CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Apollo
Apollo had seen his sister and Rocko chatting in the kitchen and immediately noticed the positive difference in Ellen. It further confirmed his belief that the man had an innate ability to sense others’ needs.
It was his job to make everyone feel protected and safe.
Yes, they were prepared, armed, and comfortable using their abilities against anyone stupid enough to attack them here on their property, but they needed to be uber vigilant.
And if Levy or the Noah Group showed up, they’d be in for a rude awakening and one hell of a fight.
They were busy fortifying the compound before heading out and taking the fight to Levy.
Hendrix, Griffin, and Blade had taken on the task of expanding their bunker system to hold more provisions, weapons, and people if necessary.
Ace had been working with Spencer from Brick’s team to gather as much information on this new group as they could.
Information was power. The more they knew, the safer they’d be.
Damon, Xavier, and Jagger had been upgrading the security systems around the compound and out into the surrounding forest. Sensors, both heat- and motion-activated, as well as cameras, were installed alongside the original security measures they’d put in place when they first arrived.
Rosaline, Mary, Ellen, Renee, and Asher were busy canning and preparing food that could be stored for extended periods in case they were unable to make it to town. They were trying to cover their bases even if it seemed extreme.
Jagger and Ace were able to track down an old police report on a hit-and-run involving Gerald’s father.
Apparently, the body of Gerald’s father was found on the side of the road, less than one hundred feet away from Levy Construction offices.
No one was ever charged, and the case quickly went cold.
However, according to Rocko’s vision, a female mutant had killed him as far as Gerald was concerned.
Why was still a mystery, but Apollo would put money on the fact that, considering the older Levy had hunted mutants as well, the woman was trying to get away from him.
Levy was no innocent victim in that hit-and-run.
Rocko had extended his leave from work, but as of yet, Apollo hadn’t had the chance to bring up the subject of Rocko staying here with him. Something always interrupted their conversation.
Rocko and Frank were installing the last of the satellites while Apollo had been on the phone with Brick.
The team leader from Fire Lake, Texas, had offered to send members of his team to New York to help with the search for Tom and deal with Levy and his goons.
Apollo wasn’t too bullheaded to reject the offer, and he told Brick he’d get back to him if things heated up and they needed assistance.
The coordinates Rocko had seen in one of his visions led to a location south of Gull Bay Preserve on the other side of Lake George in Vermont.
They were using satellite imagery to search the area for any structures, but so far, they’d come up with nothing.
In the coming days, they’d be heading out to do an on-the-ground survey.
Everyone knew the odds of Tom still being alive weren’t great; however, no one spoke the words.
Apollo exited his office and headed for the front door.
He wanted to check in with the team’s progress on their various projects.
There were many moving parts, and he needed to keep an eye on everything.
It wasn’t that he didn’t trust his team; Apollo’s nature was very hands-on and involved in what was happening around him.
In truth, he wasn’t sure if it was part of his nature or a mutation, but the need was strong.
As for his racing mind, his thoughts had calmed thanks to Rocko, and for the first time, he’d experienced moments of peace and contentment.
He’d been standing on the deck in the sunlight, staring out over the compound, and a strange feeling came over him. Renee had felt the shift in him. Her healing mutation allowed her to feel people’s state of being, and she’d described it as contentment.
Of course, just as he found his “contentment,” Levy and his crew had come along and fucked it up. Go figure.
No use in lamenting his lost moment; it was time for preparations.
“How’s the setup going?” he asked Rocko and Frank when he rounded the corner of the main house.
“It took a bit of tweaking, but I believe we’ve got it in the right position,” Rocko said.
Apollo couldn’t help himself and pulled Rocko in for a quick kiss, unconcerned that Frank was standing only a few feet away. When Frank chuckled, Apollo looked at him in question.
“I don’t mean any offense,” Frank said. “I’m reminiscing about young love. When my late wife and I met, we couldn’t keep our hands off each other, but that was a different time. We had to be careful, or her parents would have forbidden her from seeing me.”
“They didn’t like you?” Rocko asked.
“She was too good for me. I knew it, but the heart wants what the heart wants.”
“Yes, it does,” Apollo agreed while looking down at his lover, and Rocko graced him with that sexy grin of his.
He had to really take the time to sit Rocko down and have that conversation.
***
Rocko
He was trying to decipher that look on Apollo’s face when Ace came racing out of the house.
“We have movement on Frank’s property,” he yelled.
“Let’s move,” Apollo stated.
Moments later, the team converged around the dining table. Ace and Jagger were typing furiously on their laptops while Griffin and Hendrix brought in duffel bags of equipment, tactical gear, and weapons. Rocko noticed Mary’s face had gone pale.
“Coming up on the screen now,” Ace stated as the larger television screen hanging on the wall buzzed to life.
The picture was divided up into squares containing views from each of the eight cameras they’d set up around the property earlier. Rocko scanned the screens, looking for anything out of the ordinary, hoping it was only a deer triggering the sensors. No such luck.
“We got two in sector four,” Apollo announced, and the screens homed in on that area.
“By the barn,” Frank confirmed.
They watched as two masked individuals crept past the backside of the barn before hunkering down in the tall grass, watching the house. Lying in wait for the family’s return. They were armed.
“Assholes,” Damon growled. “Think they can walk right up and do whatever the fuck they want.”
“Find their vehicle,” Apollo ordered.
“On it,” Ace said.
“Would they take Asher?” Mary asked while holding her daughter closer to her chest.
Frank wrapped his arm around his daughter’s back. Rocko couldn’t imagine the hell the older man was going through watching his daughter and granddaughter being hunted.
“Maybe we should go into the kitchen and have a coffee,” Renee suggested, trying to calm an obviously terrified Mary. “Let them take care of this.”
Mary nodded numbly, and Renee ushered her and Asher out of the room. Rocko’s anger was bubbling up, and he was having a difficult time containing it. These people would harm a little girl because she was different. He’d see them six feet under before allowing that to happen.
Apollo’s hand brushed Rocko’s lower back, comforting him immediately. He sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly.
“Got it,” Ace said. “It’s over on the adjacent side road, two clicks from the farm.”
“Hendrix,” Apollo said. “Would you be so kind as to make sure that vehicle doesn’t move?”
Hendrix smiled. “Gladly.”
“Blade, go with him. In and out fast. Keep your comms open,” Apollo ordered. “The rest of us, this is what we’re going to do.”
***
Griffin, Apollo, and Rocko sat in the diner across the street from the local garage in Ticonderoga.
Jonesy, a man Griffin and Apollo had made friends with over the year that they’d been living here, owned the garage.
It had been hours since the team had disabled Levy’s crew’s vehicle, and Ace had monitored a call for a tow truck to that location.
Now, they waited for the flies to enter their web.
Rocko had to hand it to Apollo and Griffin; they’d spent a great deal of time fostering relationships with the townspeople. Everywhere they went, residents would stop to chat with them, and the pair seemed to know every person’s name.
Apollo checked his phone. “They should be here any minute.”
“If I can get close enough to their vehicle, I should be able to get a read on it. Best-case scenario, I have a chance to brush up against one of them. I might not get anything, but it’s worth a shot.”
“We’ll be able to ID the owner of the vehicle and, with any luck, use a tracker to track them down for a little visit in a couple of days,” Griffin said.
“Your job is to distract Jonesy while we have a look at their vehicle’s glove box,” Apollo said.
“Why do I have to distract him?” Griffin asked.
“Because he has a thing for you,” Apollo stated.
Griffin didn’t deny it; he simply growled. Interesting, Apollo thought.
“What if the two goons don’t leave the garage while Jonesy fixes their car?” Rocko asked.
“Then we’ll figure it out as we go,” Apollo said. “Like we usually do, babe.”
Rocko couldn’t help but grin at the endearment. Apollo had done that a few times now, and he was enjoying the closeness. Though they hadn’t defined their relationship, Rocko was attached, and he knew it.
“There it is,” Griffin said.
Sure enough, a tow truck was making its way down the street with three men in the cab of the truck and towing the car in question. It turned into Jonesy’s garage.
“We’re on,” Apollo said, tossing money onto the table for their coffees and standing.
On the way over, Griffin stopped at their truck and grabbed the alternator he’d removed from one of the other vehicles. By the time they reached the garage, the car was on the ground, and the three men were trying to push it into one of the three bays. Perfect.