Viking Warrior Rebel (16 page)

“Fight,” Ulf shouted, and the others' voices joined his.

“What will be the outcome?” Harald bellowed.

“Victory, victory, victory,” Sten chanted, and everyone joined in.

Astrid's berserker threw its head back and howled. She could feel the others' inner warriors doing the same. Battle fever swept through the Vikings, and they stood taller with wild eyes and flared nostrils.

Fight.

It was what they were meant to do.

What their god and goddess required them to do.

* * *

Outside the farm on the Idaho border, Astrid laid flat on her stomach in the tall grass. She was grateful it was spring and the ground still held some moisture. In another month, the grass would be prickly and itchy. She peered through her binoculars. The farm buildings looked exactly as they had when their team had been on that previous mission to rescue Per from here.

“What do you think?” she asked Ulf, who was hiding next to her. The surrounding fields were flat and open. There wasn't much cover to use as they approached the buildings, so they were waiting for dusk to turn into early evening. Astrid was tired of waiting. It made her wonder how Luke was doing.

“I think you're an idiot for bringing Holden to the fortress.” Ulf lowered his own binoculars and looked at her directly. “What were you thinking? Do you have any idea what kind of danger you exposed us all to?”

Astrid sighed. She had known this would happen when Harald paired her with Ulf. At first she thought about asking for a change of partner, but with Irja staying behind, this was really the only choice. Sten and Per were natural battle brothers. They had that special bond that two warriors often developed after fighting side-by-side for a while. They communicated without words and always knew where the other was without having to see each other. Through the king and the queen's bond with their berserkers, all the warriors had this ability to a certain degree, but having a true battle brother—or sister—increased a warrior's skill.

Leif and Naya were paired, their berserkers strongest when the couple fought together. And tonight the warriors needed all the advantage they could get. Rescuing human hostages was a new situation and not one they'd trained for.

“Shut up,” Astrid told Ulf while she looked for Pekka and Torvald through her binoculars. Having been assigned the position farthest from the cars they drove to the farm, the two men were still moving into their hiding spot. Once they were in place, the Vikings would have all sides of the farm covered. Torvald and Pekka were new to fighting with each other but had found in training that their similar styles were well suited.

Harald was running technical command from where they'd left the vehicles. Naya had hacked him into a surveillance satellite, and he was monitoring the whole scene on the infrared spectrum. And that left Astrid with grumpy Ulf as company. “I don't have to explain myself to you, but if I were to do so, I'd tell you that Holden is a friend of Naya's and invited to the wedding.”

Ulf's eyes widened. “You're lying.”

“Just ask the queen yourself.” Astrid turned to watch the farm again.

Ulf stirred next to her, adjusting his position. “But what is he to you?”

“None of your business.”

Her headset crackled, and Harald's voice broke through the static. “Could you two drama queens keep it down? I'm sure the wolverines would be riveted by the soap opera playing out between you. But since it looks like they haven't yet picked up on our radio frequency, let's just keep our chatter to a minimum, shall we?”

A chuckle followed Harald's announcement—probably Pekka—and then a giggle that was definitely Naya's. Heat creeped into Astrid's cheeks as she realized that everyone on the team had followed her and Ulf's exchange. She gave him a cold stare, which he countered with one of his own.

“In position,” Pekka's voice said over the headset.

The evening slowly turned darker, and the illuminated windows in the main house appeared as beacons in the gloom. The light made the farmhouse look homey, as if it were a safe and welcoming place. Looks were deceiving indeed.

“How many wolverines?” Leif's voice asked over the headset.

Harald's voice answered. “The satellite footage shows five shapes huddled in a back room. I assume those are the prisoners, but Loki's damned creatures have the same heat signature as mortals. There are eight shapes moving around in the building. Two of them are close to the huddled cluster, probably guards.”

“What about the other buildings?” Naya's voice cut in.

“Two shapes in the outbuilding closest to the main house. They're not moving, maybe sleeping in some sort of bunkhouse.”

“Time for a distraction,” Sten's voice declared.

Astrid held her breath while through the binoculars she watched the shadow that was Sten streak across the field and close in on one of the outlying smaller buildings. A flame briefly illuminated his face, and he then swiftly returned to his original position next to Per. A large boom sounded, and bright, tall flames shot up from the building, licking their way toward the sky.

The door to the main house flew open, and two wolverines ran outside. The door closed behind them.

“Wait for more,” Harald's voice commanded.

“Got it,” Pekka answered. He had the best position for the long-range rifle they'd brought.

But no more creatures left the house. Instead, the two outside cleared some debris next to the burning building and then made their way back to the main house. The flames from the burning building illuminated them as they walked at a fast clip.

“They'll be out of my sight soon,” Pekka's voice warned.

A muffled curse from Harald came down the line. “Take them out,” he commanded.

Two short pops later, the two wolverines were sprawled just in front of the door of the main house. There was no indication that anyone would leave the bunkhouse or the main house to investigate.

“Fuck, these guys are smarter than the ones we've dealt with before. Maybe even combat trained.” Leif's voice sounded angry.

“What do you see, Harald?” Naya's voice asked.

“They're taking positions by the window, and the two in the bunkhouse are up and on alert.”

“Let me try smoking them out,” Naya's voice said.

Astrid waited for a protest from the king, but it never came. It had taken a lot of convincing to get Leif to agree to Naya joining patrols and missions with the rest of the warriors. He still preferred that she stay by his side while fighting, but it looked like he was coming around to letting her operate on her own when she was the best person suited.

A small, dark shape darted across the field. If Astrid didn't know where to look, she would have missed it. For a brief moment, Naya appeared clearly as she had to cross a lighted area of the courtyard. A shot rang out, and then another.

“Naya,” Leif's voice barked, anger and concern evident in his tone.

Astrid held her breath, waiting for the queen, her friend, to answer.

Naya's voice came through the headset strong and clear. “I'm good. Both shots missed.”

Astrid felt more than heard the collective sigh of relief. She tapped into her mental connection with her inner warrior and found it on high alert. Strengthening the bond and making the connection wider, she sensed the others' berserkers in similar ready states. Naya's warrior spirit distinguished itself from the others in the web of interconnected warrior spirits. It didn't feel strange but had a different signature. Astrid could easily pick out her fellow Vikings' berserkers because they felt like home, like they spoke the same dialect as Astrid's warrior spirit. Naya's spirit felt like home too, but as if it spoke with a different accent. Leif's berserker was also clearly distinguishable. His berserker felt more intense, more powerful.

Through the mental connection, Astrid sensed Naya climbing up on the roof and making her way to the chimney. She dropped something down the chute and then shimmied down at double speed. Instead of returning to her position by Leif, she waited by the house, tucked up against the wall.

Smoke billowed inside the house, and one by one, the windows flew open.

“Move in,” Harald's voice commanded. “Sten, you take care of the two in the bunkhouse.”

“Got it,” Sten's voice confirmed.

Astrid tucked her binoculars away and kept the Glock in her right hand ready. Taking a deep breath, she secured her mental connection to provide a map of her battle brothers' and sister's locations. She turned to Ulf and found him watching her, his eyes sparkling with excitement. She imagined her own eyes mirrored what he felt, the beginning of a battle high. They nodded to each other and then jogged across the field shoulder to shoulder, staying low in the tall grass.

As they got closer, she heard coughing and screaming from inside the house. The hostages must be scared out of their minds, but soon they'd be freed.

Harald's voice crackled through the headset, temporarily drowning out the rifle shots coming from the windows of the house. “The guards outside the captives' room are not leaving their position, but they are low to the floor, so the smoke must be bothering them. Every window has a warm body next to it, ready to shoot.”

“Bunkhouse cleared,” Sten's voice announced. “Moving to main house.” He must have snuck up on the two creatures if he'd cleared the house that fast. It didn't surprise Astrid. It was as if Sten had a switch inside that allowed him to operate in ninja stealth mode.

She and Ulf were almost at the house. “We're going in the front,” Ulf announced, and Astrid moved to cover him as he sidled up to the door, gun ready.

Directions and announcements from the other warriors sounded in Astrid's earpiece, but she zoned them out as she concentrated on backing up Ulf. He grabbed the door handle and looked over his shoulder, a question in his eyes.

She switched to a double-hand grip of her gun and nodded that she was ready. “Go.”

Ulf swung the door open, swiftly moving to the side.

Astrid didn't wait for the wolverines to change their aims from out the windows to the door. She somersaulted low across the floor and twisted so she landed ready to shoot. She took out one creature on her left and wounded another. That monster dropped its gun and scuttled behind a sofa.

At the same time, Ulf stepped in low through the open door and shot at the wolverines on Astrid's left. One creature cried out in pain, but the other disappeared into the back of the house. Ulf shot again. “Two neutralized, one's wounded behind a couch, and another fled to the back of the house,” he said into his mic.

Leif and Naya stepped into the doorway. “We'll take care of the ones down here. You head upstairs,” Leif said.

A shot rang out from the back of the house.

“Fuck, I've been hit in the leg.” Torvald's voice sounded more angry than in pain.

“Looks superficial,” Pekka's voice interjected. “I can handle it.”

Astrid headed around the corner and up the stairwell. She felt Ulf moving in behind her. “What can you tell me, Harald?” she said into her mic.

“The guards are now in the room with the prisoners. I can't tell their heat signature from the others.”

“Shit,” Ulf said. “I've never dealt with a hostage situation before.”

They'd cleared the last step of the stairs, and Astrid darted a glance down the hallway for a quick look. “Clear,” she said to Ulf and moved slowly toward the closed doors.

“You're close,” Harald's voice directed her. “The next door on your left should be it.”

Astrid moved past the door and turned to face Ulf so the door was now between them.

Crying and wailing could be heard on the other side. “Shut the fuck up,” someone shouted, and the sound changed to whimpering.

Astrid paused and listened. She heard only female voices besides the wolverines. “They're women speaking Spanish,” she whispered to Ulf.

“How do you know?”

“It's not that different from French. I've picked up a few Spanish words.”

“More like picked up a few Spanish dudes,” Ulf muttered.

Astrid rolled her eyes. “Really, you want to go there? Right now, in the middle of this?”

Ulf gave her a half shrug.

“Odin's missing eye,” Harald's voice barked in the headset. “Will you get your heads out of your asses and concentrate? We don't have time for your soap opera.”

Astrid grimaced at Ulf, who smirked right back. She got her mind back on the mission. “We go in on three,” she said to Ulf.

He nodded.

She put her ear close to the door but could now only hear low murmurs, no individual words. She took a deep breath and relaxed her shoulders. “
Estamos aquí para ayudar. Cuando abro la puerta, acuestate en el suelo
,” she shouted through the door. Looking back at Ulf, she silently mouthed a count of three. On the last count, Ulf kicked in the door and went inside low with his gun drawn. Astrid followed, sending a silent prayer to Freya for the goddess to help their gamble to pay off.

Complete mayhem met Astrid as she entered the room. Women shrieked and cried out in Spanish, but they lay on the floor as she'd requested.

The wolverines hovered over them, shouting in English for them to shut up.

Bullets flew everywhere as the wolverines turned and aimed at Astrid and Ulf.

“
Quédate abajo
,” Astrid told the women and hoped she'd gotten “stay down” correct. Her Spanish was rudimentary at best.

Ulf shot one of the wolverines in the leg, and it went down screaming while returning fire. The shot went wide and took out the ceiling lamp. The only illumination in the room now came from the light trickling in from the hallway.

The remaining wolverine grabbed one of the women on the floor and dragged her up in front of him as a human shield. The coward was closer to Astrid than he was to Ulf.

She looked down her raised gunsight at the monster, but wasn't sure she could take the shot without hitting the woman. She looked so young, maybe in her mid-teens. Her long, brown hair hung in tangles around her pale face, and her brown eyes were enormous. Tears flowed down her cheeks.

Astrid took aim, but she couldn't do it. “I don't have the shot,” she said.

“Talk to me,” Harald implored through the headset. “I can't tell what's going on.”

“One monster down,” Ulf answered. “The other is using a prisoner as his shield.”

“Fuckin' coward,” Harald's voice muttered.

“Stay back,” the wolverine hissed and slowly moved toward the door. It kept its gun pointed toward Ulf and Astrid, sweeping the aim from one to the other. “You move and she dies.” The fingers gripping the young girl's neck twitched as his claws emerged. Blood trickled out where the horrendous talons broke the girl's skin. She screamed.

Astrid and Ulf slowly followed the wolverine, widening the distance between them with every step they took. “
Como se llama
?” Astrid asked the girl.

“Camila,” she whimpered through her tears.

The wolverine shook her. “Shut up.” He glared at Astrid, panic in his eyes. “Don't talk to her, or I'll shoot her.” He put the gun to Camila's temple. She closed her eyes, feverishly whispering something that sounded like a prayer.

The women on the floor were whispering too. They lay on their stomachs with their hands covering their heads, except for one girl who looked even younger than Camila. She was curled up in a fetal position, hands covering her ears and slowly rocking back and forth.

“Help is coming up the stairs,” Harald's voice announced quietly. “Keep the fucker busy.”

The wolverine kept moving toward the door. Astrid and Ulf followed. “Stay back,” he hissed.

Astrid and Ulf stopped at the same time but kept the monster in their sights.

When the creature got to the doorway, he looked over his shoulder to navigate the opening.

Bam.

A rifle stock hit him between the eyes, and he went down.

“Take that, shithead,” Pekka shouted.

Camila screamed and sank onto her knees, her hands covering her ears. Astrid sat down beside her and hugged the girl close. She rocked them both, mumbling into the girl's hair. Camila curled up against her, sobbing and trembling.

Over the girl's shoulder, Astrid saw the wolverine come to and reach for its gun. She tried to move her arm, but Camila was clinging to her, and she couldn't clear her gun. “Watch out,” Astrid shouted.

Naya cleared the stairwell just in time and leaned around Pekka to place a bullet neatly between the eyes of the monster. Leif joined her and Pekka in the doorway. “Freya's mercy,” Leif whispered.

He and Ulf moved to help the women up, but they shied away, scooting deeper into the room. The men looked at Astrid and Naya. “What did we do?” Ulf asked, despair shining in his eyes. Leif had the same look.

Naya took a step into the room. “It's not what you did. It's who you are,” she said, her voice grim. “They're afraid because you are male.”

Pekka inhaled and cursed under his breath.

Astrid tried to untangle herself from Camila, but the girl held on tight. “Call Irja and let her know we have five mortals who need medical attention,” she said. “Go back to Harald and bring back the vehicles. Naya and I will move the women out. We'll take them back as one group in the van.”

Leif hesitated. “Are you sure we should bring them back to the fortress?”

Naya looked up from where she was kneeling on the floor. She was stroking the very young girl's back. “They're coming back with us,” she said in a low, dark voice.

Leif nodded once and indicated to Ulf and Pekka that they should leave with him.

Naya turned to Astrid. “I want to kill these wolverine fuckers all over again.”

Astrid nodded. “I don't think they're the only ones who've mistreated these women.”

Naya's mouth turned grim as she turned back to the girl on the floor and whispered in her ear while stroking her back again.

* * *

Astrid lay next to Luke. She'd tried to get some rest in her own room, but her restless berserker wouldn't settle down. Not until she touched Luke would the beast finally let her rest, but even with the inner warrior quiet, she couldn't sleep. She kept thinking about the girls. Irja had examined them all. In addition to scrapes and bruises, two of them showed signs of sexual assault. Physically and emotionally, they would need a long time to heal.

Astrid and Naya had helped Irja to care for the women. Camila spoke English fluently, and two of the other women knew some words. Irja turned out to be fluent in Spanish. Slowly they'd pieced together their story.

The five young women were from different areas of Mexico. Some from rural areas, others from cities, but they had all been abducted and then smuggled across the border. They had no idea where they were or how much time had passed since they'd left Mexico. They said a man had bought them at an auction and then given them to the wolverines. They couldn't give much of a description of the man, just that he was tall, had light-brown hair, and spoke English with an accent that wasn't Spanish.

Nausea rose in Astrid's stomach when she pictured the auction. Once upon a time, she'd stood on the selling block. At least she'd lucked out in who bought her. Her new master had been strict, but fair. His weapons master had trained her when he discovered her interest in fighting. Or, maybe he'd just humored her. But she'd excelled. So much so that she'd become a shield maiden, and eventually her master had granted her freedom. No one would ever own her again.

Luke stirred next to her, and she turned to face him. His temperature was down to normal, and Irja said his body had purged all of the poison. Astrid had asked the medical officer how Luke had been able to recover so quickly, in just twenty-four hours. Irja thought her antidote may have contributed to the accelerated healing, but she was running more tests on Luke's blood.

Astrid caressed his forehead and then trailed her fingers down the side of his face. He looked younger when he slept, more relaxed. She followed the strong line of his stubble-covered jaw and then traced the outline of his lips. The memory of those lips against hers heated her blood, and she blushed.

Luke startled her by opening his eyes. “Hi,” he whispered against her fingers, his voice hoarse.

“Hi back,” she said and rose. “Let me get you some water.”

He reached for her wrist. “Please don't go,” he said.

Astrid leaned down and kissed him lightly. “I'll be right back.” She got out of the bed and poured a glass of water.

Luke pushed himself up to half sitting against the headboard. “What happened?”

“What's the last thing you remember?” Astrid handed him the water.

A slow grin spread over Luke's face as he drank, and he looked down at her boobs.