Chapter 67

Dominic

We left early, the sun crested over the treetops as our van pulled out of the compound.

Mira had handed me a large thermos of coffee on our way out the door, and was grateful for her foresight.

The energy within the group was electric, like children on their way to a class field trip. We had prepared and supplied ourselves, but still had no idea what we were walking into.

Lucas drove, as he usually did, going quiet behind the wheel as he focused on the mission ahead. Wyatt in the front seat, navigating and interpreting his partner’s sparse words and gestures. Mira and I were in the middle, two bucket seats side by side. The space between us felt like a chasm, and I wish I could find an excuse to brush her thigh with my hand.

Against my initial judgement, we brought Lucian along too. He sat in the back seat behind me, mostly looking out the window and occasionally sighing heavily. Mira insisted that he was already involved, so might as well provide extra support. She wasn’t totally wrong, and at least if he was with us I could keep an eye on him.

There was also a team of my guards on call and standing by if backup was needed. I’d left an emergency package with our location to be handled if that arose.

The location of this facility turned out to be closer than the previous one, though the drive still felt long. We only had coordinates on the map, following the roads that we hoped would get us there. An interlude of steep incline told me we’d reach the foothills of the western mountains.

It was hard not to think about the past as we drove into the future. The flashbacks were more vivid, and I found myself fighting down my wolf a lot more. I found myself carrying around a tincture that Mira had made me to calm my nervous system. It helped, but not enough. I didn’t want to have to turn to something stronger to keep myself in control.

Mira’s hand touched my knee, and I realized I had been bouncing my leg in my seat. The frame of the van felt the tremors and were shaking along me. I slowed down under her touch, my eyes on her firm yet gentle hands. The hands of a healer.

I looked up at her, a warm smile meeting me. She wore a nervous expression, but a small spark in her told me that she trusted me. We were doing this together.

I wasn’t sure I had ever pictured this would be how I would spend time with my Mate, but I was glad it turned out this way. Never had I expected to be charging out on a mission with my Luna beside me, but there she was.

“I’m alright,” I said to her, placing my hand on hers.

“Good,” she said with a curt nod.

She went back to looking out the window, but didn’t try to pull her hand away. I shifted my hand underneath hers so I was holding it from below and I felt her arm relax. She didn’t turn her head, but a small smile touched her lips.

We stayed in that position for the remaining fifteen minutes of the drive. It was calm before the storm.

As we approached what could only be the long driveway of our destination, we slowed down and one over the plan.

“Lucas and I will lead a preliminary check of the premises, assessing ability to enter,” I told the group. “Lucian, you should come with us.”

His ears perked up at the invitation, not command, and I accepted that I could give him a chance. Mira looked at him with a smile of encouragement which seemed to please him even more.

“Mira, my apologies, but Luna will stay outside until recon is complete,” I squeezed her hand. “I will need you in there to tell me what everything is, Doctor.”

I brought her hand to my lips without breaking eye contact. Her chin bent towards chest and there were blooms of red high on her cheekbones. There was a surge of energy between us as I held the embrace for a breath.

When I came up, all eyes were on us. Even Lucas in the mirror was watching Mira’s face.

“We move quickly and carefully, and we leave no trace behind,” I continued with my plan. “This is a team effort, so we need to keep our eyes open and watch out for each other.”

Nods from all around were enough for me. As much as we didn’t want to imagine a hospital being a hostile environment, we couldn’t know what the people behind all this would think about us showing up on their property.

So many buildings look the same. Or maybe it was deja-vu.

The clearing in the trees felt inviting, the faded bricks of the structure in the center offsetting with he lush green around it. It felt mystical, with patches of ivy taking over in the corners and paned windows glinting in the sunlight. There was power here, I could feel it.

We parked on the edge of the clearing near the road, Lucas turning the car in case we need a quick exit. There were no other vehicles that we could see from where we were.

None of us spoke as we came out of the car, the air crisper up here as it hit our faces. My Betas and I strapped guns to our torsos. We all wore darks beanie hats this time, in case we needed to hide our faces quickly. Better to be over prepared than not.

“We will be back soon,” I told her. “Please just stay in the car.”

“If you’re not back in thirty minutes, I’m coming in.”

We shook hands in agreement, and I pulled the van door shut.

Lucas lead us around the corner to what seem like a front door, always looking for signs of life. A few cameras hung around so we kept our heads down as we walked, but some looked older than I did. One didn’t even have a wire.

Shades were pulled in most of the windows, but a few flower boxes suggested that things were being tended to. On the other side of the building was the end of what might have been a tractor or small truck. But not a sound traveled across the lawn as we approached.

The front door was open.

We all took a moment to lock in with each other before going in, Lucas upholstering a firearm just in case. Counting to three, I opened the door enough for Lucas to slide in low and take a look around. A signal from him told me the coast was initially clear, and Lucian and I followed after him with flashlights ready.

It was dark and quiet, but the air was fresh. The entrance area was dim, but lights down the hall gave just enough for us to get our bearings. We decided not to turn on anything we didn’t have to, so as not to alert anyone of our presence.

Like moths to a flame, we made our way down the hallway. Peering into rooms as we went, we saw nothing but old beds and empty tables. The only sound was our own breathing as we crept along, and I was already feeling like we wouldn’t find anything. We took our time, turning right at a corner and expecting it to continue to loop around. It did not, but instead went on for another fifteen feet then stopped in a wall.

With nowhere to go we turned around, satisfied for the moment that nothing was going to jump out at us in that exact moment. We checked the front once more, seeing if anything administrative was left behind that could give us a clue. Not much, but Lucian did find something helpful on the wall behind the desk. Floor plans of the whole building.

“Three floors, mostly identical, one basement which seems pretty open,” he said as he pointed. “No telling what’s in the void space on the first floor around that corner, so maybe it connects somewhere.”

“Anything weird will happen in the basement,” Lucas said. “Unless they’ve soundproofed between the bricks.”

“Right,” I said. “I will let Mira and Wyatt know they can join us if they wish.”

I waited for a response from Mira, knowing she should be looking at her phone. When nothing came, I called her. No answer.

“What is it?” Lucian asked.

I called again, then called Wyatt. Nothing from either. I was already moving out the door and Lucas was hot on my heels.

It was about three hundred yards from the door around the corner to where we left the van. I think I ran the distance in five seconds.

I came up short in the dirt when I saw the right side of the van facing my direction, the back door open. The car was empty. I walked to the other side, where the clearing meets the trees.

Tied to the closest trunk, was Wyatt.

Mira was nowhere in sight.