Their Mating Rituals [Paranormal Protection Unit 4] (Siren Publishing Classic) (2 page)

“What have you got, Skittles?” Sully asked, feeling for the other man. He’d never survive if he ever lost his brother and knew the feeling was mutual. Catching Mac’s look, he nodded. It was very mutual.

“A debit card was used, one of Allister’s aliases,” Skittles said quietly. “It didn’t get used for much, but what it bought had me thinking it wasn’t from any theft.” Shifting, he keyed up the main monitor. “It was used twice. The first didn’t register right away since the area has been having some rolling blackouts in the last few days, so information has been scarce.”

Typing, he pulled up the two receipts, electronic versions anyway. “On the left is the first one and was used to purchase some antibiotic cream, top grade stuff, swabs, and peroxide. Odd, but when you put it with exhibit number two…” He pulled the other forward. Everyone could read that it was for sutures, butterfly bandages, and several bags of saline solution, plus an IV stand.

“So who bought the stuff?” Mac asked, leaning forward slightly.

“Again the first took longer with the blackouts, but here are the two shoppers side by side,” Skittles said and pulled up the images from various security cameras.

“Dude, that could be Talon or Katherine my beloved little mate or literally any of a hundred people in those pictures,” Scythe bitched, narrowing his eyes on the blurry black and whites. “How the hell do you know who they are?”

“It’s the same person out shopping, doubter of my skills,” Skittles said. “Watch and be amazed,” he told them before running his scrub program that, thanks to having done it earlier, only took mere seconds to reveal a female, early to midtwenties, dressed in a hoodie, and looking extremely scared and nervous. At both locations.

“Shopping trip number one was three days ago. Number two was about two hours ago,” Skittles told them before he pulled up the camera system of the city. “She left store number two, walked up the street to a cafe, and went in for a half-caf nonfat caramel latte, paid with cash. She then sat at a table in the corner by the windows and watched for a time before leaving and going about two miles on foot to a bookstore. She went in, browsed, paused by the window to apparently check out a new book being offered before leaving without purchasing anything.”

“She’s looking for a tail without being obvious about it,” Talon commented, watching as they followed her path through the city.

“Exactly. She departs the bookstore and heads uptown to a vendor to get a hotdog and soda, proceeding to a park bench across the street to sit and eat it as she people watches. Once done she then casually strolls through the park and down this alley,” Skittles indicated. “We lose her for about two blocks before she pops out here.” Another image came up where she was looking up and down the street. “She scoots around the corner, across the street, and down into the basement of this complex. She doesn’t come back out again.”

“Who owns it?” Trey asked, already thinking logistics.

“Currently it’s held by the bank since the owners failed to pay their mortgage. It’s also supposed to be completely vacant as they are trying to sell the building off,” Skittles told them, turning around. “I pulled footage of the area going back all the way to the abduction and, three weeks in…” He pointed to an image he had pop up. Clear as day was Aiden being dragged between two muscle-bound freaks with the girl behind them. A tall, thin male was next to her and had the scruff of her neck in a vicious grip. Her hands were cuffed in front.

“So is she a victim or one of the abductors?” Sully asked, feeling confused.

“No clue, but I’m running her face as well as the others through facial recognition. I should have something for you by the time you hit the tarmac,” Skittles told them. “Flight is fifteen by helicopter and, if you time it right, you’ll get there just as the neighborhood shuts down for the night. I honestly don’t know if those four are the only ones in there with him. I’m still scanning all the footage and will let you know of any changes.”

“Wheels up in twenty, gentlemen. All hands on deck for this. Go get our man,” Talon ordered as he stood up. “I’d prefer you take them alive, but if not, bring yourselves and Aiden home in one piece. That’s an order.”

* * * *

A soft sound had him prying his blood-caked eye open a tiny slit. There was someone there, small, feminine from what he could tell of the movements. Feeling “her” get closer, he tried to see but couldn’t. “Who are you?” His words came out slurred and rough, not at all like his normal speech. His throat ached, too. They must have cracked him there, too.

A shuddering breath sounded and then soft, light footsteps fairly ran from the room. “Come back,” he wheezed out on a whisper of air.
Don’t leave me alone.

2007

Death was never easy. It was never something that came in the night and swept away the soul like personified in movies and books. No, death was hard. It was brutal. Death was vicious and held no prisoners. It took not only the body and life of the person who was dying, but a part of the soul of the loved one who was caring for them during the time of death.

This death was no different. She sat on her mother’s side and looked down at the impossibly thin woman on the bed and held her hand. “I love you, Mom,” she told her mother, and instead of getting the “I love you” back that any other mother would give her child, she once more got a grunt.

Talina wanted to cry. She wanted to rail at the world, but it wouldn’t do anyone any good, let alone her. She knew that her mother loved her. She had to or else she wouldn’t have remained for as long as she had in her life. She raised Lina even when her father had walked out on them both and left them to their own devices. No, Lina knew that she was blessed because she hadn’t been left in an orphanage, she hadn’t been left on a church doorstep, but instead her mother, Charlotte, raised her alone.

Bending her head, she touched her forehead to her mother’s knuckles and sighed. “Please, Momma, just give up.” She begged her mother again. “You have done all that you could in life. Just let go, Momma.” She begged the woman again.

“Not till you swear you will never be as stupid as me,” her mother put out on a groan, a gruff tone that didn’t sound at all like the songstress that she had been in life.

“I promise, Momma. No man is worth my own self-esteem.” And that was part of what it cost her mother. It had cost her mother her self-esteem. It had cost her her family because her father and mother had turned their backs on her as soon as it was made known that she was pregnant, but no husband was anywhere near in sight.

“Good. One day you will find that son of a bitch and you will make him pay, right?” Charlotte Wagner demanded of her daughter, did not ask her.

Lina winced but nodded. “Yes, Momma.” It hadn’t always been like that. At first Charlotte had honestly thought that Lina’s father would come back, that he loved her just as much as she loved him. When it became clear, however, that Talon wasn’t going to return for his one-night stand, and the resulting child from said one-night stand, the anger for the man turned to the child, and that’s when hell actually began for the child.

* * * *

2012

Wrong place, wrong time. Wasn’t that just the tune of Lina’s life? She had been working in the ER when a young, shifty, and weird-looking man came in and grabbed her. With a gun to her side she was forced from the ER and her life had changed. It had changed so dramatically in that moment that nothing else would ever be the same again.

She had done everything they had asked for her to do. She had taken each and every single measure that she had been told to do and why? Because a man’s life depended on it? No, she could have somehow gotten word out for help, right? Thirteen days. For thirteen days she had been caring for the massive man that was broken, battered, and more abused than any individual ever should be. For thirteen days she had followed, to the letter, every single instruction she had been given because she was terrified that this man would be harmed even more.

Lina was doing what she vowed she would never do. She was putting a man’s needs before hers. She was putting her life on the line for a man. Her mother would roll in her grave if she had been buried instead of cremated. As it was, Lina could all but feel her mother’s displeasure from the great beyond. But, she would do whatever was necessary in order to ensure that he lived.

Standing at his side, she adjusted the flow of the IV and leaned close. “I’m back,” she whispered very, very quietly and prayed that they didn’t hear her again. The last time that she had spoken to the man she had nearly gotten her jaw broken. No, it was best to speak very softly and pray they didn’t hear her again. “Please don’t talk,” she whispered to him and ran a cold cloth over his forehead and touched her hand to his chest once more. Inside it was killing her. She was again watching someone die, something that she had made it her mission in life never to do again, which was why she had gone into emergency medicine so that she could save lives.

Going to the water bottles that were lined along the mud wall, she brought one back. Unscrewing the cap, she leaned into him. “Just a sip. Enough to wet your mouth just a bit,” she whispered quietly. She lifted the bottle slightly so that he could get at least a dribble of drink into his mouth, standing on the step stool so that she could be more even at his height.

Taking the little dribble she gave him, he let it move over his tongue slowly and swallowed. Licking his lips slowly, he peered at her through his swollen eye. She was pretty and very definitely scared. He got a little bit of her scent, but it was so overwhelmed by the blood he knew was his he couldn’t tell anything about her. Parting his lips slightly, he hoped she’d get the hint and give him another little bit more.

Lina took the hint and leaned in to give him another sip of the water. Leaning in close, she whispered to him. “I have to find help.” She spoke at barely above a whisper, low enough so that hopefully only he would hear her. “I don’t know how, but I have to find you help. Next time they send me out I’m going to try to get help.” She knew that it was dangerous. God, she knew that it was likely going to get them both killed, but she was bright enough to realize that one way or another they were both dead anyway.

Shaking his head slowly, Aiden mouthed “no,” and stared at her. Licking his lips, he peered at her and wondered if, maybe, with her as close as she was, he could speak mentally.
Don’t do anything that will get you in trouble,
he forced out through the pain of his head. Seeing her wide eyes, he knew she’d heard at least something.
They will be looking for me. They will find me. We just have to wait.

Lina shook her head. “You don’t have time,” she whispered. “I’ve been tending you nearly two weeks. I can’t do anything else here for you. I have to try.” She had to get him safe. She didn’t understand that driving need, but she needed him to be safe, and it was eating at her as well. Somehow, someway, she would find him help.

No!
Aiden said sharply and flinched at the ringing it caused.
They are coming for me.
How he knew, he couldn’t say except…Allister!
Bro?
he tried cautiously.

Thank the motherfucking Gods!
Allister’s voice was strong in his head.
We’re inbound, two minutes out. I need details, Aiden, anything and everything you can give me.

Swallowing, Aiden looked to her again.
My brother and our Teams are coming to rescue me. They are two minutes out before everything goes to hell. I need you to tell me how many are in here, weapons, and if anything was done to the doors like explosives.
Back to his brother, he smiled in his head.
Got myself in a pickle here, bro. One thing I can tell you for sure, the woman here, do not hurt her. She’s been helping me, held against her will by those here.

Lina nodded. Leaning in closer, on her tiptoes, she whispered against his ear. “Eleven men, just outside the door. Eleven men, two women, and I don’t know what explosives look like but there are these like gray putty ropes around the doors. When I come in it’s only through the one door.” She heard rustling outside the mudroom. “We are in a mudroom that looks like it’s been dug out under a basement. And there is only the one door out, and that leads to the room where the thirteen are.” She pulled back and swallowed, hard. “I don’t know how they will get in.” She looked up at the chains that held him. “I wish I could somehow at least get you down,” she admitted.

Aiden spoke to his brother again, providing details.
Bro, there are shape charges around each of the doors but for one where all the people stick around. Eleven men, two women, not including my friend in here. I’m in a dug-out mudroom of some sort, an addition to the place and less-than-stellar location I have to say.

Got it,
Allister told him in a firm tone.
Skittles has a satellite we’re borrowing for this. We’ve got a big heat signature we’re guessing is them. We’re tossing in several flashbangs so warn your friend it’s going to be loud, really, really loud.
Allister relayed the information to everyone else quickly as they all checked weapons and got set to rappel to the ground, fast.

Letting out a breath, Aiden focused on her again.
I need you to cover your ears in about one minute, keep your mouth open and your eyes squeezed shut. They are going to use something called flashbangs, and a lot of them. They will stun and disorient everyone in the room. They create a burst of light much like a mini sun and put out a sonic boom. That’s why you have to have your eyes tightly shut, your ears plugged, and mouth open. The percussion wave of the sonic boom will shatter your eardrums if you don’t leave your mouth open. When I tell you, face away from the door and do as I’ve instructed. When you start hearing ringing in your ears put your hands up and let them see you are unarmed.