Rogue (Book 2) (The Omega Group) (11 page)

The hilltop parking lot was only
half full
,
but Carter knew not to waste his time looking for his father. The chief never
much liked the outside world and would already be on the trail back to Supai
Village. Carter could do nothing but wait for the rest of his team to arrive.

“Do you want to try and catch up to him on the trail? I’m up
for a run if you are.” Kell gave him a concerned look.

“There’s no point. He’ll be on horseback and going a lot
faster than we could on foot. Myrine should be here soon. If she was able to
get us a helicopter, we’ll still get there ahead of him.”

“So, we just sit here. Do you mind if I ask you a question
while we wait?”

Kell looked almost mischievous and Carter knew what was
coming next. The ranger saw some crazy things the night before and must have
been dying to get the details. She’d shown incredible restraint to wait as long
as she did to ask. “Go ahead.”

“This probably isn’t any of my business, and I’m sorry if
I’m overstepping, but I just have to ask.”

Here we go,
Carter thought.

“Do you know if Han is dating anyone?”

Carter wouldn’t have been more stunned had she broken out
into song. “Seriously? After everything you saw last night, that’s the question
you want to ask me?”

Kell’s warm smile spread across her face as she raised her
eyebrows. “Don’t get me wrong. I have a slew of questions about all of that,
but a girl has to have priorities.”

Her attitude was infectious and Carter found himself
actually enjoying the conversation. “No, Han isn’t dating anyone.”

“Good to know. So about all that other stuff…”

Carter took a deep breath as he tried to find the right
words. Myrine would have been the better person to have this conversation, but
he was stuck with it. “There are people in this world—preternaturals—who have
special abilities. For a really long time we kept to ourselves. Then, a little
over ten years ago, some of the bad ones united and the good ones had to do the
same. Myrine formed the Omega Group as a way to keep all of the others in
check. We have preternaturals from all over the world and we go wherever others
are causing problems.” Carter was actually proud of himself for summing it up
as well as he did.

Kell stared at him for a moment, taking it all in, then
said, “So, I know that you’re a werewolf—”

“I’m not a werewolf. I’m a shape-shifter that can change
into a wolf. No full moon required.”

“Sorry. You’re a
shape-shifter.
What about the
others? What can they do?”

Carter explained each of his team members’ abilities, probably
in more detail than he should have. It was nice, for a change, to be able to
talk to an outsider about his work. For her part, Kell stayed silent. She
didn’t pepper him with questions after every unbelievable statement or question
his sanity. She just listened, nodding her head and even laughing occasionally.

“And that completes our lessons for today, class,” Carter
said with a smile.

“Wow. I don’t even know what to say, and I’m never at a loss
for words. It’s all so…”

“Unbelievable?”

“No, I was going to say amazing. I’ve always believed there
was more out there than met the eye, but to finally meet people like you and
see it for myself, is, well, amazing. What are you going to do with me?”

Carter looked at her, confused. “What do you mean?”

“Well, I’m guessing that people like me aren’t supposed to
know about people like you. I do, and that’s probably a complication you can’t
have.”

Carter didn’t answer immediately. He honestly didn’t know
what they planned to do about her. There were a few options, none of which
she’d like, but he had no idea which way Myrine would go. “I really don’t
know.”

“Okay. I guess we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.
So, Mirissa is the teenager, right? And she’s the most powerful one of all of
you?”

Carter laughed. “Yep, and the irony is not lost on any of
us.”

“She did save your ass last night. At least that’s what it
looked like to me,” Kell said with a smirk.

“That wasn’t the first time, but if you ever tell her I said
that, I’ll deny every word.” Kell looked like she relished poking fun at him.
She
and Han are made for each other.

“Shouldn’t the others be here by now?” She checked her
watch, prompting him to do the same.

Carter hadn’t realized how much time had passed since they
started talking. Myrine and the team should definitely have arrived already.
Even if they weren’t able to secure a helicopter, the car ride wasn’t that
long. Carter pulled out his cell and hit the speed dial. Voice mail.

He tried Han’s number and got the same result. One by one,
he called each member of his team, but no one picked up. “Something’s wrong.”

“Cell service is pretty spotty around here, so they might
just be in a bad area.”

“We’re using satellite phones. They should be picking up,”
Carter said as he searched the sky for a helicopter and the road for incoming
cars. He wasn’t sure what to do. It might be nothing. It might be something.

“I can drive you back to the hotel if you want to check on
them,” Kell said.

Part of him wanted to do exactly that. These were more than
just his teammates—they were his friends. “No. If they’re in trouble, there are
more than enough of them to handle it. Right now, we need to focus on finding
my father. You still up for that run?”

Kell laid a hand on his shoulder. “You bet. I’ve got water
and canteens in the trunk.”

They hit the trail at a brisk jog. Carter’s ankle was almost
healed, but there was no point trying to go any faster as the ground was
uneven. Hiking the trail usually took about five hours, but Carter hoped their
pace would cut that down considerably. Kell looked to be in great physical
shape as she stayed with him stride for stride.

They passed a few tourists travelling in the opposite
direction that looked like they might fall over from exhaustion. People tended
to forget that the hike back from the village was uphill and much more
strenuous. It didn’t help them to see joggers on the trail barely breaking a
sweat.

“I don’t think they liked us very much,” Kell said with a
smirk after skirting around three men trudging slowly upward.

“Is that what the middle finger salute meant? I thought they
were just waving.” Carter took a swig of water. “You doing all right?”

“I’m good,” Kell said.

They ran in silence for the next few miles so as to not
waste any of their energy. Carter used the time to figure out how he would
convince his father of the danger Bill posed. The chief’s tunnel vision was
legendary, and he would not easily believe what Carter had to say.

How could he blame his father? Bill had been his closest
friend for over a decade and in all that time, Carter had never seen him as a
threat. Granted, once Carter met Gina he’d let their friendship take a back
seat, but even when Bill and the rest of the tribe turned against him, he still
assumed it was because of his betrayal. It never occurred to him that his best
friend might have ulterior motives.

He couldn’t help but wonder what else he hadn’t seen.

“This must be killing you.” Kell, sounding winded,
interrupted his thoughts.

“What? My former best friend wanting to kill my father? Yeah,
that kind of sucks.”

“Well, yes, that does suck. But I was talking about having
to run all this way in your human form. Wouldn’t it be a lot easier for you,
not to mention faster, if you turned into your wolf?”

The thought had crossed his mind. “Yeah, it would. But in
broad daylight, with tourists around and no cover, that’s not an option.
Besides, if I shifted, you’d have to carry my clothes, and I’d have to wait for
you before entering the village anyways.”

Kell laughed. “Ooh, I never thought of that little
technicality. I can see how it might pose a problem.”

“You get used to it. I actually wear a small backpack when I
shift so my clothes stay with me.”

“And no one’s ever wondered why a wild animal is running
around like he’s on his way to elementary school?”

Carter shook his head as he laughed along with her. “Again,
I tend to steer clear of people. But I guess if someone ever did see me, they’d
just assume I ate the third grader the pack belonged to.”

“Oh my God, that’s horrible. Funny, but horrible.” Kell took
a sip of her water and pointed ahead. “We’re almost there. Good thing, too.
That was the last of my water.”

Carter nodded his head as he unconsciously picked up his
pace. Kell matched his speed and they arrived at the village, panting and dehydrated,
shortly thereafter.

“I’ll get us more water. You find your father,” Kell said as
she walked toward the café.

Carter made his way to the office used by the council. If
his father was smart, he’d already be removing Bill as his successor and, in
doing so, ensuring his own safety. Of course, that wasn’t the case. The room
was empty.

“Carter, is everything all right?” Bidzil greeted him at the
door on his way out.

“No. Do you know where my father is?”

Bidzil nodded. “When we arrived home he immediately went to
his meditation cave. I believe he is trying to come to terms with a few
things.”

“Can I borrow a couple of your canteens? Ranger Christner
and I just ran from the hilltop and I’m not sure she can make it to the falls
without extra rations of water.” If he was to be honest, running in his human
form had been difficult for him, too.

“Of course,” Bidzil said. “Can you tell me what it is that
has you so worried?”

“I think Bill might come after him. He was definitely behind
at least some of the recent attacks, and now that he knows we’re on to him, his
only way to ensure he becomes chief is if my father is out of the picture.”

Bidzil eyes widened. “Then you must hurry. Bill was just
here, speaking with the council. He pleaded his innocence and begged them not
to remove him as successor. He also made a very public plea to Tochapa.”

Carter’s chest tightened. “What did he ask for?”

“He wanted Tochapa to show the village that your father made
the right choice by naming him his successor. He asked Tochapa to send a sign
that would show the god’s support of his being chief.”

Kell trotted up beside Carter and handed him a bottle of
water. “Hi Bidzil. It’s good to see you again.”

“And you, my dear,” Bidzil responded with a warm smile. When
he put his hands around hers his smile grew. “I see your world has changed much
since the last time we spoke.”

“It most definitely has, and I’m not even going to ask how
you knew that.” Kell gave him a wink.

Carter could see he wasn’t the only one on the receiving end
of Bidzil’s intuition. “Sorry to break this up, but we need to go.” He turned
to the healer. “Thanks for the water, and if the rest of my team shows up, can
you tell them where we’re headed?”

“Of course. Be safe. Both of you.”

The entrance to the chief’s not-so-secret cave looked
undisturbed, which Carter took as a good sign. He held the branches back for
Kell, then followed her inside. Just as before, the smell of flowers filled the
dark space. His father was definitely there.

“Chief,” Carter called out. “I’m here with Ranger Christner.
We need to talk to you.”

Kell’s brow furrowed when they were met with nothing but
silence. She drew her sidearm and stepped in front of him. Carter grabbed her
arm but received a stern look in response as she held up her 9mm pistol. With
no weapon of his own, he had little choice but to let her take the lead.

At the bend in the jagged rock wall, Kell paused, raised her
pistol, and turned the corner. “Clear,” she said.

A fragrant bowl of fresh flower petals sat in the middle of
the cramped space, but the man it belonged to didn’t. There were no signs of
struggle, which meant he’d left of his own accord. Whether he’d left alone or
with Bill was the only question on Carter’s mind.

“He must still be around here somewhere or we would have
seen him on the trail. Any ideas?” Kell asked.

Carter thought for a moment before answering. “If Bill has
him and intends to kill him, he’ll have to make it look like either an accident
or natural causes. That’s the only way he can portray it as a sign from
Tochapa.”

“But he could do either of those things anywhere,” Kell
said.

“No. He couldn’t. My father has always been a creature of
habit. When he comes out here to meditate, he doesn’t go wandering off. If he
isn’t in his cave, the only other place he’d be is…” Carter’s voice trailed off
as he realized just how little time they had left. He grabbed Kell’s hand and
dragged her to the cave’s entrance. “He’ll be up there.”

Kell followed his gaze to the top level of the falls, then,
without another word, they both charged through the brush, back the way they’d
come. Despite their brief rests at the village and in the cave, their arduous
run to the village was taking its toll. Carter lost his footing several times
as he climbed alongside the falls. Behind him, if her occasional cries were
anything to go by, Kell was having the same trouble.

Once again at the top of the falls, Carter searched for any
sign of his father. He and Kell had passed through here only a few minutes before
but he hadn’t paid much attention. He’d only been thinking about getting to the
cave. If they were too late, it would be his fault. Had he been thinking, he
would have realized that this was the perfect location for Bill to cause an
accident
.
“Do you see anything?”

Kell shook her head and opened her mouth to say something.
When no words came, Carter turned in the direction she was looking. At first,
he saw nothing but the small copse of trees and brush that hugged the canyon
wall. He glanced back at Kell and she pointed to the ground under the lush
green canopy.

This time he saw it. The shadows were wrong. A slight breeze
caused the leaves to gently sway, creating a slow, rhythmic pattern of shade
against the ground to the east. That rhythm was broken by what Carter first
thought was a branch, except it was moving against the pattern.

Carter put his index finger to his lips and signaled for
Kell to follow him. The location of the sun behind him made following the
shadow to its origin easy. They were less than fifteen feet away. “Maybe I was
wrong,” he said for Bill’s benefit. “Bill’s probably halfway to Vegas by now.
Sorry for wasting your time, Ranger.”

“No problem,” Kell played along. “It’s all part of the job.”

Stepping carefully to avoid making any noise, they
approached the only tree with a trunk large enough to conceal two men. The key
was to stay directly behind the tree until the last possible moment, so their
shadows wouldn’t give them away, too.

When they were as close as they could get, Carter stepped to
the left while Kell stepped to the right. He rounded the tree just in time to
see Bill, with a large, jagged rock in hand, swing it at the ranger’s head. She
dropped to the ground, making a short, guttural noise as she fell.

Bill held the chief in a chokehold. When Carter reached out,
his father’s eyes bulged as the pressure on his windpipe increased. “It’s over,
Bill,” he said. “Let the chief go.”

“It’s not over until I say it is,
friend.
” Bill spoke
that last word as though there was acid on his tongue. “This is all your fault,
you know. The chief chose me, not you. We were happy. Then you showed up and
threatened everything I’ve spent years working for. Why did you have to come
back?”

Carter watched as his one-time friend turned crazed. His eyes
darted back and forth as he used the rock in his hand to punctuate a
conversation only he could hear. Talking him down was going to be difficult.
“Bill, we were friends for a very long time…”

“Is that what you call it? Friends?” The cackle that escaped
Bill’s mouth seemed to unhinge him even more. “I was your charity case. The
community service you did to make yourself look good. Sheila told me
everything.”

“What are you talking about?” Carter didn’t bother trying to
hide his confusion. “You were my best friend until you shunned me along with
the rest of the tribe.
You
betrayed
me
. Not the other way
around.”

Pure evil oozed from Bill’s twisted grin. “Oh, you have no
idea.”

Although Carter wanted nothing more than to explore that
last statement, he pushed the thought aside. There would be time for that
later. “Just let my father go, and we can work all of this out.” He took a step
forward with his hands raised, palms out. His non-threatening posture didn’t
have the effect he’d been hoping for.

Bill tightened his grip on the chief’s throat and raised his
other hand, still holding the rock, above his head. “You’re making this way too
easy, Carter. Now I can kill two birds with one stone. Pun most definitely
intended.” He took a few slow steps toward the falls, dragging the chief with
him.

Carter made eye contact with his father and saw an
unexpected strength there. He was nowhere near as weak as he was pretending to
be. Bill passed the tree line before coming to a stop, the unmistakable sound
of a distant helicopter causing them all to look skyward.
Finally.
“The
cavalry’s coming, Bill. You just ran out of time.”

“No!” Bill swung the rock at the same time the chief bent at
the waist and pulled forward. The momentum caused him to topple over his
captive and crash to the hard ground. Before he could regroup, the chief
grabbed his shoulders, pulled him up, and then slammed him back to the rock.
The crunching sound made when the back of Bill’s head hit the hard surface was
more satisfying than Carter wanted to admit. Bill’s eyes closed and his body
stilled.

“Nice job, Chief Mockta. I guess you didn’t need my help
after all.” Carter wanted to reach out to his father but knew there was no
point. “Can you check on Ranger Christner for me, while I deal with him?”

The chief stood straight with an outstretched hand. “Thank
you, Carter.”

Stunned, Carter accepted his father’s hand and shook. He
stood in silence while the chief held his gaze, then walked toward Kell’s prone
form.
Will wonders never cease?

Carter had written off any chance of having a relationship
with his dad a long time ago, but now it almost seemed possible. His heart
warmed at the thought of once again having family in his life. The corners of
his mouth curved upward in a small smile as he turned to the man that had
inadvertently helped bridge the gap between father and son.

The smile quickly disappeared when he found himself
face-to-face with an enraged Bill. The rock that had fallen to the ground when
the chief flipped him was again in his hand. He swung it more quickly than
someone with a head injury should have been able to, and Carter’s attempt to
block the blow missed the mark.

Pain exploded above his left ear, dizziness causing him to
drop to one knee. Carter looked up in time to see the grin on Bill’s face
blossom as he raised the simple weapon for one final strike. Raising his arms
in an effort to shield his head, Carter didn’t register the movement to his
right until it was too late.

The chief screamed as he threw himself between the two men.
The blow that was intended for Carter, instead connected with his father’s
shoulder, knocking him to the side. Bill smiled as he dropped the rock and
grabbed the old man’s shirt, throwing him over the falls.

“No!” Carter yelled, clawing his way to the edge. Bill
kicked him, hard, in the ribs, and the air in Carter’s lungs expelled in a
whoosh. Rage tore through him as he struggled to take in oxygen.

Ignoring his own pain—both physical and emotional—Carter
threw himself at Bill. His shoulder plowed into him, lifting him off his
feet
and planting him on the ground. Bill shrieked when
Carter straddled him, pummeling him with one punch after another.

All of Carter’s training was lost in a haze of fury. Fury
over his former friend’s betrayal. Fury over his father’s selfless act to
protect him. Fury over his own inability to stop it. Even the deep thud of the
nearing helicopter rotors faded away until he was no longer part of this world,
and only revenge was left.

When he emerged from his fugue, Carter saw the damage he’d
done. Bill was almost unrecognizable. Both eyes were swollen shut, his nose had
an unnatural ninety-degree bend, and his lower jaw jutted painfully to the
side. His bloodied and bruised, tear-streaked face should have made Carter
feel… something. It didn’t.

He pushed himself to a standing position and, with one last
look at what was left of Bill, ran to the edge of the falls.

Nothing.

His father was nowhere to be seen. The water cascaded down
to the next level, and the next, as though nothing gruesome had happened. A
moan to his right grabbed his attention and, despite his overwhelming desire to
at least find his father’s body, he went to Kell.

She grabbed the side of her head as she sat up. “Damn, that
hurt. Please tell me you got the son of a bitch.”

Carter just stared at her, unable to speak the words. She
reached for his hand, then pulled back when she saw his raw, bleeding knuckles.
“What happened?”

Swallowing the lump in his throat, he tested his voice. “My
father… He saved me… He was hit and went over.”

Kell placed her hands on both sides of his face, forcing him
to look her in the eye. “I’m so sorry, Carter.”

The sincerity in her voice pulled the last string that was
holding him together and he collapsed into her arms, sobbing. She wrapped her
arms around him like he was a child and squeezed him tight to her chest. He
didn’t know how long they stayed like that, but it felt like hours passed
before the spell was broken.

“Carter!” Kell screamed.

Before he could turn around, a thunderous gunshot sounded
behind him and echoed off the canyon walls. Birds took to the sky, squawking.
Over his shoulder, Carter saw Bill’s body lying only a few feet away and a man
in military fatigues sliding a pistol into its holster.

With the confidence only a seasoned soldier possessed, the
man sauntered to their side. “Captain Will Hancock, at your service.”

Carter slowly got to his feet, bringing himself to the
soldier’s eye level. “Care to explain what just happened? Where’s my team?”

“I expect they’ll be here momentarily, unless they’re deaf.
I dropped them off farther down the falls. They said you’d be at some cave down
there. I was taking the chopper to find somewhere to set down when I saw you
giving that guy a beating. It didn’t look like you needed much help in that
department, but, after I set down, I thought it best to check.” He glanced at
the body. “Glad I did.”

Kell stood and smiled. “We’re glad you did, too. Thank you
for the assist.”

“Just following orders, Ma’am.”

A familiar voice, thick with his Scottish accent, boomed
from behind them. “Oh, bloody hell. You two are more trouble than you’re worth,
do you know that? My people don’t do deserts—ever. Oh, and we ran across
something that belongs to you, I think.” Myrick stepped aside to allow Carter’s
father through. He was sopping wet and a little beat up from the fall, but he
was alive.

Relief washed over Carter as he strode to his father. He
spread his arms open for an embrace, thought better of it, and instead offered
his hand.
Baby steps.
The chief smiled, then pulled him in for the first
hug they’d shared in over five years. The emotions he’d kept locked away for so
many years flooded through Carter. Anger, pain, loneliness, regret. “I’m sorry,
Dad.”

Pulling back, the chief said, “You don’t need to apologize,
son. It is I who am sorry. I’ve been an arrogant fool for far too long.” He
glanced at the ground where Bill’s body lay. “I trusted him. He was like a son
to me.” He cringed when he said that and looked at Carter.

“
It’s
okay, Dad. I understand.”

“I don’t mean to interrupt, but we need to get out of here
before someone sees us,” Kell said.

Captain Hancock bent down, hauled Bill’s body over one
shoulder as though it were a small sack of potatoes, and said, “If you’ll all
follow me back to the chopper, I’ll take you wherever you need to go.” In
response to the raised eyebrows of the group, he added, “Yeah, I’m pretty
strong.”