Fox Afield (Madison Wolves) (32 page)

"All right, Michaela," said Elisabeth. "Let us get you out of the car, then start doing whatever acting you are going to do. I recommend scared."

Gentle hands lifted me, and I felt myself passed out of the car, then three wolves carried me into the shed. They set me on the floor gently. I started crying immediately. I wasn't sure I was convincing, so I thought about my sister, and it didn't take long before the tears became real.

There were more footsteps and I heard Tim moaning and crying. It was impossible to tell what he wanted from around the gag. They dropped him, and I heard a cry of surprise and pain. I heard chairs moved around, then Tim
was picked up and shoved in a chair. They left me on the floor. I listened as they removed Tim's hood. Then they roughly picked me up, shoved me into another chair, and yanked the hood from over my head. I stared at Tim, five feet away, begging him with my eyes and crying.

Then I glanced around at the wolves. Elisabeth, Serena, Eric, Karen, Scarlett and Angel were here. They were all wearing sweatshirts with the hoods pulled
up and masks over their faces. Those that could had hidden their more feminine curves, knowing their size would make them look male instead of female.

Scarle
tt and Angel were attending to me. Serena, Eric and Karen were managing Tim. Elisabeth stood between us. She began speaking.

"You both know what you've done," she said. "You are both going to confess. No one needs to get hurt." She looked fiercely at both of us. "Well, not permanently hurt. I think there might be a little hurting before we're sure you've told us everything we want to know."

I increased my sobbing, trying to say around the gag I didn't know what I'd done. Tim, however, had his eyes wide and was full of fear. He looked guilty as shit, but we already knew that.

Elisabeth turned to me. "We'll start with you, sweetie." She didn't sound at all sweet. She took two steps to me and ripped the tape from my mouth. I spit the gag out and immediately began protesting I didn't know what she was talking about.

"Please don't hurt me! I don't know what you want. Tell me what you want, and I'll tell you anything you want to know. Please don't hurt me!"

She slapped me, rocking my head back, and I tasted blood. I purposely spit some of it out so Tim could see.

He started screaming into his gag, and then I smelled fresh urine.

"Where," Elisabeth asked. "Is Virginia Callahan?"

"Who?" I asked. "I don't know any Virginia Callahan!"

She slapped me again not remotely as hard this time, but I spit more blood up anyway.

"String her up!" she said.

Angel roughly grabbed my legs and Scarlett tied rope around them, being very firm.

"What are you doing?" I screamed. "I don't know any Virginia Callahan! I don't know why you're doing this! Stop! Stop!"

They ignored my
protests. Angel made a point of hanging rope over the rafters, the rafters I had carefully made out of two by sixes, and attached a hook to the bottom. Elisabeth, Angel and Scarlett picked me up and I began screaming. "Please don't hang me! I don't know anything! Please!"

They hooked my feet to the ropes and lowered me, letting me swing back and forth, dandling from my ankles
.

"Please don't do this," I said. "I don't know anything."

Elisabeth explained what was going to happen. She told me if I confessed to everything I had done, they wouldn't hurt me anymore. They would even let me go, once Virginia was free. No cops or anything. They just wanted Virginia safe and sound.

"But if we don't get her back," Elisabeth said. "You are both going to die. Slowly. Very, very slowly."

And then they began to spin me.

What a waste of a fine meal. I let them crank me up twice before I threw up. I did what I could to aim at Tim. I could have lasted a lot longer,
but I didn't even try to hold on.

They took me down right away, not wanting me to choke to death, shoving me back in the chair.

"I don't know anything," I said when I could finally speak. "Please, I don't know anything."

"We'll see," said Elisabeth. "Once you see what we do with your boyfriend, maybe you'll be more willing to talk to us. We promise, if you tell us everything, we'll stop hurting you."

Damn, she was good. She had me convinced.

She turned to Tim and ripped the tape off him savagely, intentionally hurting him. He cried out, and as soon as the gag was out,
he begged her not to hurt him, he'd tell him everything he knew if she just promised not to hurt him.

I was disappointed. I wanted him to suffer for what he had done.

"All right," Elisabeth said gently. "Tell us what you and Harvey Block did with Virginia Callahan."

"What?" he said. "Mr. Block? Mr. Block didn't do anything."

"Liar!" Elisabeth said. She hit him, and she wasn't gentle. He began crying again. "I see you aren't convinced." She knelt down and pulled a knife from a sheath on her ankle. From her pocket, she produced an old fashioned cigarette lighter. She lit the lighter then started passing the blade through the flames, heating it up while Tim watched.

"You don't think we're serious, do you, Tim?"

"I do!" he yelled. "Oh god! I do!"

Elisabeth turned to me, approaching. "I think, Tim, you need to understand just how serious we are." She stood over me
, holding the heated blade, and I was filled with dread. Then Angel handed Elisabeth a different knife, and I recognized one of my silver ones. I glanced at Angel, and she was holding a raw piece of chicken breast. I couldn't see Tim, which means he couldn't see me. I looked up at Elisabeth and nodded once.

She shifted to the side so Tim could see then pressed the silver blade against my cheek.

Silver burns a were, and it hurt like a son of a bitch, but not enough I couldn't block it off. I started screaming anyway.

At the same time, Angel used the flame from the lighter on the chicken, causing a burning sound and smell.

Elisabeth held the knife against my face for ten seconds before pulling it away. Then she switched knives with Angel, grabbing the lighter as well, and began heating the knife again.

"So, Tim," she said. "If we did that to her, just think what we'll do to you."

I knew the silver burn would look a lot like any other burn, and Tim stared at my violated cheek. I reduced myself to sobs. Elisabeth let Tim get a good look at my face then blocked his view with her body. Angel bent over and whispered in my ear, "Okay?"

I nodded once and focused on taking the pain out of the burn. I didn't want to outright heal it yet, but I could make it bearable.

Elisabeth advanced on Tim, still heating the knife.

"It wasn't Mr. Block!" he yelled. "It wasn't Mr. Block! It's Lane Harris!"

"Lane Harris?" Elisabeth asked. "Who the fuck is Lane Harris?"

"Mr. Block's foreman!" Tim yelled. "He approached me, told me he might be able to hire me on. Construction pays real good. Real good, he promised me, but he wouldn't have any jobs because some busy-body was interfering with their work. He said he won't hurt her. He'll let her go when this is over. She hasn't see
our faces, and he'll let her go!"

"Where is he keeping Virginia?" Elisabeth asked.

"His basement! I swear, she's fine. She's in a storage room in the basement! He's feeding her and everything. No one has touched her!"

Elisabeth continued to question him for the next half hour. She made him scream a few times, but she didn't do any real damage. His story didn't vary except in minor
wording changes, and I believed he was telling the truth.

We had to protect my cover. "Separate them!" she said. "If we get Virginia back alive and unharmed, we'll let you both go. If she's been harmed, anything that has happened to her happens to both of you tenfold. You better hope she's not hurt!"

They gagged us both again then pulled a hood over Tim's head. Scarlett, Angel and Karen carried me out then stood me on my feet. I healed the burn on my cheek, and when Elisabeth stepped outside, I smiled broadly at her.

She stepped close to me. "Do you believe him?" she asked.

"Oh yeah," I said. "God, you are scary."

She smiled and kissed my forehead.

"You are very brave," she said. "Let's go. We'll untape you in the car."

Lara was waiting next to the car, and she looked like a wreck. They carried me to her, and she took me away from them, holding me tightly against her.

"I'm fine," I said. "We got it."

"I heard." She was crying. "You were screaming."

"An act, honey. You know that. Elisabeth was practically kissing me."

"She better not have!"

"Just on the forehead," I said. "Please, Lara, can we go?"

She set me gently in the car, following after me. We all took off leaving Serena to manage Tim. She was more than a match for one human. I hoped she was taping him to the chair with a few rolls of duct tape.

Someone produced
scissors. Lara cut the tape from me, but it was still sticking to my skin. I closed my eyes. "Just peel it off, as fast as you can," I said. I felt multiple pairs of hands pulling the tape off. I cried out, but then it was over and Lara was crushing me to her.

"Breath
e," I said. "Let me breathe."

She relaxed her hold just enough, and we drove back to Ashland that way.

By the time we got to the motel, Greg had all the information he needed.

"Lara," I said. "You and I will scope it out."

"And me," said Elisabeth.

"We'll go see what we can see," I said. "Then we'll come back and plan this. I want her rescued tonight, if it's feasible."

"Yes," said Lara. "Now is good."

Greg drove us. We drove past the house then parked a block away
, in the middle of the block away from any street lights. Elisabeth was in fur. Lara and I shifted, Greg let us out of the car, and I led the way back, sneaking us through the shadows.

I approached through the back yard. I watched for motion sensors. I didn't see any. I turned to the wolves and drew a line in the grass. Lara huffed. I drew the line again, and they both chuffed.

I slinked forward, slowly, listening.

It was a pleasant night, and Lane had made it easy for me. His bedroom window was open. I could hear him breathing, his heart beating slowly. He was well asleep.

I ran back to Lara and Elisabeth, shifted human, and told them what I'd found so far. I shifted back to fox and led the way to the house, my ears working their hardest. I listened at the basement windows, but I couldn't hear anyone else in the house.

Lara and Elisabeth circled the house, sniffing like mad. We all came together
and I led the way back to the bushes. Lara and I shifted back to human.

"I don't know," I said. "I can't hear anything, but if he's got her in there during the day, who knows how soundproofed the room is. I won't hear breathing or a heartbeat through that.

"I smelled something," said Lara. "But nothing definitive. Elisabeth?"

Elisabeth chuffed.

We stared at her. She whined and began leading the way back to the house. Lara and I switched back to fur and followed her. Elisabeth took us straight to the fresh air vent for the furnace. She sniffed like crazy there, and Lara joined her.

They both chuffed together and led the way out of the yard. They didn't stop at the edge of the yard but led the way back to Greg. He was waiting for us and opened the door. We jumped in, and Lara was human before Greg even climbed in. She pulled her clothes on. I shifted and did the same. Elisabeth stayed in fur.

"She's there," Lara said. "I'm sure of it."

I hugged her and began crying. "Now you get her out. Please, now you get her out!"

"We need to let Robert decide," she said. "Cops or us."

"What are we going to tell them?" I asked. "They need enough for a court order. We don't have that, and we're not going to get it."

"Lara," Greg said. "Michaela is right. We can end this in another hour. How many humans?"

"I heard one, in the bedroom."

"We smelled the one in the bedroom plus Virginia, probably in the basement."

"Alpha," Greg said. "I recommend we do our own raid. We go in silent but fast. The whole thing will be over in fifteen seconds."

"Leave someone in fur outside his window," I said.

"If we do it that way," Lara said. "We have to kill him. That leave
s us with a body to get rid of."

"It wouldn't be the first for me," I said calmly.

"I don't like being judge, jury and executioner for humans," Lara said.

"Fine," I said. "Turn around
and drive back. Help me sneak in. I'll find her. I'll lay my eyes on her. I'll then go to the police and report where she is. I'll go to jail for breaking and entering, but she'll be safe. If he doesn't have friends on the police force who warn him before they can rescue her."

Lara swore for a while. Finally she said, "Elisabeth, you plan it."

We arrived at the motel. Everyone helped with the plan. "We can't kill him until we're absolutely positive," Lara said.

"We don't have to kill him," I said. "You know, I am exceedingly quiet."

They turned to me.

"What if we slip a cell phone to her? She calls the cops, tells them where she is. She got the cell phone when he checked on her. She stole it from his pocket. He'll know something funny happened, but what is he going to do about it?"

"Risks?" Lara asked.

"The cops don't believe her or blow the raid."

"They'll believe her," Greg said. "But I don't know how well they'll do a raid. I can't imagine it's a very big police department. If he's armed, it could turn ugly."

"All right," I said. "We go in quiet. The wolves silently secure the upstairs. I rescue Virginia. We get her out of the house and she goes to the cops, telling them she got free herself when he got sloppy. If he wakes up, you take him out. If he sleeps through it, we get out and
he doesn't wake up until the cops arrive."

"If she hasn't seen him," Greg said. "She might not be able to identify him."

"Her DNA will be all over that room," I said. "She only has to testify she was kidnapped and held there. Plus I bet he has a computer with evidence on it."

Everyone conferred. There was a slight risk, but he would have to have some high powered weaponry to be a threat to a werewolf, especially one in fur.

"I want Lara or Elisabeth with me, in case I need some strength. And I want all my knives back, just in case I need them."

Greg told
me what he thought the probable layout was. He wired me up with a radio headset and had one for himself. "Who else is staying human?"

"I am," Elisabeth said.

"What do you want us to do?" Angel said, indicating herself and Scarlett.

"Scarlett to drive. Angel in fur
to help Elisabeth and Michaela," said Lara. "Scarlett, if this goes badly, you will drive calmly away as if nothing happened. Angel you will do whatever you need to do, then you will leave as well. Work your way back to pack lands."

"But-" Angel said.

"Yes, Alpha," Scarlett said.

"Yes, Alpha," Angel echoed.

"Michaela-" Lara said.

"Yes, Alpha?"

"Use your judgment. Get the hostage free."

"Yes, Alpha." I smiled. "Thank you."

She nodded.

Greg wired up radios to everyone who was staying human. We talked it through a little longer, then we piled into cars. I strapped my knives on and put my chopsticks in my hair. Eric, Karen and Angel got furry. We parked a block away and climbed out.

"Radio check," Greg said. "In order. Michaela."

"Here."

"Elisabeth? Scarlett?"

I led us to the house, taking the back route again. I slipped to the back door, but it was locked. Greg came next to me; it took him a minute to get the door open. Then Lara led the way into the house with the wolves
that would stay upstairs. I followed, Elisabeth and Angel behind me, and Greg retreated to his car.

Everyone was absolutely silent, and my ears told me the sleeper was still sleeping. I found the basement stairs right where Greg expected them, right off the kitchen. By prior agreement, I would descend first, feeling out for noisy treads. The third from the top had give, and I knew it would squeak if stepped on. I looked up at Elisabeth and Angel and pointed it out. The rest of the steps were fine, and I made it to the basement silently. Elisabeth and Angel followed.

"We're downstairs," I said quietly.

"Roger," Greg said.

Elisabeth and Angel both sniffed, and together they brought us to a sturdy door. It wasn't even locked. I used a mirror to look under the door, but it was dark, and I didn't see a thing. I opened the door a crack and peeked in with the mirror. Pitch dark.

"Me first," Elisabeth said very quietly. She held up three fingers, then two, then one, then she was in motion, moving into the room, Angel behind her, me last. I flipped on my flashlight and shined it around the room.

Virginia Callahan was taped to the bed and gagged and was trying to scream. No one else was in the room.

I stepped forward, shining the light on my face.

"Virginia," I said. "Shhh. It's Michaela. We're here to rescue you. You have to be quiet. Shhh. It's Michaela."

She grew quiet immediately.

Angel and Elisabeth set up a watch and I crossed to the bed, using the flashlight to search the room once more.

I knelt down. "Virginia, do you recognize me?"

She nodded, her eyes wide.

"These are my friends. The big one is Elisabeth. She is my sister-in-law. My wife and more of my friends are upstairs, guarding our escape. I'm going to take your gag out. Please don't scream."

She nodded, and I pulled the tape off. She cried out lightly, then spat out her own rag.

"Michaela?"

"Yes, it's really me."

"Not a dream."

"No, Virginia."

I examined her hands.

"I'm sorry, this is going to hurt a little. We need to make it look like you tore the tape. Do you understand?"

"No."

"We don't have any police here. We want them to think you got away. You tore the tape and escaped."

"Oh. All right."

I tried to tear the tape.

"Angel," I said. "Come bite this, please."

Angel padded over.

"Damn, that's a big dog," Virginia said.

"We'll do proper introductions later," I said. "Did they... touch you?"

"No."

Angel went around, biting the tape enough that I could tear it from there. Virginia did the rest, then rotated sideways on the bed.

"Do you know where you are?" I asked.

"Lane Brook did this. He had help, but I don't know who it was. I didn't see him."

"You're in Lane Brook's basement," I told her. She nodded. "
The one helping him was Timothy Anderson. You recognize him as a clerk at the store. Understand?"

She smiled. "Yes."

"The police will find all the evidence they need. Don't fabricate anything else. We're going to get you out of here. We have a car waiting. We're going to drive you to a block away from the police station. You will walk the rest of the way. We'll watch you to keep you safe. You go in and tell them everything that happened, everything. Except you freed yourself. We were never here."

She smiled and nodded.

"Can you do that? The other choice is illegal."

"No, I can do it. Do Robert and Bree know?"

"No. They know we're helping. I have more friends with them. Virginia, you weren't rescued. You rescued yourself."

She nodded.

She tried to get up, but she was weak, so I helped her.

"One step squeaks. You'll need to step over it. I'll point it out when we get there."

I helped her to the stairs. We climbed up and slipped out of the house. Greg was right there, and I bundled her into the car. "We're clear," I said. "Elisabeth, get them out of there."

"On it."

Angel came out first and jumped into the car with us. The rest of the wolves all followed, Lara and Elisabeth last. They left the door ajar.

We drove quietly away.