Nikolas (27 page)

As they drove to where the rebels were camped out, Julian pointed out the road that led to the house he’d rented. He gave them the address, told them what the house looked like, and informed them there was a security system in place. They each had the code to the alarm, and they knew where Julian had hidden a key. They had no need to stop there now, so he continued driving. When they were approximately a mile out from the rebel camp, they parked the van and got out. It was still dark out, but the moon was waning toward new and lent its light over the sand. The terrain was hilly which gave them an advantage. Everyone was dressed in khaki from head to toe. Their backpacks were military issue camouflage, so they also blended in with the area. The weapons were black, but hopefully by the time they were close enough to be seen, the rebels would already be taken out of action.

The plan was for the men to go in first while the women remained on a hill watching. Since the males were Gargoyles, they could disarm the rebels without getting harmed. Sophia and Tessa were equipped with both regular and night vision scopes even though they had excellent eyesight. On the off chance a rebel got away from the men, the women could shoot at them.

Sophia surprised them all when she checked and loaded her own rifle. Everyone except Tessa. They both had trained with numerous weapons over the years. As watchers, they never knew what kind of situation they’d be thrown into. Even Ezekiel had been impressed. Sophia smiled to herself as Nik watched her, his mouth agape. So far he knew her to be the mousy librarian. He had seen a little of her adventurous side when she was disguised as Beatrice and Clara. Now, he was going to see what his mate was really made of. Gregor grinned at Tessa and rubbed his ass. What the hell was that about?

The hike to the rebel camp took about thirty minutes. They stopped several times to listen and make sure they were the only ones in the area. When Julian and Zeke did recon the day before, the two of them had been able to get close without being spotted. Once their group was about seventy-five yards out, Sophia and Tessa chose separate vantage points to watch the males from. Sophia kissed Nik, and without speaking aloud, told him to be careful with her eyes and her lips. He tugged the long braid hanging over her shoulder then took off with the other males toward the caves.

Since Julian and Zeke hadn’t ventured into the hole in the side of the hill, they didn’t know who or what they would find inside. It could be the tombs Xenia had sent them to, or it could just be caves where the rebels were camping. Sophia settled into the sand on her stomach and waited. If Nikolas were a human, she would be scared. Since he was a Gargoyle, she was calm. Unless the rebels surprised the males with swords, they were safe. She glanced over at her cousin who was also on her stomach. While the males were carrying automatic weapons, she and Tessa had chosen long range hunting rifles. Tessa was looking through the scope of her gun, finger tapping the trigger guard.

Sophia chose to watch through her binoculars so she could keep an eye on the surrounding area. She was quick enough that if one of the rebels was to get away, she would still be able to set her sights on him and take a shot. Scanning the area, she observed several dirt bikes and a couple of SUVs parked haphazardly away from where the rebels had made camp. A narrow road led away from the site. The four males separated and went in from different angles. There were seven rebels outside the entrance. The goal was to disable the rebels, not kill them, since they were at an extreme disadvantage.

Daylight was breaking, and the guards should be rousing soon. The Gargoyles didn’t hesitate in making quick work of subduing the rebels. Only one of them woke before he was rendered unconscious, but Gregor had him in a choke hold that would make any professional wrestler proud. Unless someone deep inside the cave came outside, their group now had the advantage.

Nik motioned to the women, and they stood and made their way down the embankment to where the males were dragging the rebels away from the entrance. They quickly bound the guards’ hands and feet before placing gags in their mouths. Julian had gone ahead into the cave to stand sentry. If there were more rebels inside, they didn’t want to be caught unaware. Before following, Sophia strapped the rifle over her shoulder and removed a handgun from the holster at her hip. The rifle was good for long range, not close quarters.

They entered the mouth of the cave and met up with Julian. Torches were lit and placed in metal holders along the inside corridor. Sophia didn’t have to be an archaeologist to know this was not some rough cave the rebels were using as a hideout. The inner walls were smooth and the floor sloped much like those in the Valley of the Queens. The farther they walked into the tomb, the thinner the air became. The smell of urine and feces wafted through the hallway. Sophia prayed it was a good sign that the odor was strong.

If front of the group, Julian stopped, holding up a fist. The corridor split off into a tee. Julian pointed at Gregor, Tessa, and Zeke indicating they should go right. She and Nik were to follow him to the left. Sophia was sandwiched between the two brothers, and she was okay with that. She wasn’t of the mindset that everyone was created equal. The males had special skin and wings thus making them virtually indestructible. She had enhanced senses, strength and speed, but she could easily be killed. Sophia would gladly walk between her two protectors.

Voices were audible coming from in front of them. They stopped and listened to guards yelling at each other. A loud whistle sounded, and one of the rebels yelled, “Get the prisoners out of here. We’ll hold off the intruders.” Julian barely had time to raise his weapon before shots were fired at them from around a corner. Nikolas put himself between Sophia and the gunfire, so she placed her back to his in case there was someone coming at them from behind.

Between shots, Nik asked, “Do you hear that?”

Sophia had to strain, but the sound of a vehicle starting caught her ears. “Shit! They’re getting away.” She didn’t wait on Nik or Julian. She ran as fast as her shifter legs would take her, returning the way they’d come in. Tessa was right behind her. The rapid sound of automatic weapons blasted where she’d left Nikolas, but she didn’t slow down. He could take care of himself. When she reached the mouth of the cave she stopped and poked her head around the corner, Tessa at her back. The rear door of one of the SUVs was being shut. Right before the door closed, Sophia saw the silhouettes of two people on the back floor. The rebel who closed the door banged on the metal, indicating the driver should take off.

Sophia ran toward him, yelling at the car to stop. The rebel turned, gun raised. She didn’t give him time to shoot first. She pulled the trigger on her already raised pistol. “They’ve got my parents,” she yelled to Tessa. Sophia shoved the gun into the holster on her hip right as Nikolas and Gregor exited the cave.

“Sophia, what are you doing?” her mate yelled after her.

“Going after my parents. They’re in that car,” she yelled as she reached one of the parked dirt bikes. Thankful she had studied all kinds of motorcycles, Sophia reached under the seat and turned the fuel switch on. Tessa was right beside her, slinging a leg over her own bike. Nik and Gregor had caught up with them.

“Dirt bikes?” Nik asked.

Sophia said, “It’s more reliable than a camel.” She smirked at him right before she kick-started the bike. She rolled on the throttle, getting impatient. “Are you coming?”

Nik shook his head and muttered, “Lara fucking Croft.”

Gregor laughed and said, “Pretty fucking sexy, if you ask me.”

Sophia let off the clutch and slung sand behind her as she took off after the SUV. The vehicle wasn’t too far ahead of them. Instead of going out the way that led to the main road, the SUV took off across the narrow road she had spotted earlier. While the vehicle
was four-wheel drive, the sand still proved to be a deterrent. The dirt bike only
fared slightly better in the loose terrain. Tessa was more proficient at riding since she had a motorcycle of her own she rode all the time. Sophia had only ridden a few times. Still, she was holding her own.

The road turned into dirt, and the SUV started going faster. Visibility was minimal with the dirt being kicked up from the vehicle they were chasing. Gunfire sounded and bullets riddled the ground in front of Tessa. The rebel in the passenger seat was leaning out the window and firing. Tessa banked hard to the right to avoid being hit, and the loose terrain caused her to lose control. She leaned with the bike, kicking the back end around so that she slid with the bike instead of flying over the front of it. Gregor stopped to check on her, but she yelled out, “I’m fine, keep going.”

Nik sped up and was soon in front of Sophia. They kept to the driver’s side of the SUV and closed the gap. Her mate yelled, “Are you sure your parents are in that vehicle?”

“I saw two people. If it’s not them, someone else needs rescuing.”

Nik shook his head but gave her a smile, and Sophia took that as a good sign. When Gregor caught back up, Nik asked his cousin, “What do you say we have a little fun?” Gregor grinned, obviously knowing what his cousin had in mind. Nik told Sophia, “Back off a little. I don’t want you getting shot.”

When she nodded, Nik and Gregor opened the throttle and closed the gap between them and the SUV. Nik was on one side, Gregor the other. Nik let his wings unfurl and pointed the motorcycle toward the loose sand to the left. As he rose into the sky, the dirt bike teetered a couple of times before coming to a stop on its side. Gregor did the same thing on his side of the vehicle. By that time, Tessa had dusted herself off and caught up with Sophia.

The women kept their distance in case the SUV decided to make any sudden stops. Gregor didn’t bother dodging the bullets coming from the rebel on the passenger side. They bounced off his thick skin as he pulled the man through the open window. He held the man in one hand while wrenching the rifle away with the other before tossing the rebel to the ground. As Gregor flew back to the SUV, he rendered the weapon useless, tossing it to the sand.

His wings disappeared right before he opened the door and got inside. On the driver’s side, Nikolas was holding onto the door frame, punching the driver through his open window. Nik let go and hovered above the vehicle as the door flew open and the driver was sent flying across the sand. The SUV rolled to a stop. When Sophia and Tessa got close, they turned the bikes off and put the kickstands down. Gregor climbed out of the SUV smiling. Nik’s wings disappeared behind him, leaving only a shredded shirt.

Sophia ran to the vehicle and opened the back door. Two unmoving bodies were on the floor board, their heads covered with black cloths like the one she’d been forced to wear. She climbed in and removed the first hood. She sucked in a breath and cried out, “Dad!” Her father was unconscious, but he had a pulse. She removed the second hood, grateful to find her mother was also alive. “We need to get them medical attention.” Tessa climbed in beside her and started checking them out.

Sophia laid her head on her father’s chest and let the tears fall.

The hum of tires turning over the ground alerted Nikolas to the fact they had company. He and Gregor placed their bodies in front of the door, but relaxed when they saw it was Julian and Ezekiel. The two males exited their vehicle, Julian shaking his head. “I see I’ve missed the fun again,” he said pointing to his brother’s shredded shirt.

Nik grinned, “Hey, someone had to have our backs.”

“Is that Sam and Monica?” Zeke asked, looking at the bodies in the back of the SUV.

“Yes. They’re both alive, but we need to get them to a doctor,” Tessa said as she climbed out of the back of the vehicle while Sophia remained inside with her parents.

“Are there any rebels left?” Nik asked Julian.

“No, we took care of the rest of them. Let’s get Sophia’s parents to the rental house. I’m going to call Brock Tyson and see if he knows of a doctor who makes house calls.”

Zeke looked in on his brother and sister-in-law and squeezed Sophia’s hand. “They’re tough, just like you.” He moved aside, and Nik climbed into the cramped back with Sophia, wishing the second row of seats wasn’t there. Gregor angled into the driver’s seat with Tessa riding shotgun. Julian and Zeke went back to the other SUV and led the way.

When they arrived at the point where they’d hidden the rental SUV, Julian and Zeke quickly swapped the rebel’s car for their own. Before driving off, Julian handed the medical supplies over to Tessa who passed them to Sophia and Nik in the back. While they rode the rest of the way to the house, Sophia composed herself and began cleaning the dirt and blood off her parents’ faces and arms. There were no cuts they could find on their skulls. The blood appeared to be from minor facial lacerations.

Nik took one of the wet wipes and used it on Sophia’s sand covered face. “You were amazing back there,” he praised his mate. “Where did you learn to ride a motorcycle?”

“Yes, where did you learn that?” Tessa asked.

Sophia didn’t look at her cousin. She kept her focus on her parents when she responded, “Did you never wonder why the mileage on your bike was off?”

Tessa gasped, “You didn’t!”

Nik was gaining another level of appreciation for his mate. She was a sneaky little wench. Sophia glanced up at him and winked. “Oh, I did. But I always filled her back up. I even changed the oil once or twice.” From the front of the SUV, Tessa let out a string of curses that would make the most seasoned sailor blush. Nik was now glad there was a row of seats between the two women.

When they arrived at the house, Nik helped Sophia down before grabbing her father. He carried Sam, and Zeke grabbed Monica. They took Sophia’s parents into the house and placed them side by side on the master bed. Julian entered the room and informed them a doctor was on the way. “It’s good to know an international criminal,” he said seriously.

Sophia sat on the bed beside her father, holding his hand. “Dad, it’s me, Sophia. You’re going to be fine. You and Mom are safe. We need to get you checked out and get some food in you.”