Mark of the Wolf; Hell's Breed

by Madelaine Montague

  Raphael’s second, Michel, arrived on the heels of the comment. “I think I might have figured out how we can carry that off, mes amis,” he volunteered.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “I don’t like this worth a fuck,” Damien growled when the angels had left them to take their positions.

  “You think I do?” Lucien snapped. “If you have a better plan now’s the time to cough it up.”

  “No, but … I’m in agreement. I’d feel better if we were protecting Laurie and they were taking out the bastards with the guns. What if she catches a stray bullet?” Basil said tightly.

  “I don’t have wings. You got wings?” Lucien growled.

  Basil’s lips tightened. He glanced at Damien and then Kane, shook his head, and started stripping.

  “Ok,” Lucien said before they split up. “Watch for the signal. The moment they drop, we go in—not a second later. Got it?”

  Everyone nodded.

  They focused on shifting to man beasts and headed to the areas the angels had indicated as the locations of the gunmen. The angels, stationed by that time on top of the building at the broken skylight, directed them with hand motions until they were positioned directly behind the shooters inside the building. They were going to have to go in blind. They couldn’t see the men that were their targets. Lucien just hoped nobody was off by enough to fuck up the whole plan.

  When everyone was situated, Raphael gave the signal and he and his team dropped through the skylight. Luck wasn’t exactly on their side. They were spotted almost the instant they dropped through. Fortunately, the shooters were so stunned by what they saw that only one reacted instantly and fired off a round, but he directed it at them—not Laurie—and Raphael figured it was more of a ‘knee jerk’ reaction since he missed them by a mile.

  It still gave him a bad turn. If anything happened to Laurie he knew he and his men were liable to find themselves in a life or death struggle with her men—because it was easy to see they’d claimed her as a mate. And they weren’t going to take it well if anything happened to her. Unfortunately, they weren’t close enough, at that moment, to use their electrical abilities as a shield to protect Laurie—which was what the plan had been and was the main reason they were going in first. They landed a split second before the hell hounds made doors where only solid metal walls had been a few seconds before, though. Taking up positions around her, the angels linked electrical shields, creating an impenetrable barrier all the way around her.

  As planned, as soon as they saw that Lucien and his men had the shooters in the building in hand, they dropped the shield and took flight, shooting back out the skylight they’d used to breach the building and raced to prevent the attack or retreat of the guards stationed in the other buildings.

  The move proved to be premature. None of them had seen the bastard that had hit Laurie since their arrival. The only thought any of them had given him was that they regretted that his henchman had killed him before they could. And it was an assumption that nearly got Laurie killed.

  As Lucien, Damien, Kane, and Basil burst through the rusted metal walls of the building and attacked the shooters that had been strategically placed to take Laurie out if anyone attempted a rescue, the man, apparently drawn by sounds of attack, staggered out of a back room with a loaded gun. Dizzy, sick, disoriented from being pistol whipped, he was in no shape to be intimidated by the beast-men savaging his fellow thugs. He was apparently working on automatic, on the plan that had been formulated in case someone tried to take their bargaining chip. Lifting the gun, he walked unsteadily toward Laurie, firing.

  Fortunately, he was too sick with the concussion he’d gotten to shoot straight, but Lucien knew they couldn’t count on that saving Laurie once he got close enough to shoot point blank. Letting out a roar of rage, he ripped the head off the man he’d been fighting and bounded across the warehouse. He arrived at the center where Laurie was pinned like a lamb for sacrifice as the bastard fired his last bullet. It almost seemed that he flew through the air in slow motion and that the bullet was going to find its mark before he could intervene. Uttering another roar, this time of fear, he reached for it. He managed to catch the bullet in the palm of his hand. The bone, tendons and tissue may have slowed or diverted it, but the projectile tore through, leaving a hole big enough he knew it had to be a high caliber. Laurie screamed. Fearful that she’d caught the bullet after all, he whipped a look toward her even as he abruptly hit the floor and skidded past the chair.

  Kane, who’d been close enough to see what Lucien had seen, had dispatched his opponent much as Lucien had and also raced to intercept, as well. The bullet that went through Lucien’s hand, went through his torso and kept going, but Kane was in too much of a rage to feel the pain. He launched himself at the shooter with a bellow and shredded him.

  Covered in blood—both their own and their victims—the foursome converged on Laurie.

  It wasn’t until Lucien strained to speak that he realized he was still in beast form. “Are you hurt, baby?” he asked when he’d shifted to man form, fearful of touching her after the look of horror he’d seen on her face.

  She burst into tears, shaking her head. “I’m ok. You’re the one hurt!”

  Lucien looked down at his palm, but although the shift had slowed the healing process, the hole was already beginning to close. He gave Laurie a lopsided smile and shrugged. “I’m not human, baby. It’ll heal.”

  Nobody really wanted to approach her, all things considered, but Basil and Damien finally settled on either side of the chair and cut the restraints. The moment they did, Laurie launched herself at Lucien.

  He thought for a handful of seconds that she was trying to fight him—mostly because it didn’t occur to him that she would allow him to touch her ever again now that she knew positively and without any doubt what he was, let alone initiate contact! She seemed intent on choking the life out of him. He merely stood still at first, afraid to touch her even though she was plastered against him.

  “I was so scared!” she babbled. “I didn’t think y’all would be able to find me and I figured I’d have to try to get out of the mess by myself, but I couldn’t think of anything to do! And then I thought you guys would get killed trying to rescue me ….”

  It dawned on Lucien as she began pulling away that she’d hugged him. She was saying she was glad they’d come?

  Well, there was only one way to be sure and he wasn’t going to be a coward about it. He wrapped an arm around her narrow waist, palmed the back of her head with the other hand to prevent her escape, and kissed her thoroughly. He could feel the jolt of surprise that went through her when he did. It made his stomach churn with dismay, but in the next moment she relaxed.

  He thought she might actually have kissed him back, but Raphael butted in where he wasn’t wanted!

  “Hate to break things up when it looks like you’ve got them going good, mon ami, but I don’t think we have time for amour right now.”

  Reluctantly, Lucien broke the kiss and released her. “We need to get her out of here,” he agreed, surveying the slaughter surrounding them.

  “I don’t know,” Raphael said slowly. “I think we need to see if we can figure out what is going on here—or what was about to go down.”

  Lucien frowned.

  “I thought you said you knew what was going on?” Damien said irritably. “Didn’t you say you overheard the guy talking to somebody about exchanging Laurie for plans?”

  “I figured out part of it from what was said—I think. But I also think we need to see what we can do to figure the entire thing out while we have a chance. No time for debate, though, mes amis. We need to make it quick. We made a hell of a racquet coming in. The cops may be on the way now and you guys are going to have a hard time explaining what you’re all doing in here naked—together.”

  Lucien, Damien, Kane, and Basil all gave him drop dead looks for the suggestive leer he bent on them. “I don’t think I like what he’s suggesting,” K
ane growled. “I think I’m going to kick his ass.”

  “Forget it. He just thinks he’s being funny,” Damien said tightly. “Let’s clean up here. We can check them out and see what we can come up with at the same time and then clean up a little so Laurie will be more comfortable.”

  He glanced at her, skimming her length.

  Lucien studied her for a moment and turned to Kane. “Kane, you’re hurt. Grab your clothes and then you can stay and keep an eye on Laurie while we take care of taking out the trash.”

  Nodding, Kane left to retrieve his clothing.

  Moving away from the group, Lucien stopped at the first body, crouched down, and felt for a wallet. “The name Kent Sloan mean anything to anybody?”

  There were several negative murmurs.

  “Hey! Mes amis!” Michel called out. “I might have something! This guy has a business card for Mellin Corporation.”

  “And?”

  “The number on the card is the same as the number on his cell phone.”

  “So?”

  “I think it’s the guy that was making the calls. Hard to say. Where’s the head?” After glancing around, he got up and moved to a head and then returned with it to the body. “Yep. It fits.”

  Straightening, he punched the number on the cell phone.

  Lucien leapt at him and snatched it out of his hand, canceling the call. “I think we need to consider what to say before we call,” he said pointedly.

  Unfortunately, no sooner had he hung up than the phone rang. Mouthing an oath, he lifted the phone to his ear. “Yeah?” He listened a minute, staring down at the body. “Well, he’s a little tied up right now. He wanted me to call for an update.” He listened again and winced. “Yeah, that’s what I meant. To give you an update.” He seemed to struggle for a minute for something to say. “The girl’s ready for delivery. Any word from her old man yet?”

  “Who the fuck is this?” yelled a voice on the other end loudly enough everyone heard it.

  Lucien hung up. “Guess we blew that possibility.”

  “Well, we at least know that whoever that was on the other end had to be involved. His number and his reaction points to it,” Damien said. “So … the Mellin Corporation had Laurie kidnapped for some plans. And Laurie was witness to a murder involving a Fed. So is there a connection between the two incidents? You’d think there must be, right? Maybe that was the first time they tried to grab her—and if there was a Fed there then the Feds were watching her then. But they hadn’t picked her up so that points to bait, right?”

  Lucien glanced at Laurie. “Your file says your father’s dead …?”

  Laurie glanced around at the men. “It’s personal,” she said after a moment.

  “Well, is he dead or not?” Raphael asked impatiently.

  Kane slugged him. “Don’t talk to her like that!”

  “We don’t have a lot of damned time here! We’re going to have to act,” Raphael said, rubbing his jaw. “Who’s coming, Laurie?”

  “I haven’t seen or talked to the bastard since I was about six. All I know is that he used to work for the government and he was a scientist.”

  They all stared at her—turning that information over in their minds and trying to piece the puzzle together.

  “Looks like Damien’s right. We might be getting a visit from the Feds. Do we want to visit with the Feds? Or do we want to clear out before they get here?”

  “You’re assuming the Feds will beat the cops here and we won’t just end up kicking our heels in jail?”

  “I think the chance is probably slim to none that they’ll take us to where ever it is they’re holding her father—assuming you’re right and they do have him. I agree with Damien. Looks to me like the bastards were just using Laurie as bait to catch people of interest to them. I’m still leaning toward trying to make use of the situation, though. Slim or not, it’s still a chance and the only one we’ve had since we got here to, maybe, find out how we got here and if there’s any chance of getting back.”

  Laurie had listened to Lucien doubtfully. “Getting back where? What do you mean ‘since you came here’?”

  The men glanced at one another. “To this world, Laurie,” Lucien said. “We aren’t from here. We were pulled here—somehow.”

  Laurie stared at him blankly, trying to digest that. All she could seem to absorb, though, was that he was saying he wanted to go home.

  “I think if there’s a chance we could find out what you all need to know then we shouldn’t pass it up—if that’s what you guys want to do?” she said finally, questioningly because she was hoping Lucien would deny any desire to go home if it meant leaving her.

  Lucien studied her a long moment, shook his head slightly, and turned away. “We’re going to have a hell of a mess if the cops or the Feds get here and we’ve got bodies lying all over the place. Let’s get this mess cleaned up, double time people!”

  Kane returned wearing pants as the others headed out the door with the bodies of the men over their shoulders. He handed Laurie his shirt when he reached her. “Put this on,” he said gruffly. “You’ve got some bodacious tits, baby. I really enjoy looking at them myself, but I don’t want any of them froggy fucks staring at them.”

  Laurie was more than happy to pull his shirt on over her skimpy T. Her teeth were chattering. She didn’t know if it was from reaction or cold, but the shivering began to subside as soon as she had the shirt on.

  Kane noticed the shaking. He frowned, almost seemed to surge toward her before he checked himself and looked down at his bloody side and arms. “You cold, baby? I’ll see if I can find something else to wrap you up in.”

  Laurie shook her head and surged toward him. “Just … wrap me up in you. You’re hurt. You don’t need to be moving all over the place. Just hold me. That’s what I really need.”

  “I’m all bloody and nasty, baby,” Kane objected, curling his arms lightly around her.

  Laurie had been trying to ignore that fact. “Let’s don’t talk about it,” she said in a voice muffled against his chest. “What did you mean by froggy? French? From France? Was that what Lucien meant by y’all not being from here?”

  “The French developed them. You didn’t notice the stupid accent?” he said irritably. “But it ain’t the place you’re thinking and we’re not from there ourselves.”

  Laurie leaned away from him and stared at him in confusion. “I’m lost. I am so totally confused by the whole thing! Didn’t Lucien say you guys …. Well, I don’t know exactly what he said.”

  Kane stroked her cheek. “Don’t be scared of us, baby. We wouldn’t hurt a hair on your head for nothin’!”

  Laurie felt her heart quicken and her face heat. Conflicting thoughts and emotions washed through her. The guys had come to represent the ultimate safety since she’d been with them—right up until she’d seen them change into something nightmarish, something that shouldn’t exist. “I’m … I’m not,” she responded uneasily.

  “Yeah, you are. I can smell fear. We ain’t human, baby. I wish we were—because I’m just crazy about you and I know that isn’t something that appeals to you with you being human—but we aren’t and there’s nothin’ we can do about it.”

  Laurie swallowed with an effort, feeling much of her residual fear disappear. “That’s what Lucien said and that confuses me. How could you …? This has something to do with my father?”

  “We don’t know. It might.”

  Impatience flickered through Laurie. “Damn it, Kane! It’s like pulling teeth with you! Where are you guys from?”

  He snorted. “A galaxy far, far away,” he said sardonically.

  She punched him—lightly. “Be serious.”

  “I am. They call us GEFUs where we’re from—Genetically Engineered Fighting Units. We were/are genetically enhanced lab rats designed to be killing machines. We were designed and grown for the war. Something weird happened during the drop on Xeno-12, though. This swirling monster came out of nowhere—freaky b
lue, strange lightning, kind of like a tornado turned on its side except for the strange lights. We’d already left the drop ship, though, were dangling by our lines. There wasn’t a damned thing we could do to keep from being sucked into the thing—especially after the drop ship caught a well placed mortar round and blew up.

  “Then, instead of landing on the planet where we were, we landed here. I mean this is Earth—we know that. It just ain’t our Earth.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  They’d piled the bodies on the boat the kidnappers had used and moved the boat to the middle of the river to sink it when all hell broke loose.

  Lucien didn’t know if they were fortunate, or unlucky, that the cavalry had arrived too late to realize they might be part of what went down in the industrial park. All he knew was that they were bypassed by the military blitz that hit the industrial park.

  And that Kane and Laurie were trapped.

  And they’d run out of options.

  He hadn’t had a real problem with being taken by the Feds. He’d figured they might find something out and that it would be a cake walk to leave when they got ready. The military was a whole other thing! Especially if they ended up in the general’s hands.

  Going over the side after they’d put enough holes in the bottom to insure that it sank fast, they moved to the far bank to watch the action in the industrial park.

  Naturally enough it didn’t take the soldiers long to secure the location. They were standing around chewing the fat when the men in black arrived—the ‘secret’ government agents that drove black vehicles and wore black suits so as not to draw unwanted attention.

  Right!

  The agents disappeared in the direction of the warehouse where they’d left Kane and Laurie. When they returned a few minutes later, Kane was in cuffs and Laurie, although not handcuffed, looked to be in custody, as well. They led them to two different vehicles and forced them inside.

  Kane didn’t look as if he’d made any attempt to fight them up to that point, but when he realized they were going to separate him from Laurie, he abruptly resisted.