by Anne Kane
Wolfe started walking, holding the phone to his ear. Every second counted. “It’s okay. It was a long shot anyway. I’ll do whatever it takes to find her and get her back.”
“Be careful.” Jack’s voice this time. “You’re no good to her if they get you too.”
“I’ll do whatever it takes. Say, maybe you could get hold of that Todd guy. See if he knows anything else about his sister’s kidnapping. It could be the same bunch.”
“We’ll see what we can do. Keep your phone close; I’ll give you a call when I manage to track him down. And Wolfe?”
“Yeah?”
“It’s not your fault. I know you feel responsible, but you can’t keep her locked up. Life is a risk.” His voice softened. “I learned that one the hard way, buddy. Trina’s not the easiest gal to keep track of.”
Wolfe appreciated the attempt to make him feel better, but Jack was wrong. It was his fault, and he was going to make it right. “I’ll keep you posted, and contact you as soon as I find her.” He broke the connection and put the phone back in his pocket so he could concentrate on his footing.
* * * * *
The cabin looked deserted. Wolfe peered through the shrubs at the top of the rise. Birds sang in the trees, and a squirrel sat perched on the front step, scolding a chipmunk that dared to invade his territory.
A shadow swooped across the ground, and the squirrel and chipmunk both disappeared into the shadows. Winston! He’d forgotten about the resident hawk. He waited to see if the bird would reappear. When nothing moved for a good five minutes, he got to his feet and headed for the Jeep. The vehicle started on the first try, and he shifted it into gear, pulling a tight turn to get out of the driveway.
It didn’t take him long to reach his own place, and Fred nickered softly in greeting as he pulled up. He got out of the Jeep and headed to the corral. Giving the gelding an affectionate pat, he opened the gate to the lower pasture so Fred could munch on the lush grass down by the riverbank.
Once in the house, he grabbed a packsack and stuffed in a fresh set of clothes and some toiletries. He found a second bag and raided the kitchen cupboard for food. He had no idea where he was going, or for how long and sometimes restaurants just weren’t around every corner along the mountain roads.
Satisfied that he had enough supplies to last a week, he unlocked the gun cabinet. He hadn’t touched the rifles since his tour in the army. Just the looking at them brought back the horrific sights and sounds of those days. You had to be willing to fight for what you believed in, though, for what belonged to you and Nikki definitely belonged to him.
He took out the 30-06, attaching the scope to it before he slid it into the case. The clips and ammunition followed, and he hesitated. Sliding open the bottom compartment, he pulled out the Ruger pistol. Checking the magazine and the safety, he tucked the weapon into the back of his pants and covered it with his shirt.
Gathering the supplies, he packed them out to the Jeep and locked the house up. The neighbors would be in to check on Fred. They were used to him coming and going at random times. He turned the car around so that it headed out of the driveway, and then put it in park.
Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and reached for Nikki’s presence. It sat in the corner of his mind, warm and comforting. He concentrated, feeling along the link. Where was she?
It had been a long time since he and his grandfather had practiced locating each other through their link. At the time, it had been a game and Wolfe had excelled at it, tracking down his grandfather across several ridges. Now though, the game was in deadly earnest.
He turned his head, concentrating on the strength of the link when he moved one way or the other. His bond with Nikki was different from the familial tie to his grandfather. It was tighter, the invisible threads tying them together firmer and yet more sensitive.
West. Southwest. He put the Jeep in gear and headed for Highway 97. He would head south to Highway 6 and slip west from there.
* * * * *
He was getting closer; he could feel it. Nikki’s presence felt warmer, nearer. He checked the gas gauge. Better fill it up in the next town, which would be Cranbrook according to his map. He’d been on the road for over eight hours, and his body felt stiff from sitting still so long. He spotted a Shell station up ahead. Must be the outskirts of town.
Pulling into the gas station, he filled the car and got a fresh coffee and some beef jerky labeled “the best local jerky anywhere”. Right now, anything with protein in it seemed like a good idea.
He pulled the car over to the grassy picnic area at the side of the station and gulped down half of the coffee before he started to gnaw on the jerky. It actually tasted like the best jerky he’d ever had. Either that, or he was too hungry to care.
Finishing up the last of the jerky, he leaned back in the seat and closed his eyes. Golds and reds radiated across the horizon as the sun started to slip below the horizon. Soon it would be dark.
Nikki? Where are you?
He didn’t expect an answer, so he wasn’t disappointed by the silence that greeted his question. His sense of direction told him she wasn’t in Cranbrook. He needed to head to the east a bit, and the secondary road up ahead looked like it might lead in the right direction. He suppressed an exhilarating flare of hope.
He was getting closer.
* * * * *
Wolfe lay on his belly on the ridge, using the scope on the 30-06 to check out the activity below. The sign on the road five miles back had warned of an abandoned mining town. Would-be visitors were warned that the town was dangerous and to be avoided. Wolfe could see the ramshackle buildings, most of them collapsing in on themselves if they hadn’t already succumbed to the ravages of age.
But in the middle of the town, there stood a brand-new complex that looked remarkably like a zoo, with half a dozen walled-in enclosures for animals. In the center was a startlingly modern building, its metal framework gleaming in the reflected rays of the setting sun. A fifteen-foot-high page-wire fence topped with two rows of barbed wire surrounded the entire place, and guards carrying semiautomatic weapons manned towers every twenty feet or so along the perimeter. Either this was one of those top-secret government facilities you saw on reruns of The Twilight Zone, or the guys who kidnapped Nikki had some serious money behind them. This place must have cost at least a million bucks to build, especially if they had to sneak all the materials in. The logging road that led up here didn’t look exactly big-rig friendly.
Nikki? Can you hear me, honey? For the first time since this nightmare began, he dared to hope for a reply.
* * * * *
Wolfe? Nikki sat up so fast she nearly fell off her bed. She’d reluctantly resigned herself to the fact that they were too far apart to communicate telepathically. Now the unexpected sound of his voice brightened her spirits so much she hoped the guards monitoring the security monitors didn’t become suspicious.
Where are you? How did you find me? Are you close? So many questions swirled around in her head; she didn’t know what to ask first. About time you got here! A tiny waver of uncertainty prompted her to add, You are here, aren’t you?
Now why did I think you’d fall on your knees and thank me? I’m on a ridge above something that looks like a cross between a military compound and a zoo. I’m pretty sure you’re down there somewhere.
She could hear the tension and fatigue in his voice, and she wished she could run her hands over his face, tell him how good it felt just to know he was somewhere nearby.
I don’t expect you to send up flares or anything, but can you confirm I’m in the right spot? That dry humor she loved so much showed in his voice. I’d hate to end up rescuing a compound of full-blooded jungle beasts that hadn’t been fed lately.
Nikki grinned at the thought of Wolfe letting a pen of honest-to-goodness wolves loose, and then groaned. Shit! She had no idea where she was. We could have a problem here. I was unconscious when they brought me in, so I don’t know what this place l
ooks like from the outside. I’m in some sort of glass-walled enclosure with a pond and a waterfall. I know I passed a jungle enclosure, and one that’s some kind of forest to house the werewolf pack. There’s also a building with offices and labs about a five-minute walk from my lovely new quarters. It has seven floors but I’m pretty sure two of them are below ground level.
It occurred to her that she’d been dropped into the middle of nowhere, and yet Wolfe had managed to track her down. How on earth did you find me? She refused to believe he was very far away. He was right here, almost close enough for her to touch. God, she wanted to touch him so bad! He had to be close or they wouldn’t be able to communicate like this. She’d lost count of the number of times she’d tried to contact him since they’d thrown her in here.
That part was easy. I followed our bond and it led me right to you. Are you okay? Did they hurt you?
She could feel his concern through the bond. The bond. She hadn’t wanted it but Wolfe’s presence in the back of her mind had kept her hopes alive through this whole nightmare. Even though she hadn’t been able talk to him, the bond kept her from feeling hopeless.
She hadn’t realized he could physically track her position through the link, but it made as much sense as anything else in this crazy scenario. I’ll grant that the bond was a good idea, since it means you’re here to help me break out of this nuthouse, but you still should have explained it to me first. I had no idea you could actually track me down through it.
She could sense his chuckle through the link, and her heart did a curious flip in her chest. If she wasn’t careful, she was going to end up caring way too much for this guy and she knew how badly that could end. I’m okay for now. They’re not really hurting me, unless you count the food. Never tasted such bland stuff in all my life. Oh. And they put a collar on me and keep referring to me as some kind of animal. So how soon do you think you can get me out of here?
She tried to keep her tone light. The last thing she wanted was Wolfe rushing in here and getting himself captured too. Since she’d woken to find herself here, no one had showed the slightest bit of interest in Wolfe, so she had to assume they didn’t know that he had any paranormal abilities. Or that they were connected.
Not sure, I’ll have to do a bit of checking around. How many other captives are there? Any chance some of them would be willing to help? Superior numbers overpowering the guards?
Something like The Great Escape? Apparently, that wasn’t such a novel idea. At least she knew the answer to this one. The werewolves are definitely in as long as we get Sasha out. You remember Todd’s sister? Turns out she’s here and she just lost a child fathered by the werewolf pack’s alpha. I really haven’t been able to talk to any of the other species. There’s a black panther in that jungle enclosure that they swear is a shifter, but I’m not so sure. If he is, he hasn’t exhibited any inclination to return to human form. There’s a couple of other people in here, and I think they may be some kind of magic wielders. Witches, maybe, or warlocks. I’m afraid I don’t know enough about witches to tell why they can’t just cast a spell and get out of here.
Probably need some kind of props, and the guards aren’t playing nice and giving them to them. Most witches I’ve met have to have certain items to cast spells, like herbs or relics. Without them, they’re pretty much human. If you get a chance, see if you can find out some more about them. They might be able to help if you get them what they need. You’ve already sounded out the werewolves?
Nikki gave an elaborate shrug, and then realized he couldn’t see her. I’ll see what I can find out about the witches the next time I get near them. The werewolves were more of a mutual thing. They stick together but they know the guards aren’t going to relax around them, and the alpha seriously wants his lady friend out of here. Since she’s a selkie, I guess they figured I was a safe bet. I get the feeling they can make powerful allies or even more powerful enemies.
Since she’d never met an honest-to-goodness werewolf before, she couldn’t tell if they’d be loyal to an outsider when things got nasty. She hoped so, but she didn’t plan to hang around long enough to make lifelong friends.
Interesting. It would be good if you could find out if there are any other creatures there, and if they’re willing to participate in a joint effort. Any possibility all of you will be together in one spot, mealtime or something like that?
Fat chance. Dr. Kvordic would rather play divide and conquer, hence his attempt to get her to play stool pigeon. The guy running this place, Dr. Kvordic, isn’t dumb enough to let us get together. He’s already made a point of warning me away from the werewolves by twisting the truth about Sasha’s relationship with the alpha. His version involves her being forced into sex, which seems unlikely since Jackson is head over heels in love with her. He’s really worried about her. He’s seriously gorgeous, too, so I can see why she fell for him.
A long pause had her wondering if her description of Jackson had upset him. Somehow, she’d thought Wolfe was too self-confident to be the jealous type, but then again, she hadn’t known him all that long.
Trying to look natural, she rolled over on the bed so that she faced away from the security monitors. She didn’t need some hotshot guard picking up something from her expression. Are you still there?
I’m here. Just watching the main building. Looks like they’re changing guards or something. If we can figure out their schedule it might help us plan an escape. Another long pause. I’m going to hide the Jeep and find a better place to watch from. You going to be okay for now?
Now that she knew he was here? Of course she was. Already she felt ten times more optimistic. I’ll be fine. The maid has the bed turned down, and I’ve already ordered my breakfast from room service.
He sent her an image of the two of them snuggling up in bed, with a tray or coffee and cinnamon rolls on the bedside table. Well, have one for me, and we’ll be back together before you know it.
* * * * *
Wolfe backed his way carefully down the ridge until he was sure no one in the compound could spot him. This was going to be harder than he’d expected. Oh hell, who was he kidding? He didn’t have a plan when he’d taken off after her like a cat with its tail on fire. He’d just wanted her back.
He’d assumed she’d been the only target, and he’d just shoot a bastard or two and drag her back home with him, caveman style.
He hadn’t expected a huge compound with organized security. This whole thing was way bigger than he’d imagined, and by the looks of that compound, someone had spent a lot of time and money planning this.
The research he’d managed to dig up on Dr. Kvordic had been contradictory. Either the guy was a true scientist intent on proving the existence of nonhuman life forms on Earth or he was a megalomaniac, intent on taking over the world.
Wolfe didn’t really care which version was true; he just wanted Nikki out of there and the doctor stopped. From what Nikki had said about the other inmates, there was a good chance they’d be more than happy to help with an escape plan as long as they were included in the escapees. That shouldn’t be a problem. Hopefully, Sasha would be in shape to get out of there as well.
He made his way back to the Jeep he’d left parked on a dirt logging road before he pulled his cell phone out and checked the signal. Four bars. Good.
He punched in Todd’s number. The guy would be thrilled to find out his sister was still alive and about to be liberated. Five rings later, the answering service kicked in and Wolfe hesitated. He really wanted to tell Todd himself, not leave a message and wonder if it ever got picked up. “Todd, give me a call when you get this.” He slipped the phone back in his pocket.
Next, he backed the car into an opening between the trees and stacked some loose leaves and branches on it. Not a very thorough camouflage job, but at a quick glance the vehicle was no longer visible from the road or the air. No telling if security extended past the edges of the compound.
He pulled out the phone and called
Trina and Jack, updating them on what he’d found.
“She sounds like she’s okay for now, but we need to get her out of there—fast. Who knows when that jerk of a doctor is going to decide to cut her into little pieces just to see how she works. We need to get hold of the Druid Council. They have a team dedicated to rescues. This is a major operation, way too big for me to handle on my own.”
“I’ll inform the Druid Council. I’m sure they’ll send a contingent.” The soothing note in Jack’s voice did little to settle his nerves. He didn’t want to calm down. He wanted to go in there like a cowboy with guns blazing and rescue his woman.
“They’d better be fast. I’m not going to sit on my ass while these lunatics hurt Nikki.”
“I know you’re a loner, but promise us you won’t do anything until we get back to you.” Trina broke into the conversation. “You aren’t going to do Nikki any good if you get yourself killed. I’m going to make a few calls. Give me an hour, then call us back.”
“Okay, I’ll call you back in an hour. But if it looks like anything has changed, or Nikki’s in danger, I’m going in on my own.”
“Fair enough. Wolfe?”
“Yeah?”
“I know Nikki cares about you. Don’t do anything stupid or she’ll never forgive me.”
Wolfe didn’t say anything for a second. “I won’t. She’d never forgive me either. You know how stubborn she can be.”
Trina chuckled softly and put Jack back on the line. “Okay, buddy. Hang in there and call us back in an hour. We should have something by then.” The line went dead, and Wolfe put the phone back in his pocket.
Reaching in to the backseat, he grabbed one of the packages of beef jerky that he’d picked up at the 7-11 in Cranbrook. Settling down in the passenger-side seat, he said a silent prayer of thanks that he hadn’t bought one of those super eco-friendly cars with great gas mileage and no legroom. Putting the seat back as far as it would go, he closed his eyes and chewed on a piece of jerky. He could sense Nikki’s presence in his mind, calm for the moment. I hope she managed to fall asleep.
