Chapter 22
Several hours later Reno jerked awake to the buzzing of his cell phone. The signal must be stronger depending on the time of day, he thought as he fumbled for the device and flipped it open.
“’lo?”
“Reno? Where the hell are you? You said you’d check in with me.”
It was Damien. Reno chuckled at the concern in the kid’s voice. “Right where I said I’d be. In Kolding’s Pass. What’s the matter? You miss me?”
“Miss your ugly face? No way. I just need someone to get Fielding off my tail. The man has a real burr up his ass over you being gone.”
“Too bad. We’re supposed to be off duty.” Reno shifted on the bed and winced as his ribs protested the movement. Being ‘off-duty’ seemed to hurt more than being ‘on-duty.’
“Yeah, well his interpretation of that isn’t the same as yours. I tell you, he’s pissed off at you. Reamed me out wanting to know where you were and what you were doing.”
“Did you tell him?”
“Nah. I just said you were taking a vacation, maybe in the mountains. He didn’t like that answer though and stormed off swearing a blue streak.”
“Huh.” Reno wondered why the old man was over-reacting like that, then shrugged. He had more to worry about right now than the captain’s reaction to his absence. “You alone?”
“No. Beth’s here.”
“Oh. Right. You said something about the two of you… ?”
“We’re mated. Blood bonded.” Damien gave a deep rich chuckle. “Man, Reno, you gotta try it.”
Reno snorted and ignored how his wolf’s ears immediately perked up at the mention of a blood bond. “I’ll leave that to you young studs.”
“Yeah, I guess at thirty-one, you’re too old for hot sex anymore; wouldn’t want you to die of a heart attack or something.”
“Keep it up, kid and I’ll wipe the floor with you when I get back.” Reno grinned at his partner’s good natured ribbing.
“And you’ll be back… when?” Damien’s voice suddenly became serious.
“Soon.” He rubbed his chin and added a qualifier. “I hope.”
“Problems? Do we need to act in an official capacity?”
“I’m not sure yet.” Reno stared across the room at Brandi’s suitcase. She might claim she wanted to stay but there was no way in hell he was listening to her on that point. “First thing I have to do is get Brandi out of here.”
“She’s in trouble?”
Reno grunted. “I think so. She gave me some cock-and-bull story about leaving Lycan Link and staying in Kolding’s Pass. And the Alpha was acting as if he owned her.” He clenched his jaw and didn’t mention the part about mates—he wasn’t prepared to handle any comments Damien might make about that just yet.
“Do you need help?”
“Maybe. I don’t want you in town, but if you were a bit closer than half way across the country, just in case… ”
“I’m on it. I’ll tell Fielding that Beth and I are taking a little honeymoon.”
“Beth? I don’t know if that’s a good idea.” Reno frowned. She’d seemed sort of fragile.
“She’ll be okay. We’ll find a place in a nearby town and I’ll have her stay well away if anything starts to go down.”
Reno said nothing. It was hard to think of Damien being blood bonded; the kid had been intent on sowing his wild oats for so long. But if his partner had found some happiness in his life, Reno wasn’t going to stand in his way. No point in everyone being lonely…
“Reno? You still there?”
“Yeah, just thinking.” He rubbed his hand over his face and concentrated on the problem at hand. “Listen, tonight I’m heading out to search the town. I’ll see if there are any halves hidden away and try to find where they’re keeping Brandi. Hopefully, I’ll get a chance to talk to her with no one around.”
“I can be there by noon tomorrow. Wait and I’ll go with you.”
“No, it has to be tonight. Some of the locals made it all too clear that they want me out of town in the morning.”
“And if you get caught?”
“I won’t. They’re pretty sure they have me scared and holed up for the night. And I thought this would be a good time to test that chemical mask they’ve been developing at Headquarters.”
“You have a sample? I thought it wasn’t allowed out of the labs yet?”
“Technically not, but I was helping with the trial subjects and got a vial to use on myself someday. It worked in the lab. The next step was to test it in an open space where wind or humidity might lessen its effectiveness.”
“I don’t know Reno… ”
“Quit worrying like a female with a batch of pups to protect. I’ll be fine.”
Damien was quiet for a moment then sighed. “Okay, but check in with me when you get back.”
“Yes, mother. I’ll call you in the morning.” Reno hung up chuckling. Usually he was the one doing the worrying, hoping members of his team would make it out of each encounter unscathed, not that he ever let anyone know, of course. It was a strange feeling to be on the receiving end of concern for a change.
He tucked his phone back in his pocket and eased himself off the bed. The various bruises and abrasions didn’t hurt nearly as much as they had a while ago. Gotta love the Lycan metabolism, he thought to himself.
Pulling open his duffle bag, he dug through the contents until he found the sample of the chemical mask he’d been helping to test. It was still considered top secret, but as one of the senior Enforcers, he’d been brought in to assess its usefulness.
Nothing like on-the-job testing, he thought to himself as he opened the box containing the small vial. A last minute whim had caused him to throw it in his bag; now he was happy that he had.
Tentatively, he sniffed the cap and made a face. It was sort of flowery and reminded him of women’s perfume. He eyed the container. Damn, it even looked like perfume with some sort of squishy little ball—an atomizer—he’d have to compress in order to apply the concoction. Was this some sort of joke? He growled thinking he’d have a word or two for Muriel, the lab tech, when he got back!
Grimacing, he began to spritz the chemical all over himself, thankful none of his men were here to see him applying ‘perfume.’ That was the sort of the thing that took ages to either live down or beat out of the other Enforcers’ memories.
When he was done, he put the remaining chemical back in the box and tucked it into his pants’ pocket just in case it wore off. The lab tests had only been for two hours and within the confines of Lycan Link it had worked well. As one of the best trackers on staff, he’d been called in to find the test subjects and, much to his frustration, had been unable to detect them anywhere. He hoped it would work in the field as well as it did under those controlled conditions.
Shutting off all the lights in the room, he checked his watch. A little after midnight; the perfect time for an evening stroll. Easing the door open he glanced around. All appeared quiet. There were no lights from the diner or the house in back and all the other motel units were dark.
Slipping out of the room, he made his way to the shadows and transformed. In a town full of Lycans, shifting in public wasn’t an issue but just in case a human was in the area, he wasn’t taking any chances. Better to be safe…
Pleased to be released, his wolf stretched itself out, back first and then front. After giving its fur a shake, it looked around with interest, taking in the area, testing the air for scents. Once satisfied, it amiably sunk to the back of his consciousness and Reno took command.
The world looked different as a wolf—not that he often thought about it—the lower angle, the shades of grey versus full colour; it gave a new perspective to one’s surroundings, sometimes revealing what might have gone unnoticed otherwise. A wolf also moved with greater stealth and was able to get into places a man might not be able to.
With this in mind, Reno set off to explore the town. Even though he wanted to check in
on Brandi first, he had a duty to any half-weres that might be in the pack and needed to confirm their status. Prowling up and down the streets, he scented the air carefully, checking the gender, age, and rank of the various wolves in each house through their unique odours. As an Enforcer he’d developed an especially keen ability when it came to profiling other Lycans.
It took almost two hours and when he was done he came to the conclusion that there were no adult half-weres left in Kolding’s Pass though several young halves were definitely present. They were females, mid to late teens and lived in a few of the larger homes with several more mature full-blooded weres. That begged the question, where was the human parent?
Heading back to the centre of town, his suspicions were now on high alert. Odds were increasing that Brandi had put on a show for him; that her first message about the Purists had been true and she was somehow being blackmailed into staying in Kolding’s Pass.
As he neared the town hall, he slowed down and proceeded with extra caution. Would there be guards in place or were they arrogant enough to assume he’d stay away? Sliding under a bush, he lay low and studied the building. There was no light showing through the windows and no movement anywhere outside that he could see. Just to be on the safe side, he zigzagged his way to his destination, clinging to the shadows as much as possible.
A faint breeze ruffled his fur and his memory and he suddenly came up short. Damn, he’d forgotten about the chemical mask. Was it still working? He sniffed himself and still detected a faint flowery scent but was it enough? He debated about changing forms to apply more—there were probably two or three applications left—or should he save it in case it was needed later, perhaps to smuggle Brandi and the half-weres out of town?
With no one about, he decided to take a chance and covered the final distance to the town hall as quickly as possible. Even in wolf form, he could tell the building was securely locked, however… He headed for the cellar hatch he’d noticed earlier in the day. Hidden by overgrown bushes, the paint was flaking from its surface and bits of moss were growing around the edges confirming his hopes that it hadn’t been used in some time.
Shifting forms, he studied the latch. It was new, but whoever had put it on had neglected to check the surface it was being attached to. With a little snort at the idiocy of some people, Reno managed to pull the lock, screws and all, from the rotting wood and eased the door open.
Surprisingly, it made relatively little noise. Still, he glanced about carefully. The town remained quiet so he peered into the darkness below. Unable to see the bottom, he hesitated to drop down, the young girl’s warnings about abandoned mine shafts playing through his head. The chances of there being one under the town hall were nil but just in case… Reno snatched up a pebble and then dropped it inside. With relief, he immediately heard the light clattering sound of it striking the ground. Okay, it wasn’t a bottomless pit after all.
Chuckling at his flight of fancy, he eased himself down, wrinkling his nose at the scent that reached him. The air was heavy; earth, mustiness and coal almost overpowering any other scents that might be present. Closing his eyes he concentrated even harder and finally discerned the faintest trace of Brandi and several humans.
While he hated to do it, he reached up and closed the hatch, since it wouldn’t do for someone to wander by and see it open. Unfortunately, the move blocked out the meagre light provided by the moon and the few visible stars. He found himself plunged into darkness.
Even with his Lycan vision it was almost impossible to see and he moved ahead slowly, peering through the blackness, cautious lest he bump into something and make a noise. Mindful of his own inches and unsure of the height of the ceiling, he walked at a bit of a stoop. Knocking himself out on an unseen low beam wouldn’t help anyone!
It was unnerving being surrounded by so much black. He could hear his heartbeat pounding in his ears and the darkness pressed against his eyeballs. Inexplicably, the air seemed to thicken and he inhaled heavily, trying to draw oxygen into his lungs. In fact, the cellar was becoming increasingly oppressive.
Reno froze in place, his breathing fast and shallow, his legs unwilling to obey his command to move. Damn, he never would’ve thought he was bothered by dark, enclosed spaces. Of course, come to think of it, he’d never been in one before. He took a deep breath and swallowed hard. Enforcers had no fear and he was not afraid of being in a dark hole in the ground. It was just a… a blip; not really a panic attack at all. Fisting his hands, he stood straight, lifting his chin to boldly face down the dark… and promptly bashed his head into a beam.
“Shit!” The hissed explitive escaped his lips and he clutched his aching skull, the pain effectively replacing his fear. Thankfully, the stickiness of blood was absent as he probed the throbbing area.
Okay, now he was just friggin’ mad! Gritting his jaw, he glared into the dark and forged ahead. Damned if he’d let it get the best of him! He grumbled under his breath that the cellar had better have some form of access to the building above. If he was down there for nothing…
Ah-ha! The faintest hint of illumination broke the darkness, really no more than a patch of grey in the blackness but at that moment it was as good as a frosty beer at the end of a long day in the saddle. He inched his way forward and soon found himself standing under an old fashioned metal grate.
Looking up, he smiled triumphantly, the anxiety created by the total darkness easing. The opening was about 2 feet square and seemed to be located under a piece of furniture. It would be a tight fit but he might be able to squeeze through. Congratulating himself on his find, he was just about to reach up and try to loosen it when he heard voices from above.
Swearing under his breath, he let his hands drop to his side and cocked his head listening intently.
A male voice, low and calm, was talking. Reno sniffed the air and through the myriad of other scents detected that it was a human, middle-aged and logically the missing parent of at least some of the half-weres he’d found earlier. The poor bugger was probably being held prisoner along with Brandi.
“Klaus will be here tonight. I’ll tell him what’s happening and he’ll find a way to get you out of this.”
Klaus? Reno frowned. That was the name of the former Alpha wasn’t it? He strained to hear more.
Someone else was speaking now. The voice was female and though it came from farther away, he knew it was Brandi. His wolf rumbled its approval at her proximity.
If the human male and Brandi were talking freely, the coast must be clear, Reno reasoned. He opened his mouth to call out when a scraping sound to his left had him changing his mind yet again. Someone was entering the cellar, but from where? The noise wasn’t originating from the direction he’d come from. Silently, he stepped back, melting into the darkness and crouched down close to the ground.
Something heavy was being pushed aside, and then a waft of cool moist air swept into the space. Reno frowned. An underground tunnel, perhaps?
The sound of footsteps came closer. Reno inhaled slowly and deeply, trying to analyze who was approaching. It was a male, older, but still dominant.
Sure footed, the newcomer traversed the dark space with no hesitancy. Each step matched the other in rhythm and stride until—
“Who’s there?” The newcomer called out, his voice echoing through the cellar, low and laced with suspicion.
Damn! Reno compressed his lips. Obviously he’d pressed his luck too far and the chemical mask had worn off. There was no other way he could have been detected in this stygian darkness.
Knowing there was no point in hiding now, he stood as straight as he dared, mindful of the low ceiling, and decided to brazen it out with a laid back drawl. “I reckon I was here first so why don’t you tell me who you are?” The bluff was bold but worth a try, he reasoned.
There was a pause followed by a huff of laughter. “You’ve got guts, I’ll say that for you. But I know this space like the back of my hand. In a fight, the advantage would be mine.”
/>
“True.” Reno conceded. “Or we could side step all that with a hospitable exchange of names.”
The man grunted. “Well, you’re not from the pack. And you’re not one of Victor’s cronies or you wouldn’t be skulking around down here, so I suppose there’s no harm. I’m Klaus.”
“Reno.”
Both men stepped forward slightly and the dim light from the vent allowed a shadowy glimpse of each other. Reno noted the man stood tall and confident, an air of command still cloaking him despite his greying hair and less than pristine appearance. There was no doubt that this was the missing former Alpha.
“So Reno, why are you lurking in my cellar?”
“Your cellar?” Reno quirked an eyebrow, not ready to give away too much information. “Not Victor’s?”
“Mine. That bastard might have infiltrated my pack and twisted their thinking until they don’t know up from down or right from wrong, but he hasn’t ferreted out every secret of Kolding’s Pass. This cellar and the tunnels beyond are mine. Now, I’ve answered your question, you answer mine. Why are you here?”
“I’m looking for a friend.”
“Ah! And that would be the lovely lady upstairs, Brandi, correct?”
Reno nodded slowly. If the man thought Victor was a bastard, he couldn’t be all bad!
“Good. If you’re a friend of hers, then you’ll be on our side.”
“Our side?”
“Yep. Victor thought he’d disposed of me but I’m tougher than he thinks. He caught me off guard, knocked me down a mining shaft, and sealed the entrance. Then he came back into town claiming he’d issued a challenge, won and I’d run off. When no one could find me, most assumed he’d told the truth. But I got out, stayed hidden until I recovered, and for the past few months I’ve been slowly rallying the members that are still loyal to me.”
“And why haven’t you acted yet?”
Klaus shook his head. “The time’s not right. This is bigger than I thought. Victor’s deep into the Purist organization and has picked out Kolding’s Pass as one of their regional headquarters. He’s been prepping some of the old mining tunnels; turning them into barracks and meeting rooms. Sort of like a doomsday bunker for the Purist elite.”