Chapter 14
Gunnolf
V al trembles slightly as I guide her to the car. She’s wearing a brave face, but I can see through it. The texts and the threats are getting to her, wearing her down piece by piece. We’ve had a week of bliss together while Val’s recouped. I haven’t let her check her phone this week, but I’m needed back with the team now. So I am keeping Val with me as much as possible.
And it’s killing me that I can’t do more to protect her.
“Let’s get you back to safety,” I murmured, opening the passenger door for her. She hesitates. Her eyes search mine as if looking for reassurance. The bruises on her face have faded from purple and black to green and yellow.
I give her a slight nod, hoping that it’s enough to assure her. She offers a half smile in return and slides into her seat.
So much has happened between us since we met. On one hand, I’m not ready to return to the real world since realizing how much I care for Val, but on the other hand, I want to take Marcus Crowe and his cronies out for good before he starts a war on innocents.
The drive back to HQ is tense, and the silence between us is thick with unspoken words. I can feel her gaze occasionally, but I keep my eyes on the road, trying to push down the raging storm inside me. What is she thinking?
My wolf is restless. Pacing back and forth, demanding me to do something, anything, to eliminate anyone and everyone who is making Val’s life hell.
I understand why, but right now, I need to refocus. I need my wits about me for this mission, and through that, I will be focusing on the threats to Val. Unfortunately, my wolf doesn’t quite understand that logic.
We arrive back at headquarters, and the energy is intoxicating. The team is buzzing with newfound energy. As I move through the halls with Val by my side, I can feel myself merging with my wolf rather than being in opposition to him.
On the way to the bunks, Val slows down near the open doorway where the team is buzzing. They are gathered around a whiteboard that is covered in notes, maps, and photos. The generally defeated sense of fatigue we’d had prior to this is nowhere to be found.
Bruce spots us first, nodding in our direction. “Gun, you’re gonna want to hear this.”
I glance at Val. I’m unsure if she wants to participate in this discussion. She gives me a nod and pushes ahead of me into the briefing room. I follow closely behind without argument.
Kato steps forward with a grim smile. “ It’s good to see you, Val,” he nods.
“Good to see you too,” she nods in return.
Kato’s attention turns to me, “We’ve been busy. I took down two of the guys that Lucas mentioned. They were surprisingly eager to talk once they realized they were alone. Looks like Marcus might not have as strong of a hold on his people as he thought he did.” He gestures to the board, where Hati is pinning up new information.
“What have you got?” I ask, instinctively wrapping an arm around Val’s waist and pulling her into me.
Minna smiles from her seat at the table behind Kato, and my cheeks flush with heat.
“Turns out Marcus Crowe’s next move is bigger than we thought,” Hati adds, looking back from the board, his voice dark.
“We’ve confirmed that he’s planning a large-scale bombing at the upcoming paranormal hunters’ summit. It’s a gathering of hunter leaders—but anyone in the community is invited to be there.” Kato says. “It’s going to be a total massacre.”
Val’s eyes widen, and she shimmies out of my grip, stepping closer to the board. “He’s targeting the summit? But people bring their families there,” her voice barely above a whisper.
“Exactly,” Callie chimes in, her face pale. “It’s the perfect opportunity for him to make a statement. Crowe wants to hit them where it hurts, taking out as many leaders as possible in one strike.”
“And the families are the perfect casualty for his revenge,” I add bitterly.
Silence rings as the weight of the revelation sinks in. This isn’t just another attack. It’s a declaration of war.
I take a deep breath and roll my neck. My muscles are tight and anxious—a whirlwind of emotions within threatens to consume me. My wolf instincts call out for me to take my mate as far away from this mess as possible, but I know that’s not the right move.
Val wouldn’t want it that way, either. Not now, not ever.
Val steps forward, her eyes blazing with determination. “He needs to be stopped.” She says, “We need to stop him, but we need to be smart about it.”
“We are establishing a massive tactical team. He won’t be able to enact his plan.” Kato nods.
Val clicks her tongue and takes a deep breath. “We need to be smart about it. He’ll expect us to show guns blazing if he’s targeting the summit.”
She’s right, damn it. As much as I hate it, we will need to play this carefully. “What do we know about his plan?” I ask, forcing myself to focus on the task at hand.
“Hmm,” Kato looks at the rest of the team.
“I need to talk to Lucas. I need to find out everything I can about Marcus Crowe, and something tells me I will get more information from him than any of you could.” Val suggests.
“I can have him brought in,” Kato says without hesitation. My fists clench at my sides. I don’t like this idea one bit.
“Val, you are here to stay safe, not to make yourself a central part of the investigation.”
“I’m here to stay safe, and you’re right. What’s a better way to stay safe than to eliminate the ones threatening my safety?”
The words send a cold spike of dread through me. “No way,” I snap, stepping forward. The thought of her alone in a room with that rat sends my wolf into overdrive. “You’re not going in there by yourself. He’s dangerous.”
Val turns to me, eyes alight with that stubborn fire I’ve come to admire and fear. “I can handle it, Gunnolf. I need answers, and he’s more likely to talk if you’re not looming over him like some avenging beast.”
She’s right, but damn if I like it. I grit my teeth, fists clenching at my sides. Kato hesitates, looking between us, then gives a reluctant nod. “Fine, but I’ll be outside the door, and so will Bruce.”
I want to argue, to pull her away and lock her somewhere safe, but the defiance in her gaze dares me to try. “Five minutes,” I growl, my voice low and warning. “That’s all you get.”
Val nods, turning on her heels and walking toward the interrogation room. I follow, staying outside with Kato, my eyes locked on the two-way mirror. My wolf paces beneath my skin, furious that I let her do this alone.
An hour later local officers bring Lucas Frye from the local jail and back to the FBI offices. This is all happening way too fast.
The interrogation room is cold and stark in a way that drains the warmth from your bones. I watch through the glass as Val steps inside. Her shoulders are squared, and her chin is lifted in her fearless way. Lucas Frye is slumped in his chair, looking like a beaten-down rat, but his eyes flicker with defiance until the moment he sets eyes on Val.
Val sits across from him, and the room becomes momentarily silent. She stares at him, her blue eyes unblinking as they slice through any bravado he may have mustered.
“So,” Val says, her voice soft but confident. “You tried to kill me, huh?”
She leans in her voice low and steady. She’s not trying to intimidate him; she’s trying to reach him, to dig beneath his defenses, “That wasn’t very nice of you, was it?”
Given the circumstances, most people would crumble in front of someone like Frye, but not Val. She’s holding her ground, and it’s mesmerizing and turns me on.
“Lucas,” I hear the faint sound of her voice through the intercom. “We both know you’re in deep. But I’m not here to threaten you. I’m here to understand.”
Frye scoffs, slumping further into his chair. “Understand what? Are you all just waiting to take down Crowe? Do you think you can stop him? You’re wasting your time.”
My jaw tightens. If he lays one finger on her... But Val doesn’t flinch. She leans in closer, her tone calm, almost gentle.
“I’m not asking about his motives. I’m asking about the bombs. The materials you’ve been sourcing are not standard. They’re... specialized.”
The sneer on Frye’s face falters, replaced by a flicker of uncertainty. He wasn’t expecting her to go there. “What do you know about it?” he challenges, but there’s a crack in his voice, a hint of fear.
Val’s posture shifts and her eyes sharpen. She’s got him. “Enough to know that they’re not just regular explosives,” she says, her voice barely above a whisper. “They’re tied to something... more. Something paranormal.”
I watch, my heart pounding as Frye’s expression changes. He’s genuinely shocked momentarily, and I know she’s hit a nerve. “You think you’re clever, don’t you?” he sneers, but the bravado is fading. “Crowe’s not just some man with a grudge. He’s got... abilities. Psychic ones.”
Psychic? That’s not something we saw coming. I lean closer to the glass, my mind racing. If Crowe has psychic powers, maybe he can detonate bombs with his mind.
Val doesn’t miss a beat. “Go on,” she urges.
Frye leans forward, his voice dropping. “The supplies we used—rare crystals, herbs, enchanted metals—allow Crowe to link with the bombs. He doesn’t need to be anywhere near them to detonate them. He... focuses, and boom. It’s like he’s there in person.”
My blood runs cold. If Crowe can trigger these explosives remotely, we’re facing a new threat that we’re unprepared for.
“So why would you be at the office?” She asks casually, “The day you tried to blow me up?”
“The bomb still needs to be planted obviously, to go off.”
“And that’s what you and the others are good for.” She says thoughtfully, “Where’s the main stockpile?” Val presses, her voice calm and controlled.
“I don’t know,” Frye says, slumping in his chair. Chains from his handcuffs clink against the table.
Val sits back, her face a mask of calm, but I can see the gears turning in her mind. She’s already figuring out our next move, adapting, strategizing. She stands up, her chair scraping against the floor, and I’m at the door before she even opens it.
Val steps out of the interrogation room, her face pale. I’m on her in a second, searching her eyes. “You okay?”
She gives a tight nod, “We need to regroup,” she says, her voice steady despite the adrenaline I can feel pulsing between us. “I’ve got an idea.”
We return to the room where the team is huddled around the digital map. Val doesn’t waste time. She steps up to the front, commanding the room with a confidence that makes my chest tighten with pride.
“Here’s the deal,” she starts, her voice evident. “Crowe’s not going to be anywhere near the summit. He’s using psychic connections to detonate his bombs remotely. And we can’t just hit his stockpile and hope to stop him. We need to change the game.”
The team nods, already absorbing this shift in strategy. Hati exchanges a look with Bruce, both of them ready to pivot.
“So, what’s the plan?” Kato asks, arms crossed, eyes sharp. Kato asking Val what the plan is? This is unheard of.
Val takes a breath, and her gaze sweeps the room before her eyes land on me. “We feed him false intel. Make it look like we’ve moved the summit to a new, unsecured location. Somewhere he can’t resist targeting. Somewhere he hasn’t already planted bombs. If he believes we’re vulnerable, he’ll want to strike personally to ensure his victory.”
“This is his big moment; he probably will want to be close,” Hati says, voice trailing off. “You are right about that.”
A ripple of murmurs runs through the team, but I can see the gears turning in their minds. It’s a bold move that could flush Crowe out or send him further into hiding.
I step closer, my eyes locked on Val’s. “You’re suggesting we use the summit as bait?”
“Not exactly,” she counters, lifting her chin. “We’re creating a decoy. We’ll stage an event with minimal security on the surface but have a full tactical team in the shadows, ready to intercept. An event he won’t be able to resist, taking the bait.”
Kato nods slowly, piecing it together. “If we make it look like we’re scrambling to protect this new location, he’ll believe he’s outsmarted us. He’ll show his hand. We need to talk to the hunters.”
I want to argue that this whole plan should be shut down before it begins. The thought of Val being anywhere near Crowe’s crosshairs twists my gut in knots. But damn it, she’s right. If we want to stop Crowe, we need to force him into a corner, get him to expose himself.
“Alright,” I growl, barely keeping my wolf at bay. “But we do it my way. You need full tactical support, and Val, you stay behind the scenes. I’m not risking you out there.”
She nods, “There’s no reason for me to be there.”
Goddess, I hope she means that.