Darkness shook his head. “It would be too difficult to control with this wind without motors to guide them and we’d have heard them. We just haven’t thought of how they were able to get in or leave.”
“So where did they go?” True was frustrated and worried sick. His stomach churned and he wasn’t sure if it was from that or the drugs he’d been dosed with. He spun, staring at the yard. “The attic. That’s where they got in the house.” He lunged forward, ready to tear it apart searching for Jeanie but Tiger blocked his way.
“Already looked there. That’s how one of them got in. He tore off the air vent on the side of the house and used it to gain entry.”
“Which side of the house?”
“The right.” Justice pointed. “All the cottages have them.”
True stomped toward that area and stared up at the hole in the side of the house near the roof. It infuriated him that he hadn’t known about it before or he would have made sure no one could get in that way. He frowned though as he stared at it.
“How did a human get up there?”
“Maybe they climbed on the roof and used a rope?” Darkness backed up and then ran to gain momentum before he leapt. He landed on the roof.
True was stunned. It was a twenty-foot jump. Species were good but that was something he couldn’t have done. Of course he wasn’t feline either. They were better jumpers than canines. The male crouched, easily scaling the tile to the peak of the roof. He straddled it, glancing around.
“There’s no sign of that. I don’t see any disturbances up here.”
True lowered his gaze to the hole. If a human hadn’t used the roof, he would have needed a ladder. There was no sign of one. He walked forward, leaving the grass for a sidewalk. The air-conditioning unit was there but it wasn’t high enough to have been helpful to a human who was trying to gain access to the attic vent, unless maybe someone boosted him. He crouched, staring at the artificial grass that had been laid around the area to make it appear more natural looking.
His nose twitched as a faint scent filled his nostrils and he growled, bending over as he leaned closer. “Jeanie.”
“What is it?” Tiger came closer with Justice on his heels.
A heavy body landed behind him as Darkness jumped from the roof.
“Her blood. It’s here.”
True sniffed again, following it. It stopped and he drew back. A faint gap in the grass became noticeable. He reached out and slipped his fingers into it, touched concrete. He lifted, seeing more of it instead of the dirt he suspected should be there. He tore it back and stared at a metal grate.
“Son of a bitch,” Darkness grumbled. “What is that?”
True released the area-rug-size artificial turf and bent, sniffing. Some of her blood was on the side of the hole. He turned his head, staring at the feline. “This is how they got out.”
“What is that?” Justice sounded furious. “Why didn’t we know about it? It’s big enough for people to fit through. That is probably how the human escaped after their first attempt. That’s why we could never locate him.”
Darkness cursed and nodded. “Homeland was built as a military base, correct?”
“Yes.” Justice still frowned.
“The humans could have built underground tunnels or it could be for rain runoff from the hill above.”
“I don’t care what it is.” True grabbed the metal grate and lifted. It was heavy but it yielded easily. He tossed it aside. “I’m going after her.”
Darkness grabbed his arm. “Wait. We need more men and flashlights. Our eyesight is good but there will be no light below ground.”
“Fuck.” True snarled. “I’m going after my mate.”
“Five minutes,” Justice promised, yanking at his radio to order what they’d need. “That’s got to come out somewhere. Tiger, go find someone who knows what that is and where it goes.”
“I’m on it!” Tiger yelled, rushing around the house.
“I’m going after her now.” True couldn’t wait. Jeanie was bleeding and in danger. Every second could count.
Darkness got in his way. “Listen to me. You go rushing in there, crashing around in the dark. They might just kill her. We need to be smart and stealthy about this. I understand that you want to find your mate but you want her alive, don’t you?”
It tore him up but he struggled to be reasonable.
“We’re going after her but we need to do it the right way.”
He clenched his teeth. “Okay.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Jeanie heard the faint scrape of footsteps before light from an opposite tunnel announced Boris’ arrival. She’d had time to cool down and assess the situation. He didn’t know for sure that she’d identified him. That’s probably why she was still alive and the two thugs he’d hired hadn’t killed her.
She glanced at them. They’d changed out of their wet clothing and had shoved everything else into the duffle bag. Both of them looked eager to leave as their boss entered the chamber.
He wore black sweatpants and a black sweatshirt instead of the suit she’d always seen him in. She’d still know him anywhere. The cat ring still adorned his pinky as he stared at her, his glasses too low on his nose. Sweat beaded his forehead and cheeks while he panted.
“I forgot how long it takes to get in here.”
“Is that our cash?”
“So where did they go?” True was frustrated and worried sick. His stomach churned and he wasn’t sure if it was from that or the drugs he’d been dosed with. He spun, staring at the yard. “The attic. That’s where they got in the house.” He lunged forward, ready to tear it apart searching for Jeanie but Tiger blocked his way.
“Already looked there. That’s how one of them got in. He tore off the air vent on the side of the house and used it to gain entry.”
“Which side of the house?”
“The right.” Justice pointed. “All the cottages have them.”
True stomped toward that area and stared up at the hole in the side of the house near the roof. It infuriated him that he hadn’t known about it before or he would have made sure no one could get in that way. He frowned though as he stared at it.
“How did a human get up there?”
“Maybe they climbed on the roof and used a rope?” Darkness backed up and then ran to gain momentum before he leapt. He landed on the roof.
True was stunned. It was a twenty-foot jump. Species were good but that was something he couldn’t have done. Of course he wasn’t feline either. They were better jumpers than canines. The male crouched, easily scaling the tile to the peak of the roof. He straddled it, glancing around.
“There’s no sign of that. I don’t see any disturbances up here.”
True lowered his gaze to the hole. If a human hadn’t used the roof, he would have needed a ladder. There was no sign of one. He walked forward, leaving the grass for a sidewalk. The air-conditioning unit was there but it wasn’t high enough to have been helpful to a human who was trying to gain access to the attic vent, unless maybe someone boosted him. He crouched, staring at the artificial grass that had been laid around the area to make it appear more natural looking.
His nose twitched as a faint scent filled his nostrils and he growled, bending over as he leaned closer. “Jeanie.”
“What is it?” Tiger came closer with Justice on his heels.
A heavy body landed behind him as Darkness jumped from the roof.
“Her blood. It’s here.”
True sniffed again, following it. It stopped and he drew back. A faint gap in the grass became noticeable. He reached out and slipped his fingers into it, touched concrete. He lifted, seeing more of it instead of the dirt he suspected should be there. He tore it back and stared at a metal grate.
“Son of a bitch,” Darkness grumbled. “What is that?”
True released the area-rug-size artificial turf and bent, sniffing. Some of her blood was on the side of the hole. He turned his head, staring at the feline. “This is how they got out.”
“What is that?” Justice sounded furious. “Why didn’t we know about it? It’s big enough for people to fit through. That is probably how the human escaped after their first attempt. That’s why we could never locate him.”
Darkness cursed and nodded. “Homeland was built as a military base, correct?”
“Yes.” Justice still frowned.
“The humans could have built underground tunnels or it could be for rain runoff from the hill above.”
“I don’t care what it is.” True grabbed the metal grate and lifted. It was heavy but it yielded easily. He tossed it aside. “I’m going after her.”
Darkness grabbed his arm. “Wait. We need more men and flashlights. Our eyesight is good but there will be no light below ground.”
“Fuck.” True snarled. “I’m going after my mate.”
“Five minutes,” Justice promised, yanking at his radio to order what they’d need. “That’s got to come out somewhere. Tiger, go find someone who knows what that is and where it goes.”
“I’m on it!” Tiger yelled, rushing around the house.
“I’m going after her now.” True couldn’t wait. Jeanie was bleeding and in danger. Every second could count.
Darkness got in his way. “Listen to me. You go rushing in there, crashing around in the dark. They might just kill her. We need to be smart and stealthy about this. I understand that you want to find your mate but you want her alive, don’t you?”
It tore him up but he struggled to be reasonable.
“We’re going after her but we need to do it the right way.”
He clenched his teeth. “Okay.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Jeanie heard the faint scrape of footsteps before light from an opposite tunnel announced Boris’ arrival. She’d had time to cool down and assess the situation. He didn’t know for sure that she’d identified him. That’s probably why she was still alive and the two thugs he’d hired hadn’t killed her.
She glanced at them. They’d changed out of their wet clothing and had shoved everything else into the duffle bag. Both of them looked eager to leave as their boss entered the chamber.
He wore black sweatpants and a black sweatshirt instead of the suit she’d always seen him in. She’d still know him anywhere. The cat ring still adorned his pinky as he stared at her, his glasses too low on his nose. Sweat beaded his forehead and cheeks while he panted.
“I forgot how long it takes to get in here.”
“Is that our cash?”
