The Wolf Fount (22 page)

“Everything else hurts worse than my head. What happened?” She told him, itching to stomp on the gas pedal, but worried she’d lose control of the car on the soft dirt. “Good work.”

The praise warmed her, and Morgan smiled. “I was scared shitless.”

“Doesn’t matter. You didn’t panic or freeze.” He patted at his shirt pocket. “My phone’s gone.”

“I didn’t see one.”

Thane sighed. “He probably threw it out the window or destroyed it. Maybe even left it at the wreck.”

“We’ll find a phone, as soon as we hit pavement and I figure out where we are.” Not that she knew the state well, but any sign or mile marker would help. “You keep quiet and rest.”

“Yes, ma’am.” When she glanced at him, he was smiling.

Morgan relaxed and concentrated on driving. The building was out of sight when she heard something over the engine and wind noise. “Do you hear that?”

Thane groaned. “It’s a helicopter.”

“Well, fuck.”

“W
e have activity.” Cal glanced at the tablet Jerome held, and took in the change of directions before putting the pedal to the metal. Tapping at the device, Jerome grunted. “Lucas is going to get us in trouble, flying those drones.”

“They make searching easier. Visual yet?”

“He’s patching us in. Here we are.” He held up the tablet for Cal to glance at. “If it’s them, they found a car. And it’s probably them, because I don’t think a helicopter would be chasing anyone else.” He growled. “They’re stuck on a dirt road, no cover.”

Cal fought a scowl. “Driving as fast as I can.”

“Wasn’t bitching, boss. Just telling you what I see.” One of their phones rang and the vehicle’ s hands-free system kicked in. Jerome tapped the in-dash screen. “Lucas.”

“It’s them, or at least Morgan. How close are you?”

“Not close enough,” Cal said. “How do you know it’s them?”

“We’re monitoring emergency services, and a 911 call was just made from the car’s emergency system. Here, you can listen.” Lucas did something, and they could hear the call.

“Ma’am, can you repeat that?”

“What part did you not understand?” Morgan snapped. “We were run off the road, we’re hurt, and now there’s a goddamned helicopter chasing us.”

“A helicopter?”

“For fuck’s sake, woman, can’t you... shit, shit, shit. They’re firing at us!”

Cal winced at the sound of bullets punching through metal, and Jerome pointed off to the left. “That direction, boss.”

“Cross-country it is.” He turned the wheel, barely applying the brake while crossing the oncoming lane and driving down the drainage ditch. A second later, the SUV was bouncing across the terrain. Morgan’s voice rose, her cursing growing more elaborate, while the 911 operator tried to calm her down.

“You calm the fuck down, lady. I’m being shot at!” More shots hit, and Morgan shrieked. “Thane!”

Immediately after, she gasped twice, and there was a soft thud then silence. The 911 operator said, “Ma’am?”

Nothing but a gurgling noise answered. Jerome was already shaking his head when Lucas cut in. “She’s been hit, and lost control of the car. It’s nose down in a drainage ditch, and the copter’s touching down.”

“Is that drone armed?”

“It’s a surveillance drone, boss. No weapons.”

Well, fuck
. Cal strained his eyes, searching for lights in the distance. “I think I see them.”

They were too far away. By the time he hit the brakes, slewing the SUV to a stop, the copter had disappeared into the night sky, taking Morgan and Thane with it.

S
he couldn’t breathe. Morgan weakly struggled while she was dragged out of the car, her lungs straining for air as blood filled them. Her vision tunneled into darkness, but something in her mind stayed alert long enough to know they’d also taken Thane.

They were being removed from the helicopter when she briefly regained consciousness, and Morgan caught a glimpse of Thane before agony drove her mind back into the darkness.

“Wake up.” The command was followed by cold water drenching her. She sputtered, opening her eyes. She was restrained, arms spread-eagled, so she hung by her wrists from chains attached to the ceiling. Lifting her head and getting her feet set flat on the ground to take the strain off her shoulders, Morgan saw Thane similarly restrained in front of her, about ten feet away. Weak sunlight fought with low-wattage bulbs to light the room, neither making much headway.

Thane’s eyes met hers when he raised his head after a bucket of water was thrown over him. He’d been stripped down to his jeans. Morgan realized she’d been partially stripped too, down to her jeans and bra.
This is so not good
.

A big man stepped between them, blocking her view of the were-liger. She raised her eyes and flinched as Bully Boy smiled at her. “Remember me? You tried to gut me and left me bleeding out in your shitty motel room.”

Her throat was raw, but she swallowed and said, “Let me guess. You’re here for payback.”

“And then some, you worthless whore.” He drove his fist into her stomach, knocking her backward as far as the chains allowed, and leaving her breathless. Bully Boy grabbed a handful of her hair to yank her head up, and spit in her face before really getting to work.

T
hane thrashed, trying to free himself as the man began beating the hell out of Morgan. There were two other men present, but they ignored his attempts in favor of encouraging their buddy as he pounded away. Quite a few things still hurt, letting him know he hadn’t been out more than a day or so, but his head was fine.

Not that it was much of an advantage, in their current circumstances. Whoever these men were, they knew how to keep Weres restrained. The chains were too thick to break, though he had been able to move enough to close his hands around the links. Thane stopped, panting, and flinched with each meaty thud Morgan’s body absorbed.

He had no doubt his turn would come, but had no idea when. Unable to break free, he scanned the room, noting there was only one door, and the two windows’ placement and size indicated the room was mostly underground. The windows were filthy, so he couldn’t see through them—which meant no chance of anyone seeing in, and perhaps calling the law.

“Hold up, Fig. Boss said no tools.”

Thane’s eyes shot back to the man, to find him with a knife.

“Bitch fucking stabbed me twice. I lost a foot of gut because of her.”

“You’ll lose more than that, if he finds out you disobeyed. Put the knife away.”

To the were-liger’s relief, the large man decided cutting up Morgan wasn’t worth the punishment his boss would deal out. He closed the blade and tossed it aside, before swinging his arm wide to deliver heavy slaps. A few back-and-forths, and he paused. “Boss didn’t say we couldn’t fuck her.”

All three men turned to him when Thane growled. Eyes narrowed, he stared at Fig, baring his teeth and letting his fangs distend.

“Looks like the freak found herself a freak boyfriend. What’s the matter, fella, don’t like the idea of your whore doing her job?”

I’m going to take you apart, piece by piece
. Thane strained against the chains, maintaining eye contact. The men laughed, delighted by his reaction, and began discussing exactly what they’d do Morgan in explicit detail. None of them noticed her hands slowly moving to grip the chains, but the were-liger did.

“...then I’m gonna...” Whatever Fig was about to add was lost when Morgan swung backward and forward, driving both her feet into his back. He flew across the space between them, arms flailing, and Thane used the chains to lift himself, catching Fig’s head between his knees.

With a snarl, he flung his body, and his prey, from side to side until a dull crack ended the man’s frantic attempts to free himself. The silence that followed was broken by Morgan’s pained laugh. “Which one of you fuckers is next?”

The quick exodus of the remaining two men made it clear neither wanted anything else to do with them. Thane let the body fall and dropped his feet to the floor. His first good look at her since Fig had begun letting his fists fly made him sick to his stomach.

Morgan’s face was a bloody mess, her lower jaw askew and broken teeth visible under her shredded lips. Even knowing she’d heal didn’t stop him from wincing. Her eyes were swelling shut, and her torso was reddened.

“Passing out now,” she mumbled, before slumping forward and hanging from her chains.

I’ve got to get us out of here
. Thane renewed his efforts to break free, heard the door open, and turned his head just before a bullet tore into his chest.

C
al lifted the man off his feet, bringing them nose to nose. “I suggest you tell us who landed that bird, and anything else you know. I am not in a good mood.”

Over forty-eight hours had passed since the drone had been shot down while following the helicopter. Lucas had his team working around the clock, finding and checking out private airfields from New Mexico to California. Cal hadn’t slept more than two hours during that time. Being a Were didn’t mean his head wasn’t killing him as the sleep deprivation and stress took its toll.

“They’ll kill me,” the man whimpered, his eyes rolling in their sockets. Cal smelled urine.

“I’ll kill you now, if you don’t start talking.” He bared fangs and the man fainted.

“Way to go, boss.” Jerome caught the guy as Cal released his hold. “Made him piss his pants and pass out. Very helpful.”

“Shut up.” He raked both hands over his hair, and then scrubbed his face. “Where’s Laney?”

“On her way.” Jerome lowered the man to the floor of the hangar. “ETA about fifteen minutes.”

“Minute her boots hit the ground, get her busy mind-fucking this piece of shit. I’m taking a walk.” Scowling, Cal turned and stalked off without waiting for agreement.

“He’s losing it,” Jerome muttered to Lucas, who nodded in agreement. “Hope this guy has some good info, or he may end up spread all over the tarmac.”

“He’ll know something, and I want you to get him out of sight once Laney’s finished. He’s a grunt, not a player. I’m not letting Cal tear him in half.”

“Got it.”

Standing out of view outside the hangar’s entrance, Cal grimaced as he listened to them.
I’ve got to get hold of myself
.

He hadn’t lied to Morgan about caring about his people. It hurt every time one was lost, like a piece of his soul being ripped away. But this time, it was Thane... and her. Cal sighed and began walking, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jacket.

I don’t even want to think about what’s happening to them
. Yet he couldn’t stop imagining exactly that, as well as the toll it was taking on both of them. Thane was already heavily scarred from his past. Cal hoped the situation wouldn’t push the were-liger over the edge completely.

As for Morgan... Cal turned, hearing a vehicle, and spotted Laney disembarking from the SUV before it completely stopped. She saw him as well, and waved. He waved back, pointed at the hangar, and she went inside.
Don’t need to be around her right now either
.

His thoughts would only weigh her down, possibly interfere with her attempts to telepathically glean information from the airfield mechanic.