by Stormy Glenn
A blue light began to form just over the top of Clay’s black fur, starting at his paws and moving up over his body to his head until it covered every inch of Clay’s fur. The blue glow grew brighter, more intense, and flashed from pale blue to dark blue and then back again just as quickly.
The meditative words grew louder, harder. An expectant energy began to hum through the room, causing the hairs on Beau’s arms to stand on end. He swallowed hard when his throat grew dry. Was this going to work or was it just some sort of mumbo jumbo thought up by someone with a twisted sense of humor?
Beau cried out and turned to bury his face in Dario’s chest when the blue glow suddenly exploded throughout the room, blinding him. A blast of…something…slammed into Beau. It felt as if he had licked an electrical socket and every nerve in his body was zapped. Everything fell silent. Beau was sure he had fallen into some sort of void where sound had no meaning.
When reality flooded back into Beau, he found himself sitting on the floor, cradled in Dario’s arms. He slowly raised his head and found Dario’s intense black eyes staring back at him.
“Are you well, my darling?”
“Yeah.” Beau blinked a few times as the whirl in his mind settled. “You?”
“I am.” Dario smiled as he ran a hand over the side of Beau’s face. “Thank you for asking.”
A simple glance around the room showed the others in similar conditions. Beau made eye contact with each of his brothers, including Bailey, who was cradled in Vey’s arms. Making eye contact with his blind brother might have seemed odd to others, but Beau knew his brother saw far more with his other senses than people expected.
He started to use the brotherly bond between them, but it made his head hurt. He pressed a shaky hand to his temple as he spoke out loud instead. “Everyone okay?”
Bax raised a hand but didn’t lift his head from Dominic’s chest.
Bailey nodded but continued to shake in Vey’s arms.
“I’m good,” Basil said as he waved a dismissive hand.
The duck began to quack. It wasn’t a loud noise, almost as if the duck had been hit by the same…whatever it was…as the rest of them. Beau felt a lump form in his chest as he glanced toward the bed. Clay still wasn’t moving, but he was now in human form. When that had happened, Beau had no idea.
He pushed himself to his feet. Taking one shaky step after another, he made his way to the bed. He was afraid to ask, but he needed to know, “How is he?’
The old man was moving a little slower as he tucked the sheet up around Clay’s chest and then leaned down to pick up the duck, placing the bird next to Clay on the bed. “Only time will tell, young bunny. I have done what I can.”
Beau stroked a finger down the high cheekbone of his brother’s face. “His color looks better.” He wasn’t as pale as he had been. He still wasn’t moving. “And he seems to be breathing easier.”
That was something.
“Ailanthus is not something to be messed with,” the Old One said. “In its natural form, it can be deadly to paranormals. I believe we have destroyed the effects of the dust he came into contact with, but there is something more going on inside of Barclay.” The Old One frowned and touched a finger to the sheet over Clay’s lower belly. “Whatever these scientists have done with the Ailanthus has made it into something I have not seen before. I cannot even guess what it is doing to your brother.”
Beau’s mind raced. So, something had been going on with Barclay the last few months, as they’d suspected. The scientists had done something to him. But when? Maybe that didn’t matter. Right now, his brother getting well was the top priority.
Beau glanced at the man, frowning when he saw the pinched skin around the man’s eyes. “Would it help if we got you a sample?”
“Yes, greatly. I can’t promise it will produce a cure, but it might help tell us what has been done to create such a reaction to the organs and tissue in an otherwise healthy shifter.”
Beau turned to look at each of his brothers, waiting until they nodded. He did the same with each of the mates, and then he looked back at the ancient man. “Give us a couple of hours and you’ll have your sample.”
Chapter Fourteen
Dario was once again astounded by how well the Battle Bunnies worked together as he watched them gearing up to go on their mission to the facility where they had found Clay. Their movements were quick, precise, and stealthy. They were a well-oiled machine, working together with an ease a Special Forces soldier would be jealous of.
Instead of going in through the loading dock, which was where they suspected the trap had been laid for them, they were going in through the roof. Not only were they using the cover of night to hide their approach, but Dario had been able to secure them a helicopter.
The plan was to do a parachute landing onto the roof and enter the building through an air duct they had found in the blueprints. It was one of the things that was there, right where it should be. It wasn’t locked—the lock was one of those things that should have been there but wasn’t.
Dario doubted those in charge of the facility ever dreamed the Battle Bunnies would come in through the roof of the building. Just to make sure everyone’s attention was on the ground and the trap waiting in the loading dock area, Dario had ordered Cealio and several of his guards to attack at the precise moment the bunnies were landing on the roof.
As much as he hated the idea, he, Vey, and Dominic would be creating a diversion in the parking garage. The bunnies would be going in without any of their mates. With any luck, they would meet somewhere in the middle.
Beau came to him once he was all geared up. Dario drew the man into his arms, holding him close. “You are my life, my beautiful bunny.” It was hard to keep his voice even when he felt a mixture of pride and fear. “You will return to me.”
Dario sent up a silent prayer to whoever might be listening. “Please, whatever powers that may be out there willing to listen to the pleas of a vampire prince, please bring my one and only back to me.”
“I have to come back,” Beau whispered. He grabbed Dario’s hand and placed it over his slightly rounded abdomen. “We have a litter of kits to get ready for.”
Dario swallowed his cry of joy and anguish. “Yes?” He had suspected Beau was carrying kits, but until now, they had avoided the subject, almost as if both of them were too scared to give voice to the possibility.
Tears formed in Beau’s brown eyes as he nodded his head. “Yes.”
“I can think of nothing I’d like more, my darling.”
Dario felt tears form in his own eyes when Beau leaned in and rested his head against him, right over his heart. He pressed his lips to the top of Beau’s head, not really kissing him, but needing the intimate contact with his mate.
“I love you, my darling. Remember that.”
“I love you, too.” Beau’s head lifted and then tilted back. “Thank you for loving me.” Beau swallowed hard. “For seeing me.”
“I will always see you, Beaumont.”
Dario pressed his lips to Beau’s. It was a bittersweet moment, knowing in a few hours he might not be alive to kiss his mate. He understood Beau’s need to save the world, but this time, it felt as if they might not both come back alive.
“Okay, people, listen up,” Basil said, breaking into the silent moment each bunny was having with his respective mate. “We all know this is a dangerous mission. Every mission is dangerous, but this one is especially risky. The people running the facility are waiting for us. We have a very slim sliver of time to get into this facility before we are spotted. Once that happens, getting out will be all that much harder.”
Basil’s indrawn breath was just as shaky as Dario felt. He was a big, bad vampire prince and he was terrified. He knew from the solemn expressions on the faces of the others that they were feeling the same fear.
“We don’t know what we will find once we are inside, beyond the hired guns waiting for us. The hope is that we can find the parano
rmals they are holding, free them, and then get a sample of the Ailanthus stuff that is affecting Clay.” Basil glanced at Cealio. “You are in charge of getting a piece of a crate that has residual dust on it. Remember to wear gloves so it doesn’t touch your skin or you’ll be just as sick as Clay.”
Cealio nodded. “It will be done.”
Dario knew the bunny was putting a lot of trust in Cealio, as he didn’t know the man very well. Cealio had been with him for years, and Dario trusted the man. He hoped that would be enough.
“You all have had time to study the new blueprints?” Basil asked as he looked around the room.
Dario’s lips twitched at the anger he could see burning in Basil’s brown eyes. The man had been pissed when he discovered his firewalls had been breached and a set of doctored blueprints of the facility had been fed to him. Granted, he had gone looking for the blueprints, but the virus loaded on his computer through the breach had led him to the documents the scientists wanted him to find.
A new computer with updated firewalls, and a new search, had garnered them a fresh set of blueprints—ones that showed everything inside the building, including the two floors beneath the parking garage. That was where they suspected the paranormals being experimented on were being held.
“Dario, you’ve secured a secondary housing location?”
“Yes,” Dario replied. “It is located about ten minutes from here. My men are securing it as we speak.”
“And medical personnel have been dispatched?” Basil asked. “We don’t know what kind of condition these shifters will be in. As much as I would like to bring them back here where we can keep an eye on them, it is no longer safe for our family to bring survivors here. We have too much to lose.”
“Agreed.” Wholeheartedly. “From this point on, the mansion needs to be a safe place for our family. With our joined resources, we can easily provide safe houses in other locations for the freed paranormals.”
After a quick family meeting, that had been agreed upon by everyone, including the housekeeper and her smitten handyman and the sometimes mission driver. They wanted no more chances of someone betraying them.
“Are there any more questions?” Basil asked.
They all knew what they were facing and had studied the plans, and then studied them again. Clay had taught them well. If he had been awake and able to participate in the mission planning, he would have been proud of how seriously everyone was taking this operation.
“Okay, let’s head out.”
Dario walked with Beau as far as the front of the house. From there, they would be going in separate cars. Dario would be heading to the facility with his soldiers, Vey, and Dominic, while the Battle Bunnies headed for the airfield a few miles away.
Dario stopped at the bottom of the steps, pulling Beau into his arms once again. He noticed the others doing the same out of the corner of his eye. He knew they also felt the gravity of this mission and knew it could very well be their last.
“You will come home to me, my darling. We must discuss how we will decorate our nursery. I think we need to expand our room into a suite for our growing family. What do you think?”
“I’d like that,” Beau whispered with a shaky voice. “I’d like that very much.”
Dario rubbed his thumb under the edge of Beau’s eye to catch the teardrop threatening to fall from his eyelashes. “I see you, Beaumont.”
Beau’s breath hitched. “Come home safe and you can see a whole lot more of me.”
Dario smiled. “That is a fair bargain, my darling.”
“Load up,” Basil called out before climbing into the first vehicle.
“Be safe, my love.” Dario leaned down and captured Beau’s mouth, putting every ounce of his love into that one, simple kiss. When he raised his head, Beau’s eyes were rounded, dazed-looking. Dario chuckled and gave him a little push toward the front vehicle. He watched until Beau had climbed in before doing the same with the second vehicle. “Let’s go.”
The moment Beau’s boot-clad feet touched the rough surface of the laboratory roof, gunfire and small explosions erupted all around the ground floor level of the building. Never slowing down, Beau unclipped his wide parachute and went over to the roof vent farthest to the south side, which Basil and Bax had already opened.
As agreed upon, Beau maneuvered into the tight, slanting space first. Just before he let go of the top edge, he looked up at his brothers. The matching dark, wide eyes staring back at him reflected their united love and determination to help their big brother or die trying.
The slide was fast, but Beau managed to stop his descent just before his toes hit the vent guard blocking the opening to a storage closet. After taking a few seconds to listen for any activity in the closet, Beau kicked the guard away. With graceful ease, he landed in the middle of high shelving filled with rolls of toilet paper, cleaning products, and paper towels.
Moments later, Bailey, Bax, and Basil silently landed beside him. This was it. Turning, Beau went to the door leading to the hall. Once Bailey’s hand touched the back of his shoulder, Beau opened the door and quickly slipped out of the room, not stopping until there was enough room for all of them to press their backs tightly against the wall.
The elevator down the hall pinged before the doors opened. A group of armed guards emerged and ran past them before disappearing around the far corner of the hall. Beau let out the breath he had been holding. It had worked. The guards hadn’t seen them.
It was Bailey who had pointed out his strong senses might amplify not only Beau’s talents of being invisible, but Bax’s gift of not being detected by electronics.
“Whew, that was close,” Bax commented through their mind link.
“Yeah, but they didn’t see us,” Basil responded.
Beau scanned the hallway. In his mind, he was recounting from the blueprints what was behind each door. The double swinging doors on the other side and down the hall was their target. The two guards standing in front of them made things tricky.
Or maybe not. Beau had taken three steps toward the doors when Bailey’s hand shifted against his shoulder, but stayed in contact. The next moment, two fighting stars were embedded in both guards’ necks. Yep, his little, blind brother was one heck of a lethal, fighting machine.
“Hey, I wanted to try out my new set of daggers,” Bax complained.
“You snooze, you lose,” Bailey taunted.
Always the one to try and smooth ruffled feathers, Basil said, “I’m sure there will be other guards for you to kill.”
Ignoring his brothers, Beau went over and opened one of the doors a sliver. Through the slit, he saw two scientists wearing latex gloves loading quarter-sized capsules into a metal, foam-padded briefcase.
“We have two scientists inside,” Beau informed his brothers. “Who wants them, and who wants to drag in the guards before anyone spots them?”
“I’ll take care of one of the guards,” Bax said.
Beau had noticed when it came to killing, for all of his bluster, Baxter only killed as a last resort. It had been decided beforehand that any scientist they came across had to be dispatched. According to the Old One, this poison they had used on Clay could wipe out all paranomals in months if it wasn’t contained and destroyed. That included anyone with the knowledge of working on and creating it.
“I’ll take the other guard,” Basil said.
It didn’t escape Beau’s notice that he and Bailey, being the smallest of the litter, weren’t being asked to move the two huge guards. They could have, though, if they’d wanted to.
“Bailey, keep a hold of me until we’re almost on them,” Beau instructed, referring to the scientists.
“Okay. Knives?” Bailey’s hand on Beau’s back slid back up to his shoulder blade.
“Works for me,” Beau agreed.
Silently, Beau and Bailey slipped into the room. He noted a counter ran along three of the walls. A cooler was set in a fourth wall. To Beau, it resembled the flower coolers fo
und in some grocery stores. Multiple buckets sat on the floor of the cooler, holding bunches of small trees with clusters of pods between their thick foliage.
The counters held a variety of microscopes, slides, leaf cuttings, and orange powder. Standing in one corner was a massive machine with steaming vats sitting on it. A pile of short casings lay near a small frame that held an empty casing, ready to be filled.
Beau shivered. The place held a stench like nothing he had ever smelled. Rotting fish and sour underarm mixed with pig shit wouldn’t be nearly as bad as this place. Beau’s stomach rolled. This room had to go.
“Hurry up, we’ve got to get these things into the safe,” the shorter of the scientists urged.
“For months they’ve made us prepare for an attack,” the other one complained. “I wonder if this is only a drill?”
“Well, if it is, once it’s over we can go down to the cells and find one of those things to have some fun with.” The short man’s laugh contained pure evil.
“I don’t know how you can shove your dick into their holes,” the other man complained. “They’re animals.”
“Well,” the shorter man countered. “It’s less bloody than cutting them into pieces like you do.”
Beau’s rage coated the room in a tinge of red. The next moment the taller scientist lay dead at his feet. Beside him, Bailey stood holding a knife dripping in blood, the other scientist at his feet.
“We have to hurry if we want to rescue any paranormals,” Basil stated while walking into the room and pulling latex gloves over his already black-glove-clad fingers.
Beau picked up a pair of gloves and shoved his hands into the latex. Scooping up one of the capsules, he was surprised how soft the smooth, white casing was. It had the consistency of a thin bag, but there was no way it was plastic.
“Be careful. If you pop one of those things and it touches you, I’d say you’re one dead bunny,” Bax warned, standing a good four feet from where Basil and Beau were loading the rest of the capsules into the metal case.
Once all the containers of death were loaded, Basil shut the case with a snap before shoving it into the back of the parachute harness Bailey still wore. Beau watched Basil pull a couple of small cylinders out of his pocket. He set one in the cooler and scattered three more around under the counters.
