BK 2 - Chapter 41 - The Animals
Sandie was terrified as she and the kids were thrown into the back of the van. She quickly mindlinked Max telling him what happened and the description of the men. She also told him to contact Kitty.
Max ran downstairs the minute he heard Sandie screaming in his head. He was too late to see which direction the van went, but he responded to her as he tried to pick up their scent. He pulled out his cell phone and called Kitty.
"Hello?" Kitty answered on the first ring.
"Kitty, it's Max. Three men in a van just kidnaped Sandie and the kids. Can you guys meet me at the hotel? I'm still able to mindlink Sandie, so they're not too far away." He was breathless as he ran down the street, looking for the van.
Kitty was speechless. Who would kidnap her mom, Wesley, and Gracie? Then it hit her. It had to be Ricky's men. She quickly ran downstairs, where the other three were sitting in the living room.
"We have to go back to Sacramento. Three men kidnapped my mom and the kids. Max can still mindlink her, and she said they threw them into the back of a van." Trey, Aiden, and Cat jumped up and started running toward the truck.
"Max, we're on our way." Kitty hung up as Trey flew down the street. She was terrified that they would hurt Sandie and the kids.
"Aiden, what are we going to do? I just found my mother. I can't lose her or Wesley and Gracie." Aiden held on to her as she cried.
"We'll find them. Max can still mindlink Sandie, so they're still close." Aiden mindlinked his brother, asking if he thought they would hurt them. Trey decided to answer out loud for Kitty's benefit.
"I think they did this to get to you, Kitty. Most likely, they won't hurt them. They'll keep them as hostages. When we find them, you won't have to worry about them hurting anyone again." All the lions roared in the truck.
*"It sucks that I can't join in this. I would love to tear them apart for touching our family."* Zola slumped down in the corner of Kitty's mind.
*"Sorry, Zola. I promise the next time someone hurts anyone in our family, they're all yours."* Kitty secretly hoped there wouldn't be a next time. Obviously, Zola knew what she was thinking because she rolled her eyes before lying down.
They made it to the hotel in record time. Max was standing outside, looking as though he was ready to break down. Kitty ran over to him, and the other three followed.
"Have you heard anything more from mom?" She asked quickly, feeling as though she was ready to lose it herself.
"Yes, they have them in a small hotel. It has to be nearby because I can still mindlink Sandie and Wesley. Kitty, does this have something to do with you? They said they keep talking about getting Sandie's sister. She doesn't have siblings, and we thought they may be talking about you because you two look so much alike." Max looked at Kitty and saw her face turn white. He wasn't angry at her. He just wanted to know what they were dealing with.
Kitty and Aiden told him about Ricky and why he was after her. Max mindlinked Sandie and Wesley to let them know.
"Sandie said they keep asking her where you keep your lion." Max almost laughed at that. They were worried about a lion, and now they have wolves to contend with as well.
"Do they know they're shifters?" Aiden asked nervously.
"No. Gracie doesn't have a wolf yet, Wesley hasn't had his first shift yet, and Sandie won't shift because she's worried it will put the children in danger." Max felt calmer now that the four lions were there. He looked over at Cat and remembered what Sandie had said about her earlier. He knew she had something to do with him suddenly having a clear head.
"Can Sandie describe the hotel or anything she saw when they took them out of the van?" Trey asked, thinking like a detective.
Max mindlinked Sandie, and she told him everything she saw and described the room they were in.
"She said it's a cheap hotel with a faded sign out front. She couldn't make out what it said. The hotel is all on one level, with doors that open out to the parking lot. The room has two beds and other typical hotel furniture. She said she can hear a lot of traffic like they're near the freeway." Trey thought about the details. A few hotels would fit that category, and they were all near downtown.
"Everyone get into the truck. Max, what color was the van?"
"Dark blue. She said it's a big passenger van with tinted back windows." Trey nodded as they all piled into the truck. Cat sat in the back with Aiden and Kitty so Max could sit up front with Trey.
The first two hotels they visited had no vans, and the signs were not faded. At the third hotel, they hit the jackpot. A dark blue van was parked outside, and one of the men Trey recognized that had been following them was standing out front smoking a cigarette. He drove past, not wanting to be spotted. They parked where they could see what room he went into.
They waited about twenty minutes for him to finally go into the room. Kitty and Max were ready to jump out and barge through the door, but Trey stopped them.
"We have to think before we act. If we bust down the door, it will not only get a lot of unwanted attention, but it could get some of us killed. We may be shifters, but they have guns. Gracie doesn't have her wolf yet, so she won't have the same healing abilities." Max and Kitty nodded and stayed in the truck.
Trey quickly told them his idea, and Cat laughed out loud. She would definitely have to put her acting skills to work. When Trey was done, they all got out of the truck and headed toward the room they saw the man enter.
Kitty and Aiden stood on one side of the door, and Max and Trey stood on the other. Cat walked up to the door and smiled before knocking. She looked toward the peephole as she waited for someone to answer.
"Go away. We're not expecting anyone." They heard the muffled voice say through the door.
"Excuse me, sir, can you please help me? I can't get my car to start, and I don't want to be stranded here alone at night. If you can help me, I'll make it worth your while." Cat winked toward the peephole and held back her chuckle when she heard the men arguing.
Trey hated putting Cat in danger, but it was the only way to get them to open the door. He knew they most likely hadn't seen Cat as much as the rest of them because he kept her at the pool house for the most part. Finally, someone began to open the door.
"What are you going to do for me if I help you out?" Trey calmed Atlas down when he growled in his head as the young man eyed Cat up and down.
"Why don't you come out here, and we can talk about it?" Trey held back his chuckle as Cat gave the man a small smile. He knew that look on her face. It was the look she had when she knew she was going to get her way. The man opened the door wide and stepped out. Aiden grabbed the man and pulled him to the side as Max and Trey ran into the room.
Trey jumped on the man sitting on the side of one of the beds while Max tackled the other walking out of the bathroom. Sandie and the kids were sitting on a bed, speechless. They hadn't expected them to find them so quickly. Aiden dragged the third man back into the room.
With their werelion and werewolf strength, the men were no competition for them. They had all three tied up on the floor using torn sheets in minutes. Kitty walked into the room with a smile.
"I think you were looking for me." She smiled at Sandie and the kids as Max untied them.
"How did you find us?" Vasco asked as he stared in disbelief at the girl. They had been careful not to be followed.
"Let's just say we have our ways. I think it's time I let you three meet our animals." The three men's eyes widened in fear as they looked toward the door.
"We heard what you did to Otto and Tito. Please don't let your lion kill us." Eddie was almost peeing his pants in fear.
"Shut up, you fool. They don't have no lion here in the city, and they're not going to be able to take all three of us anywhere, so what are you crying about?" Raul would have kicked the blubbering idiot if he could have reached him.
"You're right. We have no lion out there, and we're not taking you anywhere. What would you say if I told you the animals were already here?" The three men watched in surprise as the adults began to take their shirts and pants off, with the exception of Cat and Kitty.
"What are you talking about? Why are they taking their clothes off?" Vasco asked in confusion. Were they afraid of blood splatter?
"You asked, so we shall answer." Kitty stepped back before nodding.
The three men stared in shock as right before their eyes where three men and a woman had been standing were now two giant lions and two enormous wolves. Kitty and Cat quickly stuffed the men's mouths with pieces of sheet so they couldn't scream.
