TherianPromise (27 page)

“There’s a small clearing after the next descent. We’ll hike
in from there,” Ian directed. “We don’t want them to hear our approach.”

Quinn turned the truck around and backed into the cover of a
leafy tree. Payne followed suit, positioning the SUV for a fast getaway.

Ian was waiting by the time everyone climbed out. Erin
handed him his shirt and he pulled it on as he explained, “The guards work in
pairs and follow predictable patterns. This shouldn’t take long.”

Anything involving Osric was never that easy. Kyle reviewed
phase one in his mind, trying to anticipate complications. They’d done their
best to cover all bases, but there were still so many variables. He gave Ava a
quick hug as protectiveness welled within him. She’d outsmarted her wolf
pursuers. In fact, he wouldn’t have been able to find her without Carissa’s
help.

His people would never accept a leader who had yet to be
tested in battle. Like it or not, Ava needed this opportunity. “Keep Erin
company for now.” He brushed his lips against Ava’s then stepped back. “We’ll
need you soon enough.”

“Let’s do this thing.” Payne wasn’t armed with conventional
weapons. Anything he carried into the fight would have to be abandoned once he
transformed into one of the guards.

“Follow me.” Ian headed off through the trees and the others
fell in behind him. Each of them was more accustomed to giving orders than
receiving them, but Ian was the only one with firsthand knowledge of the
situation. They hiked up a rise and remained within the trees near the crest
until the hill dipped suddenly. Hustling down at an angle, Ian gradually slowed
their pace.

Kyle spotted the guards off to his left and Ian motioned for
them to fan out. Skirting the target, Kyle crept along, giving the others time
to reach their positions. Ian sent a telepathic pulse, signaling the charge.
The guards snapped to attention, shouldering their weapons as they scanned
their surroundings.

Ian dropped down from a tree, knocking one guard to the
ground and kicking his rifle out of reach. Stunned and confused, the guard
thrashed. Ian easily deflected the blows. A well-placed punch rendered the
guard unconscious then Ian reached into his pocket and withdrew a couple of
oversized zip ties so he could restrain his prisoner.

Reaching the second guard a moment later, Kyle and Quinn
coordinated their attack. Quinn ripped the rifle out of his hands as Kyle
jerked his arms behind his back, preventing him from activating his radio.

“You can’t do this!” The guard yanked against Kyle’s hands,
arching and twisting in a futile attempt to escape. “They’ll kill me this time!
Please let me go.”

Kyle had been so focused on the task that he’d barely
glanced at the guard’s face. Motioning Quinn forward he traded places with the
other Therian so he could move in front of the guard. This was one of the
guards he’d run into when he was lost on this mountain with Ava. “Who are
‘they’?”

The guard shook his head and panic clouded his gaze. “No one
fails them twice. I’m already dead.”

“Heard enough?”

Kyle nodded and Quinn punched the guard then steadied him as
he collapsed onto the leaf-strewn ground.

“Which one was in charge?” Payne moved closer, looking at
one guard and then the other.

“I’m not sure, but I had a run-in with this one already.
He’d be more than happy to get his hands on me and Ava.”

Quinn bound the guard’s wrists and ankles with zip ties as
Payne knelt at his side. Kyle had heard of skinwalkers, had even known Payne
inherited the rare ability from his mother, but he’d never seen the transformation
before. Was the process significantly different than any other Therian shift?

“I need his uniform.”

“That would have been nice to know
before
I
restrained him,” Quinn muttered then snapped the sturdy plastic so he could
undress the guard.

Ian held his position, but he was obviously curious as well.
Payne took the guard’s head between his hands and closed his eyes. For a moment
it seemed as if nothing happened. Then the wind stilled and silence spread over
the area like an insulating blanket. Kyle felt energy streaming around and into
Payne. The currents were warm and softly sizzled.

Bending closer to the guard, Payne whispered words Kyle
didn’t understand. Payne repositioned his hands as his arms began to tremble.
The chant grew louder, his lips moving faster.

A spark, like an ember escaping a campfire, floated out of
the guard and into Payne’s mouth. Kyle thought he’d imagined the manifestation
until it happened again. Payne inhaled deeply and more sparks followed, forming
a shimmering stream. His features blurred, the angles smoothed and his skin
paled.

This must be how Ava felt when she saw a Therian shift for
the first time. His respect for her grew with each passing moment. It was
amazing that she hadn’t run screaming in terror. It really was rather
grotesque. Kyle watched the undulation of Payne’s flesh, heard the crack of
joints and crunch of bones as he assumed the guard’s smaller shape.

Payne finally released the guard’s face and struggled to his
feet. Though he was shaky and a bit dazed, the likeness was absolute. Quinn
handed him the uniform then knelt and restrained the guard as Payne put on the
uniform.

“We’ll carry these two closer to the vehicle shed then
incapacitate the rest of the guards,” Ian told Kyle then he turned to Quinn and
added, “I know you’d rather keep Carissa out of this, but we could use the
cover.”

Quinn reluctantly nodded and they turned their attention to
the unconscious guards.

“You good to go?” Kyle asked Payne. “We need to secure the
complex before they reach the shed.”

Payne rolled his shoulders and stretched out his back. “Lead
on.”

Rather than backtrack, Kyle reached across his link with Ava
and told her they were ready for phase two.

Chapter Eleven

Ava looked at her sister and smiled with a little more
confidence than she felt. “Time to go. Kyle needs me.”

“Yeah, Quinn just called me too. Be careful.” Carissa hugged
her tightly.

“You too.”

“You’re both in good hands,” Erin stressed. “Trust your men
and trust yourselves. You’ll be fine.”

“Says the woman who’s staying behind.”

Rather than being insulting, as Ava feared, Carissa’s
comment made Erin laugh.

“Get!” Erin waved them on. “They’re waiting for you.”

Using their link like a beacon, Ava followed the signal to
Kyle. He stood with a uniformed guard in the trees to one side of the complex
Ian had described. Her steps faltered and her gaze shot back to Kyle.

“It’s all right.” Kyle looked at the guard and smiled. “Damn
convincing, isn’t he?”

“Payne?” The guard inclined his head and a shiver raced down
her spine. He looked exactly like one of the guards they’d encountered during
their first trip to this area. No visible trace of the lion-shifter was left.
It would be so easy to misuse such a powerful ability.

“Remember, we’re his prisoners.” Kyle coached. “Don’t fight
your nerves too hard. You should be afraid and upset.” He took out his pistol
and handed it to Payne, who also held the guard’s rifle.

“Walk in front of me with your hands in the air,” Payne told
them.

“This guard has an ax to grind with me, so don’t hold back.”

Payne chuckled. “I didn’t intend to.” Even his voice had
transformed. Gone was the unusual accent and the deep rumbling tone. He tucked
Kyle’s pistol into the back of his pants then repositioned his rifle.

They stepped out of the trees and headed across the grassy
clearing, making a beeline for the nearest exterior door. It was safe to
presume someone was watching, so Payne fell into character. “Not too close and
keep those hands up!” He poked Kyle in the back with the barrel of his rifle.
“I can’t believe you had the balls to come back. I’d be impressed if it wasn’t
so
stupid
.”

There was no keypad or scanner to trigger the door so Payne
told Ava to try the handle. It was securely locked.
Should we try a
different door?

Camera at ten o’clock. Give it another second.
Kyle
projected the thought without shielding it, so Payne could hear him as well.

Payne looked into the camera and called out, “Open up. I’ve
got a present for Osric.”

Ava heard the subtle pop as the lock released, but Kyle
stopped her before she could try the handle again.
Don’t seem too eager to
get inside.

“Open it, bitch!” Payne nudged her with the rifle, the
contact far more careful than it had been with Kyle.

“Wrong shifter, asshole,” she returned, and he kicked her in
the butt, propelling her toward the door. The handle rotated and she slowly
pulled the door open.

Kyle stepped through first, but the caution seemed
unnecessary as the hallway was empty.

Someone was monitoring that camera. There’s likely a
guard headed our way
.

It felt odd to have anyone other than Kyle in her mind, but
she heeded Payne’s warning. They proceeded cautiously, Kyle moving beside her
as they turned a corner and entered a wider corridor. There was nothing unique
or menacing about the building. They passed an office on the right and
approached what appeared to be a lab on the left. The bottom portion of the
wall was obscured while the upper half was transparent.

A guard came into view as he rounded a corner. “You’re out
of luck, Carvel. Osric left this morning with Barns. I’m not sure who the
backers summoned. They both seemed mighty jumpy.”

“Shit. Then who’s on duty.”

Ava couldn’t see Payne’s expression, but he certainly
sounded petulant.

“Daniels, of course.” The guard’s impatient sneer made it
obvious the real Carvel would have known.

“Then I’ll ask Daniels what I should do with these two. I’m
not sticking my neck out again.”

“Whatever you say.” The guard turned around and Kyle lunged
for him, trapping his arms against his sides as he wrestled him to the floor.
Careful to keep the guard’s hands away from his weapons, Kyle dragged his arms
behind his back and pinned him to the floor with his knee.

Payne approached and the guard renewed his struggles. “You
fucking pussy! Are you working with them?”

“Close enough.” Payne disarmed the guard while Kyle secured
his wrists and ankles. Good thing they had lots of zip ties.

Ava looked around, belatedly checking for cameras. There
were so many details, so many things that could go wrong. How did these men
keep track of everything?

“Where’s Daniels and are there any other guards in the
building?” When the guard didn’t reply, Payne pulled up on his bound wrists,
twisting his shoulders. The guard cried out between clenched teeth. “If you
don’t tell me, I’ll scan your mind and I’ll make it hurt worse than anything
you can imagine.”

The guard stilled, color draining from his face. “You’re one
of those freaks, aren’t you?”

“Speak!” Ignoring the question, Payne yanked on the guard’s
hands for emphasis.

“Control room.” The guard panted and turned his head,
looking away from his tormentor.

“Which is where?” Payne grabbed his wrists but waited for
his answer.

“Turn right, second door on the left.” He sounded so
dejected, Ava almost felt sorry for him. Then she remembered he was in league with
Osric and the spark of pity sputtered out.

Kyle opened an office door and dragged the guard inside. Ava
heard the familiar smack of flesh hitting flesh and a muffled groan.

“He was already restrained. Was that necessary?”

“Yes!” The men answered as one.

Trying not to be distracted by their aggression, Ava fell
into step beside Kyle. Payne resumed his role as antagonistic guard and they
headed for the main corridor. There was a dark-haired woman and two young men
in the laboratory. They watched with obvious curiosity as Payne marched his
prisoners down the hall, but none seemed interested enough to interfere.

The control room door was unmarked. Payne knocked with the
butt of his rifle. “Daniels, open up! I’ve got my hands full.”

After a short pause, the door swung inward and Kyle grabbed
the guard by his shirtfront and yanked him into the hall. Payne caught the door
before it swung shut and Kyle went to work on the guard. Daniels put up more of
a fight than his comrades, punching and kicking with obvious skill. Kyle
absorbed a few blows while Ava moved out of the way, then he unleashed his
Therian speed and strength.

The guard reached for his pistol as he executed a flashy
jump kick. Kyle grabbed his ankle and swept his other foot out from under him.
Daniels went down hard on his back, his head slamming the floor with enough
force to knock him out.

“Now you don’t have to punch him.” Payne chuckled.

Kyle rolled him over and zip tied his wrists then pulled his
sidearm out of its holster. Leaving him on his stomach, Kyle secured his ankles
then tucked the gun into the back of his pants.

Ava stepped into the doorway as Payne moved farther into the
control room. A wide console had been mounted below a large, oblong monitor.
The monitor was divided into six sections, three on top and three on the
bottom. The first two sections displayed external shots of the complex while
the other four were internal.

“Let me see if I can find a full list of the cameras. There
has to be more than six.” Ava sat down at the keyboard, feeling useful for the
first time since the mission began. The operating system was familiar, but the
program itself was not. It took her a few minutes to find a main menu, but the
rest was pretty straightforward. “Here we go.”

“Is the lower level available?” Kyle moved up beside her
chair while Payne returned to the doorway.

“Lower
levels
. There are two.” There were thirty
available cameras, so Ava took them level by level. There were no surprises on
the first two levels or in any of the exterior shots. She selected the first
six cameras on sublevel one and sent their signals to the monitors. Images of
identical cell-like rooms filled the screen, each containing at least one
captive. “Oh my God.” Her stomach clenched and her heart thudded in her chest.
“What is this place?”