At the absence of his touch, she staggered, nearly falling to her knees. Everything inside her quieted. Rylan didn’t fare any better. His body crashed to the floor and didn’t move.
“Shit.” Stumbling over Ross’s feet, she knelt at Rylan’s side. “Can you hear me?”
Rylan blinked lazily, his eyes dilated, but normal, thank God. The zap must have cleared the bloodlust.
“Baker Street. They call at ten sharp.” Something dark moved in his gaze. A shadowy memory and a vengeance so strong she flinched. “Go quickly, but brace yourself. He set up his own labs.”
She rose with reluctance and came face to face with Ross. The bastard was alive but barely. “I’ll bring them back.”
She spoke to Rylan, but the promise in her eyes was for Ross and he knew it. Fear shaded his face, and he seemed to understand the danger for the first time.
He wouldn’t be leaving alive.
Maybe Jackson was right. This was a matter for shifter justice. Those in the labs deserved to see the bastard die by their own hands...or claws.
Chapter Twenty-nine
Though Raven expected the call, the shrill ringing of the phone sent her pulse galloping. She gazed up at the clock, her gut a ball of needles.
Ten sharp.
Jenkins hand rested on the cradle of the phone and waited for her nod. “Do it.” Her eyes were drawn to the cramped cages on the cold cement floor. The thick metal enclosure wasn’t large enough for anyone to stand, let alone stretch out
So many empty cages that her mind stumbled.
The congealed blood on the floor stood out like a reprimand, each stain a reminder of a life taken, a life lost.
Dina had evacuated the few refugees. London had painstakingly dismantled all the computers, readying them for transportation back to the house. Those files would tell her everything she needed to know about who’d died and what had been done to those who’d survived. It felt like too little, too late.
Again.
“Ross.”
Her head snapped up, her gaze sharpening on Jenkins as he spoke into the phone. Ross’s image reflected back at her, and she tightened her fists, nails digging into her palms to remind herself that the real Ross was not going anywhere.
“I have another body for your hunt.”
A knot formed in her throat, quickly loosened by anger. This was the perfect way for her to get to Taggert. By using their own system against them.
“She’s not a normal shifter, but I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.” Ross’s voice warbled, and he coughed. The transition was fading. They had to hurry. “I won’t be able to stay tonight.”
Jenkins bent over the desk and scribbled on a piece of paper. “I’ll leave her there for you to pick up.” Another long pause and beads of sweat dotted Jenkins’ forehead. “I can try to find another female cat, but it’s going to be harder. Since they began finding the bodies,” he added just the right amount of reprimand to be realistic, “the shifters have become more protective. Women are the hardest to snatch. Too few of them are free to roam without protection.”
Another long pause. “I’ll do it, but it will cost you double.” The hard, flat sound of his voice matched Ross’s so exactly, a chill crept down her spine. “Fine.”
Jenkins hung up without waiting, then sat heavily in the chair, his posture drooping. “Do you think he bought it?”
Guilt assailed her at the shake in his voice. She’d pushed him hard. She just hoped it was worth it. “We’ll know if they show up at the dump site. You did well.”
A grimace of pain crossed his face, his skin rippling like bugs were crawling beneath the surface. Pale splotches of skin appeared when his face settled. “Are you all right?”
He waved away her concern. “This is normal. The transition back is gradual. You have more things to worry about than me. Go. Get ready.” He tore off the paper with his scribbled note and handed it to her. “Be safe.”
She gave him a nod and turned, wishing she could ignore the smell of blood and terror permeating the walls of the derelict warehouse. The need to get out crushed her chest, and she threw open the door. Fresh air buffeted her, and she eagerly sucked it down. Too bad she couldn’t forget as easily.
“Raven.”
Shit. She froze, and air wheezed out of her lungs. She’d forgotten about London.
“You were leaving.”
His accusation struck at the heart of her plan. She wanted to keep everyone safe, didn’t want to draw any more attention to anyone else. “Listen—”
A sound rumbled out of the darkness, raising the hair on the back of her neck, and she took an involuntary step backward. When she faced London, it was to find him gazing at her, unrepentant.