Betrayed (Wolf Gatherings Book 6) (19 page)

“Got it. Inform the others. We’ll see you soon.”

Alex texted everyone else.

Heather wanted to shift and run toward her mate. Her body called to act. She had to fight her inner wolf to keep it at bay. Now was no time to shift. In human form they could approach and get a better view of the facility. Shifters could scent other shifters far easier in their natural form than when they took the shape of men and women. The last thing they wanted was to attract attention and cause any suspicion from the Romulus.

They didn’t even know how many men were at this research center yet. Until they knew for sure what they were up against, Heather knew no one was going to do anything rash.

Heather paced next to the car while they waited for the rest of their party to arrive. Three more vehicles pulled off the highway half an hour later. They easily slid deep into the tall grass and down a short decline in the embankment to keep the cars out of sight.

Twelve reserves plus the two men Heather arrived with pulled out maps and studied the precise location of Marcus’s chip.

Jerard leaned over. “Whatever the place is, it’s not on any map.”

“Could we pull it up with a satellite image?” Silas asked.

“Probably, but not as quickly as we’d like and not without creating suspicion. I don’t have those kinds of connections in the human world.” Jerard stepped back. “Though it’s seeming more and more like we’re going to need them.”

Heather leaned against one of the cars. The fact shifters were considering revealing themselves to the outside was huge. She never expected to see something like this in her lifetime.

Although according to what Marcus heard from his grandfather last month, humans were already informed. At least whoever was funding the Romulus. And whoever was funding the Romulus was on the side of evil.

“Okay, let’s spread out and surround the place. Silence your phones and text when anyone sees anything worth noting.” Alex pointed at groups of men and paired them off. “Heather, you’re with me and Silas.”

Thank God they didn’t intend to leave her behind. She’d have given them the riot act.

•●•

Marcus was exhausted. The drive alone would have made him tired under any ordinary circumstances, but when he factored in the old man next to him for the last eight hours, he was about to stab himself. The man yammered incessantly about the importance of family and the need to ensure the continuity of their species.

Undoubtedly his aim had been to manipulate Marcus into being more receptive to whatever experiments the man was conducting at his medical facility.

When Melvin was convinced he had Marcus sufficiently lured into his net, he moved on to the value of making wolves stronger and more self-sufficient so no threat from humans or any other species on Earth would be insurmountable to them.

Marcus listened closely, even though he would have rather tuned the man out hours ago. He needed to hear everything to be the most informed and to gather the most intel for NAR.

Finally, Melvin had fallen asleep for a while, and Marcus hadn’t dared make a single noise or even turn on the radio, relishing the silence and praying the man took the longest afternoon nap possible.

His grandfather awoke as though on cue and directed Marcus the last few miles to the compound, as he referred to the place.

Marcus’s first impression was shock at the size of the facility. He’d imagined a white, hospital-like building with several stories. Instead he faced a single-story spread painted a deep green that covered so much area it had to be at least twenty-thousand square feet. And that didn’t begin to consider how far underground it extended. The building blended in with the foliage with its green coloring, and Marcus was certain it was no accident.

When he emerged from the car and stretched his legs, his grandfather did the same on the other side. Marcus didn’t round the car to aid the man. For one, he’d rather not get so close, and for two, Melvin wasn’t the sort of character to take kindly to the assumption he required assistance.

Marcus followed his grandfather through an ordinary door on the side of the building. He wondered if it were the front entrance or a random side door. He saw no evidence to indicate any particular part of the building was a welcoming front.

The minute they entered, Marcus understood where he got the impression the building would be white. It had been Allison Watkins, Daniel’s mate, who informed NAR she remembered a stark white medical setting. Indeed the inside was completely white, from the ceiling tiles to the floor.

Marcus tried to hide his shock as he followed his grandfather down a long hall and into an office. Melvin rounded a desk and plopped down, pushing a button on the phone to the right. “Cathy, please bring us some sandwiches and some water.”

“Yes, sir,” replied the soft voice on the other end. “Right away.” Melvin looked up and then gestured to a chair in front of the desk. “Are you just going to stand there? Sit.”

Marcus lowered onto the chair, even though he would have rather remained standing. His butt hurt from sitting for so long, and his nerves were shot to hell.

Minutes later a blonde woman walked into the room carrying a tray. She set it down on the desk and scampered back out the door without a word.

Marcus kept from rolling his eyes. Of course his grandfather only had a demure, quiet woman at his beck and call.

“Eat. You must be starving. We haven’t stopped since lunch.” Melvin picked up a sandwich. “Then I’ll show you around a little. We’ll get you settled in what will be your quarters and get started first thing tomorrow.”

Marcus reached for the second sandwich, wondering how he was going to swallow a single bite. He was beyond nervous by now.

At least no one has tried to inject you with anything yet. That’s a plus.

Being drugged against his will was his biggest concern in this mission. If anyone slipped anything in his food or stabbed him with a needle, he could become helpless to defend himself or be of any assistance to the group of reserves he knew had the place surrounded by now.

He’d seen a man on the roof as they’d entered and assumed there were guards on the other side of the building. Melvin was cunning. He wouldn’t leave himself unprotected, even out in the middle of nowhere.

What are you up to, old man?

It took herculean effort for Marcus to swallow his sandwich while maintaining an appearance of nonchalance. He started slowly, concerned about being drugged. But as minutes passed with no obvious signs of impairment, he picked up the pace. As much as he loathed the idea of eating anything in this facility, he would need the energy. He couldn’t very well tell his grandfather he wasn’t hungry. It wouldn’t be believable.

When they finished, he waited for his grandfather to type at his computer for several minutes before the man stood. “Let’s get to that tour, shall we?”

“What exactly do you do here?” Marcus asked. To do otherwise would have seemed peculiar. Even though Melvin had given him vague answers at his parents’ home that morning, Marcus had nothing substantial to go on from his grandfather’s explanation.

“Experiments, son.” His grandfather turned to give him a look indicating he was a moron. “It’s a research facility. What else would you expect?”

At the condescending tone, Marcus decided to keep his mouth shut lest he be inclined to punch the man and ruin the hard work of NAR on the outside preparing to attack.

Melvin sped down various halls with amazing agility for a man as frail as he appeared. He pointed out mundane rooms as they went. “Restrooms. Lab. Break room.” He continued down another hall and then gestured the length. “Most of the staff sleeps in the quarters on this hall.”

He kept walking until he came to the third door on the left. “This one will be yours for now.” He slid a key card in the slot next to the handle and pushed through to the room.

For now? What happens later?

The inside was no more than a motel room. Double bed. Bathroom. Small desk and lamp. Marcus noted his suitcase sat at the end of the bed. That meant someone had retrieved it from the car.

“Get a good night’s sleep. We’ll be working early tomorrow. Someone will come to collect you at six o’clock. Use the alarm.” Melvin left as soon as he spoke those words, leaving Marcus both relieved and concerned at the same time.

The first thing he did was check the door he’d just come through. As he expected, it was locked. He inhaled slowly, trying to control his emotions. Of course the man wouldn’t want him wandering around the facility before he’d had an opportunity to introduce him to his new fate.

“This one will be yours for now.”

Those words ran over and over in his head. How long was
now
? He sure the fuck hoped it was longer than whatever time NAR needed to collect intelligence and bust down the front door.

Marcus had agreed to twenty-four hours inside before anyone moved. It would take the reserves that long to assess the manpower needed for the job and assemble the troops. It would also give Marcus the chance to gather as much information as possible. If NAR busted in too soon, they stood the chance of learning nothing of what was happening on the inside.

Marcus plopped on the bed and stared at the ceiling. He hadn’t been without his mate for this long since he’d met her, and he wasn’t pleased with her absence now.
Hold it together. By this time tomorrow, hopefully it will all be over, and you’ll be free to enjoy Heather for the rest of your life
.

How the hell was he going to sleep? And he needed to so he would be in top shape when the door opened in the morning. He would be useless to NAR if he was a zombie in the morning.

Pulling himself up, Marcus set the alarm.
What a joke
. And then he made his way to the bathroom to shower away the ugliness of the day and brush his teeth.

When he lay back down on the bed with nothing more to do but wait, he closed his eyes and breathed in deeply.
Heather, baby, I hope you’re resting better than I am tonight
. He doubted she was. But he could hope.

Marcus was ready when the door opened in the morning. He was surprised to find his grandfather on the other side. The man motioned for him to follow.

“Is everyone locked in their rooms at night?” Being slightly antagonistic was a necessary part of the deed. If he were too willing to be led around like a trained monkey, Melvin would be suspicious. He had to keep reminding himself to question things.

“Yes. Keeps everyone safe.”

“From what?” The question popped out of his mouth unbidden.

“You never know.” His grandfather shrugged. “Come on. I’m going to show you some things that will blow your mind this morning.”

Marcus was sure.

The first place they went was a dining hall. Dozens of shifters scurried around the buffet and ate like little robots. No one paid much attention to the newcomer. Marcus wondered if they were under the influence of some substance to keep them docile. He remembered being in a similar state at times during his teens. Was this how his grandfather ran his facility? With robotic shifters who knew nothing else?

Marcus moved down the buffet line in the dining hall, carefully selecting only the things his grandfather chose, still concerned about being drugged. He hardly tasted anything and couldn’t describe it afterward if he needed to. He then followed his grandfather down several halls, trying to remember where he was and where he’d come from.

Finally they passed through two double doors and entered what looked like an emergency room. There weren’t any patients waiting to be seen, but the front desk looked busy anyway. Chairs lined the walls as though they were expecting a rush of incoming patients at any moment.

Marcus hoped he wasn’t the first victim of the day.

He said nothing as his grandfather led him past the staff and behind the scenes. Marcus looked both ways as they walked. Every room had someone in it on a gurney. No one appeared to be awake. Everyone had IVs attached to them, but Marcus didn’t notice anything else out of the ordinary.