“Yes, it does,” Warren said. “Full-blooded, silver wolf babes are too rare. I’ll stay here with her.”
“Derik knows this?” Robert demanded.
“Naturally,” Vita snapped. “I hope you’re not implying anything with that question.”
“Only that you two have been very secretive. This is a cause for celebration. Why hide the news?”
“It was early in the pregnancy. We wanted to wait until the critical period was over. But,” she said with a budding smile, “last weekend we passed three months."
“Since she can’t go, we all must stay.” Robert dropped his hands in resignation but gave Ari a bitter look. “Our duty is clear. The future of our species takes precedence. That leaves Steffan’s rescue in your hands. Don’t blow it.”
Chapter Eleven
It was almost 4:00 a.m. by the time Lilith, two of the weretigers, and Ari reached the bridge near the enemy camp. Ari’s companions were heavily armed; she had the usual silver dagger and derringer, with her pockets full of spells and potions. Her witch blood hummed, her fingers tingled, ready for action.
At first glimpse, the area seemed deserted, but she could feel the power of Otherworld beings. She spotted Gilbert and several wolves huddled in the shadows under the bridge structure. Some were in creature form, but Gilbert had retained his man-shape to handle the assault rifle clutched in his hands. It was equipped with a night scope. He walked over to join her.
“Any news?” Ari kept her voice to a whisper.
Gilbert showed her his cell phone and put it on mute. “We’re keeping an open line with the two scouts near the farm. No change there. They’ve counted at least sixteen, with more inside. Still no sight of Steffan or Fagan, but we can’t get close without risking exposure.” He pointed to his nose.
Yeah, she got it. The wolves’ sense of smell worked for and against both sides. It made sneaking up on them an iffy proposition.
“How far away are your people?” Jena asked.
“About half a mile and using long-range night scopes, but even that’s risky.”
Ari frowned. “An acceptable risk, I gather? Would they pay any attention to the scent of two lone wolves, even if they picked it up?”
Jena and Gilbert looked at each other and shrugged. “Under normal circumstances, probably not,” he said. “But I’d guess they’re being super vigilant tonight.”
“What if we switch them out with tigers?” Lilith broke in with the suggestion. “It would be a different scent. They’ll notice the new arrivals, but as long as the tigers move around and don’t approach the farmhouse, it may not seem suspicious. Lots of Otherworlders hunt in these woods. And the kidnappers will be looking for other wolves, won’t they?”
“It’s a good thought,” Gilbert said, looking at Ari. “Can’t hurt, and they might fall for it.”
“Then let’s do it.” She gave Lilith an approving nod. The lioness had a good head on her shoulders. Andreas should consider a promotion for her when this was over and Lilith returned to Toronto. Ari would miss her.
* * *
Time moved with an erratic tempo in the early morning hours. Either it crawled at a snail’s pace or forged ahead at blistering speeds, depending on the stage of events. The first fifteen minutes slowed to an eternity. Ari and her companions huddled under the bridge, waiting for the kidnapper’s next call or updates from the tigers watching the farmhouse. They couldn’t make a move until they’d verified Steffan was present and could approach without putting him at greater risk. The wind was cold, and everyone was strung tight. Ari shivered, stomped her feet, and pulled her jacket collar up around her ears.
Jena, who had been leaning causally against a bridge support, jumped to attention when her phone rang. She hit speaker.
“What’s your decision?” The caller’s voice was masculine, gruff.
“How do we know Steffan’s still alive?” Jena countered.
“You’ll have to take my word on it. Quit stalling.”
Jena took a deep breath, glanced at Ari, then continued with the prearranged script known only to the two of them. “I can’t do that. We’re prepared to agree to your demands, but only if we see for ourselves that Steffan is alive. If you won’t do that, we’ll know he’s dead and any deal is off.”
The kidnapper was silent for a moment.
Good. They’d caught him off guard. Ari held her breath. Jena’s breathing was ragged. It was an enormous risk, but beyond the obvious need to verify Steffan’s safety, Ari wanted a look at the kidnapper. And, if she could pull enough of the wolves out of the farm house, Gilbert’s group might be able to take the rest of them down. She didn’t have time to wait or starve them out, and storming the farmhouse under current conditions would turn into a scene of carnage.
“Unacceptable,” he said. The phone line went dead.
“Well, shit,” Jena squeaked.
Ari let out her breath with a whoosh. “He’ll call back. He must be deciding what to do.” She wished she was as confident as she sounded. But his hesitation made her think he was uncertain, a little rattled by their demand.
She paced the small area under the bridge. Gilbert and his wolves were more stoic as they all waited.
Jena kept checking her phone, as if she could make it ring by force of will.
“Heads up,” Gilbert said. “They’re on the move.” He held the phone glued to his ear. “Four men… No, five, six…uh, nine came out of the house. They’re shifting into furry form and leaving. Headed south toward town.” Gilbert’s attention swung to Ari. “What do you want the tigers to do? Follow or let them go?”
“Follow, but tell them to stay well behind. Send your original wolf team in to cover the farmhouse, and let your team at Steffan’s place know they may have visitors soon. And Jena, call Robert, just in case they’d headed toward the Magic Hall.”
While Jena and Gilbert were following those instructions, Ari’s phone buzzed. Unknown caller? What the hell?
Almost expecting to hear the kidnapper’s voice, she answered with a cautious, “Yes?”
“Ari, this is Gabriel.”
Aw, hell. Talk about bad timing.
“Sorry, Gabriel, I can’t talk right now. I’ll have to call you back.”
“No! Don’t hang up. This is important.”
“It can’t be more important than a man’s life. I’ll call.” She put her finger over the disconnection button.
“More important than Andreas’s life?”
“What’s that mean? What happened to him?” Ari’s pulse went into double-time.
“Nothing yet.”
“Dammit, Gabriel.” Relief nearly buckled her knees. She’d been sucker-punched—maybe several times. “Then spit it out, and be quick.”
“He needs you here. We’ve got multiple challenges. Andreas won’t ask you, but I will.”
Holy crap! “How many is multiple? It’s happening now, tonight? Dammit, why didn’t he call me?”
“He knows you’re tied up on this search for someone. No, it’s not tonight, but…”
“Then it’ll have to wait.” Ari hung up, taking deep breaths and muttering curses on Gabriel, his ancestors, and the sire who’d made him a vampire so he could hang around long enough to nearly give her heart failure. He rang back within seconds, and she ignored the call. She grimaced as it stopped abruptly, imaging his reaction when he reached voice mail.
“What’s up?” Lilith whispered.
“More trouble.” She explained the call. “I’ll call him back and get the details later. And possibly apologize for hanging up,” she added ruefully. “First, we have to get Steffan back alive.”
“I’ll talk to Russell.” Lilith glanced at the clock on Ari’s phone screen. “He should be up in a couple hours, and by that time the vamps will be safely asleep until tomorrow night.” She glanced at Ari’s face. “I promise I’ll stay on top of this. Keep your focus on Steffan.”
Ari wanted to do that, but despite the relatively calm face she showed to Lilith, her head was spinning. What if Andreas was in real danger right now? What could she do from here?
Not one damned thing.
Her palms turned clammy, and she fought the urge to run to the nearest airport. Could she abandon Steffan? Damn, damn, damn. Before Ari could marshal her thoughts around an answer, the kidnapper called.
She snapped into focus, waiting to hear what he’d say.
Jena had forgotten to hit the speaker button and listened for several seconds, while Ari and the wolves hovered. “Give us a minute,” Jena finally said. She handed the phone to Gilbert and motioned for Ari to follow her. When they were several feet away, Jena whispered, “He agreed to one of us seeing Steffan, but alone, and at a place of his choosing. It sounds like a trap. He may just snatch another hostage. What do I tell him?”
“Tell him I’m coming, and make sure he knows I’m a Guardian. If he hoped to kidnap another wolf leader, he’ll probably object to your choice. Don’t give in. I want him to know the Magic Council’s involved. It might make him think twice about how far he carries this.” When Jena looked like she wanted to protest, Ari added, “I can handle this. Tell him, before he gets tired of waiting and hangs up.”
Jena delivered the message. Standing next to Jena, Ari heard his loud, negative reaction. At first he flat out refused, threatening to break off contact. They argued back and forth a couple of times, but with Ari waving her hands and mouthing encouragement, Jena brushed off his threats. She reminded him this was the only way to get what he wanted.
When he suddenly agreed, setting a time and place, a reluctant smile tugged at Ari’s lips. It had come too easily, too quickly. He must have a really good trap in mind.
So be it. Two could play. She tapped her lips with one finger, already planning how she could get the upper hand. She was developing a grudging respect for his abilities. Despite their efforts to outsmart him, he kept adapting, staying one step ahead. Still, she’d made a couple of observations. He didn’t indulge in unnecessary violence—or hadn’t so far, and he was a control freak. He’d handled every contact himself. Either he found it impossible to delegate or he didn’t trust his followers. Whichever was the motivation, Ari could almost guarantee he would come to meet her in person. She looked forward to it, and she planned to have a surprise or two of her own.