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Cassandra awoke when Mitch’s cellphone buzzed. She glanced around the garage. The lantern burned where Sheba had placed it, but the morning light was shining through the cracks in the pull down garage doors.
Mitch talked on the phone. The swelling around his eye was almost gone but a dark shade of black and purple outlined it well.
At first, Cassandra thought that Sheba had abandoned them during the night. She didn’t see her anywhere in the room. One car rested about four feet in the air atop an old hydraulic lift. Feet dangled off the rear of the car.
Sheba sat on the trunk of one old car and watched the doors. She had kept her word and stayed up all night keeping watch. She couldn’t fault Sheba for that. Perhaps it was time Cassandra allowed her heart to trust another person.
From this angle, the young lady looked so fragile and innocent that she understood how easily Mitch had fallen for her and wanted to protect her. Cassandra found that she wanted to wrap her arms around the girl like a loving mother and let her know that everything was going to be okay.
Only things weren’t okay. Alicia was still gone.
“Sheba?” Mitch said.
Sheba turned and smiled at him. “Yes?”
“Kat and Lucian are here,” he said.
The world on Cassandra’s shoulders seemed lighter. Hope was nearby.
Sheba hopped off the car. Her feet hit the concrete with a solid thud. Clouds of dust puffed around her shoes.
Mitch rose to his feet. “They have a motorcycle and want to know how to find us.”
“Where are they?”
“A small landing strip in the middle of a grassy field.”
Sheba thought for a minute. “They aren’t too far from us if they headed west through the fields. This garage is on the first street they’ll intersect once they reach the blacktop.”
Mitch relayed the message. He pressed the phone to his ear for a few moments. “They are on their way.”
He ended the call.
Sheba smiled. “I suppose we should get ready to leave.”
Mitch nodded. “So you know where the landing strip is?”
“Yes. I run through those fields at night sometimes. Alpha has visitors land at that landing field from time to time for meetings.”
“Oh?” Mitch said. “Who?”
“Other doctors and scientists.”
“Why not meet at the major airports?”
“He’s very discrete with his research projects.”
“Why did he need you?” Cassandra asked.
“Because of what I am. In case he felt threatened, he could use me, but he has never requested me to change or attack.”
Sheba led them to the front door.
Mitch looked at her. “Did you feel Alpha’s presence any last night or this morning?”
“No. It would take him a long time to find me here.”
“Why?”
“A fairly large population here, so he’d have to search for hours. I think he’d get too tired to pursue for the amount of time it would take to find us.”
Sheba opened the door. The brightness was minimal against the dispersing fog.
“How will we leave?” Cassandra asked. “If they have a motorcycle, there are five of us.”
“We’ll figure that out when they get here,” Mitch replied.
“No, that’s not something we need to worry about,” Sheba said.
“Why not?”
“We go underground through the tunnels,” Sheba said. “We can’t risk Parker finding us.”
Mitch sighed. “Okay. How long will it take them to arrive here from the landing field?”
“On motorcycle? At least fifteen minutes.”
“Good. Then we don’t have long to wait.”
***
Brockton knocked lightly on Kyle’s bedroom door. “Are you awake?”
“Yes.”
“Mind if I come in so we can talk?” Brockton asked.
“If you must,” Kyle said like a spoiled teenager.
Brockton opened the door. Kyle sat at his little desk and stared at the computer screen.
“What do you want?” Kyle asked. His words came slow and stammering. “More experiments?”
Brockton smiled and shook his head. “Have I overburdened you that much?”
“Many times.”
“I’m sorry that I was overzealous. I know there’s so much you can do. More than what others can do.”
Kyle offered a lazy shrug. “I’d rather be . . . normal.”
“I only need one favor, Kyle. No more experiments.”
Kyle turned and faced Brockton. “What?”
“Can you locate Dr. Helmsby? Please? Lucian’s life depends on it.”
Kyle nodded slowly. “I know. I’ve already been looking.”
“Really?”
“Of course. Lucian is a good friend of mine, and look at me, I don’t have too many.”
“You always have me.”
“I know,” Kyle said, playfully rolling his eyes. “And you enjoy nagging.”
Brockton chuckled.
Kyle smiled. “I talked with Morton. He doesn’t know where Helmsby is, either. He will ask Daniel and get back to me.”
“That’s good.”
“Do you think Dr. Helmsby is in danger?”
“I truly don’t know. I hope not.”
“I’ve been reaching with my mind, but I cannot sense where he is.”
“Maybe Morton will know something.”
“Maybe.”
***
Kat dialed Carpenter’s number.
“Kat?”
“Yes.”
“Is everything okay?”
“We’re in Salem, Oregon.”
“Why?”
She explained about the odd murders and that Mitch had been abducted by what seemed to be a woman shape-shifter.
“Keep me informed, especially if anything might be associated with Idris or TransGenCorp.”
“I will,” Kat said.
“And Kat?”
“Yes?”
“Did you ask if Lucian could help us with finding Matthews?”
“No. I’ve not had time. This came up suddenly. Since it involved Mitch, we had to come help him.”
“I understand.”
“Once we get things situated here, I’ll mention it to Lucian.”
“Okay, Kat. You say this woman is part wolf?”
“Yes.”
“That’s what Typhis’ sons were, too.”
“That’s right.”
“I’ll catch the first flight out there.”
“Why?”
“Whoever created this woman might well be the person that we’re looking for. Alpha. Anyone mention that name?”
“No one yet, but we’ve just arrived.”
“I’m heading there. Call me if his name is mentioned.”
“Sure thing, Mike.”
***
Joe drove the motorcycle to the hospital where Lucas was being cared for. He hoped Lucas could give him information on how to contact Dr. Helmsby, but when he went into Lucas’ room, the bed was empty. The sheets were wrinkled and the warming blanket pulled back.
A nurse stepped in behind him.
Joe turned. “Where is Lucas?”
“They moved him,” she replied.
“Why?”
“He lost consciousness. I believe he slipped into a coma, and they’ve taken him to the ICU to monitor him.”
“Will he be okay?”
“I’m not certain. Are you family?”
Joe looked at the scar on his palm. “We are brothers.”
The nurse studied him carefully and slowly shook her head. “You don’t resemble one another at all.”
Joe shrugged. “There’s always diversity within families. I got the good genes and the looks.”
A warm, caring smile crossed her face. “If you’ll go to the waiting room, I’ll see what I can find out. Okay?”
Joe nodded. “Thanks.”
***
When the motorcycle approached, dread and relief overshadowed Cassandra at the same time. She wanted to believe that Mitch’s friends had arrived, but at the same time, witnessing all the bizarre things over the past couple of days and weeks, she worried that perhaps someone else had intervened and arrived in their stead. Or worse, Alpha controlled them and he’d use them to kill her and Mitch. She wasn’t able to be optimistic. She figured her dream for hope would sour into a bitter nightmare.
Mitch reluctantly stepped outside the garage door and peered around a rusted pickup truck at the fence where the motorcycle idled for several moments before the engine shut off. A grin spread across his bruised face and he waved, indicating that his friends had arrived.
Sheba hesitated to step outside and allowed Cassandra to go first. Sheba’s eyes showed fear and uneasiness.
Mitch pulled open the cut section of the chain-link fence. It rattled and jangled, but Lucian and Kat squeezed though.
Kat smiled at Cassandra. Cassandra looked at Kat and marveled. Kat stood a little over five feet tall and Cassandra wondered how this small woman planned to help find Alicia. She didn’t understand why Mitch had raved over his boss like he had. She had expected a much taller and more muscular woman than Kat.
Lucian gave Mitch a firm handshake and a quick bro hug. After he inspected the bruises on Mitch’s face, he frowned. “Looks like you’ve had it a bit rough.”
Mitch responded with a slight grin. “It could have been worse.”
Kat came to Cassandra “We’re going to find your daughter.”
Cassandra couldn’t hold back tears. Kat pulled her close and hugged her.
“It’s going to be okay,” Kat whispered. “We do stuff like this all the time.”
“You don’t know what you’re going up against,” Cassandra said.
“We’ve gone against worse,” Lucian said.
Sheba stepped out from the garage. “Not like this, you haven’t.”
Lucian placed his hand behind his back, just a few inches above his gun. He glanced at Mitch. “Who is she?”
“That’s Sheba. She’s going to help us.”
“Isn’t she the one—” Kat said.
Mitch nodded. “Yes. She did this to me.”
Lucian shook his head. “You’re more forgiving than I am.”
Cassandra wiped tears and choked while trying not to laugh. “He has issues with infatuation.”
“I like to give people the benefit of the doubt,” Mitch said, looking away.
Lucian laughed. “Generally, you don’t do that with your face.”
Mitch changed the subject. “But what Sheba says is correct. We’re going against someone who is powerfully dark.”
“In what sense?” Kat asked.
“He attacked me mentally by projecting himself into my thoughts and my brain. It was the most excruciating pain I’ve ever experienced.”
“Telepathically?” Kat asked.
“Yes. Like Kyle and I communicate. But Alpha’s power is stronger. He can inflict pain and even control a person’s actions.”
“Really?” Lucian said.
Mitch nodded. “And he was using his power to make Sheba transform into her wolf form.”
Lucian’s eyes widened. He gazed at Sheba and studied her. Sheba refused to look him in the eyes.
“I thought something was different about you.”
“She has good control over it,” Mitch said. “But Alpha almost overpowered her and made her change.”
“Alpha?” Kat asked.
Sheba nodded. “That’s what he has always called himself.”
“And he actually made you begin to change with his mind?” Lucian asked.
“Yes.”
“Interesting,” Kat said. “I’ve seen Kyle use mind control only once. It was a bit frightening to know someone can wield another’s mind to do his or her commands.”
Mitch smiled. “So Kyle can do that, too?”
“I believe he only did it because our lives were endangered. A man was going to shoot us, and somehow, Kyle made the man turn the gun back on himself. Excuse me, but I need to call Carpenter.”
Lucian frowned. “Why?”
“Because he’s looking for Alpha.”
“He knows about him?” Lucian asked.
“He believes Idris worked with him.”
Lucian nodded and looked at Cassandra. “Does Alpha have your daughter?”
Cassandra shook her head. “No.”
“How are you certain?” Kat asked.
Mitch said, “When he attacked me, he insisted that he wanted to find Alicia. He doesn’t have her.”
“Okay,” Lucian said. “What clues do you have that might help us find her?”
“You’ll think I’m crazy if I tell you,” Cassandra said.
Lucian smiled. “Try us.”
She explained the catlike creatures and how often she had seen them before Alicia disappeared. Then she explained how the cats had saved her life in the cemetery and that they protected her and Mitch from Sheba in the tunnels.
“Then that’s where we need to go first,” Kat said.
“The tunnels?” Sheba asked.
“Yes.”
***
Sheba led them into the underground tunnels.
“This is amazing,” Lucian said. “From the surface I’d never expect something like this under the streets.”
“There is a labyrinth of tunnels under the city. A few have collapsed, and most people have lived their lives here and not known about them,” Sheba said.
Lucian and Kat pulled their guns. Mitch held the flashlight.
“Take us to the last place where you saw the cats,” Lucian said.
Sheba pointed. “It’s about fifty feet that direction.”
“And then what?” Cassandra asked. “You’re not going to kill them, are you?”
Lucian shook his head. “That’s not my plan. The guns are in case Alpha sends others after us. The cats, I believe, are on our side. Besides, Morton would never forgive me if I shot a cat.”
Kat chuckled. “Don’t even breathe that aloud around him.”
“Who’s Morton?” Cassandra asked.
Lucian raised his right hand and placed an index finger to his lips. “Something moved up ahead.”
Mitch lowered the light but didn’t turn it off. “We’re definitely not alone.”
“What did you see?” Kat whispered.
“Not certain. Let’s hold here for a few moments to see if it approaches.”
The flashlight shook in Mitch’s grasp.
“There!” Lucian said, pointing. “Put the light there.”
Bright green eyes glowed when the flashlight beam struck them. Three large black cats stood and showed their sharp teeth. Low growls rumbled in their throats.
“Damn,” Lucian whispered. “They’re the size of cougars.”
“But they’re not the only ones here,” Mitch said.
“How do you know?”
“I sense others.”
Lucian frowned. “Humans?”
“Perhaps. Or something more paranormal. Troubled spirits.”
One cat uttered a low guttural growl.
Sheba took a couple of quick steps backwards. “I told you.”
“No,” Lucian said. “Don’t back away. Any sign of fear and they might rush us.”
Sheba stood still and closed her eyes.
“Cassandra,” Lucian said.
“Yes?”
“I want you to step ahead of us.”
“What?”
“Trust me. I don’t believe they want to hurt us, and especially not you.”
Timidly, Cassandra stepped between Lucian and Kat. A few seconds later she braved a few steps forward.
The cats watched her approach. The center one showed teeth for a second and promptly sat down. The other two lay down on the damp earth floor and exposed their bellies while playfully rolling on their sides and batting at one another.
“What are they doing?” Cassandra asked.
“Showing submission. Or they’re young cubs.”
Cassandra glanced at Kat and Lucian. “What now?”
“Talk to them. Ask where your daughter is. Just don’t be afraid. They aren’t agitated and aren’t threatening us.”
Cassandra took another step closer. The sitting cat stared solemnly, unmoving.
“Easy,” she said, taking another step. She reached her hand out ahead of her. “Easy. Do you know where Alicia is?”
The large cat gave a partial roar and licked its lips.
“Can you take me to Alicia?” Cassandra asked.
The cat stood to all fours, forcing Cassandra to stop moving. She swallowed hard. The cat stepped toward her. She took a deep breath.
“Don’t run,” Lucian said. “Stand your ground.”
The cat walked to her and placed its large head beneath her extended hand and nuzzled it.
“See?”
Cassandra exhaled a sigh of great relief. She knelt in front of the cat and placed both hands on its head, rubbing and petting its ears. The other two cats, apparently jealous, came to her as well.
“Where’s Alicia?” Cassandra asked.
The leader of the three turned and darted into the shadows. The other two cats followed a bit slower.
“Let’s go,” Lucian said.
“Even me?” Sheba asked.
“Especially you.”