Chapter 12

Preston's head hurt. His mouth was full of cotton. His limbs heavy.

He knew what the signs meant and kept his eyes closed, listening for any sound of movement. When there was none, he opened his eyes a crack and saw the bare room he was in. A cell. Sitting up and ignoring every ache in his body, Preston did a quick assessment. Nothing appeared broken, and there wasn't a particular area that hurt more than another.

Checking the room out, Preston didn't make a sound. A single metal door. No handle on the inside. Four bare brick walls. A tiled floor. A grid in the middle where he sat on the metal chair that appeared to be screwed to the floor.

The chains used to keep him immobile were thick, each link wide and strong. Inhaling, Preston couldn't scent anything other than disinfectant. He knew what this room was for, and he knew why he was in it. He'd had training to handle these types of situations, and he knew he would have to rely on it now.

There was no way for Preston to know how much time had passed, but he figured it was late morning or early afternoon. He had a good internal clock and over the years had learned to trust it.

He'd gone to sleep not long after Manu left, so between then and now he'd been taken—obviously. But how? Morefield had great security and no doubt that security was being updated as he sat there.

The door opened, and a man in a white lab coat walked in with one of those creatures Preston had encountered the night before behind him. Preston kept an eye on it more than on the man in the lab coat. That thing had the power to eviscerate him with one swipe of the claws.

Up close, it did look like a bear, dark in color, but its movements were more agile, more fluid. It wasn't as wide as a bear, looking slimmer with long claws that were there one second, then gone the next. Retractable. Interesting. The eyes were something else. The color changed, swirled, and Preston had the feeling the animal could see him through different methods.

"Preston Fulwood. Recently working for us, then you disappeared."

"Did I or did I go undercover?"

"I know everything there is to know about you."

"Clearly not." Preston smiled. Now that he knew who had him, he could make them think he was doing as ordered.

"Single, parents deceased?—"

"Wrong."

The man frowned. "We have performed a thorough background search on you."

"Clearly not."

The bear thing shifted into the cat thing and flicked a quill at Preston. It embedded into his shoulder, but Preston didn't react. It hurt like a bitch, but years of training had taught him to hide his emotions.

"Single, parents deceased, only child. You have worked for us until recently, when you disappeared."

"I gathered intel from Morefield Village literally days ago. Check your records."

Another quill embedded in the same shoulder, and Preston stared at the cat thing as the man flicked the paper in his hand. "Incorrect."

"Check my account. I received fifty thousand a few days ago. The second half of my payment for work completed."

"We have your bank records, and there isn't any payment."

"Then you have the wrong account. I gathered intel on the shifters living in Morefield Village and dropped it off as requested."

"Contact?"

"Sillian. The only name given to me." He saw the man recognized the name, then he turned and left the room, the bear/cat thing following. Even with the room now empty, Preston hid the pain. He knew there would be at least one camera watching him, even if he couldn't see it.

He did wince when there was a loud buzzing in his head. Preston.

Oh yeah. Telepathy. Manu.

Where are you? We're in a meeting, and you're not here. I'm having to deal with all the shit about us being mates.

The door opened again, and the lab man and creature thing were back, along with some huge man who walked up to Preston and punched him in the face. Preston licked the blood from his lip as he slowly rolled his head.

"I have some questions, and you're going to answer them."

"Fire away."

"How many people are involved in Morefield security?"

"I don't know. I haven't met them all. I've been there for a few days. They don't know me, and they don't trust me."

The man stepped forward and punched Preston again, pain exploding over his chin and cheek. He felt that one, but again didn't show it.

"You expect me to believe you?"

"When someone new starts here do you give them sensitive information on their first day?"

The man frowned and nodded to the puncher again. Two more punches to the face and Preston let his head hand down, waiting for the pain to recede. Lifting his head, Preston noticed he couldn't see out of his left eye.

"Names, ages, locations, position." Lab man held a picture of Fabian up.

"Fabien and that's all I know. He's dead. One of your toys here killed him."

The man smiled. "Correct. He died easily. A poor test subject for my army." He held out another photo. This time Eli. "Elliot Young. Head of security. Don't know where he lives yet."

The man held up another photo, this time Deac. "Deacon Morrison. Mayor of Morefield Village. Mate to Costas. Don't know his surname. They have two kids."

"See how easy this is when you cooperate?" Another photo but of someone Preston hadn't met.

"No idea."

Puncher leaped forward and punched Preston in the ribs several times, leaving him coughing and wheezing, bent over as much as possible. Before he even caught his breath, three quills embedded themselves across his chest, and Preston now arched back, body straining as pain lanced through it.

It took him several minutes before he was able to lift his head. The lab man smiled and held the photo up again. "Who is he?"

Preston!

"Still nothing?" Deac watched Manu.

"Nothing."

"I don't like this. He doesn't have the best past."

Eli grunted and stared at Deac. "I fought beside him. He's not going to turn on us."

"Then where is he?" To Manu he ordered, "Call him."

Manu felt his skin heat up. "Yeah, I'll get on that when I have his number."

"He's your mate, and you don't have his number?"

Manu.

"Wait!" Manu tapped his head. Where the fuck are you?

Not sure how long I have before I pass out. They took me. Being tortured for info on you guys. Don't know where I am, but I'm having an up close and personal meet with one of those things.

"They have him. Torturing him for information on us."

Do you recognize anything? I need something so we can pinpoint your location.

I don't even know how they got to me. How did they get past security? I'm in a cell. One way in and out. No windows. No distinguishing marks or scents.

Manu passed the info on. "I'll check CCTV. We have the entire village covered. We'll find something."

"I left his early this morning. It was already getting light."

"They must have hit him soon after then."

"Why risk it? It was almost morning." Vir tapped his knuckles on the table. "Unless they think he has something of value."

Is there anything else?

They think I disappeared. They don't know about the Morefield job I did, and the payment has been erased.

A setup?

Looks like it… Fuck, that hurt. They shoot those fucking quill things, and the fuckers hurt.

We'll find out where you are. I left yours around five am, and it's ten now, so that gives us a five-hour window.

I woke up here and was chained, so I would say four.

Stay strong.

When there was no response, Manu knew Preston was dealing with something. He again passed on everything, and Deac brought up a map of the area on a large monitor on the wall.

"They got him out and into a vehicle. They need to travel to the location, get him out, set him up." Manu worked out that they had to work quick. They knew the area.

"Radius?"

"Can't be too far, and we know the area well. Between all of us here, we cover most, if not all, the area for a good twenty miles. They knew the area Preston lives as well."

"I agree." Cyan looked at the map. "They were in and out. No mistakes leaving the Village. They would know where they're going as well. Went straight there. A place kitted out from what you said Manu. Ready for them when they went there with Preston. That's how I would do it. Have a place ready for when I needed it. Not many places like that around here."

"You have a place in mind," Eli stated.

"Two." Cyan looked at Teal, who nodded. "Closer to us than here. Underground."

"The old basement near Rushholm. Forty miles out," Teal added. "If they knew of that location, then they know the area extremely well."

"They've been watching us for a long time now. They were bound to find these places out."

"Downside." Indy looked at everyone sat at the table. "One way in, one way out."

"We would have to take them by surprise, hit them hard." Eli rubbed a hand over his chin. "They have at least one of those creatures, so we need to have ammo and lots of it. The rifle I had barely scratched it."

"Throw a grenade at the fucker." Cyan rocked back in his chair. "We need to draw it out. Get it in a place where we can attack it from all sides."

Deac blew out a breath. "How many men are we talking here?"

"We don't know how many there are?"

"Let me ask Preston." Manu reached out asking, You there?

No, I'm on the moon.

Remind me again why am I trying to help you?

You love my dick in your ass.

One time only.Manu muttered, "He's so fucking annoying." How many men have you seen?

Bit sexist that? Might have seen some women too.

Closing his eyes, Manu ignored the surrounding sniggers. Do you want our help?

Two, but I heard footsteps outside the cell, so there could be four and one of those creatures. Doubt the lab dude moved me, so at least five, including him

"From what he's seen and heard, he believes at least five and one of those creatures."

"I'd say six. The place isn't big, and it would be tight in those hallways." Vir glanced around the table.

"That thing would need room to maneuver as well," Eli added. "Like Cyan said, we need to draw them out. Get them outside, then we can deal with them and that thing."

Euan, who had remained silent up until then, spoke. "We need to record this as well. We need all the info on that thing we can get. How it moves, how it changes form, how it fights. Would be good if we could kill it then we can autopsy it, but you said they're tough to kill. I don't want anyone to be injured trying to take it down."

"Someone needs to stay back and us shifters won't be able to change forms. Not enough space and if we're fighting it will lead us vulnerable as we shift. We'll have to remain in whatever form we're in." Vir pursed his lips. "Twelve with at least an animal form to scout the area ahead of us."

"I'll go in wolf form. Sax can relay anything I need to say." Jim stretched his neck from side to side.

"I can as well. Smith will communicate with me."

"I'll pick two from Salutem." Indy sighed and dropped his head. "When will this be over? Balor will be with us as well."

"Not like your mate to let you go out there on your own, you fully grown adult shifter." Cyan grinned.

"He can be a little overprotective." Indy looked at Deac. "Let's get the teams sorted."

"Tell him we're on our way, Manu."

Manu nodded at Deac, then furrowed his brow. "I'm getting nothing."

There was nothing. Nothing at all.