Electric Storm (A Raven Investigations Novel)

by Brutger, Stacey

  “Raven.” The harsh whisper clanged loudly in her head. She rolled over and slapped the alarm.

  Only to have her hand hit stone. She winced at the unforgiving surface and pried open an eyelid. Inky blackness greeted her. She blinked a few times and a faint light from the end of the room slowly brought everything into focus.

  Reality came crashing back.

  She rubbed the bracelet of bruises on her wrists, relieved to have those blasted ties removed. All she heard was dripping water, the sound lonely in the silence. A movement across the way drew her attention. She sat quickly, then sucked in a harsh breath when her battered body protested. “Taggert?”

  “What did you do?” The guttural reprimand in his voice stung. Dirt smudged his face and matted his beautiful hair. His face appeared gaunt but unhurt.

  He was alive.

  Part of her had been terrified she wouldn’t make it in time. The back of her throat ached with unshed tears, and she had to clear her throat twice to speak. “I came to get you out of here.”

  Here appeared to be an underground way station. The cages were nothing more than three by four foot boxes carved out of the stone walls with thin wires acting as bars.

  “You shouldn’t have come.” Taggert shoved away from the edge of the kennel, disappearing into the shadows where she couldn’t see him.

  “You don’t mean that.” His sharp rebuke confused her. Raven expected relief, not the bitter, nearly uncontrollable rage. It left her floundering and a little unsure of herself.

  Movement in another other cage caught her eye, but she couldn’t make out any shapes. Her determination hardened, and she shoved the hurt away to deal with later.

  “How many are here?” She needed to factor their numbers into her plans.

  “If they didn’t kill Digger yet, there are four of us including you.” The raspy male voice was from a stranger, his words giving away little information as to his identity. “They emptied the cage when they heard you were coming.”

  That they’d kill another to make room for her was devastating when so close to rescue. “Could he still be alive?”

  No one spoke for nearly a minute, and she closed her eyes as guilt twisted through her.

  “Not for long. They never come back after they go beyond this point.” The voice hardened. “You should worry about yourself. It’s always worse for the women.”

  Raven reached for the cage.

  “Don’t.”

  But it was too late. Her hand curled around the wire before she could pull back. Electricity sizzled up through her fingers and along every nerve ending. While her core remained dormant, fire spread along her muscles until her whole body spasmed. She lost her hold and slid bonelessly to the ground, every inch of her screaming in agony.

  “Raven?” The hoarse sound of her name from Taggert reached through the haze of pain. She had a feeling it wasn’t the first time he called for her. She’d forgotten what it was like to be hit with raw energy, how evil it could feel. It was devastating to be close to all that power, taste it, feel it and be unable to access it when she needed it most.

  “I’m fine.” Though she knew she had never let out a whimper, she barely recognized her rough voice. She was good at swallowing the screams. “Are all the cages similarly charged?”

  “Yes.” There was a slight hesitation in the answer, and the mysterious man crept toward the edge of his cage.

  Perfect. She scanned the room, stealing a bit of the raw electricity that saturated the air. Current singed her in retaliation for daring to touch it, but thankfully allowed her to direct it. Wires around the floor and ducts lit up like the Fourth of July to her eyes. Most of the cords were laid in haste, exposed and easily manipulated.

  The back of her teeth ached at the prospect of working with live current without the filter of her core. It was unpredictable, unreliable and hurt like the dickens to use in its raw form, but at least she wasn’t at the mercy of her unstable gift. The only drawback was that she could only use it for so long before it killed her. Raven clenched her hands to control the tremor in her fingers, then inhaled deeply and reached for the cage again.

  “Raven, don’t do this.”

  The plea in Taggert’s voice made her hesitate. She lifted her head to see him mimic her position across the way.

  “I can do this. If I can bring down the generator, you can get everyone out.” She licked her lips, noticing they were chapped and bleeding.

  “Even if we can escape the cave, it won’t work,” the other man spoke. “There’s still the girl. The four of us won’t be able to overpower the guards with her standing watch.”

  “What’s your name?”

  Another lengthy pause and she thought he wouldn’t answer. His shape appeared blurred by shadows, but she recognized the scars burned across the back of his left hand. A branded rogue.

  “Griffin.”

  She swallowed hard and made the only decision she could. Rogue status or not, she had to trust him.

  “I’m going to rig the bars to take down the generator. When they take me out to hunt, you should be able to break the lock and get the others out. Head north. My team and the cops are ready.” She ignored Taggert’s growl of rage. “Keep Taggert safe.”

  “Raven, don’t.” Taggert looked furious enough to rip apart the cage.

  “Just hurry. I won’t be able to evade them forever. I’ll try to stall them long enough for you to bring backup.” She very deliberately placed her hands back on the bars, whimpering when the energy slammed into her again, stronger than ever. She quickly manipulated the current in the wires, looping circuits away from the generator, knowing she didn’t have much time.

  The lights flickered. At the signal, she loosened her hold. Her arms dropped to her sides, and she groaned at the unexpected pain. Her arms felt like they would fall out of their sockets. The first part was done. A surge of relief left her giddy.

  One more time should do it. The generator was unhooked. She just needed to bleed the system dry. She straightened, and it took nearly twice as long for her to rise to her knees. Fresh burns and blisters felt raw on her hands as she resolutely crawled toward the door. She swayed and swallowed hard, squinting when her eyes refused to focus. Just one more time, and Taggert would be free.

  “Stop.” Taggert’s hissed whisper sounded more animal than human.

  “I’m sorry.” Raven braced herself for the charge, allowing it to roll over her. The voltage nearly dropped her on her ass. Only sheer determination locked her fingers on those searing hot wires.

  She did her best to suck all the current from the system. Only it was too much. Breathing became a struggle. When her vision dimmed, she flung herself backwards. Spasms contorted her body, her hair stood on end like a cloud around her face. Then everything went black.

  * * *

  The sound of locks tumbling jerked her back to awareness.

  “Up you go.”

  Hands grabbed her under the arms and dragged her out, uncaring that the bars abraded the flesh of her lower back and legs.

  “You son of a bitch, leave her alone.”

  A dark chuckle came from the man above her. “Don’t worry. Your time will come. We’re just going to play with her for a bit.”

  Lights blinded her when they moved her, and it took precious seconds for the makeshift room to come into focus. The walls were stone, the floor swept clean and covered by a rug. The space had a kitchenette, a desk and fridge. They’d been here for a while. Then she turned her head and saw the waist-high table. It wasn’t the table by itself that scared the shit out of her, but the metal cuffs dangling from the edges that struck terror in her heart.

  She wouldn’t go there meekly.

  Brutal images of the labs rose to haunt her. Her heartbeat sped up, her skin tingled. She was seconds away from panic overtaking her. If she lost her reason, she’d ruin Taggert’s chance at escape.

  She needed to assess the situation rationally.

  She tipped her he
ad, straining to see her captor. Military haircut, strict dress code, sturdy boots. The scent of gun oil was so strong, she could almost taste it. A hunter for the thrill. Big, built, no-nonsense, do-your-duty man from the closed, almost bored expression on his face.

  “If you want a better hunt, I can give it to you.” The man cocked an eyebrow at her as if he’d heard it all before.

  “Oh, you’ll run.” He hauled her on the table and reached for the cuffs.

  “But what fun is the hunt where the prey is wounded. Women give a poor chase.”

  He didn’t say anything as he latched one cuffs around her wrist. The cold metal felt like a thousand pounds.

  “What if I can guarantee you the hunt of your lifetime?”

  Soldier Boy ignored her, but his movements slowed a fraction.

  “I met that shifter you keep on a leash the other night. Did she come back a little fried?” She said it mockingly, but she definitely had his interest now. He stopped and drew back, leaving one arm, and her legs free. She considered it a small victory.

  “How do I know that was you?”

  “She’s five six, brown hair and moves disjointedly until she gets the scent of her prey.” The description rattled something that hovered in the back of her mind, something she should know. She ignored it and forced herself to smile at the interest in his eyes. “You keep the men off me, and I guarantee that I’ll be able to escape your little pet. She makes it too easy for you, doesn’t she?”

  The burly man ran a distracted hand down the pommel of the blade at his side, judging her. “You don’t look like much.”

  “I survived seventeen years in the labs.” She leaned closer, ignoring the way he licked his lips. “I escaped there. You let me loose outside, and I can promise to give you a run for your money. You like to hunt, not chasing down half dead shifters. I bet your little pet kills a better part of them before you even get into the game. Do you miss the thrill of going after something that can kill you if you make a mistake?”

  The heat in his eyes grew uncomfortable and only her self-control and the cuff kept her in place. “If they rape me in here, I’ll fight back. People will die. They’ll put me down before I even get off the table. You don’t want that, do you?”

  Raven tossed her head in the direction of the cavern. “I saw the men in there. They won’t give you half the battle I can.”

  “Don’t you have her stripped and tied down yet?” A skinny cowboy of a man strutted in the room, dressed in too tight black pants, cowboy boots, and a plaid, pearl-button down shirt topped with a string tie. The dark hair he sported was so greasy it appeared black enough to blend into the background and stank of gunky motor oil. A mustache, pitted skin, and cold eyes told of a man who liked women, but didn’t have time to waste romancing them to get what he wanted.

  This would be her rapist.

  She eyed Soldier Boy and raised her brows in challenge.

  “She’s mine.”

  Cowboy just laughed. “Don’t worry. There’s more than enough to go around.” He raised a hand, reaching to touch her face when Soldier Boy caught his wrist.

  “No. You had the others. This one is all mine.” Soldier Boy gazed at her when he spoke, his words a promise.

  A wave of relief threatened to weaken her spine, but she didn’t allow herself to show it. Talk about jumping from the frying pan into the fire, but she’d worry about that later.

  “You can’t do that.” Cowboy jerked his hand away, narrowing his eyes when Soldier Boy took his time releasing him. Hatred thickened the air.

  Soldier Boy straightened to his full height, his chest puffed up, his stare unwavering. “She’s mine.”

  The man finally seemed to sense the danger. The vicious look tossed her way warned her that she’d better watch her back. As soon as Soldier Boy dropped his guard, she was meat for the taking.

  “We’ll see about that.” Boots clumped out of the room. Soldier Boy nodded to her and left. Raised voices resounded in the small cavern, and she willed herself to remain calm. He’d keep his word; he needed the adrenaline rush too badly to let Cowboy win.

  The cuff latched onto her wrist could be broken with time, but she wouldn’t be able to sneak into the cavern and release the others before her absence was noticed.

  She searched her core, noting that neither her animals nor her power seemed to be very interested in helping her out. Not that she could blame them after the abuse she’d put them through. It was the vault that drew her worry.

  With nothing to hold it back, it was leaking like a sieve, spilling poison into her system. It wouldn’t be much longer before it reached her core and put her out of commission. A few of the animals paced restlessly as the poison threatened their domain, and she felt helpless to do anything. Her hands were tied until her power came back online.

  A small sound snapped her head around. She searched the room, but found nothing. “Who’s there?”

  A shadow moved. A dirty face leaned out of the darkness, intelligent, kind eyes looked at odds with the collar and chain strapped cruelly around his throat.

  “Digger?”

  “Smart girl to play them against one another.” The whisper barely reached her ears, the range so low she wondered if she’d imagined it. Then he flinched. “They’re coming back.”

  Then she heard the footsteps, too. She licked her lips and spoke quickly. “When they take me out, Griffin will come get you. Run like hell and don’t look back.”

  He lifted a finger to his lips and vanished into the darkness, meshing with it so completely that even with her keen sight, she couldn’t detect him. She quickly refocused her attention away from him and cleared all expression from her face.

  “So you’re the one who’s put my boys at odds.” An older, white haired man who could pass for anyone’s good-natured grandfather entered the room. The light scent of peppermint candies rose from him. Even his voice sounded jovial.

  Not his eyes though. Those snake cold eyes observed everything, dispassionately cataloged every weakness and strength he could ferret out. “I can see why. There’s something different about you.” He rubbed his chin, the short, clean whisker rasping dryly against his hand. It was all she could do not to flinch under his regard.

  “The police are closing in on us thanks to you. We’ll have to close shop in this area.” She couldn’t prevent a betraying twitch at his accusations, and a hard smile crossed his lips. “You didn’t think I recognized you from your picture in the paper?”

  Relief struck hard, and Raven bit down on the inside of her lips to prevent another tell. Grandpa didn’t know that the police and her people were out searching for them this very moment. She could still make this work.

  He continued as if he didn’t expect a response. “Nah, you’re the type of girl a guy doesn’t forget. Too bad you’re a filthy paranormal. Stink clings to your kind.” His hand lashed out. Fingers cruelly gripped her chin, dug down to bone, before she even thought to twist away. “Ross usually doesn’t send us his leftovers in such pristine condition. You must have been getting too close.”

  Raven carefully let her mind go blank, thankful for the cold metal on her ass to give her something else to concentrate on. She wasn’t up to playing word games with this man. If there was any hint of trouble, he’d finish her now.

  She suspected Grandpa had a bit of paranormal in him to be able to pick others like herself out of the crowd so well. Maybe that was why he hated them so fiercely.

  “Police involvement gives us a little problem. A surplus of breeds. No sense taking them with us when there are so many of you.” He dropped his hand and stepped away, his fingers looped into his belt buckle. “We’re going to make things a good deal more interesting and shackle two of you together. We’ll see if this pack business works or if you’ll gnaw off the other’s arm to escape.”

  A malevolent glint hardened Grandpa’s eyes, and a shiver crawled over her skin. Part of her confidence eroded under that glare. “You and the little wolf
who objected so vehemently when you were dragged in here will be paired.”

  The back of her throat dried, and she willed herself not to swallow, not to react. This man would sense any weakness and ruthlessly exploit it. He grunted, obviously disappointed in her lack of response.

  The animals at her core began to pace and panic brutally grabbed her throat. Please not now. She desperately needed a boost of energy to keep them at bay. Hell, she’d even be grateful to be hit with that cursed taser.

  “You escape, you’re free.” He shrugged, a little smile quirking his lips. “It’s that easy.”

  With the image of freedom dangled in front of them, the animals calmed. She and Taggert were well matched. He might be faster, stronger, but she could disrupt their trail and track the others when they got too close. The only complications would be managing the burnout and her animals with him so close.

  “Take her and get them ready. The hunt will begin at one.”

  She shot a quick glance at Solider Boy, who had entered behind the Grandpa, willing him to protest the change in plans. A muscle jumped in his jaw, but he kept quiet. No help from that quarter. She debated making a play now but stayed her hand. Everyone needed to be out of the cave. When she made her move, she had to be one hundred percent sure that whatever she did, she struck hard, fast and with killing force.

  Then she saw the taser.

  “Shit.” She gritted her teeth at the necessary evil, ready to swallow everything down in a faint hope that her core had recovered enough to restart.

  The spark jumped from the gun to her before it even came into contact with her flesh. Pain rolled over her, the current snapping along her skin, seeking entrance. When denied, every muscle contracted in agony. She willed herself to remain conscious, desperately trying to clutch the electricity, cursing when the voltage dissipated without her being able to capture even a spark.

  Darkness hovered over her awareness, and Soldier Boy pulled back when she would’ve succumbed. Not for humanitarian purposes. To preserve his precious hunt. She slumped on the table, helpless to do anything as her body continued to fight the painful effects.