BirthMark (25 page)

Silas stroked the beast until it stopped fighting and rested.

“
I don’t like this.”

Silas agreed with Tyrone.
“Bastards came here, to my turf. I guarantee they won’t be leaving,”
Silas growled as his energy surged through Tyrone’s link, searching for clues. Whoever was driving wasn’t talking. There was no music, no sounds other than the steady roll of tires on pavement.

Shit
. He was working blind and needed some eyes on the situation. Silas threw out a call to any nearby wolves and was answered by a man walking down a path not far from the main road. Silas pulled his wolf and sent him after the car. Pretty soon he had three wolves following the vehicle.

“
Tell Davian it’s not a car, the bastards took one of our vans after disconnecting the tracking system. It just turned onto the dirt road near Buff’s Creek
.” Silas said, conveying the information from the wolves. Once the van turned off, Silas bid the wolves to hide and watch the road. He wanted to know if more cars accessed the area.

Pulling up a map, he pursed his lips. “
There’s an old mine shaft there…Darson’s. No telling how far below ground it goes.
” Silas contacted Hank. “
Pull up anything you’ve got on Darson’s old coal mine near Buff’s creek. The van just turned down a dirt road leading to that building.”

“
Yes, Sir.”

“
Dad’s almost there, he wasn’t that far behind.”

“
Good
.” Silas contacted Rose.

“
Sir?”

“
The honor guard
?”

They are waiting for you in the gym.”

“
Thank you
.” Silas left the bunker and headed to the gym. Still connected with Tyrone, he strode through the tunnels to the gym while going over all the clues. How had someone accessed the lower levels, shot Tyrese and carried him out without being seen?

“
Hank, recalibrate the security monitors. I want new eyes and a playback on the lower levels. Someone tampered with the system; I want to see what happened, bunker area, last hour.”

“
Yes, Sir. I uploaded the mine's schematics and information to your tablet. The good news is this drawing is one you commissioned five years ago when the mine closed. There are no utility records, so they must be using generators
.”

“
Fuel bills
?” Silas pulled up the mine on his tablet. There were six possible exits that needed to be covered. But the damn place was a death trap. It had been closed down because it was unstable. He hoped whoever was using this place had at least fortified it to some degree.

“
Sir
?”

“
Go ahead, Hank
.” Silas waited at the lift, sifting through the information Hank had sent. A glimmer of a plan began forming in his mind.

“
There have been three propane deliveries from an out of town gas company within the past month.”

Silas snorted. “Make sure we send them a letter expressing my displeasure for not being informed someone was operating this close to my compound.”
Every company in the state knew Silas was to be informed of any business performed within a thousand miles of his compound.

“
Yes, Sir.”

“
Trace whoever receives the bill, let’s pull every thread. I want air traffic records, who’s been visiting in the dark? Pull some of your lower levels, I want an all out search. Rese was working on something. Let me see if he sent it to me yet
.” Silas checked his in-box and smiled. “
I’m sending you a file, verify and then look for clues. I want to find these bastards. They’ve been working this for over 50 years. Time for them to retire.”

“
Yes, Sir
.”

When he walked into the gym, the noise stopped and the men snapped to attention. A loud, “La Patron, Sir,” filled the room and then the men kneeled. Looking over the crowd of loyal men, a wave of emotion filled him. Their way of life was under attack for no good reason. Honest, hard-working men and women were being taken and used for unnatural experiments. Rage, remorse, and yes vengeance, twisted into an unbreakable braid and filled him with indignation.

Silas raised his arms in acceptance and spoke. “Rise, Honor Guard of La Patron.” The men and women stood. Each wore a tattoo with his brand and the HG initials on their left arm. They watched him intently, waiting for instructions.

“Once again the enemy has brought the fight to my door. Change has come to our people. The Goddess has granted life to some who are different, and I will not discriminate between a full-blood and half-breed. We are all wolves.”

The guards cheered and raised their guns and fists in the air.

“The rebels would kill and destroy those we call brothers, sisters, and friend because they are different. But when we shift, are we not all wolves? ”

“Yes!” the crowd yelled.

“Then we fight as wolves and crush the enemy. I want all to know La Patron protects all wolves.”

“All wolves,” they cheered.

“I have given your team leaders their assignments. Today, we honor the Goddess, the giver of all life as we fight for our brothers and sisters.”

“Goddess Bless,” the wolves yelled and gathered in their groups. Within five minutes, those who were assigned outside the compound had dispersed and were headed to the various points he had dictated.

Silas threw out his energy and searched the compound. He touched every heartbeat to insure they had permission to be on the grounds. Afterward, he contacted Hank.

“
Do a roll call, make sure no one left the lab who could have passed on some chemicals or shot Rese. Whoever took him had help from inside.”

“
Yes, Sir.”

“
Jasmine?”

“
Yes?”

“
Are you locked down?”

“
Yes, the kids and I are locked in the tunnels. Don’t worry about us, focus on finding Rese and kicking some ass.”

“
Bloodthirsty bitch.”

“
You love it.”

“
Yes, yes I do
,” he said, entering the lift to head upstairs to his control room.

“
They came too close, Silas. I can’t have them coming this close.”

“
I know and I promise you, I will take care of it.”

“
Thanks, baby
.”

Chapter 16

Jasmine released a stream of air to quell her jittery nerves. He eyes landed on Lilly holding David while he slept. Adam lay across Thorne’s lap, laughing and trying to grab the small ball from Thorne’s hand. Renee was looking at a picture book with Rose, and Jackie was working her puzzle.

Cameron returned after checking all the other rooms. “Everything looks good, do you need anything,” he asked her while glancing at Lilly.

“Silas, but I’ll have to wait for that.”

Her answer had him doing a double take before he smiled and nodded. “Yeah, won’t be long though.” He picked up the remote and turned on one of the TVs in the corner. The reception wasn’t the best, so he looked through the DVDs and put in a movie. Jasmine smiled at his choice,
Finding Nemo
. As soon as it started, Adam, Renee, and Jackie turned to stare at the screen. She smiled as Cameron slid into the seat next to Lilly, placed his arm around her and pulled her close. Those two were going to be fine.

“I’m going to lie down for a minute,” she told Rose as she moved to the opposite side of the large area to lay on the sofa. She was worried for her sons. Tyrone was so connected to Tyrese that if anything happened to one…she wasn’t sure if the other would survive. Closing her eyes, she sought her mate. Seconds later, she watched him enter a large room she had never seen before and kneel in the middle of the floor. He clasped his hands together and bowed his head.

Oh my God, he’s praying,
she thought.

The heaviness of his heart for his people touched and humbled her. She was stunned by the enormity of the weight of his confusion over the past events as he asked for guidance to do the right thing, to make the best decisions. He asked for protection of his family and those who worked diligently by his side daily to govern the wolf nation.

Jasmine lay in utter shock as Silas communicated with the Goddess and asked nothing for himself, other than wisdom and knowledge on how to better take care of the wolves. She exhaled and joined with him. He stiffened initially and then merged with her as they asked for guidance as one.

Opening all her senses, she was filled with Silas’ absolute confidence that the Goddess would be with him and guide all of his decisions in this fight. She was lifted along with him into a place where worries were released and left at the feet of someone greater. Bright ribbons of color swirled around them binding her closer to him, until their hearts beat in one synchronized rhythm. A curious lightness invaded her being, filling her until there was no room for fear. And then, she heard his words.

“
I and my mate humbly seek your guidance. Thank you, Goddess of light.
” She was touched that he’d included her in his benediction and sent waves of love and support through their link.

“
Thank you, Jasmine. I’ve always done this alone. But it is good you are with me.”

“
We are stronger together. I can stay merged with you until we kick their asses.”

Silas chuckled.
“Not a complete merge, love. I trust those with you, but I need you alert to everything around you and the babies.”
He paused.
“Thank you for your trust.”

“
I’ve got your back, Silas. I’ll give you a lil' room, but I’m close if you need me.”

“
Okay.”

Rejuvenated, Silas exhaled and turned on all of the monitors in the room. One by one, he opened files, turned on surveillance cameras, and reset all his links to the outside world. Within minutes he had eyes on his honor guards. The small packs with clothes and weapons they carried on their backs made their progress slower, but they'd soon reach their positions. They could not enter the mine, it was too dangerous. Their jobs were simple, no one was allowed to leave the mine alive.

“
They’ve stopped. The van stopped. I still can’t wake him,”
Tyrone said.

“
Lie down and close your eyes. Just support him, don’t try to work through the drugs, they will pass through his system eventually.”
Silas flowed through their link waiting to hear something.

“You got him?” a voice asked after a door opened.

“Yes, Sir.”

Silas swept the area, all human.

“Good. Leon and the girl? Did you see the meat-heads?”

“Didn’t see the other three. Got the girl, couldn’t get Leon out, it would’ve taken more time. She was locked down but it was easier to slide her wrists through and she didn’t have ankle cuffs."

The man snorted.
“
They always overlook women and this one…” The door opened, the men were near Tyrese and came in clear. Silas could smell the speaker’s nervousness.

“She’s the best assassin in the ranks, probably the world. Can shoot a tick off a dog from yards away or maim a man in three seconds. Mind like a trap, sharp. Higher ups spent a shitload of money on her and the Lion. They want them back.”

“I brought in these two, and we’re out.” There were other footsteps, Silas thought there were at least five men in the immediate area.

“Okay…you sure you don’t want to get the other one?”

“
Yeah, come back, I’d love to meet you,”
Silas whispered.

“No. We’re done.”

“Thanks. Job well done.”

There were footsteps, a popping sound, and then the sound of flesh hitting the concrete. “Get them outta here. Take them down to the incinerator.”

“Pull the van into the lift, send it downstairs. We have a lot of work to do before the plane arrives. Move it people, I want to leave this dumbfuck town before sundown,” he yelled.