Garrett nodded. “Yeah. The Kurjans have him, but we’ll get him back.” He focused on Benny. “We’re going to need Karma to level with us. You know that, right?”
“Yes,” Benny said. “I promise she’ll tell us everything she knows.” There was no reason for her not to cooperate now that the device had been removed from her head. Better yet, it’d be buried in the rubble when the mountain blew, so the Kurjans would think she’d been killed. He turned and began running for freedom. They had ten miles to travel underground before emerging, then three hours of driving until they reached the helicopters that were hidden far away from here.
Then Karma would talk, whether she wanted to or not.
He set a pace that would keep her from being jostled too much but would allow him to move quickly.
Ronan ran up to his side. “Who’s going to tell Logan his brother has been taken?”
Garrett ran by them both. “That would be me,” he said grimly.
Another set of missiles impacted the mountain, and the walls blew inward. “If we survive this,” Quade muttered, easily lifting Haven into his arms so they could go faster. “It’s not looking good.”
Ronan lifted Faith and swung her around to his back. The enhanced humans weren’t as fast as the immortals. “We’ll make it.”
A missile ripped right through the tunnel behind them, spreading fire as it flew.
Benny ducked his head and ran as fast as he could. Then the world blew up.
Chapter Nineteen
Karma awoke midmorning just as Benjamin stepped out of a quieting helicopter, carrying her. Mercy paused next to them and looked up from a tablet in her hands. “The scans from the outpost came back clear, even after a secondary check. We’re all good—no tracing powder or other devices attached to you while you fought hand-to-hand.”
Karma’s head ached. “We were scanned?”
“Yep.” Benjamin strode between two majestic pine trees toward a lodge much larger than the one they’d just left. It was made of rough, hand-cut logs, and the sound of a rushing river bubbled through the air. “When we got to the helicopter, we went through a series of scanning devices before taking off. We’re good.”
Garrett reached the door before them and pushed it, hurrying inside. “We need to get a bead on Sam. Now.”
Karma tried to concentrate. Memories of the sedative and the soft bed came rushing back. She pressed a hand to her eye.
“It’s gone,” Benjamin affirmed. “Took it out through your nose, and it’s buried in a pile of rocks right now.” He bypassed a bar and entertainment area to turn left and jog down a wide hallway, following Garrett into a computer center at least three times larger than the one they’d left behind. More screens covered the walls, and bigger satellite photos were taped to a fourth wooden wall. He set her down on a rolling chair.
Garrett sat and typed furiously, bringing up an aerial feed of a smoldering, crumbled, devastated mountain.
Karma gasped. “Was that your headquarters?” The Kurjans had decimated it.
“No,” Benjamin said. “You’re in our headquarters now.”
She turned to look at him. He’d healed any injuries he’d sustained from the fight, but his torn shirt was bloody and his jeans filthy, with pine needles still sticking out from several places. “I don’t understand.”
He didn’t answer. “Any sign?”
Garrett leaned forward, scanning the burning mountain. “No. The human wildfire forces have arrived and started dumping fire retardants on the blaze. The missiles were destroyed when the self-destruct sequence concluded, so it’ll look like some sort of earthquake and a resulting forest fire. Hopefully.”
Logan rushed inside the control room with Mercy on his heels. The hybrid’s green eyes had morphed to deep black, and fury crackled along his skin. “Any sign of Sam?” he asked.
“Negative,” Garrett said quietly. “I’m downloading the satellite feed and will rewind as soon as I have it. We’ll find him.”
“Shit.” Logan snatched a coffee cup off a table and threw it across the room. The mug smashed against the wooden wall and shattered into pieces. “Sam is gone. What the hell am I supposed to do now?” He scrubbed a still-burned hand through his thick hair. “Zane will want to know. How can I tell the leader of the demon nation that our brother is missing because of the Seven? Because of me?” Red flushed high across his high cheekbones.
Karma edged closer to Benny, using the rollers on her chair to move quietly.
Garrett shook his head. “I don’t know. Let’s take this one step at a time. Adare and Grace are visiting with the demon nation right now, so we have somebody in-house. Well, they’re with Zane’s right hand.”
Mercy looked up. “They’re still with Nick and Simone?”
Karma listened carefully. According to her lessons, Nick and Zane were as tight as brothers, and Nick’s mate, Simone, was a powerful witch. It was odd to know about these people whom she’d never met.
Garrett nodded. “Yes. So that’s good. Probably.” He glanced at his watch. “Ivar and Promise are headed to Realm Headquarters right now, even though Dage won’t like the company. They’ll use some sort of excuse to stay, just in case we need somebody at Realm Headquarters. This may mean the start of war with the Kurjans. I’m not sure if the Realm will back the Seven or leave us on our own. Hopefully Ivar can talk sense into Dage. I’d do it, but I’m going after Sam.”
“Ditto,” Logan said grimly.
Karma’s mind began to clear. They’d gone through the locations of every member of the Seven except one. “Did Ronan carry me to a different room from my cell, and did his mate perform surgery on my head?” The constant headache was gone. Her eye felt whole again, and her ear didn’t hurt.
“Yes,” Benjamin said, bringing up a different view on a secondary screen. “Faith took the device out of your head. She checked your vitals when we stopped for the helicopter, and then she and Ronan headed off to try to calm down the shifter nation in Montana. Unfortunately, we just blew up part of their territory in Utah, territory they didn’t know we were occupying.”
Karma awoke fully. Panic seized her around the throat. “You removed my device?”
“Yes. You’re welcome,” Benjamin said, still studying the screen. “It’s interesting that you know the names of the Seven and their mates so well. You failed to mention that earlier.”
“I studied all of you before you rescued me.” She jumped up and rushed him, grabbing his arm. “I need the device that was in my head. What do you mean, it was buried beneath the rubble? Please tell me you didn’t leave it back in that mess.” She had no connection to her girls without it. What would Terre do? Her stomach lurched and gurgled.
“Oh, it’s back there. Hopefully the Kurjans will think you’re dead,” Benjamin said, again typing. The screen zoomed in to show trees on fire. “Wow. We really did some damage there.”
Karma released him. What was she going to do? The betrayal dug deep as reality struck her still-muddled brain. “That wasn’t your headquarters. It was a falsehood? A trap?”
“Of course. The entire place was fake, because we were worried the Realm was tracking us. Once we found the device in your head, we planned accordingly since the Kurjans were obviously watching and listening.” Benjamin turned to look at her. “You’re still pale. Sit down.”
She was so accustomed to taking orders, she sat immediately. Irritation climbed through her, but she remained seated, since the room seemed to be spinning. “You discovered the device in my head.”
“Yes,” Benjamin said, turning back to his screen. “We knew you were transmitting data to them, so we used that.”
Used that? The memory of their kiss and what he’d done with his hand flushed through her, no doubt adding more than a dose of color to her face. “Apparently you used me, too,” she said quietly, her chest aching.
What had she expected?
* * * *
It was hard to miss the hurt in the female’s tone, but Benjamin didn’t have a good answer for her. Of course they’d used her to mislead the Kurjans. However, that wasn’t what she was talking about right now. He was flooded with memories of her soft moans and sweet taste as he took her apart—something he’d like to do again. “We’ll talk about that later,” he said, still scanning the ground for the spot where the Kurjans’ helicopter must’ve dropped to pick up the soldiers and Sam. God, he hoped Sam was still alive.
“Yes, we will,” she huffed, sounding like her spirit was returning. Good. That sedative had knocked her out longer than he’d liked.
Why in the world was she still sounding peeved? Well, besides the fact that he’d let the Kurjans hear her orgasm. She should still be thrilled that the device was out of her head. What was he missing? He’d have to figure it out as soon as they got a bead on Sam.
Logan paced back and forth behind Garrett. Tension rolled off him in dark waves, prickling through the room and heightening the stress and anger of everyone else. The guy could really emote. Mercy typed as fast as Garrett did, bringing up a third satellite, this one bootlegged from the Russians. It was an older model but was positioned in the right area. Sometimes Benny forgot what a great hacker Mercy could be.
Logan turned toward Karma, took a deep breath, and lowered his chin. “Where would they take my brother?”
Karma sucked in air. “I don’t know.” She held up a hand before Logan could explode, reading him with impressive accuracy. “I’m not stonewalling. Their main headquarters is still in Canada, which no doubt you already know. Their fighting forces move around a lot so that they’re not a target. I think they’d go somewhere temporary to, um, question your brother. It’d be at least a couple of hours from the battle zone.”
Benny angled his body slightly between Karma and Logan. Oh, Logan would never lift a hand against a female, but he was freaking out right now, and Benny didn’t want Karma’s feelings hurt.
The protectiveness he felt for her was surprising, although the desire was not. Her marking from the Kurjan mate was completely gone, as was the recording device in her head. She was free. He could touch her without repercussions or witnesses, if she wanted. The idea made his hands shake, and he smacked himself out of it. They had to find Sam first.
Karma cleared her voice, tilting her head to look past Benny at Logan. “They have dossiers on all of you. They’ll know Sam is your brother as well as the demon king’s brother. It would make no sense for them to kill him.”
Oh, the little sweetheart. She was trying to reassure Logan while using logic and reason to keep him calm. Benny flashed her a smile. Some might call it manipulation, but with Karma, the words came from experience and kindness. What would she be like if that kindness was allowed to bloom with freedom? She probably didn’t even realize how muffled she’d been by the Kurjans and their rules and hierarchy. “That’s a good point,” he said, wanting to encourage her. “What else?”
“Oh.” She sat straighter in the chair. With her blond hair falling down to the middle of her back and her eyes clear of the pain that must have been caused by the device, she looked like a lady from days gone by. One of the fancy ones who wore tiaras and silk. “They would’ve already scanned him, so if he isn’t tagged, they could take him anywhere.”
Logan growled low but otherwise didn’t move. “Any idea where?”
She sighed. “They like heat and the desert, so my guess would be southern Utah or even Nevada.” She looked beyond Benny, and her eyes glazed over, talking to dead air. “How did you follow me here? Do you have some sort of homing device on me?”
Benny jumped and turned to find empty air. He slowly turned back to Karma. “Who are you seeing?”
“What the hell?” Logan muttered.
“It’s Linda. She’s a human who hasn’t crossed over yet, and I see her often,” Karma said.
“Why?” Mercy asked, standing up and scrutinizing the empty area with narrowed eyes. “I don’t see anybody. Are you saying you can channel?”
“Yes,” Karma said. “I’ve used the skill to help people who need a nudge, but sometimes spirits visit me just before they cross over. Often they want something, and sometimes I can help, other times I cannot.”
“What does Linda want?” Mercy asked, turning to focus on Karma.
Karma’s gaze darted around as if she was deciding whether or not to trust them. Not that she had a choice. Apparently, she reached the same conclusion, because she answered. “Linda was the mother of my daughters,” she said quietly.
Benjamin turned to face her. “What?”
She swallowed. “Terre and General Jaydon killed Linda and kidnapped her twin daughters, who are enhanced females. They’re around three years old now, and they’re mine. I’ve adopted them.” Then she stood and faced Benjamin directly, having to tilt her head back to meet his gaze. “I have to return for them. There is no choice here, Benjamin. None whatsoever.”
One of his dark eyebrows rose. “The Kurjans are extorting you with those girls. Well, at least your behavior makes sense now. I couldn’t figure out why you’d work for them while you were free.” He rubbed the shadow along his jaw. “Okay, then.”
Joy and hope leaped into her eyes. “You’ll let me go back?”
“Of course not,” he said, frowning. “But I’ll get your girls for you.”
“No,” she said softly. “It’s too much of a risk. I’ll do whatever I have to in order to save them. Just stay out of my way.” She wrung her hands together even as she faced him so bravely. “My best hope of getting the girls out is to play along with Terre. Any other approach, and he will harm the children out of spite. Trust me. I know what I’m doing.”
Logan stepped into her line of sight. “How good is Linda’s intel?”
Karma paused. “I do not know. I’ve never had a reason to gain information from a spirit.” Her eyes darkened to nearly black. “Until now.”
Chapter Twenty
Benny piled a heaping serving of spaghetti on his plate and strode across the deck to a seat next to Karma. “Stop trying so hard.”
She looked out at the rushing river. For autumn, the day was surprisingly warm, so they’d chosen to get some fresh air while eating a late lunch. Or early dinner. She’d borrowed a skirt and sweater from Mercy, and the pale green wool brought out the delicacy of her skin. “I don’t understand it. Ghosts are jerks.”
Benny grinned. He’d never heard her say a bad word about anybody. “Maybe Linda is just scouting since you asked her for information. She’ll be back when she has information for us. Right?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never asked one to work at a distance like this.”
Benny missed the cami and short set. The woman had a pair of legs on her—that was for sure. They’d been working all day to trace Sam’s location, and she’d even tried to talk Linda into helping. Logan and Mercy were still in the computer room, while Haven and Quade had made sure everything was fine in the residences before whipping up a feast of spaghetti, bread, and some sort of canned bean thing that Benny had walked right past.
Quade and Haven joined them outside on the deck, sitting over at the table. Haven held a bottle of white wine, while Quade carried what looked like Jägermeister.
“Damn it, Quade,” Garrett bellowed, stomping through the kitchen area and out to the deck.
Benny groaned.
Quade stood and moved away from the table. “What’s your problem, nephew?” He looked innocent.
“Just wonderful,” Benny muttered.
Haven dropped her head and shook it. Then she poured herself a generous glass of chardonnay.
“You need a few ‘greats’ before ‘nephew,’ you old bastard.” Garrett barreled up to Quade and grabbed the tee stretched tight across his chest. “You checked
out my house while I was in the main computer room, didn’t you?”
Quade’s eyes sparkled and his lips remained tightly pressed together.
Garrett shook him. “Say something.”
Karma looked over at Benny and then turned back to watch the interaction. Tension rolled off her.
Did loud voices bug her? Benny placed his hand over hers on the table, and it was trembling. “It’s okay, sweetheart,” he murmured. “They’re fine.”
Garrett got into Quade’s face and sniffed. “I knew it!”
Quade sighed. “I’m sorry. It’s the good kind. I just happened to check, and it was there, and well…”
Garrett pushed Quade off the deck, and he landed with legs set. “That’s my favorite, and my mom just sent it. You can only get it in Idaho since it’s made there by a guy who retired from Crest years ago.”
Quade shrugged. “It’s peppermint and spearmint. The absolute best. I didn’t eat the whole tube.”
“Yes, you did!” Garrett leaped off the deck and tackled Quade. The two muscled males rolled toward the river over rocks, grass, and weeds.
Karma gasped and then looked at Haven, who was drinking her wine, not watching at all. “Benjamin. What is happening?”
Benny took a bite of the spaghetti. Yep. Haven had cooked dinner. She always used too much salt, but it wasn’t bad. “Well, Quade has a slight addiction to toothpaste, unfortunately. We’ve tried to give him candy and mints, but it just isn’t the same. Garrett gets the best kind, and I know he hides the tubes, but Quade is like a bulldog with a scent.”
Karma watched the men throwing punches and then shivered. “This is over toothpaste? They’re going to harm each other.”
Benny took a drink of his beer, surprised that Karma had chosen beer instead of wine. She seemed like more of a wine girl, but good for her. He loved a thick beer. “If they get hurt, they’ll just heal. Right now, Garrett needs to let off some steam, and Quade is always up for a decent fight. It’s good-natured, sweetheart. They won’t cut off heads or anything.”
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