Betrayed: Days of the Rogue (40 page)

“Hell, I got stung!” Aiden jerked
away.

“Me too!” Samson grabbed the back
of his neck.

Clement stormed over. “What’s the
problem?”

“I got stung by a bee.” Aiden was
holding his shoulder, his eyes watering.

“Don’t be such a wuss.” The leader
of the group gave the man a shove. “We’ve got work to do. I just
received instructions to kill Masterson and McRae.”

“What about the bodies? And the
Fae?” Samson queried still rubbing the supposed sting on his
neck.

“We’re to let the Fae go this time.
She’ll be put back on the list of targets. We’ll have to take these
two with us and dump the bodies somewhere.” Clement eyed the wolf
on the ground. “We’ll take that one with us, too. Show him to the
local cops so they know the wolf problem’s been taken care of.”

Aiden nodded. “Sounds good.”

“Maybe we should kill these two
closer to where we left the car,” Samson suggested. “We can’t leave
the bodies here while we go get it in case someone comes by, and
they’ll be heavy to carry.”

Clement agreed and pocketed his
phone, then hefted the wolf in his arms. “I’ll carry this one. You
follow behind. Keep them in front of you, and be careful;
Masterson’s got tricks up his sleeve you’ve never even heard
of.”

“Don’t worry about me. I’m only a
simple doctor.” Rafe held up his hands, but the Trackers didn’t
seem to appreciate his humour. They gave him a shove and he and
Damien set off, following behind Clement while their guards trailed
behind.

Rather than following the road,
Clement travelled cross-country. Rafe tried to calculate the
distance, the weight of each guard, the amount of tranquillizer and
the length of time before it took effect. With any luck they might
just make it before getting a bullet in their brains.

Chapter 41

Eve rested her head against the
door of Gordie’s truck, her eyes closed as she tried to ignore the
waves of pain from her mangled arm. She didn’t dare look at it,
knowing the mere sight of the torn flesh would likely make her
sick. As it was, her stomach was threatening to go into reverse
each time the truck hit a bump in the road. She clamped her lips
together tightly and tried to take deep calming breaths.

She couldn’t wait to be someplace
safe and warm. Her clothing was blood stained and smeared with dirt
and bits of saliva from the wolf. Just the idea that the filth was
touching her made her shiver. The feeling of evil continued to
cling to her, and likely would until all remnants of the horrid
experience were washed away.

It felt as if they’d been
travelling for quite a while. Surely the Grassy Hills medical
clinic wasn’t that far away. She turned her head to look at Gordie.
He seemed focussed on the road and was humming away to the music on
the radio. Something classical though she wasn’t sure what the name
might be.

“Are we almost there, Gordie?”

“You hurting, Eve?”

“Yeah.” She bit her lip and
nodded.

“There are some pain killers in the
glove compartment.” He reached over and opened the little hatch.
His awkward angle caused the truck to swerve on the road. An
approaching vehicle blared its horn as they veered into its path.
Eve gave a gasp of surprise, and Gordie swore. Jerking the wheel,
he brought the vehicle back under control. “Sorry about that.” He
handed her a small bottle he’d somehow managed to snag. “These will
make you feel better.”

Eve took the bottle and turned it
round and round in her hand. There was no label on it. “What are
they?”

“Just pain killers. Take one. It’ll
make you feel better.”

The truck hit another bump, and her
arm protested vigorously. Deciding one pill wouldn’t hurt, she
awkwardly removed the cap one handed and swallowed a pill. It stuck
in her throat causing a bitter burning sensation. She coughed and
tried to create more spit in her mouth to wash it down.

“I think there’s some soda left in
the can in the cup holder.” Gordie suggested.

Gratefully, she grabbed the
container. She downed some of the tepid liquid, trying not to think
that Gordie had also been drinking from the can. About to take one
more drink, but they hit a bump in the road, and the soda splashed
all over her.

Gordie made a tsking noise and
grabbed a napkin from a stash he had somewhere and began dabbing at
the spill one handed.

“I can do it. You drive.” Eve took
the napkin and finished the cleanup, wanting Gordie to keep two
hands on the wheel after their near accident a few minutes earlier.
It was small spill, but a damp spot still marred her shirt. Giving
it a final dab, she set the wet napkin aside.

Gordie picked it up and tossed it
out the window.

“That’s littering!” She chided.

“It’s soft paper. It’ll compost.”
Gordie shrugged and cast an inquiring look her way. “That pill
still stuck in your throat?”

“I’m better now, thanks.”

“It’ll take effect real soon. By
then we should almost be at my place.” Gordie negotiated a turn,
and they began to travel down a gravel road.

“Your place? I thought you were
taking me to the clinic?” Eve sat up straighter and looked out the
window, taking more careful notice of her surroundings. Trees grew
thick on either side of the road, the tips of the branches almost
brushing against the sides of the tow truck. This was definitely
not the way to the Grassy Hills Medical Clinic!

“The clinic isn’t open today. But I
have my first aid certificate and a fully equipped medical kit at
the house.” Gordie glanced at her briefly. “I can splint your
wrist, clean up those wounds and bandage them for you. And if you
need stitches, I can do that, too.”

“Stitches!” She sat up straight.
Getting stitches from someone who wasn’t a doctor, and without a
local anesthetic, definitely wasn’t one of the things she wanted to
experience in life!

Gordie chuckled. “I’m just teasing
you. Laughter’s the best medicine, you know.”

“Oh.” Eve eased back in the seat,
not really appreciating his humour. She added that to her list of
reasons she’d never accept his offer of a date.

“I always wanted to be a doctor,
you know.” Gordie glanced her way and grinned. “I love medical
stuff, but I couldn’t get into med school. I’ve studied a lot on my
own though. All the shows on TV with doctors, I understand what
they’re saying. How about you?”

“Me? No. I’m more interested in
art.”

“I know. I checked up on you last
week when I didn’t see you around. I even went to Calgary on the
weekend and found a gallery with some of your stuff. You’re
good.”

“Thanks.” The idea that Gordie was
checking up on her made her uneasy. Eve blinked and was going to
comment then ended up rubbing her eyes instead. They kept going out
of focus, but at least her arm wasn’t hurting any more. “I think
those pills are working.”

“Feeling sleepy?”

“Yeah.” She gave her head a shake,
but it didn’t help. The pine tree shaped air-freshener that hung
from the rear view mirror wavered before her eyes.

“Don’t fight it, Eve.” Gordie’s
voice sounded distant and soft. “Sleep is the best thing when
you’re sick or injured. It lets your body focus on healing.”

She licked her lips and tried to
respond, but a fog seemed to be engulfing her, slowing her
thinking, making her tongue feel thick and uncooperative. Her eyes
drifted shut, and her head fell forward as unconsciousness overcame
her.

Chapter 42

Reno cursed, his enjoyment of the
Canadian scenery disrupted by a tow truck swerving into his lane,
nearly forcing him off the road. “What the hell was that
about?”

Brandi twisted around to look out
the rear window. “Privet’s Towing is the name on the truck.”

“Idiot driver must be trying to
drum up business by causing accidents,” he grumbled, regaining
control of the vehicle before glancing at the map he’d placed on
the dashboard. “The next turn is coming up soon. It’s a private
road that leads on to Rafe’s land.” He began to study the wooded
area on either side of the highway. It wasn’t as mountainous as the
area Brandi came from, but the stands of trees and underbrush still
appealed to the wolf in him. Rolling farmland had eventually turned
into forests, small streams and lakes scattered about, with the
foothills of the Rocky Mountains visible in the distance. Yeah,
Rafe had chosen well. Too bad he’d kept the exact location such a
secret; with no real idea of what the area looked like, they hadn’t
known if there was a suitable landing spot for the chopper or not.
Driving from the nearest airstrip was adding time onto the
journey.

“I wonder if Damien is still at Dr.
McRae’s.” Brandi turned to face forward again.

“He’ll be near the
target—Eve—watching for when the killer makes his attempt.”

“I’m still not comfortable with
that part of the plan.” A vertical line appeared between her brows.
“I think the captain could have set things up differently. Removed
Eve and put a decoy in her place. She’s basically an innocent
bystander, after all.”

“But who would we have put in
there? Another Lycan would be identified immediately due to its
scent. And there aren’t that many humans or Fae working for Lycan
Link.” Reno negotiated a slight curve in the highway and began
looking for a private road. “Besides, if they’ve had Eve under
observation—and based on what Rafe told me, they have—then they’d
notice if we did a switch.”

Brandi made a face but nodded. “I
suppose you’re right.”

“I’m sure Damien’s doing his best
to minimize the risks to everyone.” Reno reached out and gave her
hand a quick squeeze. “Here’s our turn off. We’ll check with Rafe
first, and see if he can give us any idea of where to find
Damien.”

“It’s strange that Dr. McRae didn’t
answer his phone when you tried to call earlier.”

Reno shrugged. “He might have
forgotten it. Not everybody is married to technology.” He flicked a
glance at Brandi, noting how she was tapping out the beat of the
song that was playing on the radio. Her hair was up in some sort of
knot with curls spilling haphazardly about her face. When they were
done with his assignment, he was looking forward to spending some
downtime with her. Ever since they’d officially become mates, life
seemed to have been on permanent fast forward.

“Perhaps. I wonder if Damien…”
Brandi stopped mid-sentence and pointed to an area just ahead.
“Reno, slow down a bit. What’s that?”

Reno eased up on the accelerator
and then brought the vehicle to a complete stop. He didn’t see
anything amiss but trusted Brandi’s instincts. A car was parked to
the side of the road, the driver’s door partially open, but no one
was in sight. “Could be someone peeing in the bushes,” he
suggested.

Brandi rolled her eyes. “Of course,
a man would think that way.”

“What’s wrong with that? Haven’t
you ever had to pee when there was no bathroom around?”

Rather than answering, she got out
of their rental truck and started walking towards the car. With a
sigh, Reno followed her. When Brandi got an idea in her head, it
was best just to follow along. By the time he reached her side, she
was already peering inside the apparently abandoned car.

“There’s a purse on the passenger
seat and a cell phone.”

Reno narrowed his eyes as dark red
smears along the side of the car caught his attention. “And
blood.”

“Maybe someone hit a deer?” Brandi
suggested.

“No carcass around and the vehicle
isn’t damaged. Besides,” Reno crouched to examine the blood more
closely. “The scent’s human.” He stood up and tested the air.
“Damien’s been here as well.”

“Could it be Eve’s?” Concern laced
Brandi’s voice as she glanced about.

Reno exchanged a worried look with
her, and they both began to examine the area in detail. The private
roadway was narrow, dirt covered and rutted, running through a
minor gulley between gentle swells of land. Trees grew on slopes on
either side as well as small shrubs and long bits of grass. The
occasional faint chirping from local birds and the trickling of a
small stream provided soft background sounds. It didn’t have the
appearance of a possible crime scene, but they both knew that meant
very little.

It didn’t take long to find
something amiss. A short distance from the car, definite signs of
an altercation could be seen.

“There’s been a fight here.” Brandi
indicated a place with definite claw marks on the ground.

Reno joined her and hunkered down,
scanning the surface with an experienced eye. “I can see three
distinct sets of prints. From the blood splatters I’d say all the
participants were wounded to some extent but this one…” He reached
out and touched a large dark patch on the soil, “definitely took
the brunt of it.” Bringing a sample up to his nose, he sniffed
carefully. “Not Damien’s.”

“Dr. McRae’s then? Maybe that’s why
he wasn’t answering his phone.” Brandi frowned and worried her
lip.

“Or the scentless Lycan Rafe
reported. There’s a telltale hint of flowers.” He got to his feet,
wiping his hand on his pant leg. Motioning for Brandi to follow
him, he headed towards their truck. “You try Rafe’s cellphone again
while I drive. Maybe Damien’s contacted him about whatever happened
here.”

Just as he was climbing into the
truck, a sound caught his attention. Glancing over his shoulder, he
saw a flash of fur through a break in the trees and then a pair of
wolves came racing into sight. One black, the other a deep
chocolate brown, they wove their way through the woods, dodging
shrubs and leaping over moss encrusted logs.

He pushed his door shut again.
“Brandi, I think we’ve found Damien and Rafe.”

She looked in the direction he
indicated then circled around the truck to wait at his side.
“That’s one mystery solved.” There was no denying the look of
relief on her face.