Abandoned and Unseen (Branded Packs #2)(47)

Smart.

They at last reached a cabin that was twice the size of Tucker’s, with more solar panels on the roof, as well as a large generator at the back. At the moment, the building was ablaze with lights.

Tucker frowned, seemingly puzzled by the fact that his friend was still awake at the late hour. But without hesitation, he tugged her onto the porch and rapped on the front door.

****

Tucker hadn’t wanted to approach Rios this late.

Not only because he had plans to spend the night with Nicole, but also because he’d fully expected to find his friend busy with one of his various females. Or watching a soccer match. The male jaguar’s two favorite activities. At least when he wasn’t destroying some pathetic opponent on his favorite online computer game.

But even as the door was pulled open to reveal a tall, slender male with short, dark hair, black eyes, and rich golden-brown skin, Tucker could smell his friend’s adrenaline.

“Tucker.” Rios looked surprised, then disappointed. “Shit. I was hoping you were Sinclair.”

“Good to see you, too, Rios,” Tucker drawled, stepping into the cabin as the Feline shifter turned to hurry back toward the bank of computers that were lined against a paneled wall.

There were more computers and various monitors, and stacks of servers that were humming across the room. There was also a large screen TV that was currently tuned in to a soccer match.

Nicole stayed close to Tucker’s side as he watched his friend dart from one computer to another.

“What’s going on?”

“A disaster,” Rios muttered, not bothering to turn around. “That’s what’s going on.”

Tucker wrapped a protective arm around Nicole’s shoulders as he studied his friend with a small frown.

“That’s a little vague, amigo.”

“The SAU are purging their computers,” Rios said.

Tucker stiffened, sending Nicole a troubled glance before returning his attention to his friend.

“Shit. Have our files been compromised?”

“I hope not.” Rios leaned forward, tapping on one of the keyboards before moving to the next computer. “I severed our connection as soon as I realized what was happening, but I can’t be sure whether there was any damage until I reboot and do a thorough system check.”

Tucker could sense Nicole’s agitation as she realized that she might not get the answers she wanted. At least not as soon as she wanted them.

“How long will that take?” he demanded.

“Hours.”

Tucker grimaced. “Damn.”

“Yeah.” Abruptly whirling around, Rios stabbed him with an impatient frown. “Have you seen Sinclair?”

“He’s meeting with his CDC contact,” Tucker shared. The Alpha had called just minutes before he took off for the secret rendezvous. “What do you need?”

His dark eyes glowed gold as Rios’s animal reacted to his agitation.

“We need to find out why the bastards suddenly decided on the purge.”

Tucker gave a slow nod. He was a healer, not a computer expert, but he knew there was no way the agency would have risked a complete purge unless it were an emergency.

Unless…

He wrinkled his brow. “They’ve had a lot of unwelcome attention focused on them over the past few weeks. They might just be getting rid of their nasty secrets before someone comes snooping.”

“True.” Rios continued to look worried. “Or maybe they realized someone hacked into their system.”

Tucker glanced toward the door that he’d left open. This particular Unseen Pack wasn’t large. Less than a hundred total. But it would still take time to efficiently evacuate them to a new location if this location were no longer secure.

“Could they use our computers to trace us?”

Rios gave a sharp shake of his head. “No, I’ve covered my tracks through a dozen different locations. But I want Sinclair to go in and figure out what the hell is going on before I try to reestablish a connection.”

Tucker nodded. Sinclair was the only one with a security badge that would get him into the building at this hour.

“I’ll send him a message,” Tucker promised, abruptly distracted when Nicole tugged away from his protective grasp.

“What about the files I need?” she rasped, her face flushed.

As if noticing the female for the first time, Rios sent her a suspicious glare.

“Who’s this?”

“Get back to your disaster,” Tucker commanded, wrapping a firm arm around Nicole’s waist to hurry her toward the door. “We’ll come back in the morning.”

“Tucker.” She tried to dig in her heels, but despite her shifter strength, she was no match for a full-grown polar bear. With one smooth motion, he had her swept off her feet and cradled against his chest.

“You heard Rios,” he said, leaping off the porch and swiftly jogging through the trees.

He preferred to have this argument in the privacy of his cabin. Shifters were nosy, interfering busybodies. He didn’t need their input.

“Then we can sneak into the SAU headquarters,” she stubbornly insisted. “Your friend Sinclair can use his badge to get us in.”

“Sinclair isn’t here.” He never slowed his pace. As a bear, he didn’t have the same fluid grace as some of his fellow shifters, but he could move with a speed that surprised most people. “And even if he were, he wouldn’t agree to take you in.”