Page 25

Chapter Twenty-Four

V ictor bundled Mo into the van after the two men were secured, his arm tight around his mate's shoulders as Mo trembled with barely contained emotion.

"We don't have time for standard interrogation procedures," Victor said to Daniel, his voice low and dangerous. "Zack is running out of time."

Daniel nodded grimly. "I'm aware." He turned to the two handcuffed men. "You have one chance to tell us where Pearson is keeping our friend."

The taller man spat on the floor of the van. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Victor's patience snapped. He lunged forward, grabbing the man by his shirt collar and lifting him partially off the bench seat. "My mate is dying," he snarled, not caring that his eyes had shifted. "And you're going to tell me where he is, or I'll show you exactly what a shifter can do when his family is threatened."

The man's eyes widened in fear as he realized what Victor was. "I—I don't know! I swear! We just got orders to grab him," he jerked his head toward Mo, "and bring him to a meeting point. Rigor handles all the details!"

"What meeting point?" Daniel demanded.

"Warehouse 12 on Grafton Avenue," the second man blurted out, clearly even more intimidated than his partner. "Rigor's waiting there. That's all we know, I swear!"

Victor released the first man, who slumped back against the van wall. "If you're lying—"

"I'm not," the man insisted. "Rigor never tells us anything. We're just muscle."

Victor turned to Daniel. "Warehouse 12. Now."

Daniel was already signaling to the driver. "On it."

Mo gripped Victor's hand tightly as the van lurched into motion. "He's fading," Mo whispered, tears tracking down his cheeks. "I can barely feel him anymore."

Victor pulled Mo against his chest, his own heart constricting with fear. Through their bond, he could feel it too—the once-strong connection to Zack now just a faint, flickering pulse.

"We'll find him," Victor promised, pressing his lips to Mo's temple. "Hold onto him, Mo. Don't let him go."

Mo nodded against Victor's chest, his eyes closing in concentration as he mentally reached for that tenuous thread connecting them to their missing mate.

The warehouse loomed dark and imposing against the night sky as they approached. Daniel's team moved with practiced efficiency, surrounding the building while Victor, Daniel, and Riley prepared to enter.

"Stay in the van," Victor ordered Mo.

Mo shook his head vehemently. "No. I need to be there. What if he can sense me? What if that helps?"

Victor hesitated, torn between protecting Mo and acknowledging the truth in his words. If Zack was suffering from mating sickness, having Mo and him both close might strengthen the bond enough to keep him alive until they could get him proper help.

"Fine," Victor conceded, "but you stay behind us at all times."

"I promise," Mo said, relief evident in his voice.

Daniel raised an eyebrow but didn't argue. He'd seen enough of shifter bonds to know better than to question Victor's judgment where his mates were concerned.

"Riley, you and Martin cover the back entrance," Daniel directed. "Victor and I will take the front. Mo stays with us." He handed Mo a bulletproof vest. "Put this on."

Mo quickly donned the vest while Victor checked his weapon. Though he preferred his claws in a fight, the gun would allow him to maintain his human appearance if necessary.

"Ready?" Daniel asked.

Victor nodded, his senses already stretching out, searching for any trace of Zack's scent or presence.

They moved silently toward the warehouse, the night air thick with the smell of rust and stagnant water. As they approached the entrance, Victor caught another scent—familiar, unwelcome.

"Rigor's inside," he murmured to Daniel. "And he's not alone."

Daniel signaled to his team through his comm unit, then counted down with his fingers. Three, two, one—

They burst through the door, weapons raised. The warehouse interior was dimly lit by overhead fluorescents, creating pools of light and shadow across the concrete floor. Stacks of crates and shipping containers created a maze-like layout.

"FBI!" Daniel shouted. "Come out with your hands up!"

For a moment, silence. Then a slow, mocking applause echoed through the cavernous space.

"Well done," Rigor Elkin's voice called out. "I was wondering how long it would take you to find me."

Victor tracked the voice to a raised office platform at the far end of the warehouse. Rigor stood there, leaning against the railing with casual insolence. Another smaller man stood next to him, holding a gun.

"Where is he?" Victor demanded, his voice carrying across the space.

Rigor smiled. "Your pet bear? Not here, I'm afraid. But I'd be happy to arrange a reunion. For a price."

Victor started forward, but Daniel placed a restraining hand on his arm. "What price?" Daniel called back.

"Simple," Rigor replied. "I walk away. Clean slate, new identity, the works."

"Not happening," Daniel said. "But cooperate, and I can ensure you're not charged as an accessory to kidnapping and human experimentation."

Rigor laughed. "You think I care about charges? Pearson will have me killed the moment I'm in custody."

"We can protect you," Daniel countered.

"Like you protected those kids?" Rigor scoffed. "No thanks."

Mo stepped forward, ignoring Victor's attempt to hold him back. "Please," he called, his voice breaking. Rigor sneered. “Want your sister as well? I know where she is.”

“Victor!” Martin hissed in his ear. “It’s a trap. At least ten heavily armed men approaching from all directions.”

Victor laughed, loudly. “So, you arranged for us to have a welcome committee?”

Rigor frowned. “What?”

“There’s an army approaching. Either humans with guns or shifters with fangs and claws. Either way you don’t get out of this alive.”

Rigor paled. “It wasn’t me! Pearson is nuts. I know where they are, but you have to get me out—” But just as Rigor stepped forward the smaller man next to him turned and shot Rigor point blank. The man jumped from the platform just as Victor got to him. He had the gun out of his hands and his claws around the man’s throat before he could squirm free.

But the man raised tired eyes. “Doesn’t matter. Pearson is paying for my little girl’s cancer treatment. The only job I was asked to do was shoot Rigor if he threatened to spill. I don’t know anything.” His eyes grew misty. “I had no choice.”

“Victor,” Martin said calmly. “There's no one else here.”

Twenty minutes later Victor shoved the guy in front of him as he walked in the house. “Start with a name,” he growled.

"David Carson," the man replied, his voice steady despite Victor's menacing stance. "I'm sorry about your friend, but as I said I honestly don't know where Pearson keeps his test subjects." They’d interrogated him on the way home.

Mo stepped forward, his face pale but determined. "You said Pearson is paying for your daughter's treatment. What hospital?"

Carson hesitated, confused by the question. "St. Jude's Children's in Portland. Why?"

"Because Pearson wouldn't risk his operation by using his real name for the payments," Daniel said, understanding Mo's line of questioning. "He'd set up a shell company or foundation."

"The Artemis Foundation," Carson confirmed. "They cover all of Lily's treatments."

Asher was already typing furiously on his laptop. "Got it. The Artemis Foundation owns several properties, including—" his eyes widened "—a former research facility about forty miles north of here. It was supposedly closed three years ago, but the power usage is consistent with an active facility."

"That's it," Victor said, his certainty absolute. The faint bond he felt with Zack seemed to pulse slightly stronger at the mention of the location.

"It has to be," Mo agreed, clutching Victor's arm. "I felt something just now. Like Zack heard us."

Riley glanced at Carson. "Your daughter—how old is she?"

"Seven," Carson replied, his shoulders slumping. "Acute lymphoblastic leukemia. We couldn't afford the experimental treatment she needed. Pearson approached me after the third doctor turned us away." He swallowed. “I was infantry, seventeenth battalion. Retired. Millie was a surprise.” He smiled. “Diane’s forty-six, and we’d given up trying ten years ago.”

"We'll make sure your daughter continues to receive treatment," Daniel promised. "But right now, we need everything you know about the facility."

"I've never been there," Carson insisted. "Rigor handled all the site operations. I just..." he swallowed hard, "I just did what they told me to keep my little girl alive."

Victor felt a flash of sympathy despite his rage. A parent desperate to save their child—he understood that motivation all too well.

"The satellite images show a perimeter fence with guard posts," Asher reported, turning his laptop so they could see. "Main building has three visible entrances. And obviously the basement."

"How many guards?" Daniel asked.

"Hard to tell from the satellite feed, but I count at least twelve on the perimeter."

Victor's mind was already formulating a plan. "We go in tonight. No more waiting."

"Victor," Daniel cautioned, "we need to plan this carefully. We can't risk—"

"He's dying," Victor cut him off, his voice breaking. "Every minute we wait reduces our chances of getting him back alive."

Mo stepped between them, placing a hand on each man's arm.

"Both of you are right,” Asher said. “We need to go now. But we can't go in blind. Daniel, can your team get detailed schematics of the facility? Riley, can you tap into their security system?"

Daniel nodded sharply. "I'll call in every favor I've got. We'll have the plans within the hour."

"I can try to access their security," Asher said, already typing. "If they're connected to any external network, I'll find a way in."

Victor paced the room, his wolf clawing at his insides, desperate to run to his mate. The bond with Zack felt so tenuous now, like trying to hold onto smoke. He caught Mo watching him with worried eyes.

"I need air," Victor muttered, striding toward the back door.

Outside, the night air was cool against his skin. Victor tilted his head back, breathing deeply, trying to center himself. When he heard the door open behind him, he knew without looking that it was Mo.

"He's still with us," Mo said quietly, coming to stand beside him. "I can feel him holding on."

Victor turned, pulling Mo into his arms, burying his face in his mate's neck to breathe in his calming scent. "The bond feels like it's unraveling thread by thread, and I never told Zack how I feel," he admitted, his voice rough with emotion he rarely allowed himself to show. "I can't do anything to stop it."

Mo's arms tightened around him. "Yes, you can. We're going to find him tonight. And then we're going to bring him home."

Victor pulled back slightly to look into Mo's eyes. "I've never been so afraid," he confessed. "Not in all my years." Not even when he found his mom and sister slaughtered.

"I know," Mo whispered, reaching up to touch Victor's face. "But Zack is strong. He's fighting to stay with us. We just need to get to him."

The back door opened again, and Riley stepped out. "We've got something," he said. "Asher managed to access their external security cameras."

They hurried back inside to find everyone gathered around Asher's laptop. On the screen, grainy footage showed the exterior of a concrete building surrounded by a fence.

"This is the old Northstar Pharmaceuticals research facility," Asher explained. "It was supposedly shut down after failing FDA inspections three years ago, but clearly that was just a cover."

"Can you get inside the building?" Victor asked.

Asher shook his head. "Not yet. Their internal security is on a closed system. But I can see who comes and goes easily enough." He clicked through several more camera angles. "According to their payroll the guards work twelve-hour shifts. These guys came on at noon, so they change at midnight."

"Three hours from now," Daniel noted. "That gives us time to prepare and move into position."

"What about the doctors?" Mo asked. "The ones who would be...experimenting on Zack?" His voice faltered on the last words.

Asher pulled up another image. "I've identified two regular visitors —a Dr. Helena Mayer and a Dr. Edward Chen. They usually work eight until five, but Mayer has been staying late. She's still there now."

Victor studied the image of a woman in her fifties with steel-gray hair pulled into a severe bun. "She's the one in charge of whatever they're doing to him?"

"According to their employment records, Dr. Mayer specializes in reproductive biology and genetic engineering," Asher confirmed. "Dr. Chen is an expert in reproductive biology."

Mo's face paled. "Reproductive biology?"

Riley and Victor exchanged a dark look.

"That's why they want him," Mo whispered. "For the baby."

The room fell silent as the full horror of the situation sank in. Not only was Zack suffering from mating sickness, but he might also be carrying their child—a child Pearson would see as nothing more than a scientific specimen.

"We need to move," Victor said, his voice deadly calm. "Now."

Daniel stepped forward. "Riley you're obviously needed with the extraction team. Victor, you'll lead the team with Raschid's wolves for backup. Martin will be here in case we need anything."

"I'm coming too," Mo said firmly.

"Mo—" Victor began.

"No," Mo cut him off. "You said it yourself—having both his mates close might strengthen the bond enough to keep him alive. I'm coming."

Victor wanted to argue, but he knew Mo was right. "You stay with me at all times. No heroics."

Mo nodded solemnly. "Promise."

The next two hours passed way too slowly. Victor felt the tension coiling tighter within him as midnight approached, his wolf prowling just beneath his skin, ready to tear apart anyone who stood between him and his mate.

"The guards are changing in fifty minutes," Asher announced, eyes fixed on his screen. "Now's our window."

Victor nodded to the team. "Let's move."

The drive to the facility took twenty agonizing minutes. They parked a half mile away, continuing on foot through the dense forest surrounding the building. Victor moved silently, Mo close behind him, with Raschid's wolves fanning out to either side.

As they reached the edge of the tree line, Victor could see the facility clearly and he stopped, dragging Mo to him and taking his gorgeous lips in a kiss that just about stopped his heart. “l haven’t said it, but I love—” He stopped because Mo’s fingers were pressed against his lips.

“No,” Mo shook his head, “Don’t you dare say it like a goodbye. You say it when we’re all together.” Mo shook him. “You hear me?” he hissed.

"I will," Victor promised, his eyes never leaving Mo's. "For all of us."

The facility loomed before them, a stark concrete monolith against the night sky. Victor signaled to the team, and they moved into position as the guard shift change began.

"Now," Victor whispered into his comm as the main gate opened to admit the relief guards.

Two of Raschid's wolves, in human form and dressed in tactical gear, moved with preternatural speed. They subdued the departing guards before they could raise an alarm, while Daniel's team disabled the incoming shift. Within moments they were tied up and gagged.

"Main gate secured," came the whispered confirmation through Victor's earpiece.

Victor turned to Mo. "Stay close. Remember what we discussed."

Mo nodded, his face set with determination as he adjusted the bulletproof vest Daniel had insisted he wear. Even Dr. Adams was on standby.

And for a godawful moment Victor doubted himself. He might be a wolf, but he wasn't some special ops guy. Some trained soldier. Daniel had training but Riley was here because of his healing ability, and Asher might be FBI, but he was a tracker. What if he did something wrong? What if his mistake cost him Zack?

Then he felt the squeeze of Mo's hand on his shirt, and it settled him.

They moved through the compound with a stealth belonging to the predators inside them, taking out two more guards before reaching the main building. The access card they'd taken from one of the unconscious guards got them through the first door.

"Asher, we're in," Victor confirmed into his comm, his wolf stirring as he caught the faintest trace of Zack's scent, and he growled. "He's here."

They moved through the sterile corridors, the artificial lighting casting harsh shadows. At the security office, Raschid's wolves created a diversion in another part of the building, drawing the guards away from their posts.

"Elevator requires a keycard and code," Victor observed as they reached the central hub.

"Try 0-9-7-1," Asher suggested. "It's Pearson's birth month and year."

The elevator hummed to life, descending smoothly to the underground levels. Victor's heart hammered against his ribs, the bond with Zack growing minutely stronger with each floor they descended.

As the doors opened, they were met with another sterile corridor, this one lined with heavy metal doors. Lab facilities, Victor realized, his rage building.

"Which one?" Mo whispered, his eyes scanning the numbered doors.

Victor closed his eyes briefly, focusing on the bond. "This way," he said, moving toward the end of the corridor where the pull felt strongest.

Then all hell broke loose.