Sword of Inquest (La Patron's Sword Book 1) (4 page)

Mission complete,
she was going home.

Chapter 6

Asia
turned to leave and stopped. Jerry, the security guard stared wide eyed, and he had company. Two vacant eyed hybrids stood behind nearby. Chuck had been wrong. There were others above ground, simply not others he would recognize.

“
Okay, Jacques is ready
,” Jasmine said.

Asia rested on the balls of
her feet as Jerry typed on the keypad looking inside the room with a deep frown.

“
Incoming
.”

“
Incoming? Wait. Jacques said whatever you do don’t shut the system down, it will trip alarms and alert the Liege. Don’t use a hammer, is what he said
.”

Asia shook
her head at the late advice. Heart racing, adrenaline pumped through her providing an outlet for her anger in preparation to fight. “
Too late, already done, company’s here
.”

The door slid open. “Ponce, what are
you doing?” Jerry hissed pulling her close, looking around until and stopped on the floor where Henry lay dead on the ground.

“Shit,
I didn’t mean for you to kill anybody, we were just kidding around,” he said and fired the weapon in his hand at the hybrid. Surprised, Asia stepped aside, and avoided being slammed into the controls when the other hybrid charged. Jerry emptied his pistol slowing down the hybrid, but she knew that wouldn’t stop the breed. Nothing would until they completed the mission with their deaths.

Asia jumped up, flipped and landed behind the second hybrid.
She punched the thing in the eye, withdrew her fist, and punched again. This time she ripped out the chip behind his eye. He screamed and held his face. Grabbing his head between her palms, she twisted, snapped its neck and silenced him at the same time.

“What… how’d
you do that?” Jerry asked staring as flesh re-knitted over the metal on her arm. Since there was no reasonable answer, she gazed down at the other hybrid lying on the floor with a hole in his chest and neck. Jerry had destroyed his opponent with a laser. Asia hoped he wouldn’t do the same to his lover.

“I think
I read about it somewhere, come on let’s go.” She stepped over the hybrid and headed toward the door.

“Go? Go where,” Jerry yelled and then raised
a closed fist before lowering it. “There are chips in our brains, those bastards can find us anywhere in the world. Do you have any idea what you’ve done? Do you know what they do to people who fuck up?” He pointed to the dead tech.

Asia
looked out the door.

Jerry grabbed
her shoulders and shook her. Asia read his pain at what he needed to do. He loved Ponce and planned to kill them both to save them from the Liege. Instead of speaking she laid her palm across his cheek and morphed. Side by side, she placed the lovers before scanning through Jerry’s memories. His knowledge of the castle seemed like a birthday present and Christmas rolled into one. A hidden door on an upper level met her immediate needs and she moved at an even pace, entered a code and headed down the stairs. Jerry and Ponce often left the building for picnics and outings through this exit. With each step to leave this accursed place, her wolf whined. Night had fallen by the time the copse of trees on the other side of the castle came into view.

Asia looked up at the dark, imposing building and spit on the ground.
Gunnolf died years ago and somehow his memories lured unsuspecting protégés into a web of servitude. If she had explosives, she would blow the place apart.

Tired and hungry,
she morphed into the guard who helped rescue Tyrese from Lyrill just in case the European pack was still in the area. Jasmine would have flight arrangements made, ready to take her home and it would be too difficult explaining a new person in the country.

Mission over,
she headed toward the small house on the opposite side of the lake where she’d stayed before the job in the castle. Tonight she would rest, explain the situation to Jasmine and wait for an extraction. Now that she’d calmed down, she realized she’d violated a direct order from La Patron by releasing the test wolves. No telling how he would respond.

Also
Greggor would be angry over the security breach and start the hunt soon. By disabling the cameras she’d covered her tracks temporarily, but leaving the continent was the safest bet. Eager to leave, she took off at a fast run until sensing full-bloods followed.

She didn’t sense aggression and stopped to wait. A few seconds later a pitiful, rag tag bunch of people surrounded
her. Recognizing them from the lab she wondered why they had not returned home or left the area. They stared as if she had answers. But why follow her? A stranger.

“Why are
you following me?”

“
We don’t know where to go.” The plain comment took her by surprise.

“
It has been many years since I have seen the moon or felt dirt beneath my feet. Where do we go now that we left that place?” An older man she recognized from inside, his skin held a blue tinge that mystified her. Was she responsible for them? For this?

Asia looked at the wolves and sighed. Tonight had been a series of
her messing up one after the other. What had she done? She didn’t like being responsible for people.

No,
she
was
responsible and somehow they knew.

To free the
test wolves without thinking of the next step or what the cost would be had been a big mistake. Now they needed direction, and she had nothing. No place to take them, no pack for them to join, not even food to feed them or medicine to help them heal. In her anger, she hadn’t thought this far ahead. It never occurred to her they would need more direction. The urge to run and disappear rode her hard.

Eager to leave the area,
she waved for them to follow her. Together they moved through the woods at a decent pace until she scented Tobias, the beta from the European pack. Earlier that month, he and his pack mates helped Tyrese, La Patron’s son and others fly out of the country. Jasmine had them wait for her to complete her mission and help her leave as well.

“Tobias,”
she extended her hand in greeting to the tall, red headed, full-blood. He shook her hand but his attention settled on the ragged wolves with her.

“La Patron asked
my Alpha to have us look for you and offer help if needed. We’ve been waiting in the area all week.”

Glad for the help she
explained the dilemma without going into too much detail. She sensed he read between the lines.

“
Soon I’ll be returning home. Can you take them with you, reacquaint them to pack life.” Since he didn’t know Silas had been in recent contact with Alpha Frederick she didn’t offer that information.

“
I need approval from my Alpha. But it should be okay. When do you leave?”

“
I am waiting for arrangements, Gunnolf is dead –”

“
Gunnolfs’ been dead a long, time. Hawke tried to save him, but they used him instead. Heard they have a way of using the dead,” one of the wolves said in an eerie voice sending chills up Asia’s spine.

She
looked at the older woman. “When did Gunnolf die? I swear he spoke to me.”

The woman cackled showing browned teeth and missing canines. “
Gunnolf speaks to everybody. All of us were in the orphanage at one time. A great man he was, great man. Pity they use him the way they do.”

“How do
they use him if he’s dead?” Asia didn’t understand, none of this made sense.

“
Somehow they got hold of his memories and used those to lure us into the web. I heard his voice over twenty years ago, but he wasn’t there.” She eyed Asia and nodded with the self-assurance of someone who visited another spiritual plane often. “I still listen to his voice. I’ve been meaning to return to the village. Rumor says he warded the place and stashed his things there. Course that could be just the voices.”

Asia nodded, ready to end the conversation.
Too much time had passed, and she needed to rest after expending so much energy with the bracelet. That was a small price to pay. “You should get them out of here before it’s too late.” She stressed the last words so Tobias understood the danger.

He
nodded. “You?”

“
Just waiting for instructions, go ahead.” She had to confess her actions and hope Jasmine forgave her.

The wolves followed
him through the trees, she ran in the opposite direction wondering why she hadn’t left with Tobias. Her wolf whined and howled. The small house came into view, and she breathed in relief no one had been inside to touch her things. The backpack lay in the cupboard; she grabbed the straps and left the hut for the forest. It didn’t take long to find her tree. It stood tall and majestic above the others. Asia slid the bag on her back and climbed upward. Halfway up the tree, the roar of engines in the distance filled the air. Tobias and the wolves were on their way.

Once she found the three branches close enough to lie across,
she hung the backpack on a nearby limb and pulled out her jerky, dried fruit and nuts. She ate until her stomach agreed she could stop and drank from the canteen. The cool water eased her throat and rested well in her belly. In the morning she’d need to refill it in the nearby stream and go into town for more food. Beyond tired, she placed everything back into her bag and zipped it tight to keep out bugs. Next she pulled her heavy knit cap and a lightweight jacket, and slid them on. Dressed for sleep, she did a preliminary scan of the area.

The sounds of the forest soothed
her. Unaccustomed to handling an entire mission, from beginning, to implementation, to completion, she hated all the mistakes, but she’d learn. Yawning, she lay on her side and closed her eyes.

“
Where are you
?”

Her
eyes flew open. “What the hell?” She whispered, scanning the forest for the black wolf. How’d he get in her head again?

“
You are the first person I have been able to speak with in decades; please I need your help
.”

Asia
scoffed and rolled over despite her wolf’s objections. The last time a voice spoke in her head it wound up as a trick. She refused to waste time or fall for any more tricks.

“
They’ve used me to do… things; even now the computer in my brain is seeking to shut down this link
.”

Memories when a computer chip and scanner
were locked in her brain sent chills through her. The Liege had monitored every step she made, heard and saw every person she talked to, and even used her as a weapon and instrument to gather intelligence. Life had been hell. La Patron had locked her in a cell with a blindfold to prevent the Liege from seeing the inside of his facility and to protect his secrets. No one understood how the computer chip took over your life better than she did.

But
it could all be a part of some big lie to re-capture her for what she did to the castle. Asia could not afford to answer him. Links were intimate and a powerful intrusion in a person’s life. Once she responded it would solidify the connection and he could find her anywhere. She refused that risk and remained silent.

Hawke lay on
his side on the cold concrete floor of the lab. No one had brought dinner, and he had no desire to seek out a meal. A miracle happened today. His wolf rose to the surface with renewed vigor and determination, taking control from the computer chip in his brain that ran his life. He’d always suspected it could happen under the right circumstances, he just never realized what those circumstances would be.

That still puzzled
him.

Tate sparked
his interest when they first met. There was something different about the guy but Hawke hadn’t been able to put his finger on what. Once he shifted to fuck the bitches, his wolf emerged stronger when Tate entered the room. For some reason his wolf linked with the easygoing young man. A true link. One his computerized mind could not shut down or penetrate. So it must be real. After all these years he had someone to talk to. Someone his wolf trusted.

“
I am a prisoner. My body has not been under my control for decades, yet my wolf has connected with you. Can you help us leave this place
?” There was no answer. Not even a courtesy fuck off.

Footsteps neared the doorway and Hawke stood on all fours, expecting dinner.
He wasn’t starved but he could eat. Two hybrids stepped inside first. Hope, fragile and in its infancy stage crumbled beneath the boots of the man who walked inside next.

Chapter 7

Greggor strode into the lab, looked around, and
then down at the large black wolf standing on the lower level of the lab and released a nervous sigh. If anything happened to the beast, his uncle would kill him. He had one job, to make sure Hawke worked in a safe environment.

“
I heard you were having a bad day,” he said moving to the edge of the gate. “Figured it was time for me to check in on you.” He eyed Hawke wondering why he hadn’t shifted.

The next moment
his breath caught, as magnificent as he thought Hawke’s wolf was, it didn’t compare to the man. Tall, dark and handsome didn’t begin to describe the square cut of his jaw, sharp nose and full lips. Greggor had spent hours reviewing videos of Hawke working out in the gym, driving on the small range and on the computer. He could not get enough of the man and kept his physical distance preferring to overstuff himself on camera footage without an audience.

Hawke’s mental aptitude scores had been off the charts, that’s one of the reasons
his Uncle Boris wanted Hawke, but Greggor appreciated the gorgeous hunk wrapped around the genius.

Hawke’s
head was down for a few seconds, he shuddered. Greggor’s gaze widened in fascination as Hawke’s muscles rippled across his chest and biceps bulged as he placed his palms on both sides of his head. When Hawke walked in the opposite direction, Greggor’s gaze locked on his tight ass, thick muscular thighs and wide back. The man was walking perfection and oblivious to his own natural beauty. The inherent downfall of the computer lodged in Hawke’s mind neutered vanity and emotional attachments. There were days Greggor hated the damn chip. Just once he’d like to know if Hawke ever saw him, really saw him.

“Hawke?”

“Yes?”

“What happened?
We had a security breach.”

Hawke stopped and looked at
him. Greggor sensed he completed a self-scan first before moving to the keyboard to check his system. “My files have not been tampered with. There has been no security breach.”

Greggor swallowed
his irritation. “Because your system’s not affected does not mean we didn’t have a breach. Did anything unusual happen yesterday? Anything?” The moment the computer alarm rang, he’d activated a few hybrids to help Jerry, the security guard. Now, Jerry was missing, the hybrids destroyed, his lab techs were dead and his test subjects escaped. He would have shot himself if Hawke had disappeared as well.

He
had a small respite, his Uncle Boris’ current project in the states took priority and the man couldn’t leave, which gave Greggor time to learn where the holes were in security before recapturing the wolves.

Hawke gave
him a vacant eyed stare for a few seconds and shook his head. “Nothing that I recall.”

Over the years Hawke’s thoroughness reached legendary status. If
he said nothing happened, then he believed it. Pleased, Greggor nodded.

“
You should view the footage for that time to see if you concur with me, although I am correct.”

Greggor nodded at the conceit embedded in the response. Often
he wondered how much was Hawke and how much was the computer. “I don’t need to check, I trust you. Can you look at the main system; do an analysis on why and how the compromise happened? I need to plug that hole before I bring the test subjects back.”

“Good point.
I’ll check it now.”

“Can
you access the main system from here?” He hadn’t been aware Hawke could do that, but then again, there wasn’t much the man couldn’t do. The installed computer chip served as a means to control Hawke but had little effect on the wolf. Typically, whenever Hawke shifted to wolf to mate or run in the below ground arena, he always returned to human form when he woke.

“
I can but I run the risk of opening my system to whatever is on the main system and Master Boris forbids that. I cannot override his orders.” Hawke said his deep voice lacked inflection and personality.

“Put
some clothes on and I’ll take you up to the room.”

Hawke nodded, strode to a room with a large glass pane, and entered a code in the keypad. The door slid open, and
he walked into the room. Greggor watched him slip on a pair of pants and a tee shirt that hugged his chest. Pity he couldn’t stay naked but the cameras were back online and his uncle or any of his friends might visit this facility at any time. He would be the only person pleased at seeing a naked Hawke at the controls.

Once dressed, Hawke entered the lift and rose to meet Greggor. The entire time the computer in the lift checked and rechecked Hawke’s chip, making sure
he was stable. Greggor stepped back, looked up at his crush and swallowed hard. Masculinity personified defined Hawke who stood over six and a half feet tall, and starred as the long time object of his night-time dreams.

Hawke passed
him without any acknowledgement and placed his hand on the keypad. Anyone else in the castle could place their palm on the key pad and the door would open. With Hawke his uncle set in another series of tests to insure his valued prize didn’t escape. No one but his uncle and the computer embedded in Hawke knew the answers. After a series of key strokes, the door opened and shut behind Hawke. Greggor placed his palm on the pad and the door opened. He and the hybrids found Hawke waiting inside the lift for them.

They
rode in silence to the communications floor. Hawke stepped off first heading for the room. Greggor quickened his pace, so they arrived at the same time.

Hawke looked around for a few seconds and
then pointed to a console. “I will use this one.”

Greggor nodded and took the chair next to
him.

An hour later Hawke leaned back in the chair and looked at Greggor. “
I patched the hole and repaired the breach. If someone tampers with this again, I have placed other safeguards. The test subjects will be secure.”

Greggor nodded, pleased. Hiring and training staff to work the lab would set
him back a few days but he would have order restored before his uncle checked in again. “Were you able to retrieve the camera footage from yesterday, it would help understand what happened.”

“Yes, but
it would upload a virus to the system and open up sensitive areas. It is a simple and effective way to wipe out small areas of data. It is better to leave it alone.”

Greggor nodded and hoped
his uncle would accept Hawke’s verdict.

“
I have work to do,” Hawke said standing and then walking off toward the lift. Rather than follow, Greggor watched Hawke’s progression to the lower lab through the cameras. Not once did Hawke look in any other direction but straight. When the lift stopped on the correct floor, Hawke walked with military precision to his lab, and placed his palm on the security panel. The door slid open and the object of Greggor’s fantasies stepped into the lab.