Page 23

T ara and her mates had just finished dinner when Diego knocked on their cabin door. The day had been bright and sunny, but a storm rolled in with dusk. Kyle motioned Diego inside and quickly closed the door.

Diego shook off the snow that had accumulated on his shoulders and said, “I hate to drag you guys out on this miserable night, but Zion wants this dealt with now.”

Isaac skirted the dining table and crossed the living room. “Until we locate the entrance to the tunnels, there’s not a lot we can do.”

Kyle cringed. That had been the topic of much of their dinner conversation and Tara was depressed and sulky because of it. He looked at her and smiled, but her expression didn’t change.

“We can make sure Babcock isn’t around to inject any more of the females,” Diego pointed out. “He only escaped Team Three because of the latest attack on the females. It must end, and now is the time.”

Kyle’s heart lurched and he sucked in a breath. “Do we finally have a kill order?”

Diego shook his head. “He needs to be interrogated. The order is capture and we’ve confirmed that he’s in the lupine village right now.”

“Our covert shields are less effective in the snow,” Jon reminded as he joined them by the door. “And even if we’re invisible, our footprints are not.”

“It’s a risk either way,” Diego countered. “The wolves are more active when it’s warm. Tonight, they’ll be in their cabins huddled around their fires. Besides, half the village guards are in the tunnels protecting the females.”

“What about Juan and the man with the neck tattoo?” Isaac wanted to know. “Can we take care of them while we’re in the village?”

“Zion okayed a hit on the tattooed wolf, but Juan is to be taken alive. I split the objectives into two separate missions. Shadow Team Three is going to take out Mr. Tattoos and capture Juan. You guys are to secure Babcock and bring him back here. It might seem like the easier mission, but Babcock is more important.”

“If we’re all going hunting, Tara needs a security detail,” Jon insisted.

“Already arranged,” Diego assured him. “A team of four is stationed around this cabin. I didn’t figure you’d want them inside.”

“Damn right,” Jon responded, his expression fierce. “No one touches Tara but us.”

Diego acknowledged the statement with a nod, then asked, “Are there any other questions or concerns?”

“Is anyone still searching for the women?” Tara pushed back from the table and stood. Her tone was respectful, but unshed tears shimmered in her eyes. “The last time the wolves kidnapped women, Zion gave up without a fight.”

“Our best hunters have been searching the forest for the entrance to the tunnels,” Diego told her. “They’ve lost the light for today, but they’ll be back out there as soon as the sun rises again.”

She nodded then pleaded, “Please don’t give up on them. If Claire is claimed by a wolf, I don’t think she’ll survive. And Dawn’s situation is even worse. She’s terrified of everything.”

“We understand their history. We’ll keep searching.”

“Thank you,” she said softly and then slipped into the nearest bedroom.

Kyle wanted to go after her, to make sure she was alright. But Diego didn’t leave, so the briefing wasn’t over. With a subtle sigh of frustration, he turned back to his commander. “Was there something else we needed to know?”

Diego nodded. “Zion wants the opportunity to question Babcock. However, if the choice is allowing him to escape or taking him out, then take him out.”

“Gladly,” Jon said with a bit too much enthusiasm.

“We need to know exactly what he’s doing to those females and if the process can be reversed,” Diego stressed. “What Isaac saw in Elias’ mind makes no sense if all Babcock is doing is increasing compatibility.”

“I agree,” Isaac said. “That woman was trying to shift. And shapeshifting has nothing to do with creating offspring.”

Jon’s upper lip curled into a sneer, but he said, “We’ll do our best to bring him back alive.”

Diego left a few minutes later and Kyle made a beeline for the bedroom.

Tara stood by the window, staring out into the darkening yard.

Snow was falling steadily now, coating the tree branches and blanketing the ground.

He doubted that she saw any of it. He was only mildly empathic, and he could sense the emotions radiating off her.

“How long will you be gone?” she asked without turning around.

Kyle placed his hands on her shoulders and pulled her back into the warmth of his body. “A couple of hours, maybe a little more.”

“Do you think Babcock can tell us how to find the entrance?” She met his gaze in the windowpane. Her eyes were wide and luminous. “He’s not a hybrid. Maybe his mind will be easier to scan.”

“There are a lot of things he needs to tell us before we end his life. That’s why it’s so important that we bring him back alive.

” She didn’t respond, so Kyle ran his hand down the back of her hair.

They’d intended to form the transfer link tonight.

It would have allowed him to calm and comfort her before they left.

He hated seeing her this unhappy. “Would you like me to send for Lexie or Bianca? I’m not sure you should be alone right now. ”

One corner of her mouth twisted into a wry smile. “Send for Claire and Dawn. My mood will recover completely as soon as I know they’re safe.” She turned around and looked up into his eyes. “I’m grumpy, but fine. Be careful. I’ll completely lose my shit if anything happens to any of you guys.”

Kyle leaned down and kissed her lips. “We’ll be careful. I promise.”

Twenty minutes later Kyle, Isaac, and Jon were bundled up and tromping through the forest. Their ability to regulate their body temperature wasn’t enough to combat this cold.

They risked bringing a hover cart along, so they didn’t have to carry an unconscious Babcock all the way through the forest. They intended to hide the cart a short distance from the village.

The disadvantage was that they had to make it in and out of the village cleanly.

If Babcock, or anyone else, set off an alarm, their entire plan fell apart.

After concealing the hover cart in a small cave, Kyle and his teammates activated their covert shields and hiked down the hill toward the lupine village.

The vantage point allowed Kyle to see over the perimeter walls.

There were lights in many of the cabins, and plenty of chimney smoke, but no one was walking around.

The wind picked up as they neared their destination, so their tracks were less noticeable.

Even so, they hurried along, wanting the mission to be finished as quickly as possible.

They followed the curve of the wall, heading toward the back side of the village. Isaac jogged right past their entry point without realizing what he’d done. Kyle paused and Jon swore, “Fuckers figured it out.” A thick stump was all that remained of their favorite tree.

Isaac must have turned around because his voice came from right beside Kyle. “Someone is advising them. They have never been this strategic before.”

Kyle agreed, but now was not the time to puzzle through the development. “How do we get inside?”

“Let’s walk around to the main gate,” Isaac suggested. “I’ll have to let you in.”

“That will only work if the guards are hiding from the cold,” Jon pointed out. “You’ll be weak as a kitten after flowing through something that thick. There is no way you’ll be able to take them on.”

“What choice do we have?” Isaac flared. “Zion wants this done tonight.”

“To hell with what Zion wants,” Jon grumped. “We need to fall back and regroup. Maybe try again tomorrow night with a larger team. Stealth is our primary weapon. I’m not sure we can pull this off alone.”

Isaac paused, likely debating the options. Zion’s approval was important to all of them, but they could better assess the scene. “Let’s walk around and see what we’re dealing with. We’re here already. What do we have to lose?”

Pouring energy into his shields, Kyle fell in line between his teammates.

They hiked around to the front of the village and reassessed the situation.

There were three guards on duty, but they were huddled around a fire on the far side of the main gate.

It would have been better if they were inside the guard tower.

Still, the Shadows could work with this.

“I’ll flow through the small door and quietly let you in,” Isaac explained. “Once all three of us are inside, we’ll attack the guards together. It must be fast and silent. They cannot be allowed to set off an alarm.”

“Understood.” Jon still sounded grumpy.

“Take your time letting us in,” Kyle urged. “This will all go to hell if you pass out.”

“You sound like Tara,” Isaac teased and slugged him on the arm.

Kyle and Jon waited quietly while Isaac flowed through the door. He became visible for just a moment as his body transitioned from matter to energy. On the other side of the door, Isaac would need to be even more cautious. An odd flicker of light could catch the guard’s attention.

It took longer than usual, but the door finally opened, and Kyle watched Jon’s footsteps rush through the opening. He followed and Isaac closed the door.

Have you recovered enough to help us? Jon persisted.

Give me a minute. I’m still lightheaded.

Kyle smiled. After working together for most of a decade, they knew each other well. Isaac continually pushed himself too hard. It was his teammates’ job to pull him back.

They waited until Isaac signaled that he was ready and then they rushed toward the guards.

Jon’s shield slipped for a moment as he dragged his guard into the rustic tower beside the gate. His arm was wrapped around the wolf’s neck and the guard’s eyes bugged nearly out of his head.

“They’re Shadows,” one guard warned, but Isaac slit his throat a second later.