My Savior (24 page)

"Is that why you brought me here, to get the Alpha Unit? Because that was the dumbest thing you could have done. They are going to kick your ass!"
 

"Tsk, tsk dear, language. It will be very hard for them to kick my ass when I'm not even in the vicinity. The entire complex you're in has been abandoned for the sole purpose of destroying the Alpha Unit.

"As for why we brought you here, let's just say, you were always going to end up here. In fact, we had a team ready to run your car off the road just outside of Lycaonia."

"Why? There's no way you could have known my mate was in the Alpha Unit."

"We didn't bring you here to get the Alpha Unit. They're just the icing on the cake."

Amelia swallowed hard. "Who did you bring me here for?"

There was more laughter. "Your brothers dear, all six of them. There isn't anything they wouldn't do for their little sister."

"You sonofabitch! You leave them alone!" she screamed.

"I'm afraid that just isn't an option. We've made huge strides refining our techniques. Your brothers represent a very valuable resource, one we simply cannot do without. It makes perfect sense to cull the decedents of the two strongest remaining witch families. When your mate gets here, we'll detonate a spell that will rip the souls from the bodies of any living person in the facility. We'll swing by, collect them, and be on our merry way. The Alpha Unit will be no more. The remaining units will be without a commander. The shifter Elder will be grieving the loss of a son, and I will have gained the perfect bargaining chip to negotiate with your brothers."

"But you said that spell will rip the soul out of everyone in this facility, how can you negotiate with my brothers then?"

"Because they will be negotiating for your soul. Do you have any idea how hard it is to keep a hostage? Souls are much easier to work with. Now, you'll soon feel a slight pinch before pain will explode through your entire body, I personally haven't experienced what you're about to, but previous witches screamed a great deal so I imagine it's very painful. Goodbye, my dear."

"Wait! Wait!" She struggled against the metal as she heard the machine over her begin to power up.

Darian stay away!

*****

"I don't like it." Meryn grumbled. Beth agreed. Something didn't feel right.

Meryn turned to Lorcan. "Go help Aiden. We have Byron and Abraham here, not to mention Ryuu and some kick-ass fae warriors. We'll be fine; Aiden will need you more than we will."

Lorcan looked torn. Beth could tell he was itching to follow Aiden. He looked around and met Byron's eyes. "Do you think you'll really be okay here?"

Byron nodded. "Yes, Meryn's right. We have enough men here. Go help my son."

Looking relieved, Lorcan barked out the order to leave. He and the rest of the Beta Unit quickly headed for the door.

After they had left, Meryn turned to her and smiled. "Phase one complete."

Gods help them; she was scheming something!

Meryn picked up her walkie-talkie. "Gamma Kitten One, Gamma Kitten One, this is Menace come in, over."

Beth looked over at Byron who started to rub his chin and smile. He knew she was up to something, too.

"Menace? Why are you using the radios?" Sascha demanded.

"Gamma Kitten One, you didn't say over. Anyway, I was letting you know that me, Papa Bear and friends, Bunny, Wheels, Pretty Boy, and Baby Girl will heading your way, over."

"Like fucking hell you will! Listen to me Menace, stay put! It's dangerous here!"
 

Beth could just imagine the veins in Sascha's forehead sticking out.

"What was that Gamma Kitten One? You're breaking up. We're on our way. Menace over and out." Meryn clicked the walkie-talkie off before turning to Byron.

"I assume you approve."

He nodded. "It makes sense to get everyone together so we don't have split resources."

Meryn smiled. "That's why you kick ass playing strategy games." She turned to Jaxon, Noah, and Penny. "Let's roll."

Beth shook her head and picked up Meryn's bag. Ryuu had already gathered their coats and was waiting in the hallway. They ended up taking three SUVs to the city. Beth had never been so scared as when they made their way to the city center. Gamma, Delta, and Epsilon Units, along with volunteer warriors, had created a large barricade in front of Council Manor lit by spotlights. This is where the city had held the Midwinter Ball in December. Families from nearby houses and businesses had come here for protection.

When Sascha saw them approaching, Beth could see him cussing from where she stood.

"Dammit Menace! Are you trying to get us both killed?" Sascha yelled.

Meryn crossed her arms. "Where are the Delta and Epsilon Units? Why is Gamma defending this barricade alone?"

Sascha shot a look at Byron who simply raised an eyebrow. Sascha turned back to Meryn. "They are helping to defend checkpoints throughout the city, there are a lot of scared people out there."

"Exactly!" Meryn said.

"What?" Sascha asked looking between Meryn and Byron.

Byron stepped forward. "I've learned a thing or two from Meryn here about urban combat from a strategy game we play online. Meryn's methods are extremely simple, but they work every time."

"What method?" Sascha asked.

Meryn picked up her walkie-talkie and turned it back on. "Goldilocks, Santa Claus, and Quarterback come in, over."

Sascha grinned at the other's call signs. Seconds later, Graham Armstrong, Santiago Diaz, and Markus Aiken answered.

"Menace, who gave you permission to create these crazy call signs?" Graham grumbled.

"Quiet down, Goldilocks. Here are your new orders. Coordinate with the volunteers working with your units and start herding civilians to Council Manor. I have Wheels and Pretty Boy setting up a mini command post inside the manor; they will guide you in using the surveillance system to avoid pockets of ferals."

"I fucking love you, Menace," Santiago said, making Meryn smile.

"Divvy up the streets and start moving, gentlemen," she ordered.

"Yes, ma'am," they replied.

Sascha shook his head. "What did we do without you?" He looked around. "Where's Beta?"

"Drag your knuckles and beat your chests. I sent Beta to back up Aiden." Meryn looked around. "Where's Rheia?"

Sascha pointed to the Council Manor. "She's in there with some of the injured."

Meryn turned and went to Penny. "Head inside kiddo, your mom is waiting for you." She looked up at one of the fae warriors. "She is your only responsibility. You're her new shadow, got it?" The warrior banged his fist on his chest and held out a hand to Penny and escorted her inside.

Meryn looked at the remaining seven fae warriors. "The rest of you decide who will guard Beth and me, and the rest are to report to Sascha. Our main focus is getting as many people here to safety as possible."

One of the warriors stepped forward. "My name is Doran Ri' Eirlea, brother to Brennus, our Queen's consort. I will stay and guard you. My queen was very clear in her orders that nothing was to happen to you." He also raised a fist and banged his chest making the armor ring like a bell.

"Well, all righty then. Doran you're with me. Everyone else, get your orders from Sascha." Meryn turned to Byron. "Can you watch over the barricade?"

He stared down at her unblinking. "What are you going to do?"

She shrugged. "Nothing."

Ryuu cleared his throat. "
Denka,
I think we all know that is a lie."

Meryn sighed. "No explosives, that's all I can promise."

Byron pinched his nose the same way Aiden did when he got aggravated. "Fine, but if anything happens to you, Adelaide will skin me, and use my fur as a rug. No putting yourself in danger, young lady."

"Pffft, would I do that?" She held up a hand at their dubious expressions. "Never mind." She turned and darted away with Ryuu and Doran in tow.

"She will either save us or be the death of us all," Byron said, heaving a great sigh. He turned to Beth. "And what will you do?"

"I'll head inside. I'm used to coordinating large groups of people from when I worked with my uncle in Noctem Falls. Pretty soon, we'll have a lot of scared people looking for someone to tell them what to do." She said looking at the small groups already arriving.

Byron clapped a hand on her shoulder. "Gavriel is very lucky to have you."

She smiled. "I feel the same way about him."

Beth blinked as she watched Meryn bounce past them wearing a green army helmet and carrying a gun slung across her back.

Dears Gods in heaven!

"Meryn, what in the hell are you doing? Where did you get that helmet?" Sascha roared.

"I'm helping, and I got the helmet from one of the duffel bags behind the sandbags, cool, huh?" she asked, rapping her knuckles in it.

Beth didn't have the heart to tell her she looked like a child playing soldier. The helmet kept sliding down over her eyes.

"Help? Help how? Dammit, Menace, that gun is bigger than you!" Sascha said, trying to pull the gun off her back.

Meryn backed up. "I got this!" She ducked behind Ryuu then ran inside the Council Manor, Ryuu, and Doran following.

Sascha grimaced and held a hand to his midsection. "My stomach hurts. How does Aiden do this all the time?"

Beth patted him on the arm. "She'll be fine. She's been practicing with Penny and Colton. Aiden forbade her to use handguns after she accidentally shot him, but he was okay with her learning how to use a rifle."

Sascha gave her a sour look. "A high power sniper rifle?"

They heard men shouting to their right. Beth and Sascha turned to see a small group of three ferals bearing down on them.

"Shit! They must have gotten past Delta!" Sascha brought up his gun, but before he could fire the three ferals went down, one right after another.

Sascha's walkie-talkie crackled. "Gamma Kitten One, did you see that? I got em! Over."

Beth laughed. Sascha shook his head in defeat. "Good work, Menace. I owe you one."

Slowly, in small and large groups the entire city was evacuated to Council Manor. Beth stayed outside to help give them direction trying to keep neighbors together. Since all the units had now fallen back to the manor, she was about to head inside when she looked up and saw a thick white mist begin to roll in toward them from every side street.

She hurried over to Sascha. "What is that?"

Sascha shook his head. "I have no idea."

"Gamma Kitten One can you let everyone know that I've borrowed some of your peeps and we're creating that mist. Over." Meryn's voice broke the silence.

Sascha picked up the radio and looked up at the roof. "What is it, Menace?"

"I haven't seen any ferals in a while. That's when I remembered some of them could be invisible. So I had two of our witchy friends use earth magic and water magic to make a flour-based, glue-like mist. That shit will stick to everything. So if you see a blob of white coming at you with no face. Shoot it. Over."

"Shoot faceless, white blobs. Roger that Menace, Gamma Kitten One over and out."

Beth smirked at him. "You know, now that you used that call sign, you're stuck with it for eternity."

Sascha shrugged blushing. "It's grown on me."

Beth looked down the street. "Not to ruin your night, but you have faceless white blobs appearing in the street."

Sascha gave an evil grin and turned to the men around him. "Light those motherfuckers up, gentlemen!"

Beth put her fingers in her ears as dozens of different caliber guns started going off all around her. She hurried inside to help keep the people calm. She couldn't let Rheia and Meryn do all the work.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Darian checked his gun and stood with his back against the wall. Amelia's light had led them to an abandoned clinic.

"Darian, you sure?" Aiden whispered.

He nodded.

"You'll get her back, I promise," Keelan whispered.

Darian looked down at his friend. "Did you have a premonition?" he asked, keeping his voice low.

Keelan's smile was sad. "Something like that. When the time comes, don't hesitate. Make sure Aiden leaves."

"Keelan, what..." Darian started.

"Move out!" Aiden whispered loudly.

Colton took point and checked the door. Luck was on their side; the door was unlocked. Stealthily, they made their way down the dark hallways. Darian could tell it was making everyone extremely nervous that there was no resistance. He was about to concentrate on Amelia to get a direction when they heard screams.

"Amelia!" Darian hissed. The men ran toward the sound of the screams. It took everything in Darian to resist the urge to run into the room. Aiden held up a fist and peeked in the open door. He nodded and they ran inside.

Darian watched in horror as his mate writhed in pain under a glowing crystal. Keelan darted forward and pressed a series of buttons. The crystal dimmed, and the straps holding his mate were released.

Gavriel turned to Keelan. "How did you know how to do that?"

"Saw it in a dream," Keelan said, pulling a lever down that shut off the entire device.

Darian caught Amelia as she slumped forward. When she opened her eyes and saw him she began to cry.

"It's okay my love, you're safe now." Darian lifted her up into his arms.

Her eyes were unfocused as she shook her head. "Trap. It's...a...trap," she whispered.

Keelan grabbed Darian's arm and shoved him toward the door. "Run!"

They had only made it about halfway down the hallway when a bright light appeared behind them. Darian looked back, and a large, glowing sphere appeared in the middle of the hall.

Keelan stopped and planted his feet. Lifting up his left hand, he started casting.

"Keelan, come on!" Darian yelled.

Keelan raised his head, and the look on his face was peaceful. "Remember what I told you, don't hesitate. Colton, get Aiden out of here." Behind him, Darian heard Aiden fighting Gavriel and Colton as they practically carried him down the hall.

Keelan smiled. "Goodbye, my friend. Tell my brother he was right, but this was the only way I saw where you all lived. Tell him I'm sorry for what I've done, but I'd do it again." Behind Keelan, the sphere pulsed. He turned back to Darian, tears in his eyes. "Go!"