TAVAS
My claws dug into the ground as I vaulted myself up onto the boulder, giving me a better advantage to climb the steep incline up the ridge of the mountain.
This feeling was primal, bringing me back to the months that I was on my own, skulking about, looking for my next target to get information out of as I tried to locate Viv.
Now I was with Tristan and Darius, following the river deep in the Bighorn Forest that fed the underground bunker.
We left early, guessing it would take us about an hour or more to get to this location.
We’d been on the ranch for two days now and have a total of three hundred and fifty people ready to stand with us, male and female.
Viv and the others were breaking them up into groups based on skill and knowledge they have for us to use.
I was glad to get out of that place for a bit and let my wolf out to roam, after being cooped up with all the traveling we’d been doing.
The pack of supplies on my back shifted awkwardly as I leaped, but my aim to the next point was true and I landed safely, even if it didn’t look all that graceful. “Remind me what it is we’re looking for? We made it to where the rivers meet. Isn’t it supposed to be just down off the south branch?”
“By all means, if you want to just rush out there before checking to see how many guards there are, or if they have video surveillance, then be my guest. Just know that I’m not going to be the one to explain to Viv why you got hurt, or almost killed, before the real fight even starts,” Darius shot back as he crawled on his belly to peer over the edge, checking the river below.
I sat far enough back that I couldn’t be seen, and waited, knowing that he was right.
These days, I craved the fight, letting my darkness overwhelm me so that I could do what needed to be done, cloaked in its protection.
This whole plan needed a softer touch, because surprise was going to be our best weapon, and we needed to get eyes inside the damn place.
One of Neveah’s connections was part of the crew who helped to maintain their water turbine, though he’s a low level that only fixes parts they bring him.
But it also means he knows what they used and how it’s put together, along with everything else going on in that building.
The only way we could get into their closed network was to hardline in, not that I had any fucking clue what that meant.
I was just along for trusted backup, and my skill of being able to anticipate the enemies next move if I got enough information on the matter, which we were sadly lacking in this case.
The more I could be around the area and see what they were already doing, the faster I would be clued in.
Personally, I felt like this was taking too long and we would lose our edge of Vadik being wounded, but it was a bigger risk rushing this.
We needed the best shot we could to see this end and free my mate from living in fear, along with us getting our daughter back.
“Okay, looks like there isn’t any video of the outside, which makes this so much easier. You two hold back and cover me, while I get closer to check out the building,” Darius instructed, leading the way down the backside of the ledge.
Tristan and I spread out to either side, so we didn’t get surprised and could act faster.
Once on flat ground, Darius shifted back and grabbed tools out of the pack that I had before he crept up to what looked like a rock wall.
When he finally approached it, I saw that it was a blind entrance that you couldn’t see until you were right on it.
“I don’t scent anyone inside, so I’m going in.”
Out of the options that we could have hoped for, it was a mixed bag.
Neither of us could see what was going on inside, but it would be incredibly obvious if someone showed up, unless there was a back entrance to the place from inside the facility.
This is what I hated most—not knowing. This was one of my friends and mate-brother putting his life on the line for something that we absolutely needed, but that didn’t mean I liked it.
Not left with many options, this whole mission was going to be full of daring moves that we had to hope turned out.
“It’s too quiet,” Tristan said to me. “I know they said it was a hidden generator, but shouldn’t it make noise or make the ground vibrate?”
He made a good point unless... “You don’t think they put it deep underground like the rest of the place, do you?”
“Darius,” Tristan called. “Give us a play-by-play if you can.”
There was no response. I tried not to panic, and to just assume if he was working, he needed to stay focused, but the only time this connection hadn’t worked was when Viv was taken too far away from us. Did this mind-speak have a distance limit, like walkie-talkies or something?
“Well, I just had to climb down a utility ladder into the ground, so getting out in a hurry isn’t going to be an option,” Darius answered, setting both Tristan and I at ease.
“I found the junction box that holds all the power lines. I’ll need about fifteen minutes to make this happen if things are laid out the way the guys drew the diagram. ”
“We’ve got you covered, just make sure you keep your eyes open if there’s a back door,” I warned.
Unable to keep still, I moved around the area, trying to scent if there was a trail where people came and went, but it was too clean.
There wasn’t even the whiff of another animal setting foot in this space.
Could they be using something to hide their movements, so they couldn’t trace it back to the underground lab?
The moment I thought it, I knew it was absolutely what they were doing.
“Darius, be aware they might be using wolfsbane to hide their scent. I’m not getting a trace of anything out here,” I shared.
Before I could listen for an answer, a shadow overhead alerted me to an attack, giving me a second to brace myself for the impact.
I’d been right, this asshole had no scent whatsoever, but that didn’t help him in a fight now that he showed himself.
Lashing out with one of my paws, I got him right in the snout, catching him off guard as I body checked him into the mountainside, dazing him further.
This was my chance to go for the kill, latching onto his neck, twisting and snapping it, letting him hang lifeless from my jaws.
I couldn’t just leave him here. I needed to dispose of him somewhere they wouldn’t find him easily.
“Heads-up, guys, I just got jumped. It’s handled but the fucker came from above and definitely had no scent to him,” I alerted the others. “Move as fast as you can, Darius. We’re running on borrowed time.”
“Goddamn assholes had to make sure all the wires were coated in the same color so it’s taking me longer, having to count out all the spaces to locate the right one. I’ll move as fast as I can but do what you have to,” Darius explained.
Seeing as the attack came from above, I clambered higher and found a plateau with subtle signs that someone had been camped out here.
So they weren’t keeping guards close, but watching the area to stop them from getting too close to the generator?
That didn’t make sense at all, because he should have attacked me right away if we’d been spotted sooner. Unless...
“Darius, you need to get out of there now. I think we’re going to have a fight on our hands pretty quick,” I called out to the others as I raced back.
I didn’t know much about the other alphas, but if there was an off chance they could make a pack link with the magic that they held, this one wolf could have called the cavalry on us.
My hope was these reinforcements would have a scent, so we knew they were coming, but I wasn’t going to get my hopes up too high.
Tristan met me out in the open. Standing back to back, we watched for the attack that we knew had to be coming.
“If you can give me five more minutes to get this last part done, then we’re set for having a visual on this place,” Darius answered.
“We’ll see what we can do, D-man, but you better come out ready to get into action,” I shot back as I caught a scent on the wind. They weren’t even trying to hide themselves downwind. My guess would be because they didn’t plan on us leaving alive.
Five wolves appeared on the upper portion of the ridge around us, putting me a little more at ease. We could handle five with the three of us, we’ve had worse odds. What made me pause though was the fact they didn’t charge us. They simply stood there watching, making me all the more wary.
“What do you think they’re waiting for?” I asked Tristan.
“Nothing good, I’ll tell you that. They’re too far away for me to read anything off of them other than they mean us harm, but that doesn’t take a mind reader to figure out.”
The ground started to rumble under our feet like an earthquake, but my gut told me that wasn’t what was going on. “Darius, I really think you should be getting the hell out of there.”
“The fuckers booby trapped the damn place and they’re trying to lock me in,” he yelled, panic clear in his voice.
Whipping around, I raced over to the entrance of the ladder.
Shifting into my half form, I skidded on my stomach to the wide square hole with a metal plate sliding over the top.
Grabbing hold of the edge, I planted my feet on the lip of the opposite side and pushed back with all my power.
My muscles screamed at me as I tried to hold the plate back, seeing Darius climbing up the ladder as fast as he could.
I knew I couldn’t stop it, but I was slowing it down, praying that Darius would make it in time.
The metal started to buckle and crunch where my hands pressed against it, but I knew it wasn’t going to be long before it would seal itself over the opening.
With a roar, I gave it one last effort, pouring every ounce of desperation into my muscles.
A screeching sound echoed through the space, followed by the groan of metal as it shuddered against my hands, slowing even further.
Just when I thought I was going to collapse, my body giving out, I was shoved out of the way and landed on my back, staring up at the rock ceiling.
“You crazy bastard, what the hell were you thinking? That door could have crushed you and then she’d have lost both of us before the real fight even started,” Darius sputtered as he shook my shoulders. “Idiot.”
Grinning, I shrugged. “Got you out, didn’t I?”
Darius just glared at me with a huff before he too shifted into his half form and pulled me to my feet. “Come on, let’s go help Tristan.”
“There were only five of them, I’m sure he’ll be fine. Did you get it done?” I asked as we jogged out of the cave.
“Yeah, I got it done.” Darius grunted as if offended that I doubted him.
“Alright, let’s kill these bastards and blow up a motherfucking river.”