Wild and Free (The Three #3)(111)

“We’re getting nothing,” Lucien told him.

“The calm before the storm,” Cosmo muttered.

“A calm they may have manipulated, forcing The Three into a high security compound in the middle of f*cking nowhere in Oregon while they carry out an attack in Spain,” Lucien clipped impatiently.

Abel looked questioningly to Callum.

Callum felt his eyes and said, “They weren’t unaware of the compound’s existence. Which means the attack at Jian-Li’s restaurant may have been a play to get us there.”

“Which would also mean, if we moved, now that The Three are together, they can assume we’d do it as one, they’d know where we’re moving from, can manipulate where we’re moving to, and they’d be in position to pick us off,” Abel returned.

Callum’s jaw got tight which meant Abel’s guess might be right.

“Fuck,” he whispered.

“I’m more use to you elsewhere, Lucien,” Cosmo stated.

“You are,” Lucien agreed. “Move out all vampires and wolves, but leave the wraiths.”

Abel watched Cosmo nod right before a blinding pain shot through his head.

He tensed, his head jerking automatically as if the pain was a physical blow, and he lifted his hands so he could press his palms to his eyes, where the pain kept burning.

“Abel,” Callum called.

The pain shot through again, so severe, nausea tore up his throat and he had to swallow against vomiting as the agony bent him double.

“Abel!” Callum bit out, and Abel felt hands on him.

He shirked them off, the pain in his head so bad he was unable to bear touch.

Still bent double, he snarled, “Don’t touch me, man.”

“This ever happen before?” he heard Lucien ask, to which Xun answered, “Never.”

“Smell anything?” Callum asked, and Ryon answered, “Nothing.”

“Wolf,” Callum ordered, and Abel sensed them transforming to wolf as the pain shot back, worse this time, taking him down to his knee.

“Fuck,” he spat, digging his palms into his eyes in an effort to quell the pain.

“Talk to us, Abel,” Lucien demanded from close.

“Jesus, f*ck, pain, f*ck, bad” was all Abel could force out before it happened.

The pain vanished, and the instant it did, the clearing and beyond was lit with a blue flash that illuminated the space, straight to the heavens.

Everyone tensed and Abel’s head shot back as he watched sparks fly in the trees and heard things crashing through them.

“Prepare,” Lucien growled as Abel got to his feet, ready to jump to wolf.

But Hook was running into the trees.

“Careful, Hook!” Abel shouted.

“Fuck!” Hook shouted back. He bent, straightened, and turned to the clearing holding something up in his hand. “Camera! Fried now, but f*ck!”

“Go, now,” Lucien ordered, turning and sprinting to his ATV, still calling out commands. “Gather the cameras. Cosmo, compound. You’ve been made.”

Everyone was running. Then everyone was on ATVs. A f*ckuva lot faster, they got to the SUVs, hauled ass climbing in, and took off.

Cosmo was with them, in the backseat with Hook, and they were barely on their way before he stated the obvious: “They’ve a man inside.”

“No shit?” Abel bit out.

“Abel, on the line with Gregor. Have him lock that place down,” Callum ordered, and Abel dug his phone out.

“Tell him to get Yuri on the job,” Cosmo added.

“Yuri’s out on a mission,” Callum told him.

“Fuck, no one’s better at extracting information. But Stephanie’s no slouch.” Cosmo leaned forward as Abel connected to Gregor and demanded, “Tell him Stephanie’s up.”

“Since you’re phoning me, I can only assume that this is not going to be a cheerful conversation,” Gregor said as greeting.

“They had cameras at the meeting place. Lock the compound down. They’ve got an inside man,” Abel told him.

“It’s done,” Gregor stated.

“Place may be bugged,” Abel noted.

“Impossible. Random sweeps are done at least three times a day,” Gregor informed him.

“Then start Stephanie with the guy in charge of the sweeps,” Abel ordered and hung up.

Callum had turned from the dirt road to the narrow one when Hook asked, “Anyone know what the f*ck that blue shit was?”

No one said a word.

But Abel knew.

He’d seen it before.

In a dream.

Delilah.

He had no clue how, he just knew however it was, it was her.

He didn’t share this with Hook. Instead, he looked to his left at Callum’s profile, keeping his gaze steady on the wolf until Callum glanced his way, looked back at the road, and dipped his chin sharply.

He got him.

“I’m gonna take that as that shit is need to know,” Hook said into the cab.

“Good call,” Callum told him.

They had silence until they reached the compound. Security was tightened, but they didn’t f*ck around letting them in.

They drove the long drive, rounded the front, and exited the vehicles.

Callum peeled off at a call from Ryon, Calder and Caleb sticking with him. Lucien waited for Cosmo and they strolled up the steps to the front door slowly, heads bent, talking. Hook lagged behind, likely still freaking out. Wei and Xun drove on to put their bikes in the garages that were detached from the main house.