Page 41 of Patrick’s Seduction (Scanguards Vampires #19)

41

O utside the barn, walking along a footpath leading to the main gate of the Gallagher estate, Fallon could feel the influence of the moon on the wolf she was trying to suppress. With the help of Patrick’s blood, the battle raging inside her was being fought by warriors of equal strength. However, she knew that she would lose this battle eventually. Whether this was going to happen in ten minutes, half an hour, or an hour, she didn’t know. She hoped it was the latter, and that by then, Cameron was dead, and the wolf inside her gone with him.

Silently, they approached the massive iron gate.

“I can see you all on infrared,” Cole said through the earpiece. “I’m opening the gate for you now.”

When the gate opened in front of them, she was once again amazed at the IT skills some of Scanguards’ staff possessed. Hacking into somebody’s home security system seemed like a breeze. For a moment, she wondered what would happen if Scanguards took those skills and used them for something nefarious, but she pushed the thought out of her mind instantly. She instinctively knew that the people of Scanguards lived by a code of ethics that wouldn’t allow them to do anything evil. They were here to get justice. Justice for her.

While the team broke up into smaller groups, still heading for the main entrance of the house, her group, consisting of Patrick, Zane, Virginia, and herself, veered off to the left to make a wide berth around the house. They hurried along, staying close together.

“I’m cloaking you now,” Virginia whispered into her mic.

Nothing changed. Instinctively, Fallon tapped her torso, still feeling the same. She could still see the other three members of her group, but she wasn’t worried. Patrick had explained earlier that nobody else but the four members of their group would be able to see them.

“Team one, I’ve got eyes on you,” Cole announced. “You’re good to continue.”

“I thought nobody could see us,” she whispered to Patrick.

“Infrared can, ‘cause our bodies are still here,” he replied.

“Oh.” That hadn’t even crossed her mind. “Then I hope the Gallaghers don’t have infrared cameras.”

“We’ve reached the back of the house,” Patrick announced in a whisper. “Cole? Any obstacles?”

“You’re clear to advance. Remember, I’m gonna lose you once you’re inside the house.”

“Understood.”

Patrick made signs to follow him, and their small group stayed close together as they approached the house from the back. There would be no more talking from now on, unless other sounds would drown out theirs. Fallon looked at the house. There were lights behind several of the windows on the upper floor, as well as light on the ground floor.

Fallon’s heart beat into her throat, and her palms were sweaty. Fear crept up her spine, and she couldn’t shake it off.

“Team one is at the back door,” Cole announced through her earpiece. “All other teams, you’re free to engage.”

Following the command, she heard a loud howling sound coming from the front of the house. It wasn’t a wolf’s howl, she recognized that instantly. It sounded more like the wind howling, even though there had been no wind earlier. But she couldn’t ask what it was, too worried that they would be overheard.

A small outside light illuminated the back door. Virginia was already walking through the closed door, opening it from inside. She let everybody enter, before closing it as quietly as she could. They were inside.

Fallon heard hasty footsteps, people yelling and cursing, and other sounds like those of doors opening and closing. The Gallaghers were readying themselves to defend their home.

Patrick led them down the hallway. Looking past him, she could see the large foyer with the stairs leading to the upper levels, and several doors leading into other parts of the house. A big chandelier illuminated the entry hall, and she spotted several men—men armed with guns—running into different rooms.

Despite these men crossing the foyer, Patrick pressed on, leading them right into the same area. There, he stopped, holding one arm out to the side as a sign not to advance. He gave Virginia a sign and pointed to a door underneath the stairs. It was closed.

Fallon understood their predicament instantly. They couldn’t just open the door to the basement while people were crisscrossing the entry hall. A door opening and closing by itself would give them away.

Her heart pounded like a locomotive now, and she worried that somebody could hear it despite the many voices and all the other sounds in the house. After a few more seconds, Patrick suddenly gave a sign to head for the basement door, and they all ran to it as fast as they could. Virginia opened the door. She was the first to reach the stairs. Patrick was the next, then herself. Zane followed, drawing the door shut behind him.

It was dark in the stairwell, but she understood that it was better not to flip the light switch. They couldn’t know how many guards were down there, watching Cameron. A light would only alert them.

Downstairs, stale air accompanied by other scents hit her nostrils. They passed storage areas, a wine cellar, a boiler room for the heating system of the old house, and finally, they arrived at a room that was definitely meant to house a prisoner.

A huge cage was welded to the ground, looking just like a cell in an old Western movie with thick steel bars and chains anchored in the concrete floor. The door to the cell stood wide open.

“Fuck!” Patrick cursed.

“What if they didn’t bring him here after all?” Zane asked.

Fallon instantly shook her head. “I can still smell him. His scent is strong. He must have been here for some hours.”

She inhaled, and suddenly another smell registered. The smell of another werewolf. She spun on her heel. A female werewolf—still in her human form—stared straight at her, and gasped.

“Shit!” Zane cursed.

“Intruders!” the woman yelled and turned tail.

Zane lunged for her. He tackled her, but she shifted so quickly right before everybody’s eyes that he lost his grip on her. Patrick now charged toward her, but she was fast and pounced, going for Zane’s throat. Not a moment too soon, Zane slammed something into her neck, and the wolf arrested in mid-movement.

Then he pushed her off him, and rolled out from underneath her, just as the wolf turned into a young woman again, her body naked now, her torn clothes on the ground. The auto-injector made a sound as it hit the floor.

Zane brushed the dust off his clothes, then glared at Virginia. “I thought we were invisible.”

Virginia rolled her eyes. “I was conserving energy while we were down here alone.”

Zane grunted.

“Guess the Epi-pen wasn’t such a bad idea after all, right?” Fallon asked to break the tension in the room.

Zane shrugged, and grunted again.

Patrick pointed to the naked woman. “I think that’s Gallagher’s daughter. Let’s lock her in the cage. Quickly. We’ve gotta find out where they took Cameron.”

Cole’s voice now came through Fallon’s earpiece. “I see three people heading for an SUV. On the right side of the house, where the added wing is located.”

“Can you see who they are?” Patrick asked.

“Negative. Can’t get the right angle on that drone. I have to rely on my infrared drone instead. Hurry. Looks like the engine is already running.”

“Fuck!” Fallon cursed.

If this was Cameron, they had to act quickly, or he would disappear for good.