by Vella Day
She’d been taught what to do in a hostage situation, but now that it was happening, she couldn’t remember a fucking thing. As soon as she was in the hallway, all she could see was door after closed door. She might have concluded this was a hospital, but she didn’t spot a nurse’s station or names next to the doors. What was this place? And what was this lab?
Tyson placed a hand on her shoulder, and for some reason it helped calmed her. He didn’t appear to be in cahoots with Clare and that made Bailey feel a little bit better. As they passed one of the rooms, whoever was inside began screaming a string of profanities. Bailey couldn’t blame the woman. She felt the same way.
Shrieks came from the room. “You fucktard, get these fucking cuffs off me.”
Adrenaline pumped her up. Tatum was here! Bailey lifted up on her elbows then immediately dropped back down. She didn’t need anyone to realize she was aware of Tatum’s presence. Now, it wasn’t a matter of her escaping. She had to help Tatum get free, too.
The elevator door dinged and he slid her in. The numbers on the control panel read 1, 3, G, B1, B2, B3. Either she hadn’t had enough sleep or that drugged saline solution was doing a number on her head. This whole nightmare was almost sci-fi in nature, but she wasn’t ready to believe she’d been abducted by aliens. On the other hand, if all of the men looked as good as Tyson, she might be willing to stay—assuming they weren’t all hairy.
Okay, she was definitely losing her mind lusting after her kidnapper.
The elevator stopped and Tyson let Clare lead. They stopped on the third floor. Once more, they traveled down a long corridor with bright LED lighting. The stench of antiseptic permeated the air, but it was tinged with another odor. More offensive. Like metal. Bailey gave one last-ditch effort to get loose, but it was to no avail. Shit.
A set of double doors opened and he wheeled her into a large room filled with other beds. Each one held a woman—just like her. Oh, my God. What the hell was happening?
* * *
“Slow down,” Ford said.
As soon as Clare dismissed him, Ty rushed to find his brother. He couldn’t give any details inside the main entrance as every inch of the place was bugged. Let’s get some fresh air, he telepathed. While it took more energy to converse silently, he couldn’t let this monumental piece of information leak.
“You see something suspicious out there?” Ford was playing it up for the cameras.
“Yes.”
Ty didn’t bother with his jacket. This wouldn’t take long. The most secure spot was toward the hillside where fewer cameras existed.
“What’s up?” Ford asked once they were alone.
“I found my mate.” Ty kept his back to the lab. “She could be yours, too.” He’d heard that twins, cousins, and even best friends were often bonded to the same woman. Dread at the circumstances under which they’d met mixed with disbelief and joy. At twenty-eight, he believed he’d never find her.
“What are you talking about?” Ford’s chin tucked under.
“It was crazy. No. More than crazy. You know that call I got?”
“A nurse needing help with someone.”
“Yes. Clare thought this woman was a flight risk.”
“Aren’t they all?”
“Good point.”
Ford looked at him kind of funny. “Why exactly did she call you, instead of putting out an all call?”
His brother must not have been paying enough attention to the goings on around here. “I’ve been nice to her, trying to get information. Her name’s Clare Steegal. I think she’s scared.”
“She should be, working with all these evil schmucks. She tell you anything useful?”
“Not yet, but she knows stuff. I can tell.” He waved a hand. “Anyway, I walked in the room to help this woman to the bathroom, and it was like something slammed against my chest. I couldn’t breathe, and my vision blurred.”
Ford ran his gaze up and down Ty’s body. “Were you sick? You look okay now.”
“That’s the thing. I felt sick then. My bones started to crack, and I couldn’t stop the hair from growing on my hands and face. My fucking nails started to extend.”
Ford whistled. “That’s not good. If you’d shifted in front of those humans, no telling what Statler would do.”
That was an understatement. “It was as if twenty wolves were in the room ready to attack, but the only person besides Clare was this delicate beauty, strapped to the bed like a caged animal. I was so pissed that I rushed over to her. The closer I got, the more my dick wanted to burst out of my pants.”
“Let me get this straight. You see a hot chick and are turned on. This makes her our mate, how?”
He was fucking up this conversation. “Don’t you remember what Dad said when he first met Mom?” Ford nodded. “It was just like that.”
Ford stabbed a hand through his hair. “You know her name?”
“Bailey Nash.”
“Doesn’t sound familiar.”
“She’s new. We have to get her out.”
Ford barked out a laugh. “Are you out of your fucking mind?”
Ty grabbed his brother’s arm. “She’s our mate—or at least she’s my mate. I’m not going to let them do experiments on her.”
Ford crossed his arms. Ty knew that look. He might as well try to walk through a steel door. “Just how do you plan to do that?”
He hadn’t thought that far ahead. “I was hoping you’d help me.”
Ford glanced to the sky. “For the sake of argument, suppose we do manage to break her out. Then what? You think we can waltz back in there and all will be well? Huh? Don’t you think Statler will find out and kill us?”
Ty hated when Ford used logic in his arguments. “We have enough intel now to get General Armand started. If we leave, our two weeks here won’t be for naught.”
“No we don’t. What you’re proposing is to save one woman at the cost of twenty others. If we aren’t here to let The Pack in, these women will be left alone to be probed, prodded, and experimented on. Can you really do that?” His brother’s lips turned paper-thin.
“No, but Bailey is my mate. Our life’s goal is to protect her at all cost.”
Ford wrapped an arm around Ty’s shoulder. “There’s a reason why I was born first. I got all the brains. Listen. If Bailey is your or our mate, she’ll be our mate in another week or another month. Our goal is to get all of the women out. The only way we can accomplish that is with the help of others.”
That was exactly what their father would say. “That may be true, but I’m going to keep an eye on Bailey.”
“You do that. Now, let’s get inside. It’s fucking cold out here.”
Ty had barely felt the chill. “Now, who’s the pussy?” The punch he received hurt. “Asshole.”
Chapter Four
Bailey had never been more scared in her life when Clare rolled her to the corner of a large room that was only slightly smaller than her high school gym. The bed angled away from the others, preventing her from seeing their faces. At least Tatum was safe in her room, but would they bring her here, too, to draw blood and do whatever it was they did to the women?
Bailey had to assume her captors knew she and Tatum were sisters since Tom and Brad would have told them. If she asked Clare about her sister’s condition, she doubted she’d get a straight answer. Poor Tatum. As strong as she appeared on the outside, she thrived on being with people. If Tatum knew Bailey was here, too, she wouldn’t feel so alone. How to let her know was the big question.
With her back to Bailey, Clare slapped on rubber gloves and picked up some vials. She returned and wrapped a rubber tourniquet thingy around Bailey’s upper arm then began tapping the vein on the inside of her elbow.
When Bailey spotted the big, honking needle, she freaked. “You’re sticking me with that?”
“It’ll only pinch a little. Make a fist.”
Bailey obeyed. Clare stabbed her in a really sensitive spot and it hurt like a bitch. Sh
e then filled up vial after vial of her blood. “Leave me some, okay?”
Her comment didn’t seem to amuse Clare. As soon as she removed the tied rubber band, she stepped off to the side to place the vials in a rack. Some shouts sounded from the hallway, and Bailey craned her neck to see if Tatum had arrived. For obvious reasons, she thought it unwise to yell out her sister’s name. When it turned out that the girl wasn’t Tatum, Bailey secretly checked the other occupants. From what she could tell, everyone appeared young. That made her stomach churn even more. From the way they remained so still, they, too, were restrained. Where did these kidnappers think they could go? Given the number of nurses, and the occasional security guard, they couldn’t get far.
Several of the girls moaned as if in pain, a few appeared to be asleep or unconscious, and others were thrashing about, making a lot of noise. One girl gagged then rolled her head to the side and vomited. Gross. That got two of the nurse’s attention. A brunette spoke into a communication device. After listening to some instructions, the nurse wheeled the girl out of the room.
While what happened had been disgusting, Bailey catalogued it as a possible means of escape.
Clare returned. “I need to take these vials to a different lab. I won’t be long.”
Anger and depression assaulted her at once, and Bailey leaned her head to the side to let the tears drip down her cheeks. Why wouldn’t someone tell her what was going on? Jerks.
A trickle of reason filtered into her brain. They had to unhook her at some point since she’d have to shower and eat. Maybe they had a cafeteria where she could talk to the girls and find out what they knew. That thought cheered her for about eight seconds until she realized these people wouldn’t allow her to become friends with the other captives.
Damn. She nabbed her bottom lip to stop it from quivering. She had to stay strong and keep focused on the belief that eventually Dad would wonder where they were and send someone to find them. If only he knew where that was.
* * *
Ford didn’t sleep well last night. He’d been harsh with Ty, but fuck. They were there to save all of the girls, not just one. True, they might not be the ones who eventually took down Statler and this obscenely unethical lab, but their intel would help get the job done. Ford tried to explain to Ty that two weeks hadn’t been enough time to figure out how to break in. Their only hope would be to remain as guards and help sneak The Pack inside when the time was right.
Then there were the other enhanced werewolves to consider. To demonstrate their power, Statler had shot a few of them in the heart. At that horror, Ford had placed a palm on his own chest. He was thankful Statler hadn’t chosen him to be a test dummy. Regardless of the outcome, the shot would have hurt like a bitch.
When he and Ty had received this enhancement therapy, both of them had been against it, but Ford reasoned that if they became indestructible, perhaps The Pack could do tests on them with the hope of gaining some insight as to how to destroy the evil Statler and the rest of the Colters.
He and Ty strode toward the bank of elevators on the main floor. It had taken some work, but they’d managed to convince their immediate boss that they needed to go down into the bowels of the building where the brains of the operation existed. Ford argued that Statler had hired them to make sure the complex was indeed impenetrable. It was their job to determine if there was sufficient coverage should an attack occur, as well as find out if their emergency warning system worked as promised. That meant they needed access to sub-level three.
What Ford really wanted to learn was the location of the secret escape route. He’d only met Statler a few times, but the man didn’t seem the type to take chances. If the shit ever did hit the fan, the man would be the first to escape. There had to be some kind of tunnel that led a safe distance away. Ford reasoned that if Statler could get out, then someone could get in the same way. Right now, that was The Pack’s best offense.
Once they key carded their way into the downstairs facility, they entered the rather small room that was filled with monitors. With enough space for only three possible men, it would be easy to take them down. Even if they were enhanced werewolves, it didn’t mean they knew how to fight. The trick would be to slit their throats before they could shift. Once in wolf form, they’d be harder to kill—though not impossible.
Most likely, he and Ty wouldn’t be the ones to do the damage though he wouldn’t mind executing these scum. Ford had no doubt he and his brother were the most capable fighters in the whole place, and their father had assured them that The Pack, which resided in Gulfside, Florida, were also highly trained operatives. Then again, Statler had bragged his men were the best. Seriously? If that were true, why did Statler feel the need to hire them to train his crew?
“Where’s Dan?” Ford asked. He couldn’t remember the name of the other fellow who’d been here the one time they’d been allowed into this sacred place.
George kept his eyes glued on the monitors. “Taking a break. Phil is off today.”
Did this man have any idea how easy it would be to step behind him and take him out?
“Any strange movement we should be aware of?” Ty asked.
“Nah, business as usual.” George leaned back and stretched. “See for yourself.” He pushed back his chair and stood.
Ford and Tyson took the seats next to each other.
Ford’s palms actually began to sweat. He hoped he had time to memorize where all of the cameras were pointing. As expected, they blanketed the exterior, the main lobby, and the large room where they brought the women. It was where they weren’t that was equally, if not more, important. One lone camera resided in the experimental biology lab, and none sat atop the tall hillside that overlooked the furniture showroom. Interesting.
He twisted toward George. “No cameras in the women’s rooms?”
“Statler said it wasn’t necessary. With the automatic door locks and lack of windows, they can’t escape.”
Wasn’t that his and Ty’s job to determine? The other fellow, Dan, returned from break, greeted them, and sat in the remaining chair. For the next hour, Ford and Ty asked both of them questions about procedures.
Ty suddenly gave an exaggerated yawn and stood. “Looks like you guys run a tight ship. We’ll let Statler know everything is in good hands.”
The tension across George’s face relaxed. “Thanks. Stop by anytime. It gets pretty lonely down here.”
“Hey,” Dan complained. “You got me.”
Let’s get out of here, bro, Ty telepathed.
Ford sure as hell didn’t want to be in the middle of that discussion. “Later.”
The next time one of them stopped by, it might not be such a friendly exchange.
* * *
Paul Statler crumpled the paper in front of him. He was pissed. This never should have happened. The breakthrough was supposed to create enhanced werewolves—not kill them. He didn’t mourn any of them and wouldn’t have cared that they’d died if he and the Colter organization hadn’t spent millions working on this formula. Failure was unacceptable.
He pressed his intercom button. It was an old-fashioned device, but he liked it. “Donna, ask Dr. Takemoto to come to my office. And make it fast.” His usually polite façade had evaporated.
“Yes, sir.”
Statler smoothed out the report and reread the findings. Just as he finished, his secretary escorted Dr. Takemoto to his office. The man was already sweating—as well he should be.
“Sit down.”
Takemoto kept his gaze downcast. “I’d like to explain why—”
“I didn’t ask you to speak.” Statler picked up the autopsy report and crushed it again. “Tell me how this could have happened? I thought the serum was foolproof.” It had worked on him, performing as promised under fire.
The doctor’s mouth twitched and he lifted his head. “We had no way knowing that a few of the werewolves would have a violent reaction to the pisgahmycetes mushroom spores.”
L
ikely excuse. He’d run through a field of them once and had no reaction. “Why did they?”
“After performing the autopsy, I found metastatic deposits in the lungs. The men were overwhelmed with fungal elements in the alveoli and their immune system failed. I’m still in the middle of doing some research, but so far I’ve figured out that neither man possessed a particular erythrocyte protein in his blood that would have prevented this.”
He didn’t care about the science. “Do you know how a werewolf can get this protein substance if he wasn’t born with it so this doesn’t ever happen again?”
“If we can locate someone who has this particular gene, we can extract it from the blood. We can then inject the wolf with the anti-RhD immunoglobulin. In my defense, it’s rare for a person to be missing this protein.”
“You should have checked.” Statler leaned back, forcing air into his lungs. “As a result of your incompetence, two of my men have died.”
Once more, Takemoto hung his head. “I’m sorry.”
“Seems to me that in order for this error never to occur again, you need get this anti-Rhd shit. And fast.”
The doctor twisted his fingers together. “That will be difficult. It’s extremely rare. It’s encoded in a person’s genes.”
If he didn’t need this man, Statler would have killed him on the spot. “What are the odds of finding someone with this gene?” Statler was fast losing his patience, shrinking the man’s lifeline by the minute.
“I don’t have the facts at my fingertips, but maybe one in a million. Or more.” The last two words were said on a whisper.
“Fuck.”
The doctor sat up. “However, one of the new women you brought in looks promising for this gene. I ran her blood this morning. We don’t have the equipment here to do a thorough test, though. Only the lab in Ogden can do that.”
A hint of excitement rushed through him. “If she does have this special gene, what will it mean in regards to the serum?”
“I can only hope that if I add her antigens to the serum then anyone without the protein will be provided with it.”
