Keystone (Crossbreed #1)(89)

Christian folded his arms. “That’s grand coming from a big house cat who flipped his switch on our last raid.”

“That wasn’t my fault,” Claude growled. “He hit Gem.”

Gem stood up and crossed the van, taking a seat in Claude’s lap and wrapping her arm around his right shoulder. “Don’t worry about me; I’m a Mage, remember?”

“That doesn’t mean I like seeing a female get hurt.”

She giggled. “I’m the lookout girl tonight, so you don’t have to worry about me. Just stay calm. We can’t control you when your switch is flipped—it’s chaos. And the last time, we were supposed to catch the guy, not kill him.”

Gem poked at his teeth where his fangs would be if they were out, and I realized he must have bitten a Mage and sentenced him to death.

I couldn’t tell what direction we were heading. Viktor’s plan was to park a few blocks away from Darius’s house, just in case his men were scattered to report suspicious activity. I had drawn a layout of the building from what I’d seen, and I had to describe it to Niko, including furniture placement and any steps I remembered. There were numerous floors I hadn’t seen, so that raised concern. Wyatt showed everyone the blueprint, but I noticed that it had been renovated from the original design.

Wyatt chuckled privately, his eyes downcast.

Christian glared and elbowed him in the ribs. “Mind sharing the joke?”

“An architect was checking out the land next door to Keystone. It looks like someone’s buying it.”

Niko leaned forward from his seat on my left. “That land has been up for sale for years. No one can afford the price they set.”

“Well, someone did. Any guesses on who it is?”

Shepherd peered around from the passenger seat. “Hell to the no.”

Gem looked between them. “Who is it?”

“My bet’s on Darius,” Christian said.

Shepherd cursed under his breath. “If he’s the new neighbor, I’m torching his lawn.”

A few of us chuckled.

“Who owns it?” I asked.

Christian stroked his beard. “Someone who wants to make a lot of money. That’s prime real estate up there.”

Gem squeaked when the van hit a bump.

I glanced around. “We’re dressed like we’re going to a funeral.”

“Are you trying to jinx us? Jaysus wept.”

“I’m just pointing out the obvious. If we pile out of the van looking like this, someone’s going to think we’re up to something. No one ever goes to these things in polka dots?”

Niko barked out a laugh. “I wouldn’t know the difference.”

“Maybe we should shut off the circuit breakers when we get inside,” I suggested. “Throw those goons in the dark.”

“What good would that do?” Wyatt asked. “Do I look like I can see in the dark?”

I tapped my finger against my temple. “Think about it. Four of us in this van are undetectable to a Mage. Gem, Niko, and I can conceal our energy, and nobody can sense Christian. We’re not as helpless as they are. Claude can sniff out a Twinkie within a five-mile radius, Christian and I can see in the dark, and Niko doesn’t need light. We’d have more of an advantage than they would. You can take a pen light.”

“That’s not a bad idea,” Viktor said over his shoulder. “Scan the outside of the building for the circuit breakers, and if we find nothing, then check the basement.”

“If we get in,” Wyatt said, giving me a skeptical glance.

I unknotted a small tangle in my hair. “Look, if there’s no secret passageway, we’ll bust through the windows. No big deal. The only place they’ll have to go is the roof or out the back door.”

“Unless they have fire escapes,” Wyatt added.

Shepherd glared at him. “Why do you always have to be the wet blanket?”

Viktor parked the van, and we climbed out the rear door. When Claude jumped out, the van practically bounced with relief.

“Pair up,” Viktor said.

Christian stepped out and breezed by me. “I go solo.”

Viktor pointed at Shepherd. “You’re with Raven. Keep an eye on her.”

The team scattered in different directions, some walking up the dark street and others skulking in the shadows. Shepherd and I stopped by a square-shaped manhole cover in an alley that I recognized as one leading to the underground tunnels. Most of the street covers had been sealed up over the years, but usually the ones that were forgotten were located in alleyways.

Shepherd set down a cloth tool bag and tire iron. The manhole was large enough that I could easily slip through, but I made a skeptical appraisal of Shepherd’s V-shaped body and broad shoulders.

He ran his hand around the square cover. “It’s not bolted.”

“Hurry up,” I whispered.

He glared. “Feel free to lend a hand. This thing weighs more than you.”

Shepherd used the tire iron to pry open the lid and drag it aside. Then he rose to his feet and gaped down at the black hole. “I’m not sure I can fit in there.”

I clapped my hand on his shoulder. “Of course you can. I’ll go first, and if you get stuck, I’ll just tug on your legs until something pops.”