CHAPTER THIRTEEN: KIT

A FREAKING lake was under the city of San DeLain. Kit couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

“Would you look at that? It’s an underground reservoir,” Connie observed quietly. “Could be natural or part of San DeLain’s water supply system. Or maybe even connected to the ocean.”

The water was inky and still, reflecting the dim light of their cell phones. It stretched out as far as they could see, disappearing into the darkness. The air was musty and damp, with a faint hint of seawater, and there were strange symbols etched into the walls, glowing faintly.

Kit didn’t know what to make of their discovery. He peered closer at the water. “But who could use this?”

Denisha’s eyes widened in realization. “I can think of one paranormal who’s capable,” she said gravely.

“The mer,” Connie stated. “They were one of the species that Lennox used for his experiments.”

“The hell?” Kit breathed.

“Yup. Vampires, weres, and mer. None of them are safe,” Connie added.

“So they have hunters who can travel by land and sea,” Kit said.

“We don’t know that for sure, but it certainly looks like it,” Hudson said. “Connie? Take pictures of this just so we have something to reference later.”

“Sure thing,” Connie said, snapping pictures and noting their coordinates.

Hudson scanned the perimeter of the cavern. “This could also be a meeting point or a storage area. Check those alcoves. There might be more than just water and fungi here.”

As instructed, Connie and Denisha moved closer to one of the irregularly shaped alcoves dotting the cavern walls. Kit stayed next to Hudson.

Connie’s flashlight revealed stacks of crates sealed with heavy padlocks. “Hudson! Over here,” he called softly.

Hudson and Kit approached. Kit’s gaze swept across the stacks of crates and barrels along the walls.

Meanwhile, Hudson inspected a crate closely. “These are new,” he muttered, brushing off a thin layer of dust. “They haven’t been here long.”

“They’re transporting something through these tunnels,” Denisha said.

“Smart of them.” Hudson eyed the crates with a frown. “We need to know what’s inside these crates but breaking them open could bring us unwanted attention.”

Kit looked around nervously. “That’s a problem.”

Denisha nodded slowly, her face grim. “It’s a risk but finding out what’s in these might give us an edge. I can try to open one quietly.”

“Try not to break the lock, if at all possible. Or make it look like it was maybe dropped and broke on its own,” Hudson said after a moment’s hesitation.

Carefully, Denisha set to work. Minutes ticked by slowly, until finally, Denisha managed to open the crate. She paused, glancing around before she lifted the crate lid just enough to see inside.

“What is it?” Connie asked impatiently.

Denisha’s eyes widened slightly as she looked back at them. “Weapons,” she whispered. “This one has surface-to-air missiles, I think.”

The implications hung heavy in the air, like the damp chill surrounding them.

“We need to gather evidence and get out,” Hudson said. “We’ll take pictures and then reseal everything as best as we can, then get the hell out of this tunnel.”

“We’re not going to keep exploring?” Denisha asked.

“My gut says to get out of here,” Hudson said. “Text Kage and let him know to get out.”

“I will,” Denisha said, already typing out the message.

They worked quickly and silently, documenting their discovery without altering the scene more than necessary.

Once done, Hudson motioned toward the way they had come in. “Let’s go.”

They retraced their steps around the lake. As they strolled by, Kit’s gaze fell upon the water, and he gasped. Had he just seen something? A humanlike figure darting beneath the surface? Could it be a… merman?

Kit slowed his pace, squinting at the dark water, trying to make sense of the quick flicker he’d seen. “Guys, hold up. I think I just saw something in the water.”

Hudson immediately appeared by Kit’s side, as did Connie. Denisha turned her cell phone toward the lake, the flashlight beam piercing through the darkness.

“Nothing. Kit, are you sure?” Connie asked, scanning the area intensely.

“Yeah, something moved. It was fast, like a shadow just beneath the surface,” Kit said, his voice tense.

Hudson stepped closer to the edge of the water, his expression unreadable. “It could be a mer. But that would mean there’s access to the ocean.”

“Surely, if they’d found this, they would’ve told everyone,” Connie said. “They’re just as involved as the rest of us in the hunt for Lennox.”

“True. That means if it’s not a mer, then it’s either some paranormal creature no one knows anything about or—”

“It’s a hunter with mer DNA,” Hudson said. “Which means we need to get out of here immediately. Keep your eyes peeled and stay alert.”

Denisha watched the still surface. “If they know we’re here, this could get dangerous fast.”

“Let’s keep moving,” Hudson said with a nod. “But everyone stay close and keep an eye on that damn water.”

They continued their trek around the edge of the lake, their steps cautious and measured. Every small sound seemed amplified in the vast cavern, echoing off the walls and mixing with the soft lapping sounds of the water.

Kit couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. He continuously looked back at the black lake. Finally, as they neared another alcove, he saw it again—a swift movement in the water, almost like a ripple caused by something swiftly diving deeper.

“There! Did you see it that time?” Kit pointed toward where he had seen the movement.

This time Connie and Denisha nodded. “I saw it too,” Connie confirmed. “Something’s definitely down there.”

Hudson paused and looked back at where Kit was pointing. “Okay, we need to assume they’re aware of our presence now. Our priority is to exit without confrontation.”

They reached the end of the underground lake and began ascending toward street level. The air grew cooler and fresher as they climbed higher, but none of them could shake off the heavy weight of what might be lurking below in those shadowy waters.

As they approached their original entry point, Kit finally breathed a sigh of relief. They really didn’t have a better idea where the tunnels led to, but they had made an important discovery—now they knew where the weapons had come from that had been used against them.

They moved urgently back through the winding tunnel. The return journey seemed to pass in a blur compared to the trek to the underground lake.

As they emerged into the musty air of the bookstore, Kit’s tense muscles finally relaxed. They were not out of danger by a long shot, but he was glad to be out from underground. He’d never been in a tunnel before, but he would definitely not recommend it. Minus ten out of ten.

A few moments later, Kage, Austin, Maia, and Torres joined them.

Kage’s expression was tense, and he scanned each of them as they filed in. “An underground lake and there’s something in it, but we have no idea what?”

“Yeah.” Hudson said, his voice low and serious. “Let’s get out of here. I feel like we’re sitting ducks.”

“Agreed,” Kage said. “We need to have a meeting, but I don’t currently have—”

“Portal us to my compound,” Hudson said.

“You must really want to get out of here if you’re willing to travel by the shadows,” Kage joked. “Okay, everybody, hold hands. That way nobody gets left behind.”

Kit clenched his jaw, brow furrowed in determination, as he prepared to travel through the shadows. The dark, murky void seemed to swallow him up as he held tightly to Connie’s and Hudson’s hands, feeling disoriented and uneasy.

He hated this method of travel too, but he knew it would quickly get them where they needed to go. And he trusted Kage to guide them through the darkness. There was no way he would endanger his mate.

As their surroundings shifted and changed, Kit’s grip tightened, his knuckles turning white. He couldn’t wait for this journey to be over, and from the look on Hudson’s face, neither could he.

A few seconds after that, they were standing in Hudson’s office.

Hudson didn’t say anything about their method of travel and neither did Connie, but Torres was a little green around the gills. Kit sympathized. One day he would have to ask Austin how he got used to it.

“Connie? Text my inner circle and let them know we’re in my office. Anyone who is not in the middle of something should come here,” Hudson said. “Torres? Would you stop by the kitchen and ask Stella if she could send some drinks and snacks for us? I have a feeling we’re going to be here for a while.”

“How about some sandwiches? Or whatever she fixed for the communal meal. It’s after lunch.”

“That’s a better idea. Tell her whatever is easiest for her to arrange. Thank you for thinking of that,” Hudson said. “It’s hard to believe that it’s still Monday. Seems like a week has passed already.”

“I hear that,” Connie muttered.

“I had an ulterior motive,” Torres joked. “Okay, so, what does everybody want to drink?”

After Torres took everyone’s orders, he left. Connie slipped his cell phone back into his pocket and nodded at Hudson.

“Okay, everyone, let’s have a seat.” Hudson motioned to the table in his office.

Everybody took a seat, then chitchatted while they waited for Torres to get back. Very soon, Torres returned with Stella, Mitchell, Nelson, and Audrey.

“Sheila and Parker are unable to attend,” Torres said as he helped Stella unload the cart with their lunches. “I’ll update them later today. But I did give them the basics.”

“Excellent. Thank you,” Hudson said.

Everyone was quiet while they waited for Stella to finish up. Once she left, they started eating their lunch.

“Mmm, good stew,” Denisha said as she dipped her cornbread into it.

“Good ol’ Southern cooking,” Maia said as she also took a bite. “It’ll definitely stick to your ribs.”

“I’ll certainly pass along the compliment,” Hudson said.

Kit liked that they kept the conversation light while they ate. Otherwise, he wasn’t sure how well his lunch would settle. Questions kept bumping around inside of his head.

Once lunch was finished, Hudson helped Connie move their plates back to the cart Stella had left.

They returned to the table, and Hudson glanced at Connie. “Connie? Show Kage, please.”

Connie pulled up the pictures on his phone showing the crates and the eerie underground tunnel, and then he handed it to Kage.

As Kage swiped through the images, his frown deepened. “Weapons. I should be surprised, but I’m really not,” he said, glancing up at them. “Surface-to-air missiles? That’s military-grade weaponry. Do you mind if I pass your cell phone around so everyone can see, Connie?”

“I figured as much, but thank you for asking,” Connie said. “I’ll make sure all the leaders get this information on the tunnels, along with the pictures.”

“Thank you,” Kage said. He handed the phone to Maia, and it traveled around the table.

“If there was any question the hunters were behind the attacks on my compound, it’s been answered now,” Hudson said. “I think it’s safe to say they were behind all the attacks.”

“We assumed as much, but it’s nice to have proof,” Torres said, looking at the pictures.

“And if they’re arming themselves with this kind of firepower, they’re preparing for more attacks.”

“I agree,” Connie said. “They damaged the Dominion, but Kage didn’t lose any of his clan. We don’t know about the gargoyles, and we didn’t lose anybody either. The werewolves got hit hard, though.”

“Anybody heard anything else about Alpha Li Li?” Hudson asked.

Connie shook his head. “No, but we’ve been kind of busy this morning.”

“True.”

Torres crossed his arms. “We need a new plan. If they have access to this kind of arsenal, we’re not just dealing with hunters with messed up DNA.”

Hudson nodded. “They’ve upped their game.”

As the group absorbed the weight of this information, Mitchell leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. “We need to figure out where they’re getting these weapons. This level of armament doesn’t come cheap or easy.”

Kage pulled out his phone to make a note. “I’ll contact my sources in law enforcement and the military. Someone must have noticed something unusual.”

Connie nodded. “I’ll reach out to ours too.”

Maia shifted in her seat, her brow furrowed. “We should also consider enhancing our defenses. If they are planning another large-scale attack, we need to be prepared.”

“I agree, although there are some things we cannot ward against. Can you imagine warding the Dominion and that bomb going off in front of it? There’s a crater in the street and several blocks worth of damage but none to his building? That would’ve brought questions which could not be answered easily.”

Kage sighed. “I understand that the prevailing thought is to keep us hidden from the humans, but it’s times like these I wish we could come out. My clan, like Raven’s coven, is right in the middle of the humans.”

“And I am out here in the middle of nowhere like the gargoyles. I understand where you’re coming from, Kage, and while I’m not saying you are wrong, I am saying we need to deal with one crisis at a time,” Hudson pointed out.

“I know. I do know that. And the fallout could be disastrous. I know that too. But by the dead gods, it does get tiring,” Kage complained.

“So what about the tunnels?” Connie asked. “Are we going back in?”

Denisha pursed her lips. “What about that lake too? And what’s in it? And, you know, the weapons?”

“I think for the time being we need to stay out of them,” Hudson said. “Too much can go wrong in such close quarters, and the only way to get out in a hurry would be to use a portal, which means any daemon would automatically be targeted. Do you agree, Kage?”

“Yes.”

“So what do we do?” Maia asked.

“Try to find out where the weapons are coming from, and maybe it’s time we started trying to capture a few hunters. Those tunnels have entrances like that bookstore. Maybe, if we could find out what other fronts the hunters are using, we can shut them down,” Hudson said. “And for now, leave the weapons. I’ll cast a spell that will disarm them.”

Everyone murmured their agreement, and the meeting slowly adjourned. The daemons left, and after abrief discussion, Hudson’s inner circle left too, Torres taking the cart with the dirty dishes with him.

Kit sighed heavily. They had found some really interesting information, but basically nothing had been done. Don was still out there, somewhere.

Hudson approached Kit. “How are you doing?”

Kit looked up, forcing a smile. “I’m fine. I mean, it’s a lot to process, you know? And I’m concerned about everything we’ve uncovered today.”

Hudson nodded. “It is a lot to process. It’s not easy, dealing with all this chaos and still having no clear solution in sight. But we’re doing the best we can.”

Connie wandered over to the table and sat next to Kit. He gently patted Kit’s knee. Smiling, Kit covered Connie’s hand with his own.

“I know.” Kit glanced toward the empty conference table. “I wish we could do more to pinpoint Don’s location. I can’t shake the feeling that he’s planning something big. It’s like the silence before the storm, you know?”

“I do know,” Hudson said softly. “I feel the same way. But remember, we’re doing everything we can. Hopefully, we’ll make some progress soon.”

“I hope so,” Kit’s said.

Hudson laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “Let’s focus on what we can control for now. We’ll start by increasing our surveillance and gathering more intelligence.”

“We’ll regroup tomorrow and start fresh. For tonight, try not to worry about it,” Connie said. “I know, I know, easier said than done.”

Kit nodded slowly, feeling somewhat comforted by Hudson’s and Connie’s words. “Thanks, you two. I’ll try.”

Kit had a feeling that sleep would be elusive, but he appreciated the sentiment, nonetheless. As they left Hudson’s office, Kit truly tried to not let things overwhelm him.

The hunters were escalating their attacks, and everyone—including humans unaware of the supernatural world around them—was in potential danger. With Don still out there, and the hunters armed to the teeth, things were getting steadily more intense.