Fighting For Their Mate (29 page)

Her heart skipped a beat.
They?
Didn’t he know that Ford was on his way to Canada already? She could only hope they didn’t realize it. As for Tyson, unless they slit his throat, he’d be on his way. Of that, she had no doubt.

Their confidence irked her. What could they have done to make sure Tyson couldn’t follow? His car had been in the garage when they’d arrived, so they couldn’t have tampered with it.

“What did you do?” She lifted her head in defiance.

“Set up a roadblock to prevent him from following us. By the time he gets by them, we’ll be long gone,” Tom said.

Smug bastard.
Play along
. She opened her mouth and pinched her brows. If she didn’t pretend they’d foiled Tyson, she’d have laughed in their faces. “They’ll find me eventually.”
Why did I just say that?

“Only after we turn you over to Statler.”

That meant they’d keep her alive until then. It was a glimmer of hope that she clung to.

Tom glanced in the rearview mirror. If he expected her to beg, he’d be waiting a long time. Her stomach grumbled and she placed a hand on her belly. She’d need her strength, and the topic of how smart they were sickened her. “I’m hungry.”

“Here.” Tom tossed a bag from the front seat back to her. “It’s cold, but it’s food. Take it or leave it.”

She opened the McDonald’s bag. It was a hamburger, but she managed to get it down. “Do you have any water?”

Tom reached next to him and handed her a half empty water bottle that appeared to be his. She took a sip, not wanting them to think she detested him. Pissing them off wouldn’t be smart.

As the roadside sped by, she tried to formulate a plan. From the signs, they were heading north, most likely back to Falling Pines as they implied. Bailey couldn’t end up there. Thank God, Ford was already headed to Canada. He wouldn’t let anything happen to her—if he could help it.

The problem was that he might not be on the lookout for her. Damn. Or would he? Surely, Tyson would let him know what happened.

Shit. She hadn’t been thinking. Her first step was to get out of the car, and secondly to wave someone down.

“I need to pee. When you get to an exit, could you pull off?”

Tom glanced in the rearview mirror but said nothing. No doubt they were communicating, discussing what to do about her request. What she wouldn’t give to be able to listen in on that conversation.

They were on an empty stretch of road with no rest stop signs in sight. He pulled over on the berm. “You can pee in the woods,” Tom said.

She did have to go, but she wanted a restroom, preferably in a convenience store where there would be people. “Isn’t there some other place?”

“So you can get help? No. It’s here or nowhere.”

If nothing else she could stretch her legs. “Fine. Thank you.”

She nabbed a paper napkin from the food bag and got out. She’d gone in the woods plenty of times. After all, that was where these two had found her.

As she picked her way to the side of the road, footsteps sounded behind her. She twisted around. “You’re following me?”

Brad nodded. “Don’t trust you.”

Well, damn. A wire fence ran the length of the road that she guessed was to keep the animals from crossing into traffic. “Can’t exactly go anywhere.”

Making sure he couldn’t see her, she hid behind a tree and did her business. When she emerged, she scanned the horizon, trying to figure out a way to flag someone down. She remembered the fake story of her demise—how a truck hit her crossing the road—but given no one was nearby, she decided to wait until they’d entered Canada. Maybe then, she could get someone’s attention.

Slowly, she picked her way back. “So we’re going to Falling Pines?”

Even though he’d said they were meeting with Statler, he didn’t confirm her statement. She stopped and faced him, thinking a cop might see her and slow down. In the back of her mind, she hoped Tyson might be somewhere behind them. Neither answered. “Why won’t you tell me?”

“Get in the car.” Brad grabbed her arm in a too tight grip and half dragged her to the vehicle. She would have complained if she thought it would do any good.

He shoved her in the back seat then slid into the passenger side. Well, that was a bust. The fresh air had helped relieved the stuffiness in her head and the stiffness in her limbs. She debated egging them on to get them to tell her something, but decided she might slip and reveal the fact that Ford wouldn’t let them get to Statler.

Her goal now was to figure out how to alert the men once she was in the lab. If they sedated her, all would be lost.

*     *     *

It took all of Ford’s willpower not to jump in the car and drive to Falling Pines right then. When he saw Ty’s message, he was so mad, his claws had extended. The lady at the rental car place had kind of freaked out.

It was all Bailey’s fault. He couldn’t stop thinking about her. After last night, when she trusted him enough to take her the way he wanted, his love for her blossomed, but that only reinforced his need to leave. She’d have a happier life with just Ty. Even then, she might decide that her life was just beginning and being tied down was not what she desired. He understood the effect of captivity on a person. The rescued person often attached herself to the rescuer.

His mind shot to Lily—a woman he once saved from sure death. Ford didn’t know her real name, as she was an Afghani woman who didn’t speak English, but that day she’d worn a faded pink shirt with a white lily in the corner. Ford had been on patrol when he heard the screams. A young boy ran down the street, crying. Ford was tempted to console the child, but the screams continued. Risking exposure of not only himself but his men, he dashed across the street, snuck down a small alleyway and darted into the chaos. Three men were attacking a woman who looked no more than sixteen.

Not wanting to chance the sound of gunfire drawing others, he easily removed the men from her. He was tempted to snap their necks, but he figured their unconscious bodies would give the woman time to get out. She was so thankful that she clung to him.

Ford had been at a loss. He didn’t want to leave her there, but he couldn’t take her back with him. Eventually, he convinced her to go, before the men awoke. Her haunted eyes bore into him. She tugged on his sleeve and motioned he come inside her house. She rushed over to a dresser. With nimble fingers she located a smooth rock in the shape of a heart and placed it in his hand, her smile full of woe. What significance it meant to her, he didn’t know, but he pocketed the item that seemed so special to her and left.

He should have tossed it, but he never did. To this day, the smooth stone sat on his dresser as a reminder of what happened over there. He didn’t doubt that she felt a kinship to him for saving her.

“You okay?”

Ford looked up. A tired looking brother stood in front of him. Christ. Ford had to pull himself together. “You made it.” Stupid comment. “Where are your bags?”

“I rushed out when I heard Bailey scream.”

Ty had already given him the details of the abduction. “She’ll need a few changes of clothes in the coming days.” They had all their gear at the lab—assuming they could get in. “We ought to pick up a bag and a few things for her while we’re here.” The souvenir stores always sold T-shirts and hats and stuff. Wouldn’t help with the undergarments, but it would be the best they could do for now.

“Do we have time?” Ty asked.

The message about Bailey’s capture had come around eight this morning. It would take Dram and Tony a little over twelve hours to reach Toronto. They’d be tired and probably stop for a while.

“By my calculations, we have a few hours head start.”

“Then let’s do it.”

After a quick shopping spree, they jumped in the rental for the long haul to Falling Pines.

*     *     *

Ford was exhausted by the time they arrived at the lab. It was late at night, but he needed to make sure that Bailey wasn’t already there. Stranger things had happened. They planned to sleep in their room at the lab in order to be ready when Dram and Tony did show up. Wouldn’t they be in for a big surprise?

“I’m betting Statler deleted their access codes already,” Ty said.

Ford shrugged. “He won’t if he thinks they can deliver Bailey.”

He’d spoken with Statler’s secretary, Carla Dietrich, about the shunned members before he left the last time. She loved to gossip. Not the brightest bulb, considering Statler might find out. According to her, Statler blustered about eliminating all threats. The fact he let those two walk out meant he believed they might deliver his prize.

As soon as Ford pulled into the lot, his senses shot to high alert.

“Where are the other vehicles?” Ty asked.

“Good question.”

They didn’t expect anyone to be parked in front of the furniture store at this hour, but Statler had his scientists working around the clock. The lab was never without security. Ford drove to their usual parking place and eased out. His limbs were stiff, but he shook it off. “At least our long distance friends didn’t beat us here.”

Leaving his luggage in the car, Ty followed. “This place is eerie. It’s too silent. Why isn’t someone patrolling the outside?”

“The security lights are still on, so it’s not like they had a power outage or anything,” Ford said.

He pressed his thumb on the scanner and leaned over for the eye scan. The door clicked open, and let Ty enter before him. Their steps echoed on the hard tile floor. They stopped and looked around.

“Where are the inside guards?” Ty asked.

“Good fucking question.” The hairs on his neck bristled.

Ford glanced up to the cameras. The red dots weren’t lit. That was odd. Perhaps there had been an electrical short. “If I believed in aliens, I’d say something came in and wiped everyone out.”

Ty moved slowly down the hallway. “This is creepy.” He peered down another hallway then continued. “Hello?”

No one answered. “What the fuck is going on?” Ford asked more to himself than to Ty. Trouble was, he wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer.

T
y held up his hand, sensing they were about to walk into a trap. The lab employed a shitload of people, many of which were enhanced shifters. Besides those workers, there were a handful of new recruits who had yet to undergo the transformation. So where the fuck were they?

Let’s check the security center,
Ford telepathed.

Ty nodded and followed Ford to the bank of elevators. “I’m in need of some exercise,” he said loudly enough for any nearby mic to pick it up. “Let’s take the stairs.”

“Good idea.”

The last thing they needed was to be trapped in an elevator. The eye scanner wasn’t even lit, indicating anyone could get in. That wasn’t good. “I’d like to stop in our room for a sec.” Ty tried to act as casual as possible, but his pulse was racing at the ramification.

Not only would that be their normal routine, Ty wanted to see if any employees were in their rooms. There had to be some explanation why the place wasn’t alarmed.

Ford didn’t argue. As they entered the hallway, all of the room doors were closed. That wasn’t unusual, but men were often in the hallways. Shifts changed, and that necessitated some comings and goings.

They entered their room and immediately began checking for bugs. When they came up empty-handed, Ty dropped on his bed. “What the fuck is happening? I feel like we’re in an episode of
Twilight Zone
.”

“Beats me. Let’s check the security room. George, Phil, or Nate ought to be there. It’s never unmanned. They’ll have answers. From there, we’ll be able to see what’s happening in the rest of the facility.”

Reenergized with the possibility of finding an answer, Ty levered himself up from the bed. When they reached the third sub-basement level, the eerie hum of the computers didn’t bounce off the walls like normal. The eye scanners were down, too. “What the fuck?” Ty asked.

“Door’s open,” Ford said, as he pushed it back. “Holy shit.”

Ty stepped behind him and whistled. “Everything’s fucking gone. Do you think Statler did it?” A heavy thud landed in his stomach. There wasn’t a computer or electronic device in sight. All that remained were the two long tables.

Ford stabbed a hand through his hair. “Don’t know, but my guess is yes. Let’s check out the wing for the women, but I’ll wager they’re gone, too.”

Damn. They’d been so close. “What, or rather who, tipped him off, do you think?”

Despite the evidence they might be alone, Ty kept vigilant.

“Dram and Tony are the most likely suspects,” Ford said. “They’ll be the golden boys now that they have Bailey. Once Statler sees her, he’ll know we’re The Pack members.”

“I’m not buying it was those two who tipped him off.”

“Why not?” Ford continued down the hall, but at a jog now. He took the stairs two at a time but slowed as he came to the exit door. He held up a hand and eased open the door. After looking around, he stepped back into the foyer. It was still empty.

“Statler won’t believe them until he sees Bailey, which he has not. I’m thinking the fact Tatum escaped would be enough for him to run scared.”