by R. J. Blain
“You’re serious. She flew to Europe.”
“I picked her up from the airport myself. Seemed a bit rattled but otherwise fine.”
A string of curses thundered on the other end of the line, and I waited the eruption of temper to calm. “Put her on.”
“She’s sleeping, and I really doubt her father would be very happy with me if I headed into her room in the middle of the night.”
There was a long moment of silence. “Desmond’s there?”
“He’s here, and he’s out for blood, Mr. Murphy. He’s determined enough to coerce Her Majesty’s Navy into providing him with a Marine and a SEAL to fetch your ass out of Switzerland. Help a man out here.”
“How the hell did the Royal Navy get a Marine and a SEAL?”
I laughed. “They stole them out from under the nose of a US Navy Vice Admiral at Desmond’s request.”
“You have got to be kidding me.”
“I’m afraid I’m being completely serious.”
“What is your part in this, and how did Desmond coerce you?”
“I suppose full introductions are in order. I’m Major Declan McGrady. I’m the Marine. Desmond originally hired me to infiltrate that French castle under the guise of planning an art heist to determine the location of the seven ladies keeping you company. What should have been a scouting job turned into an extraction. You should know the rest of the story.”
“From my end, but not yours. Julie’s convinced you were killed.”
“Just because I jumped off a cliff and was shot twice doesn’t mean I was killed.” I shook my head, chuckling at the memory of the headstrong werewolf woman. “My job was to cover their six. I covered their six.”
“You’re one tough son of a bitch, Major.”
“This tough son of a bitch has a job to do. Why are you holed up in Switzerland, and do you need help?”
“We’re being tailed by the folks who kidnapped the ladies. We’re trying to lie low in the Alps, but they’re pretty determined. We’ve been able to keep ahead of them, but no more than that. It would not be wise for any one of us to kill someone.”
I scowled at the memory of my mother and her death, knowing full well what would happen to them if a group of werewolves did kill someone. “You’re correct. If you and the man with you have phones, ditch them. They may be tracked. My phone is definitely being tracked, so ditch it, too. It’s best if you destroy every piece of electronics you have. Memorize my number and text me updates on a disposable phone. Turn it off between contacts. Understood? If you can get a new disposable in every town, that would be wise.”
“Understood. We’ll be on the move to keep our tail busy.”
“Good. It’ll make it harder to track you down but less likely you’ll be intercepted by the wrong party. Give me a second.” I bent over my laptop and pulled up a map of the Swiss Alps. “There are a bunch of tourist villages in your area from the looks of it. Text me the location of the last one you were in and a reverse direction to the one you’re heading to. If someone is intercepting your messages, that should be enough to throw them off at least once.”
“I’ll one up that; I’ll start in reverse order and work counter-clockwise around the compass rose by the number of towns I’ve texted you to offset it. A little complicated to figure out on the fly, but it should do the trick.”
I considered the plan. In order to accurately determine the direction Richard would be headed, I’d have to count the number of towns he had already visited and use that number in combination with his claimed direction. Once I ticked around the compass rose in counter-clockwise order, I’d reverse the resulting direction to find out which way Richard was headed. “I like it. Simple but difficult to crack. We’re going to be on our way to Switzerland in the morning.”
“Be careful, McGrady. Our tail is armed and dangerous. We’re not geared to deal with them even if we decided to use lethal force.”
“I don’t have to be armed to be dangerous or lethal,” I informed him. “Keep yourself and your group alive long enough for us to get there. Keep moving. I’ll make sure we’re ready for a firefight.”
“Thanks.”
I hung up and stared at my phone for a long time. I wanted to believe Scallywag wanted to retrieve the seven women he had lost, but a nagging doubt warned me the real target was Richard Murphy, and that the game was about to become a great deal more dangerous.
Chapter Fifteen
I kept my conversation with Richard a secret. The last thing I wanted to do was compromise the man’s position. If I did, I wouldn’t be the one to pay the price. Protecting Richard and those with him through secrecy was my only option.
Leaving Nicole in the dark bothered me more than hiding the truth from the others did; I caught her staring out the window at nothing, her gaze locked somewhere far to the south east, as though she was somehow homing in on her husband’s distant presence.
Despite being the first ready in the morning, I was the one who delayed us, my attention on my choice of routes. With two werewolves for company, I needed to find a place they could answer the moon’s call if necessary—a place I could guard over Anthony and Lane if the wolves turned violent.
When the sun set and the moon rose, my troubles would begin. The peak of moonrise would happen a little after two in the morning, and while my wolf and I could resist the urges to change and hunt, I had no idea how strong the moon’s call would resonate with the other two werewolves—and if their presence would unbalance me and my wolf.
My wolf’s unease grew the longer I hesitated, and I was aware of everyone watching me.
“What’s the hold up?” Anthony asked, leaning over my shoulder to peer at my laptop screen. “A map app?”
“I’m driving, and I’m deciding on the route,” I informed him, clicking on the map on a promising town tucked at the foot of the Swiss Alps. “I’m also picking a place to stay for the night.”
“You are?” Desmond crossed his arms over my chest. “That’s my job.”
“Loose cannons do not get to pick the routes or safe houses in the hot zone. Lane, if he gives you trouble, shoot him.”
“I’d need a gun to shoot him.”
“Take the loose cannon and his daughter and find me some guns, then. If they promise to behave and can demonstrate their ability to use a gun, they can even have one each.”
“What’s your poison, Major?”
“Sig or Glock. If the stars align and you can get me a fully automatic handgun, I’ll take it. Biggest punch in the smallest package you can get me.”
“You don’t use a Beretta?” Desmond asked, his surprise registering in his scent as well as in his voice.
“I have nothing against them, but they aren’t my first choice.” I made a shooing gesture at them. “Anthony, stay. The rest of you get out and see about weapons. Lane, you’re in charge of a full ops kit.”
“That’s going to cost a fortune.”
“I’m paying,” Desmond stated. “And I might just know a few people who can hook us up.”
I made a humming noise, dug my cell out of my pocket, and dialed Bob’s number.
“Hey, Bob. What can I do for you?” my conspirator and sometimes friend answered.
“Bob, who do you have in Paris who can hook me up with gear?”
“I’ll text you a name and number. Give me five. How many will be going for the pickup?”
“Three. Two men, one woman.”
“I’ll ping you. Costs are on me.” Bob hung up.
I set my phone on the coffee table beside my laptop. “Bob’s taking care of it.”
“I love Bob,” Nicole said, smiling at me. “You have him eating right out of your hand, Declan.”
“Who the hell is Bob?” Pacing around the sitting room, Desmond came to a halt in front of the coffee table and made a grab for my phone.
I beat him to it, clucked my tongue, and shook my head. “Loose cannons might compromise my sources.”
“I know who B
ob is,” Nicole sang before sticking her tongue out at her father. “I’m not telling. That’s what you get for running away from home and worrying Mom.”
“What about you running away from home and worrying your mother?”
“I told her where I was going, asshole. She even drove me to the airport.”
“She drove you to the airport.”
“I flew to Seattle to check in when she called to say you’d flown the coop.”
“You flew to Seattle.”
Nicole sighed. “You’re broken. How else would Mom drive me to the airport? She’s at home keeping Sara contained. Declan, where are we going?”
My phone buzzed, and I checked the message. A town and a direction waited for me. I put the phone back down, headed to the map app, and scrolled until I found out where Richard was headed.
I’d be really surprised if he’d have cell reception. I texted him back with one of my obscure email addresses. He texted back a confirmation.
The next text was from Bob, and it listed the name of a store and an address, which I gave to Nicole. “Lane, you’re in charge. Prep us as though we’re going into a fire fight.”
“That doesn’t sound promising.”
“Good. It wasn’t supposed to. See what Bob can get us, and don’t be afraid to get some heavy weaponry.” I hesitated, debating whether or not I really wanted to take a nose-dive into armed violence. Sighing, I submitted to the inevitable. “If there’s one available, nab me a sniper rifle. We might need it.”
“You’re a sniper?” Desmond blurted.
“I know my way around a sniper rifle.” That my targets were inanimate objects didn’t matter; my aim was good, my eyesight was superior, and I didn’t miss. Killing someone wasn’t my style.
I didn’t have to kill someone to disable them.
“I’m trained, too,” Lane said. “It’s not uncommon for Marines and SEALs to be trained in many different weapons, Mr. Desmond. I’ll make sure we have everything we need. Don’t you even think of going anywhere without us.”
Laughing, I shook my head. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
It was the truth. The last thing I wanted to do was go into the woods after eight or nine werewolves with two more at my back hunting me down for giving them the slip. Some called me crazy, but I wasn’t completely insane.
It took Lane, Nicole, and Desmond three hours to get the gear, and when they returned, it was in a silver SUV instead of the black car. I herded Anthony out of the house, locked the door behind me, and turned to face the two werewolves and the SEAL. “Someone bought me a new car. Keys, please.”
“Mine. I bought it, I drive it,” Desmond growled.
“I’m not sure how you bought a car in three hours, but you know what? I don’t care. Give me the keys. I’m the only one who knows where we’re going, and I have zero intention of telling any of you the location or the way to get there.”
Nicole’s face paled, and her gaze skipped to her father. The woman held her breath, and her scent soured from her unease. Hopping down the three steps to the stone walkway, I marched to the other werewolf male, met his gaze, and held out my hand. “No keys, no son-in-law.”
Anger had a scent, and Desmond’s burned my nose with its strength. I waited, sliding one foot back to assume a subtle defensive stance, waiting and watching. Sighing, Desmond dropped the keys into my palm. “Fine.”
I closed my fingers over the keys, nodded, and circled the vehicle, pausing long enough to take a picture of the vehicle and its plates, which I texted to Bob with instructions to attempt to get clearance at the Swiss border. “Get in. We have a long drive. I’ve already booked us somewhere for the night, and I want to be there by sundown.”
I slid behind the wheel and waited for the others to climb in and buckle up before starting the engine. “Lane, how’d the acquisitions go?”
I heard the click of a box opening in the back, and a moment later, Lane thrust a handgun between the front seats. “Your Bob is obsessed with Beretta M9s, sorry. Best of the bunch. I’ve got clips and magazines for them, enough ammo for all of us, vests, night goggles, and some other toys. I like Bob a lot right now. He even landed you a sniper rifle you’ll like.”
“Holster.”
“Shoulder or hip?”
“Shoulder.” I shrugged out of my jacket, grabbed the holster, and eased into it, grimacing at the stiffness in my shoulder and arm. Giving the gun a thorough once over, I nodded my satisfaction and stowed it before putting my jacket back on. “Carry permits and forms for the gear?”
Lane handed over an envelope. “Here.”
I reached across Desmond, opened the glove box, and stashed them inside. “Good. Disposable cells?”
“Bob had ten put aside for you. Do you really need that many?”
“Yes. Give me one of their numbers.”
Lane did, telling me the passcode as he did so. I texted the number to Richard’s cell. In the back seat, a phone pinged with a text message, and I held my hand out for it. The response, from an unknown number, was a name and a direction. I messaged Bob with the new number and tossed my phone to Desmond. “Destroy that, would you? Leave nothing intact.”
Scowling at me, the werewolf grabbed the phone, got out of the car, and slammed the device on the ground before crushing the remaining pieces under his heel. “You’re a very frustrating man, Major McGrady.”
I snorted and cracked my knuckles before revving the engine. “Daylight’s wasting, Mr. Desmond.”
“You have my permission to call me Dad.”
“Can I leave him here, Nicole?”
“I wish,” Richard’s wife growled. “Father, get back in the car and be quiet for once in your life. Please.”
“I’m starting to regret I didn’t leave without them,” I muttered, waiting long enough for Desmond to get back in the car before putting the vehicle into gear. “Why didn’t you talk me into leaving, Anthony? You’re supposed to be my spot man.”
“Don’t you go blaming me for this, Declan. You’re the one who got caught by the SEAL. I’m just here for the ride. Can I go home now? I have a severe gun allergy. I think I’m getting hives.”
I sighed, shook my head, and wondered what I had gotten myself into yet again.
After being jerked around by far too many people, driving restored my sense of control with the benefit of soothing my wolf’s fraying nerves. I pushed my luck and the speed limit, determined to reach our lodgings in Switzerland before nightfall.
I stopped to fill up for gas and grab quick bites to eat on the way, and not even Desmond was willing to question my frantic pace. The close proximity to the full moon made my skin itch, and my wolf whined his restlessness in my head.
As soon as I recovered Nicole’s husband, I’d dive right back under the radar with Bob’s help, picking up a new life and leaving behind Daniel McClain and Declan McGrady once and for all. I’d retreat to the forests for the winter and begin again in the spring.
Whether by luck or Bob’s intervention, we breezed across the border into Switzerland, and I hummed a happy tune while everyone else breathed sighs of relief. I checked the clock, calculating the time to reach where I had made reservations for the night. “Let’s find a market.”
“A market?” Desmond glanced at me, deep furrows marking his brow. “Why?”
“We’re in Switzerland. One simply does not go to Switzerland without acquiring chocolate.”
“I’m taking you home with me, Declan,” Nicole announced. “I’m taking you home with me and putting you in charge of my chocolate stash. I’ll pay you a competitive salary for the work.”
I was really going to need a good plan to escape the hold of Desmond and his daughter—and a distraction when it was time to fly from the coop after I helped them recover Richard, his partner, and the women they were escorting.
Until then, I’d play along and get a better feel for the werewolves so I’d have a better idea of what I’d need to do in order to escape.
; “It is such a shame we don’t have the time to make side trip to Belgium.” I faked a sigh, shaking my head. “We’re getting chocolate and the makings for dinner. I feel like cooking.”
In truth, with the full moon on the rise, cooking would help me focus, and gorging would keep my wolf content while I waited out the most difficult hours of the month. I’d make enough to feed all three of us werewolves and the pair of unsuspecting humans.
My wolf liked having his way, and he really liked good food, which meant he wasn’t satisfied until I cooked things he liked.
If it took me cooking a feast capable of feeding an army of werewolves to keep my wolf contained during the full moon, I would do it without complaint.
Nicole sighed, and it was a happy sound. “I really need to take you home, then. You cook?”
Anthony groaned. “You’re not going to go all gourmet on me again, are you?”
“We’re in Switzerland and our place has a world-class kitchen. I’m going so gourmet you’ll be ruined on restaurants for a year. Desmond and his daughter have the suite next door with the inferior kitchen.”
That the suite next to ours was at least a hundred feet away had been part of the reason I had selected it. If the two werewolves shifted with the rise of the full moon, I had a little distance and a separate building to protect Lane and Anthony.
Anthony sighed. “Damn it, Declan. What the hell is wrong with you? You’re a freak of nature. Do you know what happened that one time you did this? Remember that damned full moon on Halloween when everyone went nuts because that’s what people do when there’s a full moon on Halloween? Do you remember what happened?” Anthony pounded the back of my seat. “Well?”
To keep from shifting when the moon’s call was at its absolute worst, I had sequestered myself with Anthony in his apartment, taking over his kitchen and cooking from sunset until sunrise, filling every bit of his freezer and fridge with food. I had made so much I had filled my freezer with enough left over to feed Anthony’s parents, his sister, and his brother.
“It’s not my fault you gained ten pounds. That’s what you get for lazing about instead of exercising.”
