“If they’ll see us coming, we can use that. Do you want to shoot or shift? I need you in the best shape, so which one will least likely set off your Collar?”
Shane shrugged. “I’ve never shot anyone, so I don’t know. I can only fight a few minutes with the Collar, and the hangover is a bitch.” Shane already looked pretty green now.
Diego handed him the extra shotgun. “Then you shoot. Aim for the chest—think of it as a triangle from shoulders to groin, and aim for the middle. Doesn’t really matter if you’re a dead shot. We just need to take them down long enough to get Cassidy and Xav out of there.”
Shane took the shotgun, holding it gingerly. “I’ll try.”
“If you think it’s better you ditch it and shift, you do it.”
Shane eyed the weapon. “Got it.” Diego suspected he’d be ditching and shifting.
“We’re getting her free, Shane,” he said.
Shane nodded, giving Diego a look of new respect. “Damn right we are.”
Cassidy didn’t sleep. Xavier woke up, saw Cassidy next to him in leopard form, raised his head, and opened his mouth to speak.
Cassidy put a heavy paw on his chest and fixed him with a stern look. Whether Xavier understood her signals or simply was smart enough to realize that keeping quiet was best, he lay back down and said nothing.
The night dragged on. The Shifters were restless, going in and out of the building, fading in and out of the darkness. A female bear came in to see Miguel. She glanced over at Cassidy lying quietly with Xavier, and quickly looked away, but Cassidy smelled her fear. The female was worried that Cassidy would displace her.
Don’t worry, honey. I am so out of here.
Diego would have contacted Eric by now. Help would be on the way.
Cassidy held on to that hope as night slid into day. The sun came up and things began to warm.
Miguel came to her as a sunbeam sliced down on her from a crack in the ceiling. “About time I made good on the mate-claim,” he said.
Cassidy didn’t bother shifting back to human. She gave Miguel a disdainful look from her cat’s eyes and lowered her head to lick one paw.
Miguel laughed. “I like them with sass. Tastier when they go down.”
Dangerous games. Forcing the mate-claim was against Shifter rules, but rules didn’t always stop a Shifter in a mating frenzy, and Cassidy knew that in this place, Miguel made his own rules. However, making Miguel focus on the mate-claim would distract him from Xavier. If Miguel fixed on his frustration with Cassidy, Xavier might have a chance to run. Tricky, but it might work.
Cassidy yawned, putting every bit of nonchalance into it she possibly could. A female not very impressed with a male. She started grooming her paw again, and Miguel chuckled.
“Oh, it’s going to be so good with you, sweetheart. So damn good.” Still chuckling, Miguel walked away. Only when he was all the way across the room again did Cassidy let herself shudder.
Never with you, ass**le. Not only are you an idiot, but, Goddess, you stink.
* * *
Diego managed to get the jeep running by dawn. He gave the drug runners their greatest wish when he and Shane loaded them into the jeep, and Diego drove back to the airstrip.
He shackled the bikers under a wooden awning just off the dirt runway and left them to be looked after by Marlo’s friend. Marlo cheerfully got the plane running and he, Shane, and Diego took off, heading north and west.
They located the half-finished factory west of the village, right where the bartender had said it would be. A couple of walls had been built and part of a roof, but the rest of the building looked skeletal or had started to fall apart. No Shifters were in sight, but Diego knew they’d hear the plane.
After a few passes, Diego directed Marlo to take them back to the airstrip.
Shane was gloomy as they disembarked. “There’s no cover at all,” he said. “We can’t sneak up on them, and even if we wait for dark, they’ll smell us and hear us. Plus Shifters can see in the dark way better than you can.”
“We’re not waiting,” Diego said. “The hottest part of the day will be what—at three or four this afternoon?”
“About that,” Marlo said.
“We go in then. During siesta time, when the Shifters are napping.”
“They’ll still have the trackers guarding,” Shane said. “And there’s only two of us against who knows how many?”
“As you said, darkness won’t give us any advantage,” Diego said. “Daylight puts us on even sight footing, and as for the Shifters’ superior sense of smell…” He grinned. “I bet the local market has a great selection of chiles.”
Shane laughed and slapped Diego on the shoulder so hard that Diego nearly went to his knees. “I like the way you think, human.”
“No stealth, just chaos and confusion,” Diego said. “We don’t have an army, but we can make as much trouble as we can without one.”
Shane laughed again, but this time Diego ducked before the hearty swat could land.
Diego left Marlo with instructions of what he wanted the man to do and when, and also to keep trying to get hold of Eric. Diego could do this without an army, but having one would be even better.
Cassidy watched the Shifters quiet as the temperature rose. The guards changed, the ones watching Cassidy and protecting Miguel yawning as they left.
That’s the problem with letting yourself go feral, Cassidy thought. These Shifters had become nocturnal, snoozing in the light of day, prowling at night. Even Miguel was groggy.
If Cassidy were to make her move, it should be soon. Xavier was alert, but his wounds weren’t good—the cuts looked deep, and his left arm was broken. Cassidy would be carrying him out.
From what she’d been able to ascertain, they were being kept in the heart of the structure, behind the stoutest walls. Daylight showed through the doorways and the high windows, revealing half walls and completely missing walls beyond.
This room was the most heavily guarded, of course. Miguel had shifted and dozed off, a huge brown bear snoring on the floor. Two trackers sat on either side of him—Lupines—eyes open, fully alert. Two Felines guarded the door leading to daylight, two more standing guard at the door leading to the darkness that Cassidy didn’t like.
The smell from that opening bothered her. Too much fear. She had the feeling that the dark room beyond was where Miguel would stash her next.
Shane shrugged. “I’ve never shot anyone, so I don’t know. I can only fight a few minutes with the Collar, and the hangover is a bitch.” Shane already looked pretty green now.
Diego handed him the extra shotgun. “Then you shoot. Aim for the chest—think of it as a triangle from shoulders to groin, and aim for the middle. Doesn’t really matter if you’re a dead shot. We just need to take them down long enough to get Cassidy and Xav out of there.”
Shane took the shotgun, holding it gingerly. “I’ll try.”
“If you think it’s better you ditch it and shift, you do it.”
Shane eyed the weapon. “Got it.” Diego suspected he’d be ditching and shifting.
“We’re getting her free, Shane,” he said.
Shane nodded, giving Diego a look of new respect. “Damn right we are.”
Cassidy didn’t sleep. Xavier woke up, saw Cassidy next to him in leopard form, raised his head, and opened his mouth to speak.
Cassidy put a heavy paw on his chest and fixed him with a stern look. Whether Xavier understood her signals or simply was smart enough to realize that keeping quiet was best, he lay back down and said nothing.
The night dragged on. The Shifters were restless, going in and out of the building, fading in and out of the darkness. A female bear came in to see Miguel. She glanced over at Cassidy lying quietly with Xavier, and quickly looked away, but Cassidy smelled her fear. The female was worried that Cassidy would displace her.
Don’t worry, honey. I am so out of here.
Diego would have contacted Eric by now. Help would be on the way.
Cassidy held on to that hope as night slid into day. The sun came up and things began to warm.
Miguel came to her as a sunbeam sliced down on her from a crack in the ceiling. “About time I made good on the mate-claim,” he said.
Cassidy didn’t bother shifting back to human. She gave Miguel a disdainful look from her cat’s eyes and lowered her head to lick one paw.
Miguel laughed. “I like them with sass. Tastier when they go down.”
Dangerous games. Forcing the mate-claim was against Shifter rules, but rules didn’t always stop a Shifter in a mating frenzy, and Cassidy knew that in this place, Miguel made his own rules. However, making Miguel focus on the mate-claim would distract him from Xavier. If Miguel fixed on his frustration with Cassidy, Xavier might have a chance to run. Tricky, but it might work.
Cassidy yawned, putting every bit of nonchalance into it she possibly could. A female not very impressed with a male. She started grooming her paw again, and Miguel chuckled.
“Oh, it’s going to be so good with you, sweetheart. So damn good.” Still chuckling, Miguel walked away. Only when he was all the way across the room again did Cassidy let herself shudder.
Never with you, ass**le. Not only are you an idiot, but, Goddess, you stink.
* * *
Diego managed to get the jeep running by dawn. He gave the drug runners their greatest wish when he and Shane loaded them into the jeep, and Diego drove back to the airstrip.
He shackled the bikers under a wooden awning just off the dirt runway and left them to be looked after by Marlo’s friend. Marlo cheerfully got the plane running and he, Shane, and Diego took off, heading north and west.
They located the half-finished factory west of the village, right where the bartender had said it would be. A couple of walls had been built and part of a roof, but the rest of the building looked skeletal or had started to fall apart. No Shifters were in sight, but Diego knew they’d hear the plane.
After a few passes, Diego directed Marlo to take them back to the airstrip.
Shane was gloomy as they disembarked. “There’s no cover at all,” he said. “We can’t sneak up on them, and even if we wait for dark, they’ll smell us and hear us. Plus Shifters can see in the dark way better than you can.”
“We’re not waiting,” Diego said. “The hottest part of the day will be what—at three or four this afternoon?”
“About that,” Marlo said.
“We go in then. During siesta time, when the Shifters are napping.”
“They’ll still have the trackers guarding,” Shane said. “And there’s only two of us against who knows how many?”
“As you said, darkness won’t give us any advantage,” Diego said. “Daylight puts us on even sight footing, and as for the Shifters’ superior sense of smell…” He grinned. “I bet the local market has a great selection of chiles.”
Shane laughed and slapped Diego on the shoulder so hard that Diego nearly went to his knees. “I like the way you think, human.”
“No stealth, just chaos and confusion,” Diego said. “We don’t have an army, but we can make as much trouble as we can without one.”
Shane laughed again, but this time Diego ducked before the hearty swat could land.
Diego left Marlo with instructions of what he wanted the man to do and when, and also to keep trying to get hold of Eric. Diego could do this without an army, but having one would be even better.
Cassidy watched the Shifters quiet as the temperature rose. The guards changed, the ones watching Cassidy and protecting Miguel yawning as they left.
That’s the problem with letting yourself go feral, Cassidy thought. These Shifters had become nocturnal, snoozing in the light of day, prowling at night. Even Miguel was groggy.
If Cassidy were to make her move, it should be soon. Xavier was alert, but his wounds weren’t good—the cuts looked deep, and his left arm was broken. Cassidy would be carrying him out.
From what she’d been able to ascertain, they were being kept in the heart of the structure, behind the stoutest walls. Daylight showed through the doorways and the high windows, revealing half walls and completely missing walls beyond.
This room was the most heavily guarded, of course. Miguel had shifted and dozed off, a huge brown bear snoring on the floor. Two trackers sat on either side of him—Lupines—eyes open, fully alert. Two Felines guarded the door leading to daylight, two more standing guard at the door leading to the darkness that Cassidy didn’t like.
The smell from that opening bothered her. Too much fear. She had the feeling that the dark room beyond was where Miguel would stash her next.
