Final Extraction by Julie Trettel

Silas

Chapter 5

 

 

 

The second we rolled up to the address I was given, I knew we were too late.

I roared in frustration.

The others flinched away from me, but they didn’t say a word.

“There’s fresh tracks,” Ben said as he knelt down and placed his hand on the ground. “Still warm. They couldn’t have gotten far.”

“We should check just to be sure,” Painter said.

My team moved in covering the doors and each other’s backs. It was a precaution that was necessary in our world, but there was no doubt in my mind that they were gone because I couldn’t feel her presence here.

I felt numb inside. The anxiety I’d been suffering since Jake woke me up in the middle of the night was gone, filled by pure rage yet there was an eerie calm about me too.

I clenched my teeth and walked inside. No one was watching my back and for once I didn’t care.

A cold turkey sandwich only half eaten sat on a table. There were signs of a fast abandon. Did they know we were coming?

“We had to have just missed them,” Painter concluded as well.

“We should search the area,” Baine suggested.

“I’ve got something here,” Tarron yelled from down the hall. We all converged on his location. “They left a laptop behind, and it’s unlocked.”

“There’s no way they would have made a mistake like that,” Taylor insisted.

“Do you think someone left it behind for us to find?” Grant asked.

“Jake,” I whispered.

Ben nodded. “That would definitely make sense.”

We all stood around watching and waiting as Tarron’s fingers flew over the keyboard as he searched the files.

He sighed and sat back. When he turned to look at me his eyes were filled with tears.

My heart sank and I thought I might throw up. My hands started shaking as I wrung them together.

“What is it?” Taylor asked softly.

“She’s alive. Look.”

He pushed some more buttons that brought up a video feed showing Vada dressed in a hospital gown trying to coax a dark haired boy down from atop a cage. When she did, he got into the cage he’d been standing on. After speaking to some people that I couldn’t identify because I could only see them from behind, Vada got into the cage next to his and the doors were shut as they locked her in.

My hands fisted and I pounded my chest trying not to roar again, though a low rumbling growl still emerged from within me.

“Hey, look at me,” Painter said, getting up in my face despite knowing I was not fully in control of myself. “Listen to me, Silas. Vada is alive. That’s the only thing you should be thinking about right now. She’s alive and we’re going to find her.”

My gorilla was surging and my whole body shook as he tried to regain control.

“I got it!” Tarron said jumping up and knocking over the chair he’d been sitting on. “Jake left us their next location. We’ve got them this time.”

“I want this done the right way. We aren’t going into this blind. They are still in route. We might even be able to intersect them in transport or at the very least beat them there. Get the address to Archie as quickly as possible. I want full schematics this time. No surprises,” Painter said as he assumed control, knowing damn well I wasn’t capable of it.

“We’re going to take a look around and see if anything else was left behind. Maybe it’ll give us some insight into what they’re up to this time,” Grant said as he pulled Taylor out of the room.

He wasn’t fooling me. I could sense his wolf was alarmed and all he really wanted was to get his mate away from me because for once, I was the potential threat to the team. I knew it. I recognized it, but I’d be damned before I stepped down and turned my team over to someone else, even Painter. He could run point, but I wasn’t going anywhere until I had my mate.

Quietly the others left. Tarron packed up the laptop and followed them, leaving me alone in the room. I recognized it as the one Vada had last been seen in when they loaded her up in a cage like an animal.

I picked the chair up from the floor and threw it across the room. I screamed in frustration as it slammed against the concrete wall.

All I could see was red.

The team gave me time to myself as they explored the remainder of the building looking for any other clues left behind. I stood there and closed my eyes trying to unsee Vada in that cage, but I couldn’t.

We weren’t animals and they had no right to treat her like one. I knew the differences better than most. My parents had chosen to live as animals. They wanted to repopulate the gorillas and they’d been killed for it.

I resented my gorilla most of the time and rarely let him out. It was a constant struggle for me and had been since he first surfaced when I was just sixteen years old. I’d contained him and it had left me cold, hardened even more than I’d already been.

I was the only shifter my parents produced, and they’d chosen the beasts they’d created over me. Even before the massacre I’d only ever had Painter. His father was a powerful silverback that bordered my father’s territory. There had always been peace between our bands and as the only two humans in the bunch, Painter and I had spent a great deal of time together. My earliest memories were of him. He was always there, a curious kid who liked to follow me around.

In all these years, that hadn’t changed. I knew I could ask anything of him, and he would do it without ever questioning why. That was just how he was. There was no one I trusted more to have my back than Painter.

Growing up, his parents shifted back more frequently to check on us. My own parents thought it wasn’t safe to do that and remained in their fur. I could hardly even remember what they looked like in their skin.

Sure, they’d made certain I had food and water. They groomed and cared for me as if I were just another animal. I wasn’t. The older I got the more I clung to my humanity. I knew it made me bitter and gruff, but it also hardened me and made me tough enough to survive and handle whatever job was thrown my way.

Ever since that dreadful day that we’d lost our families to poachers, I had always felt responsible for Painter. I knew that feeling was mutual, but I’d been older. He had been so young and innocent where I’d already been on the path to resentment. I knew I’d sent him down this path, but we were two young boys on our own in a big scary world. I’d done what I thought was necessary and I’d do it all over again if I had to.

Painter poked his head into the room where I sat on the floor, elbows to my knees lost in memories and the anguish of knowing my mate was out there in the hands of monsters. I protected others for a living, but so far, I hadn’t been able to protect her. That reality was slowly killing me inside.

“Hey. We have everything we need. I’ve put in some calls. Patrick’s lining up additional teams and making flight arrangements. We need to hit the road. It’s still a long drive back to the airfield.”

“I don’t want Charlie there. I can’t handle dealing with Woody today.”

“Already warned O’Connell as much.”

I nodded. Painter knew me better than anyone. He was my second in command, but he never overstepped that line into leadership. Seeing him do so now was a reminder of just how close to the edge I was.

“We’re going to bring her home,” he assured me.

“Jake said she didn’t have much time. She’s weak and they cull the herd during a move,” I admitted to him through clenched teeth.

“Well, the woman we saw on that video did not look weak. If she knew that was a possibility maybe that’s why she intervened with that kid and put them both in the cages herself.”

I shrugged. “I don’t understand why she would do half the things she does.”

I wasn’t used to feeling so vulnerable but feeling it and admitting it to someone were two very different things. There was no one else in this world I could let my guard down with other than Painter. He was my brother born of spilt blood deep in the forest. I trusted him fully.

“I’m not sure I can keep it together enough to do what needs to be done, man. I feel like a loose cannon right now and that gets people killed, but I can’t step back and do nothing. I think I should do this one alone.”

“Well, that’s not going to happen,” he said. He squatted down next to me. “Look, I’ve been there. You got me through that, remember? You’ve always been there for me, and this time, I’m here for you. You’re relieved of duty officially. Kyle’s orders.”

“What?” I roared. When I moved to jump up, Painter pushed me back down with one strong hand. “Simmer down. I already told them you’d respond this way. Which is why I only agreed to assume command if you remained on the team. I’ll do what’s necessary for the Force, Silas. We’re going to get them once and for all. Your head isn’t clear and no one’s expecting it to be. Mating is screwed up enough without adding all of this. You’ll be free to break the rules and do whatever you need to do for Vada.”

My jaw was set, but I wasn’t so far gone that I couldn’t see the logic in his situation. “This is my team.”

“No one is arguing that. You’re compromised, Silas. Just as I was when we first found Emma. We never dreamed we’d find true mates. We didn’t even believe there were others of our kind out there. Ever since I met Emma, I’ve prayed you’d find your mate too, and we have. She’s strong and stubborn, you’re equal in every way. You deserve that and so much more, brother. My whole life you’ve been looking after me. You don’t have to do that this time. You take care of yourself and let me hold the fort down until you’re ready and in the right mind to resume leadership.”

I sighed and slowly nodded. I wasn’t strong enough to fight both fronts and this way I wouldn’t be constrained by proper procedures. He was right.

“Did you tell the others?”

He shook his head. “Nah. That’s your job, though I don’t think anyone will think anything of it if you’d rather this stay between us.”

“No, they need to know so none of them are dumb enough to listen to me if things get crazy out there. I’ve never felt this out of control before.” I couldn’t admit that to anyone else, but I suspected he knew exactly what I was talking about. I’d had a front seat to his own mating.

Painter smiled. His hand went to my cheek with a light slap. “Mating does that to all of us, big guy. And don’t worry, no Bravo is stupid enough to listen to a mating male. Now pull it together enough to get the hell out of here. We’re rolling out.”

I chuckled. “Yes, sir,” I said teasingly, feeling like a weight was lifted that I didn’t realize I had been carrying.

He gave me his hand and when I took it, he hoisted me up to my feet.

We walked out in silence. The others were already waiting in the SUV.

“Are you okay?” Grant finally asked, breaking the awkward silence lingering in the air.

Taylor scowled at him. “Don’t be an idiot, of course he’s not okay.”

“I’m fine,” I said dryly.

Taylor shot me a look that let me know that she knew I was completely full of shit.

“From what we can tell, it looks like they pulled out quickly. They aren’t usually so sloppy,” Ben said.

“I did a quick trace on the property, and it’s owned by a shell company called East Tech. It’s a front but it’s also a start. I’m going to pass this info over to Archie to fully investigate. It could be a lead though if they have multiple places listed under this name, or it could be a dead end. The previous properties were mostly abandoned ones,” Tarron updated us.

“That would explain the equipment and stuff left behind this time. So just in case they try to circle back to it…” Baine grinned and pressed a button on his phone.

I instinctively jumped as the bombs exploded. Dust and debris filled the air behind us as we drove away. I smirked. The explosion was more satisfying than it should have been.

“One down, three more to go,” Tarron said.

“Excuse me? How do you know that?”

Taylor grinned. “Because that’s how many properties the shell owns and based on the laptop left behind, we’re pretty sure they’re heading to number two on the list next.”

“That’s really great work you guys. Thank you.”

“Just doing our jobs,” Baine said smugly. “This one’s personal –for all of us. No one messes with this team, or our mates, and lives.”

I nodded in appreciation. Baine was a bear shifter who was excommunicated from his Clan. As far as he was concerned, this team was his family and that included the mates and children of every member. They knew Vada was my true mate. I hadn’t done a great job of hiding that fact. Without even meeting her, they already accepted her as one of our own. Words were lost to me, but from the smile on his face, I figured he knew how much I appreciated it without having to say the words.

“There’s something you all need to know,” I finally said when the knot of emotions cleared my throat. “I’m just a ride along from now until my mate is safely out of harm’s way. Painter will be assuming leadership in the interim.”

Baine snorted. “While we are all dumb enough to follow you anyway, we figured as much.”

T grinned. “I’d have liked to see them try and pull you out completely.”

Grant shook his head. “You have a sick mind sometimes.”

“You’ve never minded that before,” she said suggestively.

He kissed his mate hard on the lips. “Later,” he whispered to her.

Ben had been quieter than usual but finally spoke. “We’ll take our official orders from Painter, but we’ve also got your back one hundred percent.”

The others nodded in solemn agreement.

“Wouldn’t have it any other way,” Painter told them.