Chapter 52

The hotel near the next X the team had decided needed to be addressed was only slightly better than the first hotel they’d stayed in almost a week ago when they’d first entered the area. Zane pulled into a parking space in a nearly empty gravel lot, and Jo hopped out, glad to be out of the Jeep.
They’d hardly spoken at all on the way back. She’d done her best to spend her time wisely, checking in with her teammates, including a long conversation with Elliott about how much it sucked to be stuck in Turkey, which is where his team was currently dealing with transportation issues, and an update on the situation in the US where the Australian Army was amassing near the southern border, and President Crimson still wasn’t willing to budge. It looked like the situation there was about to get ugly, and she was honestly glad she wasn’t having to deal with that mess, even if the challenges that lay in front of her were not exactly a picnic in the park.
Zane grabbed her bag out of the back, along with his own, and she nodded in thanks, still not speaking. Her boots crunched over the snow as the two of them approached the dimly lit hotel. It was the middle of the night, but even if it hadn’t been, it still would’ve been dark. The sun wasn’t staying up long at all. The perpetual night had to make it easier on the bloodsuckers. But it made it easier on their stalkers as well.
Inside the lobby, noises from the bar filtered out, reaching the door. Jo saw a few familiar faces through the partially open door at the end of the hallway and lifted a hand. She intended to go upstairs to one of the rooms the team had rented, but before she even made it to the first step, Cassidy and Brandon were there, having shot across the lobby so quickly, if there was any doubt before amongst the humans that these two were not like them, their questions were answered.
“Hey,” Jo said, her forehead puckered. “What’s up?”
“We need to talk,” Cassidy said, keeping her voice low.
It was clear something had happened since the last time she spoke to her aunt, which hadn’t been that long ago. “Okay.”
“Let’s go upstairs where it’s more private,” Brandon suggested.
Jo’s head bobbed up and down, and she moved aside to let the couple lead the way.
“Do you need me?” Zane asked.
“Up to you,” Cassidy replied, slightly confused.
He looked at the bar and then back to Jo, a question in his eyes. It may have looked like he just wanted a drink with some of the guys to anyone who didn’t know better, but Jo realized he was trying to get away from her for a while. She didn’t blame him. “I’ll fill you in later,” she assured him.
Zane nodded and handed her her bag, which she slumped over her shoulder. He took his with him as he headed toward the watering hole.
“Everything okay?” Brandon asked, as they headed up the stairs.
“Nope,” Jo replied. He didn’t ask more, and she didn’t offer, though she had to assume there was a discussion going on between them, trying to figure out how their screw up of a niece had screwed up now.
Once they reached the room, Cassidy went through the door without using a keycard. The other two followed. Jo walked in and dropped her bag, doing her best to control her face. It wasn’t the worst room she’d been in since she’d embarked on this adventure, but it wasn’t the lap of luxury either. The carpet was beige and looked fairly new, if one could see past the stains. The beds were unmade, which told her the cleaning staff wasn’t quite on top of it, and she wondered who had been sleeping in them. Hopefully, her fellow Hunters and not whomever had rented the room last.
Brandon and Cassidy made their way over to a small, brown couch and dropped down, leaving an uncomfortable looking armchair for her. She took it, still wondering what this important development might be.
The two exchanged glances and then Brandon said, “We’ve had an update on what’s going on in Moscow.”
“Okay….” Jo said slowly, trying to guess what they might be referring to. “Is everything all right?”
“The team is fine,” Cassidy assured her. “But Ryker might be in a bit of trouble.”
Her eyebrows arched. It seemed strange that they were being so cautious in telling her information about the human asshole who’d purposely left the protection she’d offered him. “What is it?”
Another uneasy look passed between them. Brandon drew the short straw. “A gang of Vampires was spotted moving a group of humans in chains into a transport vehicle. One of our contacts in Moscow kept an eye on them, but they didn’t have enough of a force to attempt a rescue.” He paused, and Jo felt compelled to nod her head again. It was clear she was following, she just wished they’d hurry it up.
Cass picked up where her husband had left off. “Ryker was with them.”
Feeling all of the blood drain from her face at what was, in retrospect, an obvious reason for telling her the story to begin with, Jo wasn’t sure what to say. She stopped nodding though, and managed to eke out an, “Okay….”
“But he wasn’t one of the prisoners,” Brandon added quickly. “He wasn’t in chains like the other humans.”
“He wasn’t?” Now Jo was confused. “What was he doing there, then?”
Blowing out a hot breath, Cassidy replied, “He was helping collect and move them.”
Her mouth fell open as she took that in. As alarming as it had been to think that Ryker had become a reserva de sange, one of the poor unfortunate people the Vampires would feast off for days, weeks, or even months as they toiled away in the mines, it was even worse to know that he was actually helping them find their victims. “What do you mean?”
“We mean… he’s working with the Vampires, Jo. He’s some kind of agent. He’s traded his own kind to the enemy,” Cass concluded.
Leaning back in the chair, Jo tried to process that. It was clear Ryker wasn’t a fan of hers, but he had cooperated with her--for a price. She’d been under the impression that Ryker wasn’t fond of the Vampires, that he was glad to help her team, at least at first, to get back at the bloodsuckers for… something. But now, not only was she convinced he was a lying backstabber, it was clear he was a horrible human being as well.
None of those words would form on her lips, though. She just sat and stared across the room at nothing for a long moment, probably not even blinking.
“Are you okay?” Cassidy asked. Jo said nothing. She looked at her husband.
“Jo, we can move in and take them out if you want to. See if there are any people left to save. They aren’t to the mine yet. It’s not that far away.”
She found herself nodding. Even if they couldn’t save any of the people, they needed to stop the group of Vampires who were taking them in. “Is he still with them?” she asked.
“As far as we know,” Cassidy replied. “They’ve stopped a few times, and I haven’t seen him get off of the bus.”
Her eyes shifted then to look at Cassidy. “You haven’t been in his head?”
“No, the last time I did that, he knew I was there and wasn’t too happy. Not that I care, but I don’t want to tip them off. I’m watching through the eyes of our informant, Stasha, who is trailing them.”
That made sense to her. “All right. Let’s see who wants to go.” She gripped the armrests and made a move to push up.
Brandon’s voice stopped her. “You don't have to go, you know? You could stay here.”
She looked at him and considered how much easier that would be. Things might get messy. They didn’t have the Souled with them, and since they’d have to assume the Vampire transporters were using scandium bullets, the Guardians would be at risk of being shot, too. Not only would it be physically safer for her to stay behind, she wouldn’t have to face the possibility of seeing Ryker die--or killing him herself. As angry as she was that he would stoop so low, she didn’t think she was capable of sinking a bullet through his brain. Clearly, people like Mila were.
Staying behind wasn’t really an option, though. She’d slept some in the Jeep. She was tired, but she would make it. “I’m going,” she said.
Brandon nodded, not bothering to argue with her. “Who else do you want?”
“How many do you think we need?” she asked both of them.
Cassidy replied, “Assuming you’re taking both of us, I’d say eight.”
Jo considered her team and came up with a list pretty quickly. She knew Mikali was back from Moscow, having left Emma with a local team to help her start on making the helmets and chest pieces. He’d be an asset. “The three of us. Zane, Mikali, Mila, Cadon because he’s a good shot, and Scott in case we get shot.”
“Sounds good to me,” Brandon said, clapping his hands down on his legs.
Jo nodded robotically, hoping she’d chosen the right people. There would be some disappointed folks who would want to go along, probably some of the veterans, but she needed people she could trust--along with the two who knew the territory the best and wouldn’t hesitate to take people out.
“Then… let’s go,” Jo said, pressing her hands to the armrests again. Something told her, what she’d assumed would be a quiet night in the hotel was about to become an adventure. She just hoped it didn’t end up being more than she’d bargained for.