Chapter 11

Chapter

Eleven

ORION

T he ringing phone sounded like a gunshot, and I jolted in my chair when it filled the room, then immediately went quiet. My breath caught in my chest as I waited for the second one. My palms were sweating, but I was gripping the thumb drive, poised and ready to plug it in and grab everything I needed.

It would download to that, and start an automatic download on the burner phone Nadya had given me. One push of a button the moment I was away from ComTech, and it would be sent to bases all across the world. It would hit Wolf hands—both the resistance and the corrupt.

The information would go public, and regardless of what the government wanted to do, they wouldn't be able to deny it. There was no hope for cover-up.

They could retreat, or they could wage war, and all of us were ready to fight.

The second ring came through, and the moment it stopped, I began. My fingers flew over the keyboard faster than I thought possible. My eyes raced over the code, not understanding a single line, but I knew what I was looking for. The files were almost endless, and I wasn't sure I'd be able to get all of them in time, but I had to try.

I watched the progress bar, my knee shaking, sweat dripping down my back. I had one hand on the desk phone ready to dial Nadya if something happened, my body poised to bolt if it came down to it.

The progress bar shot forward, then stuttered to a halt, then crept inches…then nothing.

It was likely going to drive me insane if I kept watching.

The knock at the door sent me reeling back, and I managed to get the phone to my ear and Nadya's number punched in by the time it opened. I tried my best to smile at the human who had been in earlier, and his eyes narrowed on me.

"Are you making personal calls?" he demanded.

"Tell me what's going on," Nadya's voice said just over his.

I held up my finger at the man. "I just wanted to go over a report with you, but it looks like the systems are down," I said. The code, letting her know someone had seen me. "Let me know when you have time?"

"Fifteen minutes," she barked.

I cradled the phone and looked up at the man. "Sorry, just talking to the boss. Is there something I can help you with?"

My heart raced as he stared at me. "Aren't you in IT? Why aren't you working on this?"

"I'm data analysis," I told him blandly. I didn't even know what the fuck that meant, but it was enough to take the shine out of his eyes. "I'm sure they're on it, though."

I glanced at my screen. It was going to start printing soon, and if he got a close enough look at what was coming through, he'd know. I opened my mouth to try and convince him to leave when the lights flickered, then everything went dead. The computer screen went black, and the only light was coming from the windows in the lobby.

My heart thrashed against my ribs. Fuck. Fuck! Had I lost everything?

When I looked up, the man was gone, and after a beat, the printer began to whirr. The computer was still black, but I realized this was her diversion. ‘ Once the file prints, you can release the thumb drive, unplug the phone, and go .' It was the last thing Nadya had said to me before we stopped working for the night.

I closed my eyes, breathed, and listened.

Six more pages, and suddenly there was ringing silence. I fumbled across the room, tucking everything under my arm, then went to the desk and scooped up the phone and drive from the little port. I had no idea if I was supposed to do something else since I couldn't see the screen, but I didn't have time to care.

I hurried out of the office, straight for the stairwell, and took four at a time. My heart felt like it was going to beat out of my chest when I made it to the lobby, and I tried to keep a sedate pace as I passed the receptionist who was talking on her cell phone. All I wanted to do was run. I wanted to haul ass out of there before I lost my mind with worry that they were on to me.

I was just reaching for the door when I heard someone shout, " Hey! That fucking Wolf… "

But it was all they got out before the explosion went off. I hit the ground, everything in my arms flying across the tiles, and I scrambled for the pages as I felt heat at my back. Another boom went off, and another wave of fire.

This couldn't possibly be what Nadya meant about a diversion, but I had to assume it was. People began screaming, began running, and I realized I could get lost in that crowd. I heard the word Wolf shouted several more times, but I ducked my head and hurried toward the parking garage.

There was a mad dash of people, and I knew then I wasn't going to be able to get to my car. I didn't need the serum anyway, and I had enough cash on me to get me the hell out of the city if I could find a willing driver. When another burst of white-hot flame rumbled the ground, I took to the street and managed to hail a cab before anyone else could get there before me.

The man didn't look close enough at me to see my eyes, and I hunkered low in the back. "Airport," I told him, choosing furthest place I could think of from ComTech.

He managed to get through the crowd with a haste I appreciated, and only when we were on the open road did I turn the pages over in my hands to look at them. There was longitude, latitude, and then a small map with a circle around a city I had never heard of before.

Greenridge, Pennsylvania .

It looked to be a hundred or so miles outside of Pittsburgh, and if I calculated that correctly, I could be there in a couple of hours. I just needed to find a car.

Before I could really start to panic about what the hell I was supposed to do, the burner began to ring. I hesitated, but I recognized the number and fought back the urge to cry when I answered it.

"Don't say anything," Kor ordered, and my jaw snapped shut. "You need to send the information the moment we hang up. I'm going to shoot you a text message with an address, and there will be a car waiting for you. You have less than forty-eight hours to get him and cross the border. I know you can do it, but it's not going to be easy."

"Okay," I said, my voice gruff. I didn't dare say more.

"We have intelligence that the place is guarded, but there's a way in on the west side of the gate. There are no human guards, but there's probably security cameras, which means you need to get him and get the fuck to the border without stopping." Kor's voice carried a hint of urgency that terrified me.

"What…"

"Don't," he snapped. "Say nothing. Just go, and I promise I will fill you in the moment I can."

The line went dead, and I flopped my head back against the seat, taking a rough breath. I didn't know if Nadya had survived, but I prayed to the gods she had. If she had sacrificed her life for this, I wasn't quite sure how I was going to live with myself.

The address came in shortly after, and I read it off to the driver who adjusted the GPS. When we were headed in the right direction, I quickly hit the button to send all the files, and the moment they cleared, I snapped the phone in my hands. I tried to muffle the sound, but I saw the driver's gaze flicker up into the mirror.

I saw when he realized what I was, but he determinedly kept going. There was every chance he would turn me in the first second he got, but it might be enough time to get away.

The GPS chirped that we were three minutes away, and I tapped on the partition. "Here's good enough." I dug into my pocket for cash and threw as much at him as I dared. He didn't pick it up, and there wasn't fear coming off him, but I didn't smell disgust.

Climbing out of the car, I walked toward the row of suburban houses, ducking behind the bushes until I saw his taillights disappear. When he was gone, I glanced at the address and oriented myself in the right direction before I began to run.

It took me longer than I wanted to find the damn car, but eventually I saw it. There was the smallest halfmoon sticker in the window, and when I reached under the tire, the keys were waiting for me. It was Kor's mark, and I felt a rush of gratitude when I climbed inside. I left the phone crushed on the side of the road, and I started the engine, leaving the humans far behind as I made my way to the place where I would either take my last breath or get Zane on the road to safety.

Kor left me with another burner, a note not to use it, a small stack of supplies in the trunk, and weapons. I forced myself to keep going as I watched the hours tick by, coming closer to the next dose of serum that I no longer had.

I started to worry that it would affect me—that it might take me down before I had the chance to get Zane. I felt fine right then, but there was no telling what would happen when I crossed that twelve-hour mark.

It was well past sunset by the time I arrived at the little road that led to the compound. It was far back in the trees, and I managed to get the car half a mile into the woods before it became too thick to go forward. On foot was better, though I doubted Zane would be in any condition to shift and run, but I had to make do.

It didn't take long for me to reach the clearing, and I was surprised at how much it looked like a prison. They'd at least tried to make the lab they kept Kor in look something like a hospital, but not here. Here, there were two buildings surrounded by a tall fence and two guard towers in the north. The south side had humans on foot with guns, but like Kor promised, there was nothing to the west.

It felt like a trap, and it likely was, but I would have to trip it and hope I survived.

Leaning against at tree, I closed my eyes and breathed in, trying to sense him. His scent wasn't on the breeze, and there was no indication that they had Zane anywhere on this property. It had to be a lie, of course. There was no way this compound was that heavily guarded if they didn't have an Alpha behind their walls.

Making my way through the low brush, I called on all of my past training, leaving almost no trace of my path behind. The humans, in spite of being heavily armed, were all distracted with conversation and their phones. It was obvious they weren't expecting an attack, and I was going to use that to my advantage. I made my way around the fence until I reached the west side, and then I brought up a claw and began to work at the edge of wires until they came free of the pole.

I stepped in, glancing from left to right. I would be out in the open for far too long, but from where I could see, the security cameras were all facing the main entrance. I wasn't sure if the humans were stupid, arrogant, or trying to fool me, but the curiosity wasn't enough that I lingered to find out.

I raced across the empty field, my gaze zeroed in on a single door with a padlock. It seemed foolish to keep a Wolf behind such weak reinforcements. At full strength, we could tear this place down, brick by brick. At half strength, that door would have been no more intimidating than a tin can.

But, if they had done to Zane what they'd done to Kor, they wouldn't even need a deadbolt to keep him locked up tight.

My stomach twisted, and just before I reached the door, I heard it. A growl from a Wolf.

I turned just in time for claws to sink into my side. I was dragged to the ground, hot breath ghosting over my neck. I felt saliva dripping, the scrape of fangs as I struggled to find purchase, and my nostrils flared, desperate to catch a scent.

Who the fuck was bold enough to betray me to my face?

Rearing back, I sank my claws into the Wolf's neck, then managed to throw it off me. I crouched, rippling into a half-shift, and then froze. Blue eyes locked on mine. The Wolf's face was a mass of gashes and scars, and his mouth was open, drooling out spittle and blood.

He was entirely naked, filthy like he had been rolling in the woods, and there was no light in his eyes. He was more than feral. There was something wrong with him. This. This is what the humans were doing to our people.

Bile rose into my throat as he attacked again, and this time I was ready. The Wolf was moving on instinct, and I had the benefit of tactic. I allowed him to get close enough to swipe my skin, drawing blood, but I dodged his grasp and took him by the back of the neck. My claws sank in, but he didn't calm. He snarled louder, and I knew if I didn't do something about him, he'd bring the guards.

I had one option only. Bearing my teeth, I lunged for his throat and sank my fangs into his carotid artery. He twitched, then he sagged against me, and my arms came around him. Blood poured from the wound, not healing, and I knew then he was dying.

Not just from my bite, either. Inside, he was falling to pieces. I could hear the strain in his heart, the rattle in his lungs, the churn of his guts that were eating themselves alive.

The humans called us monsters—they'd gone to war over that belief—but this is what they were capable of.

Shaking, I eased him down, and there was recognition in his blue eyes. A trembling hand reached for my face, and his mouth twisted around his fangs. "Orion. Your eyes…"

If it hadn't been for his voice, I never would have known, and the grief was so powerful I almost threw my head back and howled. "Bryn."

His battered, torn lips curled in a mockery of a smile. "You're here for Zane?" I nodded once, pressing my hand to try and stop the bleeding, but he pulled my arm away. "Good. He's not as far gone."

I choked on a sob. "Listen, I can get you to the car, and…"

"Let me go," he said again. The words were barely recognizable on his mangled tongue, but they were there all the same, and he looked at me like it was a mercy, letting him bleed out right there. "He's through the door. They're not guarding him now, but…"

His eyes closed. He was still bleeding, his breathing sluggish, and I knew he had minutes left. I couldn't stand the thought of leaving his body there to the humans. I could only begin to imagine what they'd do with it. He deserved a proper death.

But there was nothing I could do.

I couldn't choose between Bryn's body and Zane's life.

Hauling him gently in my arms, I eased him to the side of the building. His heart was slowing, and I knew that by the time I had Zane, he would be gone. The grief inside me was wild. The last time I had seen him, he was standing in front of me and Zane, making a vow that he would die to bring Kor home.

"I won't make it back out," he'd said, "but if our intelligence is right, and they have that monster's son in there with him waiting to escape, then it's worth it."

I hated myself for letting him go, even when Kor returned with Misha. Even if his sacrifice meant that I could be here now, with Zane just outside of my grasp.

I was determined not to let his death be in vain. My hands trembled as I went for the lock, and it only took a strong pull to twist the metal off. I wasn't sure if I was getting stronger, or if the adrenaline was fueling me, but I felt more like myself and more desperate than ever as I made my way down the dark hall. It was silent as the grave, and I wasn't sure how I had gone unnoticed by now, but I was going to take advantage of it while I had the chance.

A few steps in, and I heard the sound of chains behind a door. I felt sick all over again when I realized it was likely Zane. I couldn't sense him, couldn't scent him, but somehow, I knew. The door opened easily under my hand, and though it was dim, I could see a Wolf crouched in the middle of the room.

"By the gods," I breathed, holding my hand over my nose.

The stench was overwhelming. He was covered in his own filth, his hair unkempt and falling around his face. He was chained on all fours, his head low, neck weighted by a heavy collar, and I felt rage in me like I had never experienced before.

Is this what they'd done to Bryn until he broke far enough to become their attack dog? Is this what they'd done to all the other Wolves they took?

I wanted to burn the place down, and if I didn't get Zane out soon, I would. I managed the locks on his feet, and he flexed as I went for his hands. Claws shot out at me, but I let him gouge at my skin as I worked the collar off his neck, and I only had time to breathe out a sigh of triumph before I was pinned to the floor.

He was foul, the air in his lungs carrying the scent of decay. His eyes flashed yellow, but I wasn't sure he could see me. He didn't look like Kor—I didn't think he was blind—but I didn't think he was himself.

His nostrils flared, and drool hit my cheek from his bared teeth. I could feel myself bleeding under his claws, but he didn't strike a killing blow. He simply pinned me there, breathing me in.

"It's me," I finally said. He let out a warning growl, but I kept talking. "It's Orion. Zane…we have to go. I need you to trust me. Please. I…"

There was a shout down the hall, and the sound of footsteps. Before I could do anything about it, Zane hauled me up and shoved me behind him, his claws out and ready. Three men in fatigues came around the corner, but before they could even think about firing a weapon, Zane was on them. He tore their throats out without remorse, licking the blood from his palms as their bodies hit the ground, then he turned and stared at me.

He was a monster. The humans had turned him into the thing they feared most. I held my breath in my lungs, waiting to see if he thought I was a threat.

There were more shouts down the hall, and he let out a deep growl, his body tensing to leap, but I managed to catch him by his hair and haul him back. "We don't have time," I hissed, begging him to understand. "We need to escape. We can't kill them all."

He fought me for a moment, but when I put my arm under his hand, he gripped it. I tugged him toward the door, and when I burst out, Zane's heels dug in, and he yanked me back to a stop. I opened my mouth to argue, but I saw then he had his gaze fixed on Bryn's body.

There was a single pause, then a howl rose from his chest. It was quiet and hoarse, but full of all the pain I had been feeling when I felt Bryn's heart began to slow. I could only allow him a moment, though. The guards were already on alert, and we had minutes before they followed our trail.

"We have to leave him," I said. I took his arm again, and I said a prayer of thanks to the gods that he began to run. We made our way to the break in the fence, and he was close at my heels as we bobbed and weaved through the trees.

It almost seemed too easy—I might have thought it was a trap, but I heard the alarm sound just as the car came into view.

Zane put up a short fight when I opened the door, but after meeting his gaze, he ducked his head and fell against the back seat. I had only a jacket to cover him with, but he accepted it as I slammed the door and climbed behind the wheel.

I drove out of there like the devil was on my heels, and I didn't breathe fully until we'd been on the road, at least ten miles between us and the compound. There were no cars, no lights, no nothing.

Somehow, we'd managed an escape.

I was too terrified to feel triumphant, but I glanced in the mirror and saw Zane hunkered down, almost sullen. He was still half-shifted, his fangs protruding over his lip, and he met my gaze in the mirror. He frowned, almost like he was confused, but I didn't think he was capable of speech.

"We need to get you clean, and then we need to get the fuck out of this country," I said. I wasn't convinced he understood me, but he settled back in the seat, and it was just enough to allow me to focus on the road.