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Henri knew the exact second something happened to Rocky. One minute he was in pain and then the next Rocky wasn’t anymore. Henri felt his life force. He knew he wasn’t dead. Which meant he had to have passed out.

Henri ran through all the scenarios in which that would have happened. Given his pain level, it was obvious he’d been injured. Probably by a bullet. Lucas must have saved him.

The enhanced humans didn’t know how to use their new skills, so they resorted to using guns. Guns were effective. Henri couldn’t refute the logic of using them. They were useful against humans and some paranormals. But shifters and vampires had superior healing abilities. There were better ways to kill them. And witches and warlocks had magic they could use, making guns less than ideal.

What Henri couldn’t figure out was, if they attacked other towns, what was the point of it if their objective was to kidnap Echo and Lucas?

Perhaps all they wanted was to control the population.

Henri had tucked himself under a bench style seat and behind assault-style guns, he thought about everything. His mind raced. He had a visual of Echo, who lay passed out on the floor. They’d tied him up as though doing so would stop him from killing them. All Echo had to do was wake up.

Henri had had seconds to get into the van. He’d picked the one at the front, thinking they’d choose it, so they didn’t have to worry about maneuvering around the other vans parked on the road behind it. He’d grabbed a fistful of some sort of native plant growing in the forest, took off his pants and stuck them out of sight, and then climbed into the van. He stuck the plant under the seat right before he shifted. It was a lot easier to hide.

He wasn’t a big turtle. His size used to be a sore spot, but he’d come to terms with it. Being able to stay out of sight in such a small space meant his size had finally benefited him.

He tried to pay attention when the van turned. When they sped up, he knew they’d gotten on the highway.

Where are you? Henri thought he was losing his mind, but then he recognized Lucas’s voice and sighed in relief. Henri, are you all right?

We’ve been on the highway for about ten minutes. We’re headed west, I think. Maybe we’re headed for the airport? I think the closest one is in West Bend but double check please. Henri sighed in relief. The last thing he wanted was to be the sole person saving Echo. He didn’t know what to do after they got to where they were going. He had no plan at all, which made him panic as much as his current situation did.

Got it.

I’m uninjured. They used some sort of chemical to render Echo unconscious. Probably chloroform. I don’t know Echo’s condition.Chloroform could cause death if given a high dosage. It could cause respiratory failure and seizures.

He’s breathing. And waking up. Bandos and Sully are on their way.

Vaughan? Henri held his breath. Did he want to know the answer if it was bad? Rocky?

Shifting helped Vaughan. He’s with Bandos and Sully. I fixed Rocky. He passed out from the effects. It’s a thing.

Please keep him safe.

He’s fine. As worried about you as you are about him.

I know. I felt it. Rocky must have been gravely injured for Lucas to have to save his life. Thank you for saving him.

We’re all going to make it. How many times had Lucas said that to himself? Maybe as many times as Henri.

****

Henri had been right. They had been going to the airport. The sound of planes taking off was unmistakable. The closer the van got, the louder the planes became.

If they were going to escape, it would have to be before they loaded Echo onto the plane. Henri couldn’t let the humans leave the van.

They must have a private plane, which meant the area would be somewhat secluded.

His mind raced. He needed to figure out the possible escape routes. The biggest issue would be the fencing surrounding some of the airport.

He didn’t have even one plan by the time they turned and then slowed down before stopping. For the first time in hours, Henri smelled fresh air. It came from someone rolling down a window.

Henri had seen the exact second Echo’s breathing had changed. His eyes were still closed, and he lay in the same position.

Henri had no way of letting Echo know he wasn’t alone. He hadn’t opened his eyes yet, anyway. Even if he did, what he’d see were the soldiers sitting on the bench seat. While their legs didn’t block Henri’s view of Echo, they blocked him from seeing most of the front of the vehicle.

Henri used his mouth to pick up a piece of the plant. He had to do some turtle acrobatics, but he dropped it in front of the guns.

Lucas?

I’m here.

Can you communicate with Echo?

Yes.

Tell him I’m here. Under the bench seat. And I brought a forest plant with me.

Got it.

Henri watched Echo. He saw when Lucas communicated with him. Echo’s breathing changed, and he seemed to sigh almost as if in relief.

If Henri hadn’t been paying attention, he would have missed the plant growing. It was a slight movement. Not much of anything at all. Except it meant Echo was doing his thing.

The humans stopped talking. The van started down the road again.

Henri prayed to the gods Echo knew to bide his time. They needed to strike at the perfect moment.

Could Echo use one small plant to kill all the humans in the van? Henri wasn’t sure what the answer was, but he had to be ready to help.

In the few minutes it took for the van to maneuver around the airport, a plan formed in his mind.

He wished he could communicate with everyone the way Lucas could. If it had been a possibility, he would have told Echo his plan. They could have tweaked it to make it work. But all he could do was hope Echo understood what he needed to do.

Even before they stopped, Henri moved along the van’s side underneath the bench.

When the van stopped, Henri didn’t hesitate. He left the safety of his hiding place and shifted, grabbing a gun.

He wasn’t sure if they loaded the guns before stashing them under the seat, and he didn’t know how to find out. He didn’t have time for anything beyond pointing and shooting.

The next few seconds passed quickly. At the same time, everything stopped. All Henri heard was the sound of his own breathing. He knew he wouldn’t be able to recall how he’d been able to assess the situation. It seemed automatic.

Nothing in Henri’s genetic makeup made him capable of killing someone, and yet he did. Not only that, but he’d been strategic about who he took out first.

As soon as he turned and aimed at the humans, he saw Echo had already begun doing his thing with the plant. But he’d been right to question how much Echo could do with a small plant.

Echo used the plant to bind their legs. Somehow, he rooted them to the van floor. Henri wasn’t sure how he’d managed that. Perhaps there were holes underneath the rubber mat. Regardless, doing so meant two of them couldn’t grab their guns.

It left three others for Henri to take care of in the back and two in the front.

Henri knew what a safety was. He’d read about guns in novels a few times. He wasn’t sure where it was on the gun, but he imagined the manufacturer would put the safety mechanism somewhere within easy reach of the trigger. Maybe it was luck, but he found a button and pressed it.

And then he started shooting.

Echo curled into a ball and covered his ears.

What Henri didn’t account for was the force of a bullet leaving the chamber. The gun kicked back against Henri’s shoulder. He’d have a bruise. Being a shifter meant it would heal soon, but he still wasn’t happy about the pain. He recovered and accounted for it the next time he pulled the trigger.

One of the unbound humans went for their gun and even had it in hand by the time Henri shot him.

The next people Henri focused on were the two humans at the front. Henri pointed at the one in the driver’s seat because he hadn’t chosen to bail out of the van. Instead, he drew a handgun.

Henri’s chest tightened when he saw the black metal pointed at him. He struggled to breathe. Instinct kicked in and he pulled the trigger. When he pulled it, multiple bullets discharged, one after another, spraying the inside of the van like an out-of-control sprinkler.

The driver fired but missed because the force of so many bullets leaving the chamber knocked Henri off his feet at the exact right time. He landed against the back doors, which made him spray the van roof.

Echo stood beside him, covering Henri’s hand, letting him know he could ease up on the trigger.

He breathed again, shuddering as the adrenaline worked its way through his body.

Echo took the gun from him with shaking hands, setting it aside before opening the back door and stepping out.

Henri shut his eyes, trying to calm his racing heart. As his heart rate leveled out and his ears stopped ringing, his sense of smell kicked in. The coppery scent was overwhelming.

He opened his eyes, taking in blood splatter and the way bodies slumped on top of each other. The driver lay over the center console.

Henri hadn’t ever thrown up before, but he knew the exact moment he was going to.

Echo wiped his mouth as if he’d puked. A dead human, who’d been in the passenger’s seat moments ago, lay next to the fence with grass growing around him as if it were a spider spinning a web around its next meal. Henri didn’t even make it away from the vehicle before he lost everything in his stomach.

Echo came up beside him, somehow avoiding the splatter. He rubbed Henri’s back and waited until he finished before he spoke. “We need to get out of here. Before airport security comes.”

Henri wished he had water to rinse his mouth.

Echo nodded toward the plane. “You need clothing.”

What Henri needed was a shower to wash all the blood off. Echo did too, although he wasn’t as bad off. “It’s likely one of your kidnappers was the pilot. I’m sure the mission was secret, so I doubt anyone is waiting inside.”

“That’s my thought too.”

They made their way over to the plane and opened the door. It was one of those cargo-type things. The first thing he saw when they got inside was more guns. But there were duffle bags too.

“I’ll find some clothes for us. You search for water. And then we make a run for it.”

Henri got to work. There were cases of bottled water stacked at the front of the plane. He emptied a small duffle bag and put some bottles inside, along with some cash he’d found. It wasn’t much money. A few hundred dollars, but it was enough to get them back home.

Henri wasn’t sure how long they would be in the city or how easy it would be to get home. Saint Lakes wasn’t safe even if they made it back.

Echo threw some pants at Henri. They were the black cargo ones the humans wore, but they’d cover him. Henri put them on and then a T-shirt Echo had given him.

Echo changed clothes as well. “If security catches up with us, we’ll both look legit.”

“Good thinking.” But he didn’t know if it was or not. It couldn’t hurt, though. Blood splattered Echo’s clothing. He needed to change so he wouldn’t draw attention to them.

It wasn’t but a couple of minutes and they were out of the airplane, headed for the nearest exit. They had to walk around the fence, which made them feel like sitting ducks, but there were no vehicles coming toward them. No flashing lights or sirens. Perhaps firing inside the vehicle had kept the sound contained.

When Henri stopped walking, so did Echo. He searched for the right spot in the fence, glancing back at the guard’s station. He pointed to a corner on the other side of the airplane. “We can climb the fence there and remain unseen.”

Echo nodded, and they ran back the way they’d come.

Passing the van made Henri shudder, but he ignored it as best as he could.

They threw the duffle bag over the fence first and then started the ascent together.

Henri had never climbed a fence and didn’t realize how the thin metal of each link would dig into his fingers. He didn’t enjoy the experience. And his landing sucked.

Echo grabbed the bag and then his hand. They took off, running away from the airport as fast as they could.

We’re safe. Henri projected to Lucas.

I’ll let Rocky know when he wakes up. Someone is coming to get you guys, okay?

We’ll find our way back.Henri wasn’t going to twiddle his thumbs waiting for someone to save them. They needed to save themselves. So far so good where that was concerned.

Let me know where you are at all times.

He’d thought their getaway would have been much more dramatic, but no one seemed to notice them. Or if they did, no one cared.

They slowed down, walking along the sidewalk as if they belonged.

“Bandos and Vaughan are still in Saint Lakes. They’re having a hard time getting out of town. They keep getting shot at and the humans have the roads blocked.” Echo’s chin wobbled and tears gathered on his lashes.

Henri wrapped his arm around Echo’s shoulders. “We’ll make it back home. We’re safer than they are right now. We saved ourselves. It stands to reason we can save our mates if necessary.”

Echo nodded. “Thanks for sticking with me, Henri.”

“Well, according to your mate, it’s what family does.”

Echo wiped his eyes, smiling. “Vaughan. Somerset to his core.”

“Yeah.” And he had a point. It was the worst of times. They had to stick together if they wanted to survive.