Scorpio Sons 4: Chase: (SF/Shifter Romance) (18 page)

There were five, all told. This first one was the smallest and least impressive, as far as stalactites and stalagmites were concerned. The one just a little further along had the best cathedral, as they called them, and it was lit by a small fissure above that allowed rainwater to drip into the cavern, creating a wonderful pool of clear, limey water that was inviting to look at but way too cold, even on a summer’s day, to swim in.

The next entrance was the one they wanted. It had been the one they’d taken that fateful day in 2007.

“This is the first of the secret tunnels,” she told the brothers, as they looked around them, checking for danger. Did they even see the beauty of the place?

“The one we want is just over the next rise. It has a couple of small caverns in it, and was the longest and least explored of the five, so dad always said. Some of the holes we had to go through were really narrow, and it was easy to get turned around. We used to carry chalk with us to mark the way. Each year we used a different colour so that we always knew which marks were ours from that trip.”

Chase clasped her hand in his and smiled at her tenderly. He seemed to realise she was caught by the nostalgia of the moment. And it was nice to be here with him, sharing this memory.

They headed off over the rise, following a goat track that was little more than mud. The last of the snows had only melted recently and the ground was still waterlogged. Slipping and sliding, they managed to make it to the third entrance without too much difficulty.

Like the first entrance, this one was hard to locate. It was little more than a narrow slit in the rocks behind a tree that had found root in the rocky terrain. Any passing hiker wouldn’t look twice at it.

Anna made a beeline for the slight gap, put on her helmet and turned on her headlamp. Before the others could follow suit, she slipped into the narrow crevice and through to the large cave beyond.

Chase was next through and she could see he was worried by the way he grabbed up her hand, as if to stop her taking off again. But she was in her element now. This was her playground. All the memories had flooded back and she knew, she just knew, that she remembered this maze like the back of her hand.

Once the other two brothers from B Unit were through, she started leading the way. The plan was to just check out the terrain and see if it brought back memories. If it did, they planned to come back after dark with a larger team, to make their way through the tunnels properly. Anna had reminded them that it might not be as simple as following a remembered path. One of the challenges of this particular caving experience was that the tunnels looked a lot alike in places and it was easy to get turned around, especially when you had to go up and then down the levels, to move ahead.

Because of that possibility, they planned to take their time exploring and having the route carefully recorded, on 3D imaging equipment Caleb had come by somewhere, before the proper incursion. It may take a few days before they were fast enough and felt confident enough of the path to make the last stage of the journey into the compound.

But, though she knew this afternoon was not about exploring, she still felt the need to wander down the familiar tunnels, breathing deep of the all-too-familiar smells of dampness, earth and bat droppings. The air was so cold her breath fogged.

“I gather you remember your way,” Chase said from behind her, the sound of his quiet voice echoing hollowly in the dark, confined space.

“Oh yes, like it was yesterday. I can’t believe it. As soon as we got to the place we parked our car, it was all there. Every vacation we spent here, from the time I was about five. Back then, dad had to carry my brother in a sling because he was too little to walk. Each year as we grew, we explored a little more, until the last year we did this one properly, because it was the one with the most challenges. Even the cousins hadn’t explored it completely, Dad told us.”

“And you’re all right about being here? Not too many painful memories?”

“None. They’re all good. Better than good. We were always so excited by the adventure. About the family secret we were being given. When we went home, me and Petro would try to draw up maps of where we went, like treasure maps. Dad used to check them out and praise us when we got the drawings right. We were so happy. All of us. Even mom, who was only marginally more into camping than I was. But she loved the family times. They were so rare because dad worked so hard. Sometimes I wouldn’t see him for weeks; he’d get home after I was in bed, and be gone before I got up. When I did see him he was always tired. But when we had our yearly vacation he was like a happy little boy, and we all responded to that. His excitement was contagious.” She smiled at the sweet memory.

“Then I think we need to go back. This was only about finding the entrance in daylight. Now we know where to come, we’ll return in force later tonight. Until then, we need to rest and eat. Jetlag will hit soon, too.”

Reluctantly, Anna agreed to leave. Knowing they’d be back later made it easier. For the first time since she’d decided to return to her past, she was content and almost happy. It had been the right decision to come here. No matter what the end result, it had been the right thing for her to do. Leaving her good memories locked away out of grief had been wrong. Those memories were the only way she could keep her family alive inside her. Knowing they were all there, fresh and untainted, was like a precious gift. Now, when she wanted to be with her parents and little brother, she could come here in her mind, rather than find herself standing outside the burnt-out husk of her home, feeling horror so powerfully it made her physically sick.

For the next two nights the Sons learned the intricate layout of the caves, with Anna as their guide. During the whole time she was energised and happy in a way that filled Chase with elation. Whether he had wanted her to come or not, this trip had turned out to be just what she needed to exorcise some of her ghosts. Now she glowed with an inner light that matched her age.

On the third afternoon they made their plans for the actual incursion. Anna sat in on them, even though she wouldn’t be going into the compound itself. If he’d had his way, she wouldn’t even be going as far as the cave exit that night. But she’d been determined to go, and it had been the logical choice to have her lead them through. It would only take one wrong turn for inexperienced men following a 3D image to spend the whole night walking in circles.

“So you think you can jam their networks, Caleb?” Chase demanded as they sat around the big country-kitchen table with their iPads connected to form one large screen. Onto this Caleb was displaying the 3D rendition of the cave complex they’d explored. It stopped just before the exit to the outside Anna assured them led to the compound. The fact that the entrance had been walled up gave credence to her words.

When they’d reached that point the night before Anna had been confused and upset. She’d been sure there was a way out at that point. But the crevice seemed solid.

“Maybe there’s been a rockslide since we were here,” she’d suggested doubtfully.

“Maybe, if the surveillance cameras picked you guys up coming out of here, they blocked it off to make sure it didn’t happen again,” countered Chase.

“Then why kill us? Why not just block off the entrance?”

“Because there might be more entrances than this one. They couldn’t be sure. In the Guild’s mind, taking out human threats was easier than trying to locate more tunnels.”

So after Caleb did his thing with yet another geological gadget, they were able to discover the wall of rocks blocking the way out was no more than a foot deep. Right then they’d reduced it to a mere veneer of stones. That night they would be pushing through that last obstacle to get on with their task.

But getting in behind the fence was only the first problem they faced. They had no idea what the compound consisted of, how many people lived in it, nor what was being built somewhere inside the mountain. That’s why their first recon was to be infiltration and observation only.

“Once I’m beyond the cave entrance I can hack their surveillance feeds and establish a loop. That’s more effective for covert work. You jam the signal, they know something’s up and come to check. This way, it’ll appear
All Quiet on the Western Front
.”

“How long to set it up?”

“Two minutes, max. I go out first, find cover, and do the deed. If we’re unlucky and someone sees me, well, we’ll have to get inventive. But I don’t see it happening. There’s a lot of fence and mountain to keep eyes on. The fraction of time I’ll be picked up by the cameras will pass in the blink of an eye.”

Chase nodded. “This is where our cats come into their own. So, two minutes and Caleb will give us the all clear. We move out in teams heading in the direction of the gates. Once we see lights or any sign of habitation, we split up and observe. In thirty minutes we rendezvous back at the cave entrance. The video loop okay for that long?” Chase looked at Caleb again.

“No probs. Maybe a bit longer than I’d normally recommend, but there’s not a lot happening out there at night. It’s unlikely to be noticed. There’s probably a foot detail patrolling the perimeter too, which could fuck with the loop, but we’ll have to cross that bridge if and when we come to it. Again, big fence, a lot to patrol. I’m only takin’ out the camera between here and the gates, which is less than a mile away, if the GPS location I got last night is accurate. With any luck the loop will be enough for the half hour. Oh, and take note of camera locations as you go. I’ll need those for next time.”

“Any questions?” Chase asked the three teams of men crowded into the small kitchen.

“Discovery protocol?” Conrad asked, knowing Chase hadn’t addressed it yet.

Chase cursed at the omission. This was Colt’s role, not his. What was he doing orchestrating the details of a mission when he couldn’t even remember such a crucial point? What else had he forgotten to address?

“Sedative darts for guards who haven’t spotted you yet. Take out permanently any that do see you, then abort, bringing the bodies back with you. Bodies attract attention. Missing guards will too, but not as much. Try to avoid discovery at all costs.”

The men nodded, reassured. He’d made the right call. Chase breathed a sigh of relief. Bit by bit, he was winning his brothers over in this arena, just as he was building his own confidence. He might not be Colt, but he didn’t need to be, beyond this mission. His place was at HQ. His experience and training matched that position. He might enjoy the excitement and novelty of this side of the work, but it was not his forte.

“Rely on your team leaders for direction, keeping in mind that covering as much ground as possible is the mission objective, so we can review and correlate the video feeds after extraction. Your weapons are for decoration only. Remember that. We’re ghosts. We need to stay ghosts until we decide what we’re going to do with this place.”

By ten that night, they were ready to move out once more. Anna felt the sting of adrenalin as she climbed into the front vehicle and strapped in. This was it. This was where things got really interesting. She would be leading the masked and armed Sons through the tunnels again, even though their maps were detailed enough for them to do it alone. But speed was essential, and relying on her to give them that edge was just good sense.

Not that she hadn’t had to fight for that right. Once they’d made the journey to the entrance the night before, Chase had decided she could sit out this night’s work completely. Like that was going to happen! She explained her stand quietly, noting the rest of the brothers, except for Caleb, had agreed with her. Eventually, she’d won out against her overprotective mate and friend. Pragmatism was her forte after all. Arguing from that perspective meant Chase didn’t have a leg to stand on.

It still amazed her how relaxed she now was with the Sons; all the Sons. In her mind there was no longer any connection between them and the men who had hurt her. They literally were another species, one that could be trusted to protect her, no matter the danger that faced them. And more than that, they were coming to respect her, not just because she was their leader’s mate but because she had proved herself up to this challenge.

It had started raining soon after dusk, which was both a disadvantage and an advantage. It meant discomfort for the men, but equally, discomfort for anyone outside in the compound. Only essential personnel would be out of doors on a night like this. The extra rain would also turn the ground more boggy, which in turn would slow them down and leave tracks for anyone who might come looking the next day. But that was a calculated risk they had to take, and could be reduced by making sure their trails, if found, didn’t lead directly back to the cave entrance.

As the wipers monotonously swiped backwards and forwards, she stared out at the dark, wet night. Once they got off the main roads they travelled without headlights; it helped keep their movements unnoticed and they didn’t really need them to see. Being part cat had its perks.

Her mind turned to their coming mission. By staying in the cave with Chase she was assured of reasonable safety. But if Caleb was wrong and the entrance was watched more closely than other areas around the perimeter, then a squad of Guild Bad Guys might descend on them at any moment after Caleb left the protection of the cave.

What if the Sons were already spread thin by that time? What if they caught Chase, Caleb and herself during that thirty minute interval? Would they kill them outright or torture information out of them. She wasn’t sure what scared her most, the idea of being tortured and raped again or the idea that Chase might be hurt.

But they weren’t just three ordinary people. It would take a squad of fighters to take them down. And if they got back into the tunnels, where she knew every possible hiding place, they’d be able to escape their assailants. Those were the kind of thoughts she had to keep uppermost in her mind: not the worst case scenarios themselves, but the way they could handle those scenarios if they came about.

Once they reached the car parking area, the Sons went into stealth mode, slinking off like packs rather than teams, into the hills, heading for the cave entrance on their side of the mountain.

Chase took a moment to lift Anna’s waterproof hood up over her head and kiss her lips. Since starting this mission they’d had no time to be together, no time for shared intimacies. This was all she could expect to get for now. And she made the most of the moment, enjoying the slick heat of his mouth as it moved over hers. Kissing Chase was just the best experience. Next to being bitten. Next to having him inside her. Next to being held...

She chuckled at the way her mind was working.

“What’s so funny?” he asked as he drew back from the interrupted kiss.

“Just arguing with myself about which is the best part of being with you. The jury is still out, but kissing is a big contender.”

He grinned tenderly at her. “You have the oddest mind I’ve ever come across. Why aren’t you worried about what’s coming? We’re infiltrating an enemy compound we have no Intel on. Anything could happen. And you’re thinking about me and my kisses?”

“Not just your kisses. Your bites and you… inside me... That’s why it’s so hard to decide which is best.”

He shook his head at her idiocy. “Well, if we make it out of this alive, you can sample each again, to help you make up your mind, okay?”

“Thank you. That would be very useful. Come on, the guys will be waiting.”

They climbed out into the pouring rain and made their way along the well-used trail. If not for their cat eyes they would have needed torches. Instead, they could traverse the terrain almost as well as they would have done at dusk.

When she turned sideways to slide into the cave, she wasn’t surprised to see dimly lit headlamps throwing the dry, chilly cave into high relief. The teams had been here before, done this all before. And yet tonight it was different. Everyone was on edge. Everyone was preparing for the tense thirty minutes at the other end of the tunnel.

She smiled at each one, comforted beyond words by their faith in her. As they parted like the Red Sea to let her to go ahead, to lead the way into the first tunnel, she felt exhilaration rising. These were her men, every one of them, and they were happy to follow her into the bowels of the earth without a moment’s hesitation.

Knowing there was no time for dawdling, she took off at a jog, watching as her torch made crazy patterns on the walls of the tunnel ahead. She could sense Chase following close on her heels, and hear the sound of booted feet lightly bringing up the rear. She increased her pace. This section of the tunnel system was the easy part. Soon enough, they’d have to slow to squeeze through a pothole, removing their backpacks and weapons to do so. Then they’d be climbing up to the next level, making sure they didn’t bang their gear too much on the narrow passage around them.

On and on they’d go, winding their torturous, maze-like way into the mountain and around to its other side where the compound awaited them. They would cover miles this way, sometimes quickly like now, but more often painfully slowly, before they reached their destination. It would take more than two hours to navigate that path, even at cat speed.

When they finally reached the small cave at the exit point, Anna took a moment to suck down more of the cold liquid from the plastic hose, which was attached to her bladder-like hydration pack stored in her backpack. Though not tired from the exercise, the adrenalin was taking its toll. Watching the others drinking made her realise she wasn’t the only one with a dry mouth.

One of the brothers was already clearing the rocks so they fell to the ground on the outside. This too was a dangerous activity. If someone was nearby, they might hear the falling stones and come to investigate. Again, the weather would make the sound less noticeable, as did the occasional clap of thunder they could now hear rumbling around them in the cave.

“This storm going to help or hinder you?” Chase asked Caleb as the rumble faded.

“Actually, I might be able to blow out a transformer along the fence, as if it’s been hit. That way I can take the whole fence down and have it look like an act of God.”

“Won’t that mean a team is sent out to investigate? Maybe more men on the ground sent to replace camera surveillance?”

Caleb grimaced and nodded. “Yeah, I guess so. Stick to Plan A, huh?”

“Yeah. We change tack only if we have to. So, no problems expected for our tech because of the weather?”

Caleb lifted his head from his laptop screen to smile. He’d turned it on to boot-up as soon as they’d reached their destination. “As long as I set my rain poncho up as a tent, to keep the rain off my gear, it’ll be fine.”

“Clear,” said a quiet voice from the end of the narrow opening that led to the outside.

Lots of people would find being in tight spaces buried under thousands of tons of stone challenging, Anna thought suddenly. But it had never bothered her. Maybe because she’d been brought down here at such an early age and had always been made to feel safe by her experienced and excited father. Sure it was a little scary, but that was part of the fun.