I narrowly dodged a couple more strikes from the wolf. And jumped away. Reaching out, I felt Andrea. Following my link to her I felt the threads connecting her pack to me.
The wolf blurred, moving so quick I could barely see him. Much faster than me. I jumped back and right into his path. Three claw strikes criss crossed my chest and shoulders. I cried out in pain.
Then I found what I wanted, the thread. I pulled tracing my will along that specific path and drained seventy-five percent. I went that high to ensure I was powered up enough to win and his power drained significantly.
The next person to blur was me. I dashed forward, ducked under the swipe, and landed an uppercut to his jaw. Juan Carlos left his feet and flew back. I moved to stand at his side and slammed two balled up fists into his gut slamming him to the ground.
Killing Juan Carlos was not my goal. So I stepped back and left him moaning on the ground. While keeping his power I turned to the group. “Anyone else want to challenge me for leadership?”
No one responded. I moved my gaze from person to person meeting everyone’s eyes. I even looked at Roo, Riley, the twins, and Andrea. The latter smiled at me with the biggest grin I had seen on her. I felt pride coming from my wolf. Several eyes shifted to look behind me. I turned wondering if Juan Carlos was really going to try again. The wolf rose onto shaking legs. He coughed a couple times then dropped to his knees. He tilted his head back offering me his throat.
“I ask that you forgive me and accept my pledge to serve, Alpha of Alphas.”
“I accept your pledge and forgive your impertinence. Rise and join the ranks of our brothers and sisters.”
“You are laying it on a little thick,” Andrea thought to me.
“It's about to get worse.”
“Now that that is done,” I said to the crowd. “I need you all if we are going to make it out of here. If anyone has a problem with me or Andrea leave now. We don’t have time for that shit.” I waited, and no one moved. “We will take the fight to these fuckers, save my Dragon, and fuck all of this up!” I waved my arms around to show what I meant by, all of this. “Who is with me?”
Andrea was the first to cheer, then the rest followed her example.
Chapter 28
We ran as a group toward the building to the left where Dragon was. An idea, and a separate thought both hit me at the same time. I came to a stop and my pack gathered around me.
“What is it?” Andrea asked.
I looked from our destination to the set of buildings across the elevator from them. “I think we are making a mistake. We need a change of plans.” Tapping the separate thought, I looked up. “Amy! Where are you?”
A few seconds later the buzzing of the drone’s engines could be heard, but they sounded wrong. A clicking sound accompanied the buzz. Another handful of seconds passed when the large drone came into view.
The problem was immediately discernible. They damaged one of Amy’s engines and it was the source of the clicking. Her twin guns were gone and a section of her hull where the guns had been.
“I’ll start with a status report,” I said before I could free myself of the shock from seeing her. “I am flight capable, obviously, but my weapon systems are gone. All other systems are functioning nominally except for some cooling issues. The cooling is minor and manageable.”
“I see. So you can’t fight, and without the glasses you can’t feed me intel from above.”
“That is correct,” Amy said in a dejected tone.
“Good.”
“Good?” Amy and Andrea said at the same time.
“I have another job for you, Amy.” Looking at Andrea I went into my idea. “I have a new plan.”
“I am all ears, my Alpha,” Andrea said. She wore a smile and pride filtered through our connection. She really got off on me taking charge. “I need to split our forces. I want the bulk of the pack to go to those buildings.” I pointed to the building opposite the ones we were headed to. “I want that force to be the larger of the two. Andrea, I need you to lead our pack in the assault. Take those buildings. I suspect the command center for this facility is there. That’s why I want you to take the larger force.”
“I see. I’ll make it happen, Alpha.”
“Good. I’ll take Roo, Riley, and Dris with me. We will get my Dragon then meet you at the command center. Send me a message if you need me.”
“I will, Alpha.” Andrea turned and started toward the other buildings. “You heard my Alpha. Let’s move!” She took off at a run and the pack followed. Andrea shifted, and the wolves followed her lead.
“Stay safe, my Alpha,” Andrea thought to me.
“You do the same.”
I wanted to tell her I loved her, but I had a gut feeling doing so was wrong. She needed to see me as strong now more than ever.
“So now you want me by your side?” Roo snapped. “After you pawned us off on your pet dogs?”
“Watch your tongue,” Dris snapped.
“It’s all right, Dris. I can handle this.”
“Oh?” Roo raised an eyebrow. “You can handle me?” The tall Aussie was pissed, and I didn’t blame her. I neglected her in favor of my new shiney. But she wasn’t one of mine. And I wasn’t sure how much I could trust her and Riley.
“I decided, it’s what Tuatha do.” I let that statement hang in the air for a moment. “And now I need you. It’s your job to keep me safe as per the instructions your own Tuatha gave you, correct?”
“Yes, but…”
“And now,” I said talking over her. “I am giving you the chance to do just that. Is that all right?”
Roo was seething. I could almost see the steam rising from her ears. “Fine.”
“Riley seems fine with it,” I said.
Riley took that as her cue to talk. “Hi, Terry,” she said in a pleasant voice as she waved.
“Hi, Riley.” I smiled and waved back.
“Let’s just go,” Roo said. Her tone showed that she had been defeated.
“Can I assume you intend stealth,” Dris asked.
“I figured stealth to be our best bet, yeah.”
“Good. Then if you will allow, I would like to continue on point.”
“I’m good with it, lead the way.”
Dris set a decent running pace. Fast enough to get to our destination quickly, but not fast enough to leave us winded when we arrived. Almost all of us. The pace pushed Riley to her limits, but she urged us to keep it up. She would be winded and in need of a break when we arrived. Unless…
I dropped back to run along the Drop Bear. “Hey Riley, I think you should slow down.”
“I can. Keep up.”
“I know, but if you slow down, you can get the drop on anyone we encounter. A sort of backup, or reserve force ready to pounce if there is an attack.”
Riley smiled. “You hit all my keywords you sneak,” she said. “But okay, I’ll slow down some. See you soon.”
Riley’s pace dropped immediately. She fell behind quickly, and I sped up to get even with Roo. I took a moment to let her know what I had done.
“That’s actually a good way to use her. I approve.”
I knew the Kangaroo was still sore from me taking charge earlier so I let it slide. I would need her cooperation to win the fight ahead.
The distance between us and our targets disappeared quickly. Dris slowed his pace until he was walking. His pace slowed more as he dropped to all fours then to his belly. While he was moving slow, he didn’t stop. Roo, who was ahead of me and providing me with a great view as we ran. She dropped until she was on her belly following Dris’ lead. Then I did the same. I expected the Kangaroo to comment, but she went along without a word.
The last couple hundred yards went slow. When we were fifty feet from the buildings I understood why we were crawling. A couple men walked out from a space between buildings. They looked around, then turned and went back. Dris had stopped while they were out which resulted in the rest of us doing the same. The depressions and uneve
n rocky ground provided enough cover for us to remain unseen. Then we were moving.
Dris rose to his feet and took off at a sprint. He was out of sight before I was standing. The rest of us reached the alley between buildings in time to see Dris Take down the second guard. He placed a finger to his lips and waved us over.
“I don’t smell anyone else,” Dris said. “Stay behind me and move as quiet as you can.”
We went all of three steps before I stopped. Dragon was close. Like, right next to me and above me close. I rushed up to Dris and grabbed his arm. He stopped and looked at my hand then to my face. I pointed at the building in question.
“She is in there, somewhere above us,” I whispered.
“That is weird considering I smell no one.”
“I know, but I feel her. She is there.”
“Dragon?” I sent, but no response came.
“She may be unconscious, but she is there.”
“All right. Hang tight, there is a door over here. I’ll check it out and come back.”
Dris ducked around the corner and I went to the edge to keep a lookout. He made it to the door with no problems. I checked the area and saw no one so I looked at him again. Dris had his ear to the door and after a couple second he turned the doorknob. The door opened. He peeked in which reminded me to keep a lookout. I looked around once more and still no one. Dris was inside when I returned my attention to the door.
A couple seconds passed, and he hadn’t returned. A couple seconds turned into a couple minutes of no Dris. After over five minutes Roo came up and touched my arm.
“What’s taking so long?” She asked.
“I don’t know. I think he might be in trouble.”
“Should we go in after him?” Roo asked.
“Can you stay here and keep watch while I go and see if there is another way in?” I asked.
Roo nodded once then moved aside so I could get by her. She took my place at the corner and scanned by moving her head back and forth. Confident she had it under control, I went back to the other end of the building and went around.
There were no doors or windows on the side facing the elevator. The side opposite the alley let out into a wide area between buildings I figured to be a street. There was an entrance on this side two doors wide and well lit. It had to be the main entrance. I kept froward until I was just out of the pool of light.
No sounds came from the front and no one entered. Likewise, there were no pedestrians or moving vehicles. No vehicles at all could be seen from where I stood. I stepped into the light expecting an alarm to go off. Nothing happened.
Next to the wooden double doors was a narrow window. I peeked inside and saw a desk that looked like a reception area. A dark-haired woman with glasses sat behind the desk engrossed with her computer. This way was a bust.
I made my way back around to Roo. She was still where I left her and looking left and right.
“Anything?” I whispered as I stepped up behind her.
“Nothing, you?”
“I found an entrance, but it’s a no go. Unless there are no other options.” I said.
“What’s the plan then?” Roo asked.
“I will go check that door, but I want you right on my ass. If something happens I don’t want it to be a mystery to you. If that is the case, there is a set of double doors around that corner. A receptionist is sitting behind a desk. She didn’t seem to pay attention so if you’re quick you could take her without her calling out.”
“Understood.”
“Let’s move.”
Roo took another look left and right then stepped out and to the right. I went left sticking to the side of the building. Roo placed a hand on my back and followed me.
Pausing at the door, I activated Wolf Senses. The darkness of the cavern lightened and took on a grey hue. The scent of mold became prevalent with a touch of dust. The faint musk I came to be associated with a werekangaroo mingled in with the smells. I heard nothing other than Roo and I breathing. It was wrong.
I knew Dragon was in the building and one receptionist. There should have been a plethora of smells and sounds.
There was only one way to get answers. I opened the door and peeked in. It was dark and nothing moved. After a few minutes I pulled it open enough to slip in, but kept my hand on the doorknob. Still nothing happened or moved.
I stuck my head back out. “All clear. Come on in.”
Chapter 29
The space beyond the door was a small room leading into a stairwell. There was a door across from the one we entered the stairs. A small window set in the door emitted a faint blue light. Looking through the window let me see the receptionist in profile. She was alone from this angle.
“The receptionist,” I whispered. Having to talk out loud made me miss my Tua. Mental communications would have reduced our risk of being discovered. I suspected that someone knew we were here, though.
“Let’s head up,” I said.
Roo waited for me to take the lead. At the landing, for the second floor, I stopped unsure of what to do. Dragon was higher still, but did I want to leave potential enemies on the second floor? If things went sideways, they could be an obstacle that stops our escape. That decided it.
“Dragon is above, but I want to clear this floor first,” I whispered.
“Can you sense Dris?”
“Yes, but not his location like I can with my direct Tua.”
“I see,” Roo whispered. “I’ve never heard of a Tuatha taming an Alpha before.”
“Me neither, but I’ve never heard of a Tuatha before I was shown what I am. Let’s get ready to move.”
Roo took up a position next to the door on the hinges side. I leaned against the wall next to the knob side of the door. With both of us being quiet there were no sounds other than a soft hum from the air conditioner.
I turned the knob and waited. Nothing. Pushing it slightly the door opened just enough for a tiny peek. No movement, just darkness. No sounds, but the smell of mold and dust.
Pushing more I entered the room with Roo on my heels. Allowing her to pass I closed the door as quietly as I could manage. There came a soft click, but no monsters reached out of the dark because of it.
We stepped into the space with me leading once again. The darkness was so absolute I couldn’t see anything until I was right on top of it. Which is how I almost ran into a desk. I skirted the furniture while grabbing Roo and keeping her from hitting it. Beyond the desk, I found the first of many cubicles.
At the far end of the cubicles, we hit a wall with a door set into it. While being cautious, we opened the door and found an office. There were no office supplies or personal effects. We closed the office and moved down the wall. There were three more offices, one of them being a large corner office better lit from the huge windows. Still no signs of habitation. We cleared the floor.
We made our way back toward the stairs. Halfway through cubical hell something whipped passed my leg.
I froze and Roo bumped into me nearly knocking me down.
“What is it?” She asked as she kept me from falling.
“I thought I felt something pass by.”
“I haven’t seen or heard anything. Not that I could see in this darkness. We should go.”
“Yeah, probably nothing. Just keep your ears open.”
“Always.”
We made it to the stairs without some unseen force ripping our faces off. Relief washed over me when we made it to the stair landing. The space had a lot more light and a lot less creepy.
“Up it is then?” Roo asked.
For the first time since I’ve known her, Roo looked shaken. I felt for her, but at the same time my perception was colored by the thought of her being a spy.
I let out a sigh. “Let’s go.”
Once we were at the third-floor door, we repeated our steps from before. Listening for sound and trying to pick up scents. When there was nothing we cracked the door and peeked. It was dark like the second
floor.
We rushed in and Roo quietly closed the door. Moving forward I kept my hands out expecting a desk. Instead, the lights flickered on. The room was large and reminded me of a lab in the underground facility we had previously raided. On the far wall stood a tube filled with transparent green liquid. And inside floated my Dragon with a mask on her face.
“That her?” Roo asked.
“Yeah,” I said. “I think the real question is why did the lights come on?”
“There,” Roo said as she pointed up at the wall to the right of the door. A rectangular piece of equipment was attached to the wall next to the door.
“Motion sensor?” I asked.
“Sure is.”
“That’s bad.”
“How so?” Roo asked.
“Because now they know where we are.”
A roar sounded from off in the distance. It was followed by another closer one. The monsters were coming for us now.
“Let’s get Dragon and try to get out of the building before they get here!” I shouted as I ran across the room.
My legs pushed me at full speed and I hit the tube shoulder first. Then I bounded off with a loud thud and rolled a couple of times before stopping at Roo’s feet.
“Maybe we try a switch on that panel there?” She asked as she stepped over me.
The Kangaroo pressed a button on the panel and the fluid quickly drained from the tube. Dragon floated down until there was no longer enough fluid to hold her. She then fell to the floor of the tube with her the side of her face pressed against the glass.
“Aaaaaand. Oh, that should do.” She pressed a couple more buttons, and the glass raised up.
I got up and limped to my Dragon. First thing I did was yank the mask off her face. Then I picked her up and cradled her in my arms. The green goo clung to her and soaked my shirt. Not only was she unconscious, but she was naked. I wasn’t sure which pissed me off more. Either way, someone was going to pay.
“Let’s get moving,” I said.
“Right. I’ll take point.”
Roo ran to the door ahead of me and pulled it open. She held it as I passed through with Dragon. We made it to the first floor with no issues. We rushed out and ran as fast as we could to the next building. Skirting it we kept going turning the corner to get the building between us and the oncoming monsters.
Dragonshift Page 17
