Knight Shift (58 page)

He laughed at her feeble attempts at escape and said, “You are a feisty one, but I promised to deliver you unharmed.”

After feeling a sharp sting in her arm, she snapped her head to the side and found the friendly Changeling from the store smiling back at her with her blood on the tip of a fingertip that resembled a stinger. As her body went numb, he said, “Let me introduce myself. My name is Spider and this is my cluster.” He pointed toward the trees, where the friends that she had seen with him in the store stepped out of the dark.

Penny was unable to move and, as the Changelings shot out spider webs like sticky ropes to bind her, her mind swirled out of focus. The last thing she heard was Hawk saying, “Sleep tight.” Her world went black.

Back at Sam’s, the entire family had been busy dealing with a group of watchers that had surrounded their home. And, like insects, their numbers seemed to increase as soon as the sun went down. When Jax, Razor, and Chloe arrived and joined the fight, the watchers spotted the additions and quickly scurried off in all directions.

Sam approached the newest members to their fighting team and said, “Thanks for getting back here so quickly.”

Chloe asked, “When did they show up?”

Charlie replied, “A couple of hours ago. Everything was quiet and then all of a sudden they swarmed.”

Chad added, “They didn’t attack us. They just taunted us with the single apparent goal of irritating us to death, like a fly buzzing in our ears.”

Everyone turned when the twins stepped out of the dark in their Human form. When Taylor saw Jax, he said, “That explains it. I assumed something had changed on our end when those bastards suddenly scattered like leaves in the wind.”

Jax was shocked to see them and called as they approached, “When did you get back here?”

Taylor replied, “What are you talking about? We’ve never left. We’ve been here dealing with those chicken shits for hours.”

Jax asked, looking behind him, “Then where’s Penny?”

Taylor replied, “We haven’t seen or talked to her since she left for town this morning.”

“That can’t be. Penny told me that she received a text from you asking her to meet at the cabin.”

Taylor grabbed at his phone to see if Penny had sent him a message. When he found his pocket empty, he frantically searched his clothes and announced in a panic, “My phone’s missing.”

Jax quickly reread through his text messages. When he saw the one about Changelings in the store, he cursed and pressed speed dial for Penny. When her phone went instantly to voicemail, he looked to Ben with genuine fear in his eyes and said, “Keep trying to reach Penny.” He shifted into Ice and instantly disappeared into the trees with the twins right on his heels.

Razor tossed Chloe the keys to his car and said, “Meet us at the cabin.”

Before running off, Sam added, “When you get home, tell Susi what’s happened and bring her with you. “

Ben and Chloe ran back to the house. After informing Susi of the situation, they grabbed medical supplies, jumped into Razor’s sports car, and sped off down the lane.

Jax arrived at the cabin first and, seeing Penny’s motorcycle, he raced into the house calling her name. When he received no response, he checked every room and then ran out onto the back deck. He let out a deafening roar when he found her shattered phone, the damaged furniture, and everything covered in what resembled thick spider webs. He knew she had been taken and, when he caught the scent in the air, he also knew there were quite a few Changelings present with at least one of them a Night Walker.

Jax reluctantly suppressed his need to begin his hunt. He needed to think calmly and rationally, which he was having a hard time doing since it was Penny who was in danger. Razor and the others arrived moments later. After sharing what he knew, Chad shifted into a bloodhound and used his nose to examine the surrounding area.

By the time Chloe, Ben, and Susi arrived, Chad announced his findings. “There must be a dozen if not more trails containing Penny’s scent and each heads off in a completely different direction. I even smell signs of car exhaust, so I’m assuming they drove here as well.”

Jax picked up a web, looked at Chloe, and said, “Spider was here.”

After Chloe cursed, Ben asked, “Who’s Spider?”

Chloe answered, “He’s a lot like Logan. Underneath a charming exterior hides a self-centered bastard. He got the name Spider because he has the ability to secrete venom from fangs and fingertip stingers. Somehow he can pick the perfect level of toxicity to paralyze, knock out, or kill his victims.”

Tadd picked up a piece of the webbing from the deck and, while trying to shake off the sticky substance from his fingers, asked, “He can shoot webs?”

Chloe shook her head. “Actually, he can’t, but he managed to collect Changelings that can. They ensnare their victims so that Spider can come along at his leisure and attack them. Together they make a truly lethal team.”

Sam turned to Jax and said, “Earlier you mentioned that Changelings came into Penny’s store. That must have been Spider and his men and they weren’t there by accident. I bet Logan recruited them and other day walkers to his cause in an attempt to get to Penny.”

Tadd asked, “But then why didn’t they grab her while she was in the store? She wasn’t protected.”

Jax replied, “She was protected as long as she stayed in the store. Logan wouldn’t want to risk her getting hurt and wouldn’t want us to be alerted to their plan. Her text says that she knew they were Changelings and, although she thought they seemed harmless, she knows better than to follow them outside. Odds are he decided to lure her someplace where they could leisurely grab her without damaging his prize or exposing themselves too early.”

Sam said, “If that’s all true, that explains why it’s been so quiet around the house these last few days. Most likely they did it so that we would lower our guard. They sat back, watching Penny and waiting for the best time to implement their plan.”

Jax looked to Ben and said, “You were right. If she had left town as she’d originally planned, they would have been waiting for her.”

Tadd added, “And all the watchers that showed up today were sent to distract us and keep us busy.”

Taylor, with a mix of anger and guilt on his face, said, “And I gave them the means to lure her away.”

Susi walked over to Taylor and, placing her hand on his arm, she said, “It wasn’t your fault. They manipulated all of us. Even if they hadn’t grabbed your phone, they would have found another way to get to her.”

Razor exhaled in frustration and said, “If you’re going to blame yourself, you must blame me as well. They staged a similar scene in Portland and I had Jax leave home to help me before we realized that it was all a hoax.”

Chloe asked with a confused expression, “Why go to all of this trouble for just one Human?”

Jax replied, “Logan and I haven’t seen eye to eye on many things over the years. I really pissed him off when I threw him out of the house and protected Penny in front of his kind. He knows he can’t get to me directly, but if he could grab the one I love...” His voice trailed off.

Sam added, “It’s partly to punish Jax, but it’s more than that. Penny isn’t just an ordinary Human.” He looked to Jax for permission to share Penny’s secret.

Jax nodded. He knew if Chloe was going to help in the rescue effort, she had the right to know why it was so important to get Penny back.

Sam quickly recapped Penny’s gift and his morning in the sunrise. After he was done, Chloe looked to those around her for confirmation of what she just heard.

When everyone nodded, Razor added, “It was her unique blood that saved Van Gogh back in Reno and she offered it willingly, even though it could have killed her. Luckily she survived, no thanks to me. At the time, I was more concerned about how I was going to dispose of her Human body than the fact that she would be dead.”

Chloe looked to Jax and said, “I’m so sorry. I really thought she was an ordinary Human that was trying to infiltrate our world. Is that why Logan reacted so strongly to her blood when he attacked her at Sam’s?”

Sam replied, “Yes, we’re hoping that he didn’t realize how special she was, but given what he went through to get her, I fear he’s very aware.”

Razor added, “And if he’s been watching, he may know a lot more about her than we think. That may be our saving grace. If he knows all of her secrets, he’ll want her kept alive.”

Susi asked, “That gives us time to get her back, but what trail do we follow? Do we divide up and each take a path?”

Razor replied, “No. That’s what they’re counting on us to do.”

Tadd said, “But there are too many paths. They’ve had a long head start and, if we pick the wrong one, they could disappear for good.”

Charlie asked, “What if they drove her away? They could have driven a hundred miles by now.”

Sam shook his head. “I don’t think so. Logan is behind this and he’s been watching us for weeks. He couldn’t do that if he wasn’t nearby. Since he’s trapped by the night, he must have a hideout somewhere on this mountain.”

Ben turned to Jax. “You found her when she was up in the mountain with her family’s ashes. Can you do it again? You’d have to ignore the scent trail and reach out for her.”

Chloe said, “Even without a car, Logan would’ve selected Changelings with the gift of speed. She could be many miles from here through some rather rough terrain. No one can sense someone that far away.”

Ben replied, “They have a connection that breaks all rules and, if he uses that link, he could find her anywhere.” He turned to Jax and said with complete confidence, “I know that you can do this.”

Jax was touched by Ben’s faith in him and he had no choice but to try. He walked off to the river’s edge and, listening to the sounds of nature, he ripped the remains of his shirt completely off and shifted into Ice. Everyone followed and watched silently nearby. Charlie rubbed her arms from the chill in the air as Ice reached out with his senses and concentrated with all of his might on the one he loved.

Ice let his mind drift away and sweep through the trees like an evening fog. Using the breeze like fingers, he felt for the most minute signs that Penny had been there. As his mind continued the hunt, he mapped the path. When he picked up a faint hint of Penny’s scent, he narrowed his search and his speed increased. He followed the trail until he mentally heard a weak voice whisper in his ear.

Suddenly the ground began to vibrate as Ice let out a low, deep snarl. After he stood and shifted back to Jax, he turned to his family and announced, “I know where she is.”

Taylor said with a protective growl in his voice, “Tell us.” His muscles tensed and he was ready to begin the hunt as soon as Jax gave him the word.

Jax replied, “She’s quite a distance from here.” He scanned the family and said, “I must go and I won’t force you to come along, but the odds of my success would be greatly increased if you’re at my side.”

Sam’s heart swelled with pride, hearing Jax ask for his family’s help. He wouldn’t fail him. He stood proud and replied for those around him, “We’re in this together. Lead the way and we’ll be right behind you.”

Jax nodded and said, “Then let’s go.”

Susi grabbed the backpack filled with medical supplies and they headed into the woods with Ice at the lead.

They traveled steadily throughout the night and no one said a word for fear of interrupting Ice’s connection. The path was long and hard and, when it was getting close to morning, they were forced to find a place for the Night Walkers in their group to hide for the day. After they were tucked safely into the dark, Jax walked off into the morning sun and took a moment to refocus on Penny’s location.

Within an old hunting lodge, Penny woke. Her hands and ankles were bound in webs and her mouth covered in tape. She groaned as she attempted to move and knew she was also covered in bruises. As she forced herself past the pain to sit up, she found her head spinning like she was suffering from a hangover. She guessed it was the lingering effect of whatever Spider stung her with.

When her mind cleared and her eyes adjusted to the dim light, she scanned her surroundings. She found herself held in a small, barren room with pine log walls. Given the amount of dirt, cobwebs, and the slightly musty smell, she guessed that she was in an old cabin in the woods that most likely hadn’t been used in years.

Although she was alone, others were nearby. In one direction she heard talking and laughter, but from the other side she heard a constant stream of groans and sobs. Since her kidnappers included Night Walkers, these latter sounds most likely meant that she wasn’t the only Human being kept captive.

As Penny fought her bindings, the door opened and a man stuck his head in. Seeing her awake, he turned and announced to someone, “Tell him she’s up.”

Moments later the door opened wide and Logan walked in. He closed the door behind him, flipped on the lights, and sat down in front of her. He said casually, “It’s nice to see you again, Penny. Sorry for the rude way you were brought here, but you’re a hard little bird to catch.” He ripped off the tape covering her mouth and, seeing the bindings cutting into her skin, he pulled a knife from a sheath on his hip and began to cut the web ropes. As he worked, he warned, “I’m unbinding you because there’s nowhere to run. This lodge is full of my people and they would love the opportunity to chase you down.”

While rubbing her freed wrists, she asked, “What do you want with me?”

He replied, “Jax has been very selfish with you and your gifts. His turn is over and mine is about to begin.”

She attempted to play on their ruse and said, “Jax dumped me so obviously I don’t have anything worth having.”

He laughed loud and said, “That ridiculous lie of yours is over and I think Sam and Susi might have a thing or two to say about whether you’re special or not. By the way, has their suntan faded yet?” Seeing her shocked reaction he added, “Your final goodbye for your family was quite touching. Susi cried and I did too. Except my tears were from the burns on my skin that I got when I leaned out of the cave too far to watch my fellow Night Walkers stand at your side during a bright sunrise.” Seeing her realization, he nodded and said, “I was in the cave you picked for Sam and Susi. I watched it all. With you at my side, I could live a life in the sun, instead of living like a rat in the shadows. I’m tired of being treated like a piece of shit, even by other Changelings. But I had a massive boulder blocking my path—your lover, Jax.”

“But Jax and I aren’t—”

He interrupted her by saying, “There’s no need for any lies between us. I wish I had been at Sam’s to see your acting debut. Your skills must have been Emmy award winning, because Thorne isn’t easily swayed. You had him completely convinced that Jax threw you out but, if you recall, I’ve tasted you and I knew there was no way he would have given that up. And I was watching your camp the night before your mountain-side memorial when Jax, who everyone claimed had tossed you out, pinned you to the ground and showed you how much he hated you—several times I think. I thoroughly enjoyed your enthusiastic responses, by the way. Alas your secret rendezvous’ with Jax are over. You are now mine.”

No longer denying her relationship, she said, “There’s no place you can hide that my boyfriend can’t find me.”

He raised his eyebrows and nodded in approval. “Good, truth between us at last. Your boyfriend is in for a challenge trying to find you here. Maybe, in time, he’ll track you down. By then, you’ll be mine through and through.”

“I’ll fight you every step of the way.”

“We’ll see about that.” He yelled at someone outside the room and, moments later, the door opened again. A large man with his arms bound behind him was tossed into the room. He crashed to the floor and then scurried to the wall before standing up again.

When Penny made eye contact with the man, she gasped and whispered, “Quinn, is that you?” She cringed at the many cuts, bruises, and bite marks he had all over his body.

With a smug look on his face, Logan explained, “I thought you might like a friend nearby.”

Quinn was shocked to see Penny and asked, “What’s going on?”

“Just do whatever they say.” Penny spun back to Logan and said, “He has no part in this. Let him go.”

“If you don’t mind, I think I’ll keep him around for a while to keep you more cooperative. If you give me what I want, your friend will live and I’ll treat you like a princess. If not, I’ll still keep you here, but I can guarantee that Quinn’s life will become much less pleasant.” He looked down at his watch and said excitedly, “Wonderful. It’s time for your first test.”

In a flash, Logan jumped on top of Penny and pinned her to the floor. Quinn tried to come to her aid, but his guard knocked him back hard into the wall. When he continued to yell for them to release Penny, the guard taped his mouth shut.

Penny looked at her friend and said as calmly as she was able, “Listen to me. Don’t fight them or they’ll kill you.” When he quieted and she finally had his full attention, she gave him a weak smile and added, “It’ll be okay. He won’t kill me.”

When Penny looked back at Logan to beg for Quinn’s life, she found her body frozen in place. He had used his ability to pin her mind, leaving her helpless in his hands. He stared down into her eyes and said, “This time, you and I won’t be interrupted.” Using his chin, he gently guided her head to the side to expose her neck. Seconds later, her mind screamed and tears flowed as he bit into her skin. As he latched on, he moaned and was completely lost to the fire flowing down his throat.

A few minutes later the door opened and Hawk called, “Sorry to interrupt you, but you asked me to let you know when the sun was almost up.”

It took every bit of Logan’s strength to release Penny. After he reluctantly licked her wound shut he released his hold on her. Penny lay still, weakened from both the rapid blood loss and from the lingering pain.

Although Penny was unable to make any verbal sounds, Logan jumped to his feet, let out a howl, and shouted, “Shit! What a rush!” He shook like a dog at the sensations as every nerve in his body came alive. He watched as an old wound on his arm healed and his pulse sped.

Seeing his reaction, Hawk stared down at Penny and knew that there was much more to her than just getting revenge on Jax. He prayed that he would someday be given the opportunity to find out for himself.

With energy Logan hadn’t felt for more years than he could count, he grabbed Penny’s hand and half dragged her out of the room and toward the far side of the living room. Penny only had a moment to notice that all of the windows were covered and that the room was filled with many people that she guessed were his Changelings followers.

When Logan stopped in front of the front door, Penny collapsed at his feet with Logan’s hand still wrapped tightly around her wrist.

Seeing their leader grab the door handle, Spider jumped to his feet and exclaimed, “Don’t open the door! The sun is up.”

He ignored their calls, turned to Hawk and said, “Watch her.” He held out Penny’s extended hand.

Hawk pulled Penny up off the floor. He had carried her most of the way to their hideout and had liked the feel of the heat she had projected, so he held her against him to feel the inferno one more time.

Logan took in a deep breath and opened the door, causing all Night Walkers in the room to hug the shadows and yell in protest. Their shouts were silenced when they watched their leader walk off the porch and stand where the first beams of light reflected off his pale skin. As they marveled at the sight, everyone turned their attention to Penny with leering smiles.

Penny scanned the faces and her eyes caught sight of the room that was next to the one she had been held in. She saw several very frightened and obviously injured Humans cowering and staring back at her sympathetically. Penny knew Logan had collected the additions as food. Quinn was once again with them.

After several minutes of enjoying the heat from the sun on his skin, Logan stepped back toward the door and called, “Hawk. You managed to bring her to me safely. As your reward, join me.”

Hawk knew what Logan had offered to him. He flipped Penny to the wall and, after pinning her, he bit into the other side of her neck. Unlike Logan’s ability to mentally gag her, Penny was free to scream at the pain he was causing and her inner voice cried out for Jax.

*~*~*~*

Jax jumped to his feet as he caught a distant sound carried on a breeze. Although no one else from his group seemed to hear anything, he growled, shifted instantly back to Ice, and raced off. Those who could handle the sun, attempted to follow behind.

*~*~*~*

Hearing the commotion inside the hideout, Logan was forced to race back in and have Spider and his non-blood drinking followers forcibly separate Hawk from Penny. Other Night Walkers quickly joined the fight, but their goal was to taste the magic for themselves. Although several managed to bite her, other than Hawk, none were able to latch fully on.

After Spider’s men tangled Penny’s attackers in webs, they formed a wall around a passed out Penny and Logan. Hawk took the opportunity to walk outside.

*~*~*~*

As Ice got closer to his target, he called on his stealth abilities and disappeared. He raced through the trees like a cold winter wind and arrived at a clearing where the lodge stood. He came to an abrupt stop when he spotted Hawk standing in the sun with his arms spread wide. Ice knew whose blood had given him that ability. Although he wanted nothing more than to run past the Night Walker and slit his throat, he had no idea where Penny was or her condition. She was his top priority so Hawk would live, but his remaining breaths were already numbered.

A calm washed over Ice as he prepared for battle. Using his stealth ability, he passed by Hawk and slid through the open front door. Although no one saw him, Penny instantly felt Casper’s familiar tingle. Her eyes blinked open and she couldn’t stop a smile from forming on her face, knowing her lover had arrived. Logan felt Penny’s body tense and he pulled her tighter against his chest.

When Ice saw Penny’s battered condition, he planned to slowly and painfully rip apart every Changeling in the room. Penny knew what Ice was about to do so she slowly shook her head and nodded toward the back room.

Ice caught the subtle movement and looked at where Penny was directing him. When he saw Quinn among a group of Humans, his shoulders slumped. He understood what Penny was trying to convey to him. She was asking him to save not just her, but also her people as well.

He had no doubt that he could get Penny out but, given the number of Changelings that he would have to rip apart, there was a high probability that Penny would get hurt too. And there was no way to implement his current plan without sacrificing the Humans. He needed to call on his family for help, so he reached out and caressed a slow line down Penny’s leg to let her know he understood and would be back.

While looking away from Logan, she gave him a small nod.

Going against every natural instinct he had, Ice forced himself to leave the cabin. Once in the woods, he raced through the trees, where he found several of his family members running toward him. He returned to his visible form and, once they surrounded him, he whispered, “Penny’s alive and being held in an old hunting lodge about a mile up, just over the next hill.”

As they proceeded to whisper nonstop questions, he replied, “Let’s go back to our camp and I’ll give you all the details.” After the family was reunited, Jax sat them down and explained everything he saw.

When Jax described Penny’s condition, Taylor was almost inconsolable over his guilt that he was somehow to blame for it all. He said with his voice full of rage, “Let’s go in there and rip them all apart.”

The old Ice would have agreed, but Penny’s Jax thought differently. He looked to Taylor and said, “I know how you feel, but they’re holding Penny’s friend Quinn as well as other Humans. They’re innocent. How do you think Penny would react if we save her at their expense? We must try to save them all.” He turned to Sam, and said, “Penny and the Humans are a real mess and will need your healing skills, so we need to wait to go in until after the sun goes down and you can be at our side. And to guarantee that you’ll be alive to offer your skills, I’ll need you to stay back out of the fight.”

Sam understood and nodded.

Jax looked at Chloe and said, “Spider and his men are in there.”

Chloe said with a gleam in her eyes, “Leave him to me.” She turned to those around her and said, “Spider and I have a history and I know that his venom doesn’t work on me.”

Tadd asked, “Do you need help taking him down?”

Chloe shook her head. “It’s best if everyone keep their distance from him. I have the means to take him out.” When she didn’t elaborate, no one pressed the issue. “But I’ll need help in keeping his men at bay. They fight together like they’re of one mind.”

Jax said, “Leave those insects to me.”

Susi said, “I have to ask. Are we going to go in there and kill all of the Changelings?”