TherianPromise (29 page)

Kyle had opened Cheyenne’s cell and let her go in to her
nieces. The two girls clung to their aunt, all three sobbing.

“Do you have a laptop?” Kyle asked Carly. His expression
hadn’t changed significantly, but Ava could feel the hatred seething beneath
the surface. Carly’s chances of coming out of this alive were shrinking by the
minute.

“Why?”

“I want you to gather as much of your research as you can
carry. Samples, reports, whatever.”

“Samples are a good idea, but the rest is documented in the
database, which is backed up remotely. I can access it with any computer.”
Carly licked her lips and slipped her hands into her pockets, clearly sensing
the change in his attitude.

“Payne will accompany you to your lab. If you’re not ready
in ten minutes, we’ll leave without you.”

Ava waited until Payne and Carly were on their way up in the
elevator before she asked Kyle what he and Payne had decided. “How are we going
to get all these people off this mountain?”

“You, Carissa and Erin will have to drive while Quinn and I
escort you.”

“What about Ian and Payne?”

“They’re going to wait for backup.”

“Why do we need backup? Don’t we control the entire
complex?”

“We do, but we have several tasks still to be completed.
First, the doctors must be taken to the council for judgment. Their actions
cannot go unpunished.”

“What about the guards?”

“It doesn’t appear that the guards had any direct
interaction with the captives. We’re going to leave them bound in the shed and
let the backers deal with their inability to protect the facility.”

“Why did you want Carly to gather her research?”

“We need to know how much they’ve learned and what they
intend to do with the knowledge. Besides, once everyone is evacuated, Payne and
his friends are going to blow this place sky high.”

“I see.” She was pleased by the outcome but tension still
gripped her belly. If the women were going to drive, how were the men going to
“escort” the vehicles? “You’re going to shift, aren’t you? You’ll escort us in
cat form.”

He nodded. “It’s the best option. We need every seat we have
for the captives.”

“We only have two vehicles. How will that be enough?”

He finally smiled. “I guess we’ll have to borrow one of
their Jeeps.”

Kyle made it sound so simple, but Ava gripped the steering
wheel with both hands and reminded herself to breathe. The terrain had seemed
treacherous while she was a passenger. Now that she was driving an unfamiliar
Jeep filled with frightened strangers, she wasn’t sure she would survive the
dangerous descent. But the former captives watched her with a mixture of hope
and fear. She couldn’t fail them now. They were counting on her to deliver them
safely into the arms of their loved ones and she intended to do just that.

Kyle, in cougar form, darted in and out of the trees,
scaling rocks and navigating slopes with agile strength. He looked completely
at home in this inhospitable setting. Quinn ran on the other side of the
vehicles, his large black jaguar blending with the shadows.

The trail dipped suddenly, pitching the Jeep dangerously to
the side. One of the young women in the backseat cried out and the others
quickly shushed her.

“It’s all right,” Ava assured them with a smile. “We’ll be
on a real road soon.”

Erin led the three-vehicle convoy in Payne’s SUV. Ava drove
in the middle and Carissa brought up the end in Quinn’s truck. The pace Erin
set stretched the boundaries of Ava comfort zone, but she understood time was
of the essence. Payne and Ian were waiting for word that all the captives were
safely away before they blew up the lab and made their own escape.

The “real road” was more like a winding dirt trail, but Ava was
thrilled to leave the worst of the obstacles behind.

“Where are you taking us?” The speaker, a dark-haired woman
in her mid- to late-thirties, sat in the middle of the backseat and appeared to
have appointed herself spokesperson for the other three.

“I’m not sure. I doubt they’ll want to keep everyone
together, that would be too dangerous.”

“Who organized the escape?” the woman in the passenger seat
asked. She was pale and gaunt. Had she been in captivity longer than the others
or had her testing been more invasive? “I know no one was looking for me.
Everyone thinks I’m dead.”

“There’s no way my family has given up on me,” the outspoken
brunette bragged, drawing glares from the others.

“The escape was the combined effort of a variety of cat
clans,” Ava replied, hoping to defuse the budding argument. “Oh and Ian. He’s a
raptor.”

“How did you find the lab? What will be done with the
employees and the people who financed the place? I’ve heard them called ‘the
backers’ or something like that.”

Ava wasn’t sure who rattled off the question and she wasn’t
sure how much she should share. She knew they were Therians, but she had no
idea if she could trust them. Not all the clans were friendly. “It’s probably
best if we let one of the others explain. I don’t know what happens next and I
don’t want to mislead you.”

“In other words, she’s a grunt. Don’t waste your time.”

That had definitely been the argumentative brunette, but Ava
kept her gaze fixed on the road and pretended not to have heard the spiteful
comments.

They continued in relative silence for the remainder of the
trip. The ex-captives spoke to each other, but none of them attempted to
include Ava in the conversation.

Ava didn’t breathe easily until they reached a paved road
and even then she found herself checking her rearview mirror far more often
than necessary. A deep, rumbling sound drew her attention to her right.

“Was that thunder?” someone asked.

“There’s not a cloud in the sky,” someone else pointed out.

The lab. Ava couldn’t contain her smile. Payne and his
friends must have blown up the lab.

“That wasn’t thunder,” the snooty brunette said. “And it
looks like our driver knows exactly what it was.”

Before they could pressure her for specifics, Ava followed
Erin onto a side street. They drove along a narrow access road that led to a
vacant parking lot beside a small lake. A dark blue SUV and two midsized trucks
were clustered in one corner of the lot. Ava recognized the SUV as Jake’s but
had never seen the trucks before.

She parked beside Erin and left the keys in the ignition,
not sure what the men would do with the pilfered vehicle.

A happy squeal guided her gaze back to the SUV in time to
see Jake embrace his sister with one arm and his nieces with the other. She had
never seen him look so happy. A blinding smile showcased his even white teeth
and unshed tears made his eyes shimmer.

Her passengers piled out of the Jeep and gravitated toward
Erin. Ava looked around, wondering where Kyle and Quinn had gone. The crisis
was nearly over, but she still hoped they’d return soon.

Carissa motioned her over to Quinn’s SUV and they watched
the happy reunion while trying not to intrude. “He must be so relieved. Nothing
is worse than not knowing where a loved one is.” She shot Carissa a knowing
smile then gave her a quick hug.

“I’m thrilled we found the girls, but what the hell are we
going to do with all the others?” Carissa whispered. “Jake only has so many
bedrooms.”

Quinn and Kyle stepped out from behind the SUV. Kyle tucked
his t-shirt into his jeans while Quinn quickly buttoned up his shirt. They were
both barefoot.

“Your boots are on the floor in back.” Carissa motioned
toward the SUV.

By the time Quinn and Kyle finished dressing, the
ex-captives had congregated near the Jeep and Erin was deep in conversation with
Jake. Quinn hung back with Carissa, but Kyle took Ava by the hand and crossed
the parking lot to find out what his mother was plotting.

“Has anyone heard from Ian or Payne?” Kyle asked. “Were
there any complications once we took off?”

Erin shook her head. “Everything went as planned. The lab is
destroyed and Payne will deliver the other two doctors to the council as soon
as they’re ready to deal with this mess.”

“What do you mean the ‘other two doctors’?” Jake asked.

“We have one of the doctors with us,” Erin explained. “She’s
promised to cooperate and her information has proved valuable so far, so we’re
going to hold on to her for a little while longer.”

Jake tensed, his expression suddenly grim. “If she touched
my kin, I have a say in what happens to her.”

“Carly can wait,” Kyle interjected. “The others can’t. We
need to decide what to do with the rest of our guests.”

“That’s what we were talking about while you dressed.” Erin
looked at Kyle as she went on. “Liz is on her way here to pick up Cheyenne and
the girls. Jake has agreed to take three of the former captives and I’ll take
the other four.”

“And then what?” Ava didn’t want to be difficult, but her
passengers had given her a good idea of the complications they were facing.

“If they have no family or friends who can come get them, it
will be their clan alpha’s responsibility to provide for their needs until
they’re able to provide for themselves.” A certain coldness in Jake’s tone made
Ava wonder if he was quoting rules he didn’t agree with.

“And if their clan alpha is someone like Osric?”

“We’ll make sure they’re safe and entering a situation they
welcome.” When Ava offered no more objections, Erin turned to Kyle. “Do you
think Quinn and Carissa could hold on to Carly until we’re ready to interrogate
her? It shouldn’t be more than a day or two. I don’t want her in the same house
as any of the people she abused. That’s just asking for trouble.”

“If he won’t, I will,” Kyle said.

“No.” She smiled at him then winked at Ava. “We all agree
that you two need some time alone. Carissa and Quinn have had a few days to
themselves already. It’s your turn to focus entirely on each other.”

“What about Devon?” Kyle flared, obviously upset by his
mother’s plan. “Carly rode down with you. Didn’t she tell you about Devon?”

“Ian went after Devon. And I intend to learn everything
Carly knows with or without her cooperation. If there is anything we can do to
help Ian’s search, he’ll let us know.”

“You’re kicking me to the curb?” Kyle shook his head,
disbelief clear in his expression.

“No, I’m freeing you to solidify you personal life so you
can be a more effective network Prime.”

“Sounds much better the way she put it.” Jake laughed. “Take
one of the trucks. I’ll send someone back for the Jeep.”

“None of us are safe. You realize that, don’t you?” Kyle
grumbled. “We know more now than we did yesterday, but they still know a whole
hell of a lot more about us than we know about them.”

“Before Ava zapped you to their backyard, we had no idea
this threat existed,” Jake argued. “I refuse to think of this as anything but a
win.”

“Cheyenne and the girls are safe. That’s an undeniable
blessing.” But Devon was still out there, still at the mercy of the ruthless
monsters who’d kidnapped Jake’s kin. Erin didn’t come right out and say it, but
everyone knew what she was thinking.

“Ian will find Devon.” Jake looked from Erin to Kyle and
back. “We all know how stubborn he is.”

Erin accepted the assurance with a stiff nod. “We better get
moving. Our guests are growing restless.”

“Keep me updated and I’ll do the same.” Without further ado,
Jake walked away.

Erin gave Kyle a firm hug. “I’m serious about this. You and
Ava need this time to yourselves. Unfortunately these mysteries are going to
take more than a day or two to unravel. There will be plenty of work waiting
for you when you return.”

“I hear and I obey.” He kissed her forehead then wrapped his
arm around Ava and led her back toward Quinn’s SUV. “Better say good-bye to
your sister, sunshine. I guess we’re going home.”

She smiled as joy swelled within her. “Even if it’s just for
a few days, home has never sounded so wonderful.”

Also by
Cyndi Friberg

Rebel Angels
1: Born of the Shadows

Rebel Angels 2:
Echoes and Embers

Rebel
Angels 3: Splendor and Darkness

Tainted Hearts

Tears of the
Dragon

Therian
Prey

Print books by Cyndi Friberg

Born of the
Shadows

Tainted Hearts