"Okay here is what we are going to do, there is a truck stop about 20 miles from here, my recon showed that it is usually really busy. We need to swap out vehicles something is not right we were made way too quick for my liking. Once we get a new vehicle, we need to get to the safe house, and you need to get to work little girl. I want to know how these fuckers found all of us. We are aware Cash and Wyatt were in trouble, but Bas, Ryleigh, and Tory were just cut off. I am hoping it was the weather but fuck we don’t know anything, and that really pisses me off."
"This is all my fault I must have missed something," Peyton cried.
"Now listen here we don’t know anything yet save the self-incrimination stuff for later. Fuel your fire little girl we have people out there that need our help. But you need to remember these are all trained operatives they know how to get out of sticky situations. Your..."
Yeah, Declan didn’t need to say it Peyton was the only non-operative in the group. She sat behind a computer screen to do her thing. The others actually worked in the field Lord she hoped they were all okay. " Declan, we need to find a busy restaurant or coffee shop with Wi-Fi." I want to run some tests before we go to your safe house. Something isn’t sitting right with me about how all this went down. Is it SOP for everyone to go dark when an operation goes bad?
Sometimes no always, why what are you thinking?
Well, we know that Cash and Wyatt were in the air and already dealing with inclement weather. It could have been as simple as that, but with the rest of the group being cut off and our little run in on the highway, I think we were the target. How did you fly into Detroit?
Oh, sweetheart, I assure you my flight plan was not filed, and there is no record of me on any passenger manifest.
At first, Peyton was puzzled then she gasped, “You came in as a dragon?”
Yep, and trust me I was not made, no UFO sightings or anything. Declan laughed.
Oh, that is so cool, I would have loved to see that, I have so many questions, like what color are you? How big is your dragon, do you actually breathe fire or is that a myth? Are there more of your kind. Do...
Declan laughed, “Okay sweetheart all good questions and maybe one day I will show you, but right now we have to figure out what is going on.
Peyton blushed, Sorry Declan it’s just well you’re a dragon.
Yeah, honey, I know been one my entire life.
Oh, yeah sorry.
Okay, let’s find your coffee shop.
The more hipster, the better head towards Ann Arbor, if we can get lost in the college crowd, it will help.
You got it.
Once they made it to the University of Michigan campus even with the inclement weather, the college students seemed to be enjoying a rare day off from classes. Peyton grabbed her laptop. When Declan went to follow, she stopped him. Sir no offense but I need to be as inconspicuous as possible and well with your size and general demeanor we might have a problem with that aspect.
Why Peyton are you saying I am too old to hang out in a college town.
Well no Sir age really never came to my mind, but you are kind of intimidating and...
Declan laughed. I get it, sweetheart, I assume this is one of Ethan’s designs, Wyatt uploaded his tracking software on it. I won’t be far, but I need to ditch this van how long do you need to do your thing?"
Oh, this is pretty, the pin was understated but beautiful and went surprisingly well with her coat. Ryleigh had told her about some of Ethan’s toys and she kind of felt honored to be wearing one but she also kind of wondered if it had a mini machine gun or something disguised in it. It took every bit of her willpower to pin it on her coat and not play with it to find out. " I only need about 20 minutes."
"Okay if you run into trouble just push the blue stone. I will know you’re in trouble and come running, intimidating everyone in my wake," Declan laughed making that weird villain noise from cartoons.
Peyton really liked him. Declan Quinn was intimidating but kind and the more she got to know him the more she wished that she had a father just like him, not some unknown sperm donor or worse unwilling donor. A thought for another time, she was good at that. When unpleasant thoughts or feelings happened, she stored them away for later examination, unfortunately, that time rarely ever came. Sometimes it was just better to go with the flow and not deal with all the bull shit in her life. Better to focus on the here and now then the past was her motto. Because the here and now had a tendency to suck when Judy Carlton was your pseudo-mother.
Declan surprised Peyton when he kissed her on the cheek and said to be careful. This was a genuinely good man, and Peyton could see why he was so respected by his men and others. She had done her research when Bastian joined NAC, and the man standing before her had not let her down something only Bastian and his brothers ever had the honor of in the past. Now she could include Wyatt in that group as well, the man she knew without a doubt she was meant to be with for the rest of her life. Was that thought normal or even sane, no but she felt it, and that was all that mattered?
Blending into the college crowd, Peyton made her way to a popular coffee shop. The cold weather making the place crowded, it was just what she wanted. Grabbing a coffee, she found a seat and then found a victim. Damn, people should be more careful with their computer security. Jumping on to CollegeGirl69, how original, Peyton started to do what had always come naturally to her, navigating the web. Going through backdoors and stalking her prey and low and behold she found the leak.
It was her, how could she have been so stupid. Grabbing another unsuspecting college kids IP, Jock12Inch, again how original, she contacted the group. Bastian, Tory, and Ryleigh first. They were all freaked out, but she explained what had happened chastising herself for not figuring it out sooner and preventing it from happening in the first place. Then she made contact with the one person she had hoped to never let down Wyatt.
What the fuck happened? Where are you? Are you okay? He typed.
I'm all right, are you and Cash okay?
Yeah, bad weather but when the lines went dead, and I couldn’t get ahold of you, shit baby I think you took 10 years off my life. What the hell happened?
Judy.
What do you mean Judy? As in Judy Carlton, how the hell did she find you up north?
I’m not sure, but I found her and the suits on one of the traffic cams. Wyatt, they were less than 100 feet from Declan and me when I got off the plane.
Where are you, baby?
Coffee shop on a college campus. I don’t know how she did it, Wyatt, I was so careful.
Doesn’t matter, baby you need to wipe your computer. Go to the bathroom and get rid of all your clothes, everything. You could have a tracker on your person. We never checked, fuck how could I be so stupid. The bunker was probably safe because it is entirely off the grid, but as soon as you entered the general populace, they had you.
Do you have anything that Judy may have given you that you still wear jewelry or something? Or maybe something she could have gotten her hands on recently. You said that she stayed away for years, but she always knew where you were, how?
Shit, how could I be so stupid? She gave me a necklace when I was a little girl. I have never taken it off do it think it has a tracker in it? It would explain a lot but shit that was years ago.
I don’t know honey, but you need to get rid of it and everything else. Where is Senior? Never mind, do what I said and get out of there. Shit baby if I don’t hear from you in the next 15 minutes’ fuck this mission I am coming to you get me?
No Wyatt we need to get this done. This mission is important now that I know it wasn’t Davis that interfered we still need to go with the plan. I will do what you said, the college bookstore is next door. I can get some clothes and get out of here meet up with Declan and plan our next move. Please stay where you are I will contact you as soon as I can.
What do you mean meet up with Declan, isn’t he with you? Fuck screw this Peyton. I will not have you in dang
er.
Sorry, Wyatt, we don’t have much of choice please I will call you as soon as I can. Peyton disconnected. Just as she went through the connecting doors to the bookstore, she looked over her shoulder and noticed yep the suits had traced her. Shit. Ripping the necklace, Judy had given her off her neck she bumped into a brute of a man and dropped it in his coat pocket. Hiding behind a rack of clothes she watched as he left the building, shortly after the suits followed. She wanted to do a fist pump, but she knew better.
Grabbing some college gear, she made her way to the counter, thankfully Wyatt had insisted she carry some cash. Going back to the coffee house she made her way to the bathroom and almost cried when she had to say goodbye to her precious laptop. Wiping it and then dismantling it she put the hard drive in the toilet after taking the damaged piece from the toilet she smashed it. No chance of data retrieval.
Exiting the bathroom with her new gear Peyton was happy to see Declan walking her way. He must have noticed something was wrong because he opened his arms and she walked right into then. " What happened Peyton, why did you change your clothes and where is the rest of your stuff?"
Sniffling Peyton said," can we just get out of here the suits are on to us."
"Shit, come on sweetheart." When they exited the coffee shop, Peyton noticed the one thing that scared her the most. Judy was standing at the corner looking for her, and if anyone could pick her out of a crowd, it was Judy.
Declan spoke quietly, I see her sweetheart just stay where you are, and everything will be okay. Walking at a leisurely pace when all Peyton wanted to do was run Declan guided her to an SUV parked on the road. Opening the passenger side door, he guided her in. " Honey why don’t you put that hood up and scrunch down a bit. We are going to have to drive right past her."
Peyton wasn’t sure if Judy had seen her, but Declan seemed to be sure, and she was relieved. Peyton started to explain to Declan about the necklace and what she believed happened. She needed to check some more things out, but that would have to wait. They needed to get to a computer store and to a safe place for her to do her thing.
They made their way to an outdoor mall that had a big box electronic store, and once they made the purchases that Peyton needed on Declan’s credit card, he drove them to a quiet little neighborhood and into a driveway. Peyton would have questioned him, but she really didn’t need to Declan knew what he was doing.
Chapter 23
Wyatt was at his wit's end Peyton had yet to call him back. " Cash we need to get the fuck out of here and head to Michigan."
"Dude, first off there is no way we are getting out of here anytime soon, shit we barely made it out of the air the first time. With gale force winds and the fucking blizzard that is bearing down on us, we are grounded until at least tomorrow night. Secondly, what the fuck happened you said you talked to Peyton what changed?"
"Shit man I told her to call me back, and she hasn’t it’s been a fucking hour. She could be in danger I need to go to her. I knew this was a bad idea I should have stayed with her. Peyton isn’t trained for field work I mean shit she could be hurt, capture or worse. I can’t just sit here and hope everything is okay I need to fucking do something man, I can’t lose her I just fucking found her."
"Dude, shit why the fuck are you acting like Bas’s little sister is your mate or something you two just met."
Wyatt bared his neck to Cash, not in submission but to show him the mating mark. “That’s because she is my fucking mate.”
"Okay, shit man ah congratulations but dude there isn’t anything we can do we are grounded. If I could sprout wings and fly, you to her, I would, but man we are stuck here. But dude she is with Senior he won’t let anything happened to her, and you know it. If Jessie were alive, I would trust Declan with her life man, and you know I mean it."
"But that is the fucking thing Cash, right before she disconnected she said she wasn’t with Senior. What if something happened what if they got to her."
"Dude, you’re not thinking straight, Senior would have found a way to contact all of us if Peyton was in danger. He hasn’t so you have to believe that shit no one knows your mates, but she is Bas’s little sister that makes her family. By the way, how are you going to break the news to Bas? I mean you are doing his little sister."
"Shit I can’t even think about Bas right now. He is just going to have to accept it Peyton is mine. He might not like it but shit."
"Yeah, I get you but remember it’s the quite ones you have to watch out for. Bas is all brooding and quite until that hair trigger snaps, and he goes all bearzilla. I wouldn’t want to be you, man. So, what the plan you bring her back to base or are you going to stay on her mountain with her little doggies?"
Wyatt laughed" Dude she doesn’t have little doggies. The one that met me in the driveway was about 150 pound of pure muscle. "
"Shit what kind of dogs does she train great Danes?"
"No dude, that one was a Pit through and through."
"She trains Pit Bulls for service dogs, Dude they have a terrible reputation."
"You know I never even asked her about her dogs, so I’m not really sure, but I could have sworn that dog was just waiting for me to make the wrong move." Wyatt laughed. " Shit its name was Zeus can you believe it. Her assistant said two others were roaming the property, but I never saw them, my bear sensed them but I never once caught sight of either of them, my girls has talent."
"Yeah, I think your right." Cash laughed," I can’t wait to get her to the base so I can check out the dogs for myself. I have always wanted a dog, but we have been gone so much it wouldn’t be fair to the dog. Dude, are you calmed down enough to wait for the call now. We really can’t do anything, but I promise you if your girl is in danger I will find a way out of here."
"I know you will Cash and yeah I will wait, but it is fucking killing me. I just want to know she is okay, I just found her."
"I get it man I really do, not a day goes by that I don’t miss Jessie and wish I could have done something."
"Sorry man, I didn’t understand before, but now I have no idea how you make it from one day to the next. If something happened to Peyton, I don’t know if I would want to go on without her. I just met her but shit the bond is so ingrained already I can’t imagine what it is going to be like after spending years together."
"It’s the most amazing and yet terrifying thing you will ever experience man, cherish it and her."
"Always."
Pulling into the garage he surprisingly had a remote for, Declan told her to wait until he checked the place out. He came back a few minutes later and told her it was all clear.
"Honey why don’t you get all your gear up and running. There is a secure satellite phone in the office give Wyatt a call and let me know you’re okay. If I know the man which I do he is already trying to get you."
Peyton called a Wyatt. At first, he was pissed and stressed, but after explaining what happened, he seemed to calm down with a promise to call once she got everything up and running. They hung up. Once she had her new computer set up her grumbling stomach made her set out in search of food, and she should have known Declan would have it covered. " Hey Honey I hope canned soup and tuna fish sandwiches are okay. I didn’t have much to choose from."
"Thanks, Declan, for everything I couldn’t have done any of this without your help and soup and sandwiches just happen to be one of my favorite meals."
"That is good to know it’s my specialty. Ryleigh was practically raised on them, he laughed. The poor girl didn’t know what to do the first time I took her to a fancy restaurant. She asked me why they didn’t offer tuna or grilled cheese. It took me a good 20 minutes to convince her is was okay to try something else. On the way home, don’t ever tell the guys but I bought my first cookbook."
"When this is over, and we get back to Alpha base I will kick Cash out of the kitchen and really give you a treat. I happen to make the best tuna casserole around." He laughed.
"I don’t know Peyt
on teased I’m starting to see a pattern, tuna sandwiches, and tuna casserole."
"Hey you have to stick with what you know even if you're trying to feed a little girl a nutritious meal, he laughed. Okay back to business, honey you need to know that none of us blame you for not knowing Judy had you tracked. We all know better and should have checked, the mistake was ours. You are one of our best chances of figuring out Davis’s place in this mess. I do have a confession though I read your file and I have to ask how the hell did you get so good with computers when you have never even taken a class."
"You have passed clearance tests without any indication of your abilities with computers only your dog training skills. Which I have to say are phenomenal, and I expect a puppy of my very own now that we are family but how did you do it?"
"Well, it all kind of started as a game. I spent a lot of time in library's and loved to read, code, programming anything I could get my hands on. Then I would use the libraries computers to test out what I had learned. It was fun for me. Then when I got older a couple of the kids at the group home introduced me to more nefarious uses, and I took it a step further."
"I can’t really explain it but there is like a switch in my brain when something catches my attention I have to learn more, but I’m also not stupid. I knew Judy would eventually catch up with me and I didn’t want her to ever exploit the skill. That’s why I kept it to myself a learned reaction I guess. This must all sound kind of weird to you."
"Nope, I know a couple of other girls that have the same traits. Okay, that explains the hacking but what about the dogs? Your degrees are in animal science and zoology. Why not veterinary or I know there are some pretty good dog training schools?"
"I did actually study those subjects, but again I wanted to make sure that anything I did couldn’t cause harm in some way. Becoming a veterinarian or even a tech would have given me access to drugs. Dog training schools would have given away what I wanted to do before I was ready or more precisely before I had the contacts to keep Judy at bay. But to answer your real question I have always had an affinity towards animals, specifically dogs."
Wyatt: NAC & The Holly Group (Alpha Team Book 3) Page 20
