Part 17 (1/2)
”You'll probably still face some sanctions,” Gavin pointed out. ”Two of the wolves and one of the tigers you took out are high ranking enough we'll have some political problems from it, at least.”
Kendra shrugged, unconcerned and unapologetic. ”I don't want to share Eric's memory of the event, but if I have to, no one will fault me for my actions. I know there are some who'll be p.i.s.sed I put the life of a human over the lives of supernaturals, but he was officially under my protection and Abbott's when he was taken, so I was in my right to make a point.”
She looked at Nathan and asked, ”Are the two of us okay? Besides the tiger in question, I took out a number of other cats.”
”You did,” he answered, his voice dry and unemotional, giving nothing away. ”And I've heard eyewitness accounts from some of the cats you let live, who were witness to the torture and slaughter. I don't take issue with the Tiger in question, but there is one Bobcat I need more information about. You and I can speak about it later.”
She'd only killed one bobcat, and she wanted to clear the air now. ”The bobcat f.u.c.ked Eric's throat. He wasn't terribly cruel, but he did e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.e into his stomach, knowing the human was bound and couldn't stop what was happening to him. I gave the bobcat the option of a painless death if he answered my questions. He did, and I snapped his neck.”
Nathan was sitting in an armed, upholstered chair, totally looking his part as King of the Lions, and he leaned back and tilted his head. ”The man had been married a year and a half, and they have a three month old baby.”
”There are consequences for one's actions. If he didn't want to be taken from his family, he shouldn't have face-f.u.c.ked someone under the protection of The Abbott and his third.”
Aaron looked back and forth between the two and said, ”Nathan, Kendra's speaking with her emotions at the moment. I would advise either waiting a day or two to discuss an amenable response, or having this discussion with the Master Vampire who gave her permission to handle the situation in the way she felt appropriate.”
Abbott stepped into the room and said, ”An excellent suggestion.” He looked to Nathan and said, ”No public apology, but I will arrange for my insurance company to notify the widow with information about a twenty thousand dollar life insurance policy.”
”Fifty,” Nathan countered.
”Done.” Abbott looked to Kendra and said, ”This doesn't negate the point you made with his death, but it will help a widow and a fatherless child, and will keep things smooth between us and an important friend and ally.”
She didn't like it, but wasn't prepared to argue the point, either. Three months from now she'd probably see it as the sensible solution, even if it p.i.s.sed her off now.
Aaron gave them all the information his tech people and hackers had been able to get him on Mitroff's people, and added, ”I have a lone-wolf hacker friend digging for what he can find, as well. I believe the largest concentration of their people is in Charleston, Columbia, and Greenville. However, the Eagles seem to have congregated just over the state line from Augusta, GA, and then there's a lot of shapes.h.i.+fters in the suburbs of Charlotte, also just over the state line. If possible, I'd like to put together five teams and hit every city simultaneously.” He looked at Abbott. ”If your people can handle two teams, Nathan will run the Drake Security team, and Sophia and I will run a team populated by lone wolves, swans, owls, and a couple of dragons. I've convinced the Master Vampire in Atlanta to take care of the enclave just over the line from Augusta, since the fact they're working in Georgia while living in South Carolina is a personal affront to him.”
The group debated timing, struck a countdown for fifty-two hours from the current time, and split up to contact their people and plan their individual raids.
Aaron's lone-wolf hacker, Brain, came through with a lot more information over the next day, and by the time they were all suiting up for battle, Kendra was certain they were ready. She and Abbott were hitting Charleston, as she wanted a piece of Natalia, who'd been communicating to people from a hidden underground bunker. Mitroff had no idea they'd found it, but Brain had not only managed coordinates, but also high resolution aerial shots showing them exactly how to get into the bunker.
Chapter Nineteen.
Eric paced back and forth in the bas.e.m.e.nt of TBC. He'd learned the Master Vampire had put what he termed an impenetrable bunker below the club, and had ama.s.sed a number of people important to him who weren't fighting, so they'd be safe while a whole lot of Abbott's people and allies attacked a s.h.i.+t ton of their South Carolina enemies.
Kendra had told him a huge black man named Isaac was in charge, and as long as he followed Isaac's instructions, Eric would be safe.
”You're going to wear the carpet out,” a cute redhead told him. ”Come sit with us and talk. I'm Bethany, this is Gen.”
He smiled and sat at their table. ”I'm Eric. Can I ask how you're connected to all of this?”
”I'm married to someone who's fighting, and Bethany here's my best friend, so she's also under his protection. Usually, that keeps us safe, but apparently tonight and the next couple of days, it could put us in danger. Who're you connected to?”
”I've been seeing Kendra, and I've done some contract work for Abbott, which puts me under his protection.” He shrugged. ”Like you said, it usually keeps me safe, not so much tonight.”
He talked to the girls a while, and Isaac sat with them and cut up a little, too. Eventually, they all moseyed off to a room with cots, and Eric worried about Kendra instead of sleeping. He knew the vampires would be going somewhere else to bed down for the day, but Kendra had promised she'd contact him telepathically when she got back.
So, when he heard Abbott's voice in his head instead of Kendra's, his heart went into his stomach.
Eric?
Yes, are you okay? Is Kendra?
I'm fine, though I won't be coming back to Chattanooga this night. Kendra had made emergency preparations for a daytime resting place outside of Charleston, and she's going to have to make use of them. I understand you and Ranger have plans for tomorrow. Aaron will brief Ranger on safety and security protocols, and they'll be sure you stay safe.
Is Kendra okay? Eric demanded.
She will be. I'm sorry to cut you off short, but I have others to contact, and much to do before dawn takes me. Please stay with Ranger tomorrow. We'll speak again tomorrow night.
Eric slept a few hours, and when he awakened, discovered Isaac had arranged for a large buffet breakfast to be served upstairs off the main bar of The Billiard Club. He was happy to see Gen in the arms of a big, burly, barrel-chested guy in a motorcycle club vest, and he walked to them when Bethany waved him over.
”Eric, this is Duke. Duke, Eric.” She looked at Duke and said, ”Eric didn't seem to know anyone last night so we invited him to sit with us. He's dating Kendra. One of Abbott's people.” She gave Eric a questioning look and asked, ”Did she make it back okay?”
Eric shook his head. ”No. Abbott let me know she'd made emergency arrangements for a place to stay, and had to make use of them. I couldn't get anything else out of him.”
Another guy in a motorcycle vest walked over, this one tall and thin. ”Kendra is Abbott's third in command,” he told Duke, before looking at Eric. ”The Charleston battle went off the original plan, but if Kendra made it to a safe place to bed down for the night, she should be fine.” He took a breath, looked as if he were considering his next words carefully, and said, ”Rumor has it, someone who's intent on sending a message wanted to draw the message out over days, not over a single night.”
Eric looked down, realizing this man was trying to tell him Kendra had Natalia and planned to torture her for days before she killed her.
”You stuck here for the day?” Duke asked. ”If so, we're planning a bike ride up to Fall Creek Falls today, got a couple dozen people going. You can follow us in your car, or we have some bikes in the shop we can rent you for the day, if you know how to ride.”
Eric smiled in thanks, but shook his head. ”Thanks for the offer, but my uncle works for Drake Security, and he'll be here to get me in about an hour. I actually have a BMW S1000RR, though I'm not sure if you'd allow it on the road with ya'll. You just do U.S. made bikes, right?”
”Yeah, for members, but we occasionally give the okay for someone to ride with us on a crotch rocket. Good to know you'll be taken care of today. Will you be back tonight?”
Eric shook his head. ”I don't know. Abbott's cryptic message was to tell me my uncle had been briefed and would have instructions.”
A few minutes into the conversation, Brain used a phrase that caught Eric's attention, and he asked, ”You're in IT?”
Brain hesitated, and Gen said, ”Yeah, he is. Why?”
Eric shrugged. ”I write computer games.”
Ten minutes later Eric and Brain exchanged contact information with each other when the rest of the table complained they had no idea what the two were talking about.
Eric waved goodbye as they left, told them to be safe on their ride, and found an empty corner where he could open his laptop and work until Ranger arrived to pick him up.
He'd lost track of the people around him, and looked up with pleased surprise when his uncle sat at his table. Ranger shook his head told him, ”Sometimes it's hard to believe you're related to your father and me. You're in a room full of supernaturals and the people connected to them, and you had no idea of your surroundings.”
”This is supposed to be a safe place, right? That's why I'm here?”
Ranger sighed. ”Yeah. What do you want to do today? If you have work to do I can set you up somewhere quiet, but I was kind of hoping you could show me some climbing spots. My fingers are itching for a good cliff face, and the weather is beautiful.”
Eric saved his work, watched it upload to his cloud server, and closed his laptop. ”I don't have any equipment with me, is it safe to run by the yacht and pick it up?”