While Sara was making sure everyone left Raymond as soon as possible, it fell on Rion to grab Grace. He wasn't too keen on the idea. Humans could care for their own. Noel was right. The Pack was better off without Grace and her kid. But Sara was adamant and had told him the same thing she'd told him a hundred times. She wasn't leaving without them; she had given her word to Zack. Rion had snorted when she'd said his name and he'd noticed her slight nearly invisible reaction to it. There was more to this than she was letting on. But an Alpha's word was still her word and he wasn't going to die tonight and explain to his mother's spirit that he'd refused to do his duty. Especially after he'd been avoiding it for several years.
Now, he was sitting in the truck parked a good mile from Grace's home with another wolf named Craig in the passenger's seat. There was a bottle and a handkerchief in his lap. According to the information Noel had given him, there were no security systems in the house, just two dogs and a collection of guns. He hadn't bothered to ask where he'd gotten the information or how. You never asked Noel how he knew things.
Craig, just entering his teens and eager to prove himself, dragged in several deep breaths. "Okay. So ... what's the plan again?"
"Sneak in, grab the woman, and sneak out. Then we meet up with Sara and leave Raymond for good."
He gave him a shaky smile. "Heh right."
"Follow right behind me. You see something. You stop me. No noise unless necessary, though. Got it."
"Right." Rion drove the truck the rest of the way with the lights off, then parked it. "Leave the doors open." They couldn't risk the sound of the doors closing waking someone up. They walked around the house, quickly and quietly and found the tree that reached to the second floor. He slipped something out of his pocket. The blueprint to the house. Grace's room was just a few doors down to the right from the room the tree led them to.
Rion slipped the blueprint into his pocket and the bottle and handkerchief in the other. Then he started to climb! Craig followed closely behind him. The window was unlocked. He opened it a crack and sniffed the air first. The dogs weren't in the room. It was empty. He opened the window a little wider and slipped inside. They were in an office of some sort. There was a computer on top of a desk, a large leather chair ...
They opened the door a crack and Rion sniffed the air again. The dogs weren't nearby. They sneaked into the hall. One door. Two doors ... They paused at the third door and Rion opened it slightly, sniffed, then gave the nod when it was clear. The room was dark but someone was asleep in the large bed. Rion soaked the handkerchief in the bottle's contents just before he flicked the lamp on.
When Grace turned toward him, he slipped the handkerchief over her nose and mouth and held her down as she fought. Craig was already scrambling to hold down her legs as Rion had grabbed her wrists in one hand and pressed it over her head.
A minute later, she stopped.
"Awh man! Awh man, awh man! Is she dead?!" Craig slid off the bed and raked his fingers through his hair.
"Not yet. Let's go." Rion slipped her over his shoulder and led the way. Again, he sniffed the air but there was still no sign of the dogs. Maybe they were outside or something. They reached the bottom of the stairs and were rounding the corner when he stopped short.
"Rion, what's--!" Craig cut himself off when he leaned to the side to peer around.
... Grace's two dogs were dead. Their throats were ripped out, lying in pools of blood.
"And that was just an appetizer," a woman's voice said. She stepped out from behind the dogs, licking her lips. She was tall, beautiful and dangerous. "Imagine what I have planned for the main course."
"Leave the boy out of this. He's only a kid." Rion pushed Craig behind him and began to step away. He shifted Grace's weight on his shoulder.
The woman smiled as she stepped forward. "Like the young pups we slaughtered just a little while ago. Delicious."
Rion saw something move from the corner of his eye and quickly pushed Craig backwards with his shoulder. "Get to the truck!" He didn't need to be told twice. He shot out of there, flinging the front door wide open!
Rion found himself face to face with the woman's partner. The woman was still walking. "Give us the human woman ... and we might grant you some leniency for your past crimes."
He smirked.
"Damnit, Rion! I can't leave you to do anything!" Sara growled from the doorway. Then she was glaring at the woman. "I told you what I'd do to you if you Council---!" She staggered as 130-lbs of human flesh was thrown at her! Fuckin' Rion! But she disappeared with Grace, not stopping even when she heard something crash behind her!
Rion shook himself and raised himself onto his elbows. The bastard had come out of nowhere and hurled him against the wall! His shoulder hurt like hell now. He wouldn't be surprised if the woman's partner had knocked his shoulder out of its socket. The partner picked him up and lifted him in the air.
The woman was smirking up at him. "You're going to wish you'd taken the offer!"
He spit in her face. He was slammed into the wall once, twice, then flung out the door! He flew so far, he hit the ground once, then twice before finally stopping. The woman walked out, wiping the spit off her face with the partner right beside her.
"Arrogant whelp ... You're dealing with forces you cannot begin to comprehend!"
"You know, I couldn't agree more."
Rion lifted his head and squinted. "Noel ...?" Where the hell had he come from?
Noel glanced over his shoulder and smirked. "Your ride's almost here. Better get your ass moving."
HONK! HONK! There was the blare of truck lights! Someone skidded to a stop beside him. Craig! He was putting one arm around Rion and with his help, Rion was able to stand. They made it to the truck where Craig had to help him into the bed. Sara was cursing and swearing.
"Come on, Noel!" Craig shouted as Sara turned the truck around.
Noel was still smirking as Sara looked in the sideview mirror. Damn fool was going to get himself killed! But then she was speeding off down the road as if hell itself was on their trail.
He smiled at the Council wolves as they disappeared. "Now. What was that about dealing with forces you cannot comprehend?"
Disappointment swelled in Parker's chest when their hug ended so quickly. There would be time for more affections, he knew, but years without such an intimate gesture left him starved. A warm sensation spread through him while he dropped his bag in the trunk, closing it afterward.
