S.A. Price (24 page)

"Ok then," Evelyn shrugged again lifting her sandwich. "Have it your way... It sure is a shame about all those poor girls, but hey, it's no skin off my nose Mer. I'm sure you guys will find another way..."

Elise lifted her hand. “She goes Merrick.” she said with more finality then she ever thought possible.

Evelyn grinned, "She talks a lot of sense, after all, I've been there. I know the lay out and I even know where the girls are being held."

Merrick spared a glance at Elise before looking to Evelyn. "This is all information you could pass on. Why?"

"Because I owe someone my life and I know how you all can get when it comes to collateral damage and humans. I just want to make sure I pay my debt and that none of those meatheads over there blow a perfectly decent human being up..." She looked over to Marcus and Olivia’s side of the table. "No offence."

Marcus tipped his head at her while Olivia scowled. Elise looked to Merrick. “And that’s a very good reason. Fine, you go Evelyn. Now where the hell are we going?”

She gave them all a million dollar smile. "Perfect, get me a map and I'll show you. I have the coordinates memorized that I could write down if that’s easier."

Marcus pushed a pad and pencil and Geraldine, quiet until this point, brought her a map. Evelyn did both, wrote down the coordinates, and located it on the map. It was right on the border of the three states, Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky, right where Beryl had said it could be. Marcus and Olivia wasted no time telling their teams where it was, and they were both now waiting on orders from their Archons. Elise looked about and then spoke. “Well that’s settled. How long will it take to get there?”

Marcus looked at his PDA and then back to her. “Approximately two hours by car, though the Black hawk can make it in thirty minutes. What’s the plan?”

Elise looked at Merrick. “What do you suggest?”

"I'm not the action man here. I'm a little out of my depth in planning military assaults. Aiden and I will handle the cover up and I suggest you send someone in with Evelyn, maybe Myra, to get the girls out safely while the attack ensues."

“Done.” she said and frowned. “Olivia?”

Olivia detailed what she and Marcus had come up with quickly, a very regimented snatch and grab, with orders to kill all threats on sight. It would be a clean operation, as long as things didn’t get turned around on them.

Elise didn’t enjoy the fact that Merrick was going in, or Myra, but something told her there was no way Myra was letting Aiden go alone, but that was not the issue at hand. She would worry about the two of them later on. She looked at Ramona. “And you? What have you come up with? Have you heard from Lillith? Or Hannah?”

"Not personally, although I'm told Lillith is doing just fine. Hannah is still absent, I'm sure she isn't caught up in all this mess. My daughters are far too intelligent to be snatched up off the streets like some rogue whore." She answered haughtily causing Evelyn's body language to stiffen.

~97~

“Last I remembered, Hannah was just a plain old whore but hey... where are my manners? Ah probably the same place yours are Archon, the same place my good sense has been hiding for some time as well.” Myra said and smiled sweetly at Ramona.

Evelyn grinned at Myra, "That must be the place where my modesty is... I've heard about that, it's pretty far away. No need to rush to my defense as I've been called much worse. I'd rather me than..."

She gave Ramona a disdainful glance, "That, any day of the week. See I'm hot. Everyone knows it...

chances are that her daughter was just too fugly to get saved. It's like natural selection, survival of the hottest." She smiled sweetly over at a now fuming Ramona. "No offence, really."

Ramona opened her mouth but it was Merrick who spoke first. "Enough! Insults are not helpful, no matter how amusing they may be. We don’t have the time to be at each other’s throats. If you don’t have something constructive to say then I'll ask you to keep your mouth shut."

Elise shuddered inwardly. Hearing Merrick raise his voice was such a turn on, asserting himself in a way most other Basilia’s didn’t. She watched Myra nod, already falling into listening to him, and smiled. It wouldn’t be that much of a hardship to get their people to accept each other she was sure.

“Merrick is right. Now if no one has any objections, I say we mobilize in, say, twenty minutes?” she looked over at Marcus and Olivia who both nodded. “One thing though, no changing, and tell your men not to do anything that would give their dual natures away. We want to hide the Ophidian side of ourselves; this threat is just too damn big.”

Merrick nodded. "Agreed."

“Then I suggest all that are going get themselves ready.” She looked at Merrick, clearly an indication that she wished to speak with him and then looked at the rest of the council. “Good Luck.”

Clearing his throat Merrick looked at Aiden. "Aiden get yourself ready and stocked up, you know the drill. Evelyn you stay with Myra, I'm sure she'll supply you with anything you need for the night.

Maybe even a fresh set of clothes." He waited to make sure each of them understood their part before leading Elise off to the next room.

Once alone she frowned at him. “You promise me you’re coming back.”

"Of course, I'm not even going to be in the fray, strictly clean up."

She nodded and moved in, kissing him soundly, her hands possessive on him. She didn’t care who knew it, or who saw, only that he was there, and real, and she would be damned if she was going to lose him again.

He kissed her back feverishly his arms encircling her.

“You come back to me Druis, back to a hero’s welcome.”

"Nothing could stop me, my love."

She would have to take his word all over again, and this time the stakes were higher. “And do me a favor? Let Evelyn keep her human...” she winked.

He chuckled. "You did meet her, didn't you? I don't think it would be very good for my health to deny her the human."

“Very true, though it would be bad for her to even think it about hurting my mate.” She grinned and ran her hands down his sides and hips, then back up to the small of his back. “You will be ok?”

"I'll be fine. This is a piece of cake compared to some of the things I've done and now I have you to come home to. I'll be back alright."

“Then get ready, and come back to me and our bed.” She smiled and kissed him again putting everything she felt for him into the kiss. She wasn’t taking any chances.

~98~

TWENTY-TWO

Homer grabbed the clip board and checked all the hand written names of the thirty or so girls they had caged in the hold, and noticed the small stars next to seven of the numbers. Looking at the list, it was true; Cristof had chosen some very attractive women. Of the thirty or so, the seven were the ones in the best shape; no doubt they had been accepting of their situation and had been cooperating with the guys. All except for the porn star. Notes next to her name stated she had not slept with anyone that had taken her out, and Homer smiled. It would figure that she wasn’t the dick hound they thought she was going to be. Porn stars had a job to do, and they did it, it didn’t mean they enjoyed it.

The psychologist, he surmised, was using her body and looks to keep herself alive and in reasonably good health, though there was the off chance she was enjoying the attention and anonymous sex. You never knew with them.

The rest, the weather girl, the racecar pinup, the diver, and the musician, they were all in good health if not in good spirits. He checked on each one, trying to give them a reassuring smile, and brought them each some water. Delphyne, if indeed it was her and not the lecherous leader of the damn group, had chosen for her vanity that’s for damn sure, exactly as he thought she had with Evelyn.

Evelyn. Shit. This was going to be hard. He knew she was coming back with whomever she got to ride to the rescue, and his gut tightened. Cristof was too interested in her now, especially since she showcased such amazing ability. There was the odd chance that Cristof was right, but he couldn’t think about that now. Her safety, and the safety of the girls, all of them, was paramount.

He wasn’t sure who would be coming in with her but whoever it was, they had better be loaded for bear, because the assholes that where here with him enjoyed their cushy job a little too much. And that was the problem. It was going to be one hell of a fight to keep the fucks away from the girls on his own and he realized he was going to need help. Knowing that there was not a snowball’s chance in hell that one of the guys would, so it was down to finding the girls with enough will to live to step up. Out of the seven, he wasn’t sure who was up to it, but he was damn well going to find out. Stopping in front of Catherine’s cage he crouched looking in. “Ms. Everett?” he called into the oddly dark cage, and heard the lock on the door click, along with heavy boots clumping through the open space. None of the other soldiers walked as hard as Jax, who seemed to need to let the world know that he was a tall and powerful asshole.

"Hey bud, how’s the head?" Jax asked smugly as he stomped in with one of the guard dogs hot on his heels.

Homer stood and turned. “I’m fine. What the fuck are you doing down here?”

"Nice to see you too Maxwell." He smiled leaning up against one of the cages. "Just taking a walk.

Cristof wanted me to check up on you, you know how head injuries can be... they can make a man do strange things. Much like the right kind of woman if you know what I mean."

“I have no fucking clue what you’re talking about Jax.”

~99~

"Sure you don’t." He said disbelief clear on his face as he took a red ball from his pocket bouncing it off one of the unmarked cages and catching it again. The girl inside whimpered causing him to grin.

"We still haven't found Rose, it looks like we're gonna have to shift camp."

“Obviously. I have already been briefed, on several things including what Cristof wants. So will you blow? I have shit to do and obviously less time to do it in now. “

He threw the ball over his shoulder letting the dog scramble after it. "And that’s exactly why I'm here to help. You'll have to start putting the others down soon. So have you chosen which of them you're gonna have yet?"

He frowned. “Still choosing. And I was told I don’t have to spare any bullets until crunch time. It’s not crunch time. So clear out.” his voice held nothing but unabashed malice.

"Fair enough," he shrugged pushing away from the cage. "Just so you know, come crunch time, I'll be here for you bud. I'd hate to have you put in a position that defies your gentlemanly honor. I'm going for another patrol of the grounds, you never know I might catch Rose, I'll give her one for you shall I?"

Yeah, if Jax met up with Rose he wouldn’t be giving anything that was for damn sure. The woman would probably cut his nuts off for looking at her funny. “Why the hell not.” He grinned. “Now go and take that fucking mutt with you.”

The dog barked bounding over to Homer wagging its tail. "What, you don’t like Fiona? She sure as hell isn't likely to crack you one with a wine bottle."

“True but I’m not one for fur.”

"All fur? Like little pussycats and bunnies? Or fur with your sex? In which case it all depends, little Fiona there isn’t my type."

“You are a sick fuck Jax. Take the mongrel with you, you’re wasting precious time.”

He patted his leg calling the dog to him and taking the ball out of her mouth. "Sure don't take it out on her though, it’s not her fault you got all knocked up in a bad way. It’s funny how you're so sympathetic to the reptiles but have no time for the good animals. Come on girl we're going hunting."

Homer smirked. He was more sympathetic than Jax knew. He watched the asshole and the dog walk out the door closing it behind them. The lock clicked in place, and he turned back to the cage he was in front of, crouching once more. “Catherine?” he called again. “Ms. Everrett?”

"I'm here." Her voice came from the back of the cage.

“Why is the light out? You’re not cut or anything are you?”

"No. Your friends thought that it would make me more receptive to their advances."

“Well thankfully I’m not looking to give you advances. Are you ok?”

A strangled laugh came from the dark. "You're kidding right?"

“No, not at all. My name is Homer Maxwell, and I am not here to try and fuck you.”

"And that’s believable." She sighed. "Ok so you’re not here to fuck me... fine, then let me out."

“I can do that. We need to talk. How would you like to get back at all those fucks?”

"How?" She asked crawling to the door of the cage.

“Simple. I give you a weapon, you promise not to use it on me, and if one of them comes close to you, you cut the fucker up.”

"Sure I can do that, no promises though. If you touch me in some way I don’t approve of I'll use it on you." She answered toughly looking defiantly up into his eyes with her big blue ones.

“Trust me Catherine, I don’t plan on it. No offense, of course. The time is going to come where you’re going to have to help me keep some of those fucks away from the girls. Apparently the compound is moving and there are only seven of you they are interested in. I plan on holding them off till the cavalry arrives.”

Annoyance flickered over her face at his words. "What cavalry? And you mentioned letting me stand..."

~100~

“Someone got loose, well I let them escape. And she is hopefully on her way back now with someone to help all of you. Either way, in about ten hours we are going to be light about twenty three girls if we don’t do something about it.”