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  After what felt like an eternity, we reached the far shore and I backed the Jeep into a copse of trees so we had a clear view of the caravan’s approach. Alexa reached for my hand and I allowed myself to relax ever so slightly.

  “That wasn’t so bad,” I murmured. “Thanks for the advice.”

  “The caravan is just leaving the road,” said Karma, still on the phone with Malcolm.

  My cell rang again. “Missionary, this is Spotter One.” The voice was breathless, his words clipped. “The ambush force has mobilized. They have ascertained Tian’s destination and are on an intercept course, due east of your present location.”

  “Good work,” I said, forcing my voice to remain calm. “If you can give us any help from up there, now’s the time.” I cut the call and fired up the engine. “The ambush force has figured us out. They’re trying to cut off the caravan. Tell Malcolm we’re going to trip them up if we can.”

  When Karma relayed the message, I could hear the chaos through her receiver. Adrenaline raced through my blood as I steered back onto the icy surface. This time I pushed a little faster, knowing that Brenner would not be cautious. Just shy of the middle of the lake, I parked the car with the passenger side facing east.

  “Hand me my sniper rifle please, Karma. And, babe, how do you feel about driving?”

  I would have only a few seconds before their own shooters would be able to retaliate, but in those seconds I could at least do some damage. Alexa and I swapped places, and as I inspected my weapon I heard them readying their shotguns.

  “Once they’re on to us, I’m going to drive toward them on an angle.” Alexa turned to face me. “Will you keep shooting while we’re in motion?”

  I nodded. “And when we’re in shotgun range, Karma can join in, too.”

  As I powered down the window, the freezing night air sluiced into the car. I set the rifle on the sill and peered through my infrared scope. I would aim for tires first and then for the drivers, in the hopes of incapacitating at least one of their vehicles.

  “Here they come,” I said as several heat signatures descended from the bank. “Four of them.”

  Releasing a deep breath, I emptied my mind, took aim, and squeezed the trigger. My fourth shot hit the lead car’s tire, causing it to veer wildly to the left. My sixth shot hit the driver of the third vehicle.

  Suddenly, Alexa gasped and the world exploded. Shockwaves skipped us like pebbles across the surface, and it was a miracle that our Jeep didn’t roll. On the north edge of the lake, a ball of fire roared toward the heavens.

  “It fell,” she said. “I saw it falling in the rearview mirror. Is it our spotter plane?”

  Karma was shouting into the phone. Brenner’s vehicles had also been scattered by the impact, but already, they were reforming their ranks. The caravan had been far enough away not to suffer a debilitating disruption from the blast and was approaching the center of the lake.

  Alexa turned the wheel and stepped on the accelerator, but the Jeep didn’t move. “Damn it! Are we stuck?”

  I heard a loud cracking sound at the same time that Karma pointed out her window. “What is that?”

  It swooped down like a bird of prey, silent and menacing—a helicopter, but somehow silent, soldiers clinging to its landing skids. They took out the tires of both caravan vehicles with surgical precision, causing each to tip onto its side, easy pickings for Brenner’s approaching squad.

  “Forget the car,” I shouted. “Let’s get over there on foot and help!”

  I shoved open my door, stepped onto the frozen surface, and immediately broke into a run. Only moments later, I was thrown off my feet as a second tremor rocked the lake. After skidding painfully along the jagged ice, I finally regained my footing. When I glanced over at where the plane had crashed, all I could see was a column of fire reaching toward the heavens.

  Alexa had remained on her feet and I raced after her, focusing on the shadowy figures that swarmed over the disabled caravan. Gunshots snapped the air as our team scrambled to defend Tian against Brenner’s attack. When flames began to lick at the underbelly of one of the vehicles, I pushed myself even faster. One of the bullets must have pierced the gas tank.

  Over the gunfire, a woman screamed. As the blaze rose higher, I shielded my eyes against the eerie light, trying to pinpoint Brenner’s soldiers. Several people leapt out of one window, but I couldn’t tell who they were. Without any idea of who was inside those vehicles, or whether Brenner had succeeded in capturing Tian, I couldn’t risk firing at anyone. We needed to get in the mix as soon as possible, but the flames, fanned by the wind from the chopper’s rotors, had become a blazing wall. As I began to skirt the wreckage, the fire crackled in my ears, drowning out whatever Alexa was trying to shout to me.

  And then a splitting crack rent the air as my world tilted sideways. Fractured by the explosion, weakened by the burning caravan, the ice beneath us gave way. The water’s chill was an icy hand squeezing my heart, my lungs, and I struggled not to panic. Swim up—I had to swim up. But when I tried to move my legs, they felt as though they’d been tied to an anchor. Sluggishly, I pushed through the water, trying to lift myself to the surface. Every stroke, every kick, was a battle against the extra weight of my heavy clothes and weapons. Even as the chill pierced every cell of my body, my lungs began to burn in protest. The surface. Which way was the surface?

  When my right hand brushed soft fur, I realized Karma and Alexa must have shifted. Surely, their beasts knew the way to the surface. Pumping my frozen legs, I struggled to move in their direction as the dark water churned all around me.

  Finally, my head broke the surface. I sucked in a breath and choked on the smoke that wreathed the gap where the vehicles had been. The collapse had sucked them both under. I could dimly hear the chopper’s whirring rotors, but it sounded as though it was on the move. It had returned to stealth mode—no lights appeared in the sky, and the only illumination came from the ball of fire to the north.

  The chopper’s departure must have stirred the frigid water, because a wave broke over my head, filling my mouth and seeping into my lungs. Coughing, I used every ounce of my superhuman strength in my fight to remain above water. Through watering eyes, I saw Alexa crouching on the edge of the ice, panting heavily. When I reached the ledge, I pumped my legs with all my might, scrabbling for purchase as I forced my body upward. Once my elbows were braced, I kicked and pulled until I finally rolled onto the ice and lay still, gasping for air.

  Alexa limped toward me and butted her head against my legs. I knew what she was trying to tell me. The edge wasn’t safe, and I had to move. After failing to push myself onto my knees, I army-crawled over the jagged surface. Frigid water streamed into my eyes and every breath felt like fire. My teeth were chattering so strongly that I couldn’t have spoken even if I’d wanted to. Keep moving. I clung to the thought as though it were a lifeline.

  Only when Alexa whined deep in her throat did I stop. Between the darkness and my blurred vision, it was nearly impossible to see her, but I knew she was trying to communicate something to me. She turned away from the shore and took a few halting steps before looking back to see if I would follow. Where was she going? We needed to get back to land, not stay in the middle of the lake. When I didn’t immediately move, her lips curled and a growl welled up from deep in her throat. Clearly, she knew or could sense something that I didn’t. I had to trust her.

  My muscles wanted to remain immobile, but to stop moving was to give in to hypothermia. As I crawled after her, I tried to protect my frozen hands by pulling the heavy, waterlogged sleeves of my jacket down over my palms.

  “Alexa?”

  The faint, shivering voice belonged to Foster, and I finally understood why Alexa had steered us in this direction. Moments later, we found her sprawled on the ice, clutching her left ankle.

  “Where’s Karma?” I forced the words through my chattering teeth. “Are you injured?”

  “Twisted my ankle getting out,” sh
e stammered. “Think Karma’s trying to find the others.”

  As she spoke, I forced my numb fingers to pry at the straps of my weapons until they no longer clung to my back, and then I clawed at the zippers on my vest. One of the pockets held a flare. Our decoy vehicle was still out there somewhere, and if I could light the flare I might be able to guide them to our location. Then again, I risked another attack if Brenner’s chopper was still in the vicinity.

  Once I found the flare, I held it up to show the others. “Know it’s risky. But we need help.”

  “Do it,” Foster rasped.

  When Alexa dipped her head in assent, I fumbled with the protective cap and finally managed to ignite the flare. Struggling to my knees over the protests of my burning nerves, I held it out away from my body and waved it through the air.

  Suddenly, every muscle in Alexa’s body tightened as she sniffed the air. Futilely, I lowered my aching arm. If an enemy was nearby, the damage had already been done. But instead of growling into the night, she began to purr. Within seconds, Constantine, Karma, and Malcolm slipped out of the shadows and into the red ring of light created by the flare. Water dripped from their fur, and blood leaked slowly from a long gash across Malcolm’s flank. But they were alive.

  “Thank god,” I muttered.

  “Leon?” asked Foster. When Constantine shook his sleek head, her face fell. “Damn.”

  As one, the Weres snapped to attention and turned toward the far shore. Moments later, I heard the low rumble of an engine. Praying that it was our decoy and not some remnant of Brenner’s offensive, I continued to hold the flare aloft.

  The Weres retreated into the shadows as the vehicle approached, and I fumbled for my pistol. Even if it was waterlogged, I could still use it as a hand weapon. But when the Humvee flashed its headlights and pulled up next to us, my anxiety eased.

  Jonah jumped down from the car and raced toward us. “What happened?”

  “He got her,” I said, tasting the bitterness in my own words.

  Jonah’s mouth set into a hard line. “Where?”

  Foster pointed skyward. “Chopper. Stealthed. Shot down our spotter plane.”

  “But we had two planes up, didn’t we?” When Malcolm’s rumbling growl confirmed my suspicions, I gestured toward Jonah. “Help me up and get me the second plane on audio.”

  With one of my arms around his shoulders, I managed to stumble to the side of the car, where he clamped a set of headphones around my ears. Sucking in a deep breath, I willed my teeth to stop chattering.

  “Spotter Two, This is Valentine Darrow. Are you still in the air?”

  “Yes, Missionary, and bearing toward your position.”

  “Negative. Brenner and his men have captured Tian and are escaping in a helicopter using stealth technology. Go after them, and in the meantime, inform Headquarters. They might be able to help track him. He is our number one priority.”

  “Understood, ma’am.”

  When I turned back, the shifters were gone. “Where—”

  “To hunt,” grunted Foster, who was in the process of being helped toward the back of the vehicle by two of Tian’s retinue. “They’ll meet us on shore.”

  Jonah provided us with blankets, and I stripped down to my underwear before wrapping one around me. The wool scratched my skin, but its warmth and dryness was such a relief that I didn’t mind. By the time the car had reached dry land, all four Weres were waiting. Alexa was the first to pile into the back of the Humvee, and I reached behind the seats to stroke her ears as the odor of wet fur filled the car.

  “Stay four-legged for now, baby. Foster and I used all the blankets.”

  “Your orders, Missionary?” Jonah asked as he put the car into gear.

  “Drive to the airfield. Someone get through to the pilot and tell him to warm up the jet. I want us in the air the second we’re on board.”

  Twenty minutes later, I forced my aching legs up the stairway and into the belly of the plane. Tian’s servants had elected to return to the safe house and await orders from their second-in-command while we continued our pursuit. Foster and I threw ourselves into the first row of seats and strapped in, the shifters crowding around our feet for takeoff. For one surreal moment, I felt like I was in a remake of The Swiss Family Robinson.

  Once the jet was airborne, the shifters returned to human form. After raiding the closet, we convened in the conference room. I found the first aid kit for Foster as Malcolm patched through to Headquarters. As I slid into the seat next to Alexa, I reached for her hand and laced our fingers together.

  “Doing okay? Or whatever passes for that these days?”

  She rested her head on my shoulder briefly. “Pardon my French, but what a clusterfuck. I’m just glad we made it through.”

  “You’re certain?” Malcolm’s terse voice echoed in the small space. “Do we have any aircraft in that region that can be scrambled? Very well.”

  He raised the microphone on his headset away from his mouth and turned to face us. “The spotter plane lost Brenner almost immediately, but our people at NORAD’s post in Winnipeg believe they may have picked him up. He appears to be moving up the coast, toward Alaska.”

  “Do we have a base of operations there?” Constantine asked.

  “Fairbanks,” Karma chimed in as Malcolm continued to listen to the report from Headquarters. “A safe house with a command center and bomb shelter in the basement.”

  Pushing my fatigue aside, I got to my feet. “I’ll tell the pilot. Fairbanks, here we come.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  The Consortium’s safe house in Fairbanks was in fact a private estate east of the city, set on a hundred acres of forested land. As we traveled there by Land Rover, Karma told us that the Consortium had a strong presence in the area. The Alaskan wilderness, with its wide-open spaces and long wintry nights, was friendly both to wereshifters and vampires at this time of year. A skeleton crew remained at the estate year-round to monitor activity and handle emergencies, and they would be able to help us in our mission.

  Our people at NORAD had lost track of Brenner’s aircraft just after it crossed the Alaskan state line, so we were still searching for a needle in a haystack. Despite the odds, Malcolm was more energized than I had ever seen him. During our discussion on the jet, he had theorized that Brenner was taking Tian to some sort of base or installation. If we could manage to pinpoint its location and organize an offensive, we could take out not only Brenner, but also his seat of operations.

  The dawn was still hours away when the car paused at the guardhouse just outside a tall, wrought iron gate. A fence of the same height, topped with several feet of barbed wire, extended both to the left and right as far as I could see. Once our identities had been verified, the guard waved us through and we proceeded down a long, winding driveway. After several minutes, the lane opened into a circular space illuminated by floodlights. Directly ahead, a large stone house, complete with two turrets, towered into the night. A matching outbuilding, set fifty yards to the left, appeared to be a garage.

  Outside the front door stood a tall African-American woman dressed in battle fatigues, her dark hair pulled back in a tight bun. When we emerged from the car, she greeted Malcolm by his title and introduced herself as Natasha Berbridge. I raised one eyebrow at Alexa.

  “Shifter,” she murmured under her breath. “A bear.”

  “We are at your disposal,” Natasha said once Malcolm had made introductions. “There are more than enough bedrooms on the second floor to accommodate your needs.”

  “Take a few moments to situate yourselves,” Malcolm said. “We’ll reconvene in the command center in a quarter-hour.”

  The foyer was tall, its walls bare and imposing. To the right, I caught a glimpse of a spacious kitchen, stainless steel appliances gleaming. The staircase rose immediately before us, and I let Alexa precede me. She turned left at the top and ducked into the first bedroom. As soon as I closed the door behind us, she was in my arms, face buried in
the crook of my neck. I stroked her back and inhaled deeply, taking comfort in the sweetness of her scent.

  Finally, she pulled back just enough to look into my eyes. “Is there any chance that tomorrow will be a day when we don’t have a near-death experience?”

  I managed to crack a smile. “It’s tomorrow already, remember? And somehow, I doubt it. But at least we can meet whatever’s coming together.”

  “What do you think he’s going to do to Tian, Val? Will he kill her once he gets what he needs?”

  Hoping to comfort us both, I continued to rub slow circles on her lower back. “I don’t think so. At least, not at first. He’ll need to keep her alive until he’s figured out a way to manufacture the parasite.”

  “To weaponize it.”

  I nodded, and for a long moment we stood still, simply looking at each other. And then, quite suddenly, her hands were in my hair and her body was flush against mine as she crushed our lips together in a fiercely passionate kiss. My thirst flared as our tongues tangled, and I dug my fingertips into the ridges of muscle above her hips, clutching her tightly. As I pushed her against the wall, she reached for my right hand and shoved it beneath the waistband of her pants.

  Finding her hot and slick, I scissored my fingers against her and kissed my way down to her neck. As I teased her pulse point with my tongue, she pressed my head closer.

  “Inside,” she gasped.

  I filled her with my fingers and slipped my teeth into her vein, thrilling to the guttural moan that greeted my entry. The sunburst of her blood cascaded into my empty stomach as I slid slowly in and out of her body, stoking her pleasure. When I brought my thumb down firmly against her, she shuddered in my arms, and I groaned against her skin at the sensation of her inner walls clenching around me.

  When the aftershocks passed, I gently withdrew from her body. As I caught the last drops of her glorious blood on my tongue, she stroked the nape of my neck.

  “I hate that we don’t have time for me to touch you.”