Chapter Twenty-Four Flynn

T he further I got down the mountain, the less I felt the connection between myself and Thor. At first, I'd written it off as distance or newness. But the more I urged my thoughts and feelings towards his direction, the less I felt his presence. By the time I got to the bottom of the mountain where Nana lived, I wasn't sure there was a connection to begin with.

"It's okay," I whispered to myself, hovering just behind the treeline. "He's right behind me. I know it. He's gotta know something is up."

This morning when we woke up, Thor could practically read my mind. A similar sensation had filled the space between my ears as well, although I didn't have time to really figure out how it worked before he ran off. I figured that was part of his plan though. He'd been concerned he wouldn't make it back from his confrontation with Tyr, so he was just trying to protect me. But now it was me that needed help and I had no way to reach him. It seemed as if he was purposefully blocking me out and it made me wonder.

Did Thor know I had hunter heritage as well? Had he mated me just to win me over so he could have me killed? Maybe he and Tyr were working together, and he'd fed me a whole bunch of bullshit to throw me off the scent.

No .

The word was loud inside my mind. It came from somewhere deep inside me, but it was my own voice.

Thor wouldn't never hurt me. Despite whatever my intrusive thoughts or my past trauma wanted to tell me, I knew Thor would never put me in harm's way. A man as sweet and gentle as him couldn't do that. Besides, if he was a bad guy, he would've shown some signs at this point. But all he'd been was gentle, kind, loving, and easily one of the best people I'd ever met.

He was the perfect man, and I wouldn't allow my anxiety to tell me otherwise. I shoved those thoughts aside, letting them die in the cold darkness of my mind.

He was on his way. He had to be.

But for now, I was alone.

I glanced down at my watch. I only had fifteen more minutes until the hour Tyr had given me ran out. That left me just enough time to get over to the shed and see if I could break inside. I reached down, feeling the pocketknife through the fabric of my shorts. Hopefully it would be enough to get me inside. The shed was old, but the lock was new. Considering I stood no chance of breaking through steel, maybe I could find another way in.

Getting there without being seen was the trick. It was still light outside and the animals were out in the barnyard. I glanced toward the house, noting that it was too dark inside for me to make much out. I could only see a small part of the living room because the front door was standing open. Besides that, I was blind.

However, if Tyr was holding Nana captive, he was most likely keeping her in the front of the house where the main rooms were. I crept through the woods until I could make out the backside of the house where the bedrooms were located. I breathed a sigh of relief as I noticed the shades were still pulled in both of them. Nana always kept them closed during the day to keep the sunlight off her hand sewn quilts and to keep the house cool.

I glanced up, taking note of the barn and the small shed behind it. If I could sneak past the back of the house and up to the side of the barn, I could be out of sight as I tried to open it. However, all the chickens would see me and probably follow. Hopefully they would keep quiet because I was in no mood to get killed because of some walking drumsticks. The damn things were more hassle than they were worth.

With a sigh, I realized I had no choice. And time was quickly ticking away.

Taking a deep breath, I broke out of the woods at a jog, heading along the backside of the house. My heart beat wildly against my ribs as I came to a stop, crouching below Nana's bedroom window. I stopped for only a moment, pressing my ear to the side of the house in the hopes of hearing something within. With the blood pumping in my ears, I could make out nothing. However, it wasn't until I took a few steps forward that I finally heard a familiar voice.

"I hope your savior shows up soon, granny," Tyr growled. "Only ten more minutes until I start cutting."

There was a muffled reply and I recognized the voice. Nana was cursing Tyr with everything she had, but she sounded like she was gagged. I couldn't help a smirk. The woman was a spitfire no matter what kind of problems she found herself mired in. She had some fight in those old bones.

"Save your anger," Tyr laughed. "Or don't. I don't care. Once I'm done with him, I'll take care of you once and for all."

So, he didn't plan on letting Nana live after all. I should've known, but the realization came as a bit of a shock, anyway. However, the shock quickly morphed into resolution. If he was going to kill us both regardless, there was no point in me holding back. My fist gripped tightly around the pocketknife in my hand. Suddenly trying to arm myself didn't sound like such a bad idea. Even if the shed had nothing useful in it, I knew the barn had several rusty pitchforks that Tyr would look good on the end of.

One way or another, I was going to have blood.

I paused for only a second, reaching my feelings toward Thor once more. I had a sneaking suspicion he couldn't hear me, but it was my only chance to reach him. Gathering up all the mental energy I had, I shouted into the void.

HELP!

Three or four times in a row I made the shout. After a moment there was a spark, a rush of feeling, and then nothing. I waited for it to come back, but nothing did.

I was on my own.

With a sigh of acceptance, I set my sights on the shed. I couldn't dawdle any longer. For a second longer I stayed there, waiting for something to cover up the sound of my movement. I didn't have to wait long as one of the roosters in the barnyard crowed. Without hesitation I sprinted across the yard to the far side of the barn. It wasn't until after I came to a stop and put my back to the boards that I heard Tyr's voice shout out of the house.

"Shut up you stupid fucks!" he screamed, clearly irritated by the chickens. "How do people live like this?!"

Then everything went silent again.

Just as I expected, all the chickens saw me cross the yard. Within a few moments, several of them had gathered around me. I tried to shoo them away, but they were having none of it. Of course they started to make noise, clucking at me incessantly for treats. That bucket was kept on the porch where Nana could get to it easily. However, as I pushed myself away from the back of the barn, I noticed the large plastic barrel that was filled with goat feed tucked under the lean-to. I'd forgotten all about it.

Flipping the lid open, I grabbed a huge scoop of food and tossed it out over the grass. The chickens went wild, flocking for it while clucking madly. I cursed under my breath, knowing they were making far too much noise. But it kept them out from under my feet. However, I knew my time was short. Should Tyr come to investigate, I wouldn't stand a chance.

I sprinted to the shed and of course, it was bolted shut with a shiny steel lock. However, the shed itself wasn't in the best condition. Around the back I found a couple of boards that were particularly loose. Pulling out my pocketknife, I wedged the blade under the edge of the board, trying to pry it open. To my surprise, it came away easily. After that it was as simple as pulling two more away before I had a large enough opening to fit through.

Inside the shed was dark and dusty, but that didn't scare me. I wedged myself between the studs, my shirt ripping as it snagged on a rogue nail, but I made it inside without a scratch. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust but when they did, I was surprised to find the shed mostly empty. In fact, there was nothing in there at all.

"What?" I said aloud, turning on the spot. "Why is it locked then?"

Had Nana cleaned the place out herself while I was gone? Did she even have the strength for that sort of thing? She made it sound like the place was loaded. It had only been a handful of days since I'd been gone, and I knew she wouldn't have some stranger from the resort help her with such a personal matter. No, there was something I wasn't seeing.

I took a few steps forward into the dusty interior. The roof above me was solid, but not in the greatest of shape. The boards below my feet creaked as I walked, but they weren't rotten in any way. In fact, the shed was in miraculous shape considering the outside of the building looked so run down. It was almost like someone had been taking care of it. I went to the door but saw nothing odd about that either. In fact, it wasn't until I turned back that I felt something strange.

A board shifted oddly under my feet. I lifted my foot, thinking I was about to go through the floor. But when I tested my weight again, I found it didn't give way, but made the same odd movement. It wasn't until I tapped my shoe on it and heard the hollow sound that I realized what I'd stepped on.

A trapdoor.

Bending down, I worked my fingers through the dust, finding the edge of the trapdoor. Eventually I found a small hole in the wood that I assumed was a knot. Slipping my finger in, I hooked it around the wood and gave it a pull. With a puff of dust, the entire door came up revealing a set of rickety looking stairs descending into the darkness. And there, right next to the top stair, was a light switch.

"Convenient," I muttered, flipping the switch.

A light popped on below. I peeked through the hole and saw several boxes in a room of some kind, but it was an odd angle to make out much else. Testing the top stair to make sure it held my weight, I headed downward with my breath held in my chest.

At the bottom of the stairs, I could only gasp. There wasn't just a room below the shed, there was an entire chamber . And it was much bigger than the shed above it. One glance at the steel reinforced ceilings told me it was built to withstand anything, even a tractor, driving over top of it. Unless someone knew where to look, they'd never know the chamber was here. I sure as hell didn't know, and I'd lived on the farm for a couple months now.

But that wasn't the only thing that caught my attention. There were two large wardrobes against one wall, a desk against the other, a series of shelves filled with books, and a number of gleaming weapons arranged in a large glass display case. Everything was coated in a heavy layer of dust. Well, everything except the desk and chair. Those looked like they'd been used recently. However, it was the opening next to the desk that caught my attention the most. It was the size of a standard door, but leading away from the chamber was a small tunnel. A line of bare bulbs hung from the ceiling, snaking away into the darkness. And, if my sense of direction was correct, it led back to the house.

I walked over to the desk, running my fingers over the clean surface. Nana had been here recently. She could've come while I was asleep using the tunnel. She wouldn't even have to leave the house.

I wanted to stand there gawking, but a glance at my watch told me I only had five minutes left. So, leaving it all behind, I dashed to the weapon case. There I found several swords, knives, guns, arrowheads, and even a few boxes of silver bullets. I didn't know anything about weapons, so I only took two. The first thing I took was a silver dagger in a rotting leather sheath, which I tucked into my boot. The second was a small handgun. Thankfully there was already a loaded clip next to it, so I slipped it into the gun like they did in the movies and pulled the slide back to make sure it was loaded. I turned it over a few times to see if there was a safety button. I found it near the back of the gun and clicked it off. Thank god for that one summer camp I went to that I hated.

Without a second glance back, I headed down the tunnel with the gun held at my side. I hoped that wherever the tunnel let out in the house was private because the last thing I wanted to do was come up right through the living room floor where anyone could see me. But I didn't have time to second guess myself. I only had two minutes left.

I practically ran down the tunnel, following its gentle curve until I reached a set of stairs. There I stopped for just a moment, listening intently.

Voices. Muffled, but after a moment I recognized it as Tyr's. He was talking to Nana or himself. I wasn't sure. But he didn't sound close to the trapdoor.

Thirty seconds left.

I tried the trapdoor and it lifted easily. Pushing it up with careful hands, I stuck my head above the lip of the floor. I was in Nana's bedroom in the far corner. A small chair sat in front of the door, blocking it from view. I pulled myself up and through quickly, careful to make sure I didn't make any noise. Leaving the door open, I crept to the doorway, gun held shakily in my hands.

"Well," Tyr said with a click of his tongue. "Time's up granny. It looks like your precious grandson isn't coming to save you."

"Think again!" I shouted, thrusting myself around the doorframe with the gun pointed directly at Tyr's head.

He spun on his heel, gave me one good look, and began to laugh.