CHAPTER 74

With the device down I could finally sense the rest of the building. To my relief Aiden's men were still alive, and relatively well. One was seriously injured, judging by the wolf blood I smelled, but their hearts were all within normal ranges for men having just experienced combat. I couldn't say the same for the humans. Both were unconscious, near death. The air smelled heavily of some chemical agent I didn't recognize. It seemed that Aiden's men came with their own bag of tricks.

I stumbled toward the front of the building, picking up the delightful little orb on my way by. My wolf went quiet immediately, investigating it with her newfound senses.

I hadn't known I could do that. Hold someone's mind like that, force emotions on them and the truth out of them. I hadn't known, and yet, somehow I had known.

I stretched my memory back, trying to remember life before my parents. Trying to understand what had happened to me, but all I was met with was a thick sort of fog. I could feel that something important lay beyond it but it was nothing more than a dark impression, something that twisted my stomach and made my mind want to run the opposite direction.

I came across Aiden's men in a narrow hallway near the front reception area. They were standing at ease taking stock of their weapons and patting down the humans, removing any hardware on their unconscious bodies. Someone had bandaged the worst of their wounds.

"What's that smell?" I asked the man who approached. He was a broad wolf, in his early fifties. Grizzled and hard with gray hair and a scar across his nose. He looked like someone who had seen years of hard combat.

Maybe he had.

"Halothane vapor. Knocks out humans, ineffective on werewolves. I take it you no longer need our aid with your target?"

I looked over my shoulder, which was stupid because the common room was well out of sight.

"It's taken care of. I'm not sure what to do with...." I gestured in the body's general direction.

"We'll take care of it, a clean up team is already on the way. Do you need a ride back to Hoventech?"

The way he asked reminded me of an eager puppy, if that puppy was a two hundred pound doberman with unswerving loyalty to its master. I assumed Aiden had told him to bring me back. He was looking at me hopefully, but didn't pressure my answer. I wished I could say yes. Wished I could slink back to the apartment in the secure compound and hide away for a few days, maybe a month and just lick my wounds, both mental and physical, with no more surprises turning up. But I couldn't just leave Anthony to Leanne's mercy. If he crashed the organization he would be devastated.

I shook my head, "I can't, not yet. I need to get to dockside." The way he deflated made me feel a little bad. He dug around in his pockets.

"Take the Tahoe," he tossed me the keys. "Try to bring it back in one piece."

I raised my brows at him.

"I saw the last vehicle you arrived in."

"Don't you need it?"

"Boss said to render aid wherever we can. I can do this, we'll catch a ride back with the cleaning crew. The car is armored, it's the best protection I can give you aside from accompanying you, which, since you didn't ask, I'm assuming you do not wish?" He perked up a little.

"Ah...no...Sorry."

I was going to have a difficult enough time convincing Gunner to listen to me without retaliation on Anthony, dragging in this militant wolf from another pack would not increase my chances at all. I tried not to feel bad when he frowned.

"Maybe you have a phone I can borrow though? I'm realizing I was a little rash destroying my last one."

That made him happy as he handed over a top of the line version of my old phone. A device on his belt beeped, and he nodded to me.

"That was the cleaning crew, if there's nothing else you need from us we'll get loaded up."

I looked at the men unconscious on the floor. "What are you going to do with them?"

The smile on the man's face wasn't reassuring.

"They engaged first and attacked our people, without identifying us, and without any conversation. We might have been any innocents off the street. The boss will want to have a chat with them...if they live."

I snorted. There was no chance the humans hadn't known that the wolves invading their building were nothing short of a high tech swat team. But I waved my acceptance anyway. Whoever these people were, they got in with Thostchild, in with whatever fuckery was going on. They knew the risks, who was I to deprive them of their consequences?

"There are powerful motion sensors and cameras surrounding the building and through several of the hallways. I imagine they are as high tech as the military can provide. Might be interesting to some of your people at Hoventech."

The man grinned at me and slapped me on the shoulder. I fought hard not to wince.

"Johnny! Bring out Lornet!" He called, and one of the younger men leapt to his feet and began digging through a bag.

"I've gotta go," I told him, "good luck."

"Doesn't look like we need it, miss. Take care of yourself." He speared me with a serious, almost threatening look and then turned to his men, the one who'd been digging through his bag held a black rod with a dish at the end.

"Let's go hunting boys."

I shook my head as I slipped past the hallway and out the front door where even more wolves, and...yup, there were a few humans in this bunch too, began filing in, some with body bags and some with cleaning supplies, all wearing what almost amounted to hazmat suits.

I looked down at myself as I broke into the night air, heading toward the SUV's that were parked just out of range along the street.

The Tahoe started and ran like a dream, it was, maybe a little much for one small wolf on her own, but I was grateful none the less. Especially when I discovered the heated seats.

My battered body sank into the heat, aching bruised muscles slightly smoothed as I turned out of the community and onto Trapelo Road. My stomach was still in knots and I tried, very hard, not to replay the evening over and over again in my head.

I had to warn Gunner. It was nearing midnight, which meant I had two hours.

I hoped it was enough.

I reached the Marine Industrial Park thirty eight minutes later. The clock in the Tahoe said twelve thirteen.

Customs and Border Patrol were gone and the streets were quiet. Too quiet.

I parked the SUV and stepped outside. My wolf spread her senses wide, trying to take in as much of the dockside as she could, searching.

I was a little surprised when I caught the scent right away. It was definitely Gunner, and he was less than a mile away, across the channel on Castle Island. He had a crew with him, though at this distance I couldn't tell exactly who, or how many.

*There's a problem.*

My wolf wasn't wrong. A big problem, because along with Gunner's scent I also caught the scent of other familiar wolves.

Rutilo and Connor, Anthony's hit men.

We were too late.