper. All he wanted was for his mate to take them to their room and finish what they had started a couple of days ago.
Unfortunately, he knew there wouldn’t be enough time. Sparky pushed against Charlie’s chest as he struggled to put his feet on the ground, “Put me down, Charlie, we have to talk.”
Charlie sighed but did as the mechanic requested, “I know, we need to talk, and I know we need to meet with Jason, but as soon as this crap is over, I’m tying you to my bed—then you can talk while I…”
Sparky placed a finger on his mate’s lips, “Hold that thought, stud. We do need to discuss this whole magical bond thing, and it won’t be while you’re having your wicked way with me. It would have been nice if I could have tapped into your Houdini powers,” the mechanic cocked his head, “Come to think of it, what other magic can you do?” Before Charlie could respond he shook his head, “Never mind, we can talk about that later—at least I hope we’ll have a later.”
“The attack you mentioned?” Charlie asked.
“Yeah, have you heard from Alpha Grant yet?”
“Last time Jason spoke to them, everything seemed fine. Apparently, Dove already found some explosives, so they are proceeding with caution.” Charlie motioned to the now awake Sebastian in the car, “Who is he?”
Sparky looked over and sighed. The young magi sat hunched over with his hands clasped tightly in his lap. Throughout the journey, the man had remained silent no matter how much the mechanic had tried to engage him in conversation. Heck, if he hadn’t heard him respond to Brenna, he would have thought him mute.
“He’s the slave that Brenna insisted I take with me when she helped me escape. I’m not sure why she wanted him to come with, but from what I could gather, she felt sorry for him.”
“Wait, who is Brenna?” Charlie scratched the back of his neck. Sparky held up his finger before he turned back toward the car and ducked his head inside. Sebastian seemed to curl tighter into himself as he realized he was the focus of everyone’s attention.
“Hey there, remember I told you about that place where you’d be safe?” Sparky saw a slight nod of the magi’s head. “Well, this is it. I promise once we get you inside, Meg will be chomping at the bit to feed you, and I’m sure the Alpha’s mother will just eat you up.”
Sebastian’s head jerked up, his eyes were dilated. Sparky could smell the fear, but couldn’t figure out why. He jumped slightly when the other passenger door opened, and Charlie knelt beside the now shaking young man.
The mechanic watched fascinated as his mate placed a gentle hand on the magi’s knee and closed his eyes. A second later, a small grin appeared on his face. “She won’t actually eat you, Sebastian. I haven’
t had a chance to get to know her that well but believe me when I tell you, that you have more to fear from her about being mothered to death than to becoming lunch.”
Sparky’s mouth fell open, “You mean he thought…”
Charlie chuckled, “Well, you did kind of say we would fatten him up and then give him to the alpha’s mother to eat.” His mate squeezed the young man’s knee. “Come on young one, you have much to learn about the world. Just from my brief encounter with you, I can sense your innocence of all that surrounds you.”
“But he was trained as a sex slave,” Sparky started but stopped as he saw anger appear on his mate’s features. “Right, I’d say that was about a size ten foot that I put in my mouth. I’m sorry, Sebastian, if anyone should know what you’ve been through, it would be me. No one here will judge you, and if they do, you let me know, and I’ll put my size ten foot in their mouth.”
Sebastian tilted his head to the side before he shook it and slowly got out of the car. He stood quietly beside Charlie and only moved when his mate began to walk toward the house. Sparky noticed that even though he was free, the young magi still acted like a slave. Until they could teach him how to be free, that is how the man would remain. Unfortunately, they had more important things on their plate.
A short time later, Sebastian had been shown to his room and left in the care of Vicky. After a few tense moments, where Sparky had to explain why the young man was a bit leery of her, Grant’s mother laughed softly and worked her magic. He was glad his new young friend would have someone to help him. If anyone could get Sebastian to open up, it would be Vicky.
As they walked past the room where he and Charlie had mated, Sparky paused. It had only been a few days and yet it felt like a lifetime. His wolf was clamoring for him to reconnect with his mate. Before he could wrestle his animal back under control, he was slammed up against the wall.
“Do you know how worried I was? I should tie you to my bed and never let you out after what you did.” Charlie ground out. His mate traced the mating bite with his teeth, while he pressed his fully engorged cock against Sparky’s own growing member. For a moment, the two men clung to each other, both trying to get relief. A soft cough had Sparky glance up and blush.
Battle for a Mates Heart Page 17