The Finding (56 page)

Keeping one eye
on them, she tried to decide her next move. The rooftop elevator
access was a few yards away but as a wolf, she wouldn’t be able to
open the door to get inside, so that eliminated one possible means
of escape. Her next best bet was to circle back to the penthouse.
Surely Bryan and the Alphas would have made it past Mr. Aldrich’s
goons by now. A small frisson of worry swept through her when she
thought about the man she’d spent the night with.

She was aware
of him—his thoughts and feelings—in some strange way. It wasn’t
totally clear but she was sure at this moment he was feeling
impatient, worried, and angry. And he wasn’t hurt—she knew that too
and was thankful—but what could be keeping him? It wasn’t that she
was looking for a knight...er...wolf...to rush in and rescue her
but she hadn’t expected to handle this all on her own. And what
about Kellen? Was he all right? How severe was his injury? A
whimper escaped her as she worried about the men in her life.

Mr. Aldrich
shouted out an instruction and she pulled her attention back to him
again. He was heading this way.

“You go to the
right. I’ll go left. There’s no way for her to escape.”

Cassie perked
her ears at that statement and then jerked her head around. Damn!
She’d forgotten about Marla; the woman had been so unresponsive
earlier she had dismissed her. Definitely a mistake. Marla was
approaching from the rear and Mr. Aldrich was in front.

Getting to her
feet, Cassie began to back away from the two people who were
approaching her. Exactly what she’d do if they came too close she
wasn’t sure. When Hugh had been hurting Kellen, she’d attacked him
but it had been a spur of the moment thing. The wolf had taken over
and acted on instinct. This was more premeditated. Did she have it
in her to knowingly attack? The thought of biting and scratching
someone, even someone intent on harming her, made her feel sick.
But what else could she do? As Mr. Aldrich had said, there was
nowhere to go.

She kept her
head low and emitted a warning growl.

Chapter
25

Mel and Elise
huddled near a grey cement wall in the shelter of potted evergreen.
The small patio area they found themselves in likely served as a
gathering area for the building’s occupants on nice days.
Unfortunately, today wasn’t a day for sitting around the picnic
tables and enjoying the spring flowers. A cold wind whipped around
the building, stirring up bits of dirt and garbage that had
collected over the winter making their hiding place less than
ideal. However, since there was a security guard lounging just
inside the door, they really had very little choice. Discovery
would mean being kicked out of the building and put them even
farther away from their mates.

Elise peered
through the scented green branches, then ducked back out of sight.
“He’s still there.”

“Why’d the
guard have to take a break right by the patio doors? Why isn’t he
out patrolling the halls on the far side of the building? We need
to get upstairs and help our men.” Mel grumped.

A sigh escaped
Elise’s lips. “At least the empty feeling inside me is fading.
Sometimes I think I can sense Kane but then other times I wonder if
it’s wishful thinking . There’s a connection, but it feels off.”
She shook her head. I can’t explain it, other than it’s like he’s
there, but not there. It’s frustrating.” Leaning her head back
against the cement wall, she rolled her shoulders, trying to relax
her tense muscles. Being an Alpha’s mate was taxing. You spent a
lot of time alone worrying, yet knowing you had to let him go and
do what he was born to do. There was no solution—you just had to
accept it as part of life—but it didn’t mean she had to like
it.

Mel’s eyes grew
misty and distant, as if she were mentally reaching out, searching
for her mate... “I...I think Ryne’s tired, like all the energy has
been sucked out of him. I don’t think I’ve ever felt him
this...weak, as if he’s drifting along, almost disconnected from
his body.” She shivered and wrapped her arms around her stomach. “I
wish we were with them.” Exhaling slowly, she stared up the wall,
passed some forty sets of windows to where their mates were. “You
know, most penthouses have their own private elevators or at least
a special lock on the keypad that only allows certain people to
gain access.”

“So basically,
even if the guard goes on his merry way, there’s not much chance of
us getting to Aldrich’s apartment.” Elise concluded.

“Uh-huh. There
are too many werewolf rules and laws restricting our movement when
we’re out in public like this. I hate to say it, but I think the
best we can do is wait here.” Mel settled herself on the edge of a
planter. “It’s small comfort, but at least we’re close at hand if
something does happen.”

Elise sat down
too and reached over to clasp Mel’s hand. She tried to speak
positively. “I think if they’re really in trouble, our being closer
will help. We can send them our support, let them know we love them
and we’re waiting for them to come back to us.”

Blinking back
tears, Mel nodded and the two sat in silence for a few minutes,
willing their mates to be strong and well.

After a while,
Elise frowned. “What’s that sound? At first I thought it was the
traffic, but it isn’t. A helicopter perhaps?”

Mel cocked her
head and listened. “You’re right.” She shaded her eyes and craned
her neck, squinting upwards. “I don’t see anything... Wait. There
it is!” She pointed at the dark belly of a chopper as it
momentarily appeared over the edge of the building before circling
around and out of sight.

“Is it trying
to land on the roof?”

Mel surveyed
the L-shaped building; the portion which they were near was lower,
perhaps twenty storeys but the tower part rose a full forty. “It’s
probably headed to the tower. A lot of buildings have landing pads
on the roof, but from the way it’s moving I’d say the wind is
giving the pilot a hard time.”

“Then why is he
out in this weather?” Elise paused, then stared at Mel wide-eyed as
something occurred to her. “That’s it! I bet Aldrich is going to
escape us again using the chopper!”

*****

Bryan stepped
cautiously into the penthouse from the stairwell, his senses on
alert for possible danger. Behind him, he could hear Ryne and
Kane’s laboured breathing, both still in wolf form and trying to
recover from the jolt of electricity they’d absorbed. They appeared
physically drained, and both were suffering muscles spasms,
twitching horribly. He felt guilty leaving them behind unguarded,
but their final instructions had been to go ahead without them and,
truth be told, the pull to find Cassie was almost too strong to
resist.

He listened for
a minute longer, scenting the air and searching the surrounding
space for signs of movement. There was no one in close proximity,
though he could hear the distant hum of conversation and the
clattering of dishes as if people were going about their day,
completely unaware of the drama that was probably playing out in
one of the other rooms. The scent of cleaning products was
overpowering and he growled in frustration when he could detect no
sign of Cassie.

With the tips
of his fingers, he gently pushed open the door to his right,
revealing a washer, dryer and sets of shelves holding detergent,
and disinfectants. Apparently the stairs opened up into a service
area. Several piles of laundry sat on the floor and an open bottle
of bleach was near the sink. He stepped inside and capped the
bottle. Little wonder his nostrils burned and he couldn’t smell the
occupants of the penthouse.

Pulling the
door shut, he began to walk cautiously down the hallway, peeking
into the various rooms he passed, expecting an attack at any
moment. When none came, he frowned. This made no sense. His own
security plan for the pack involved several layers of defence.
Surely Aldrich, with his supposedly impermeable fortress, didn’t
rely solely on the two goons in the stairway?

The sound of
voices coming his way caught his attention and he ducked into the
closest doorway. It opened into a bedroom, which thankfully was
unoccupied. Pushing the door partly closed with the toe of his
shoe, he pressed himself against the wall. There was crack where
the hinges met the door frame and he peeked into the hallway,
curious to know who was coming.

The voices grew
louder and shadows appeared on the wall. He tensed, ready to
react.

“So then I told
him, if he wanted ‘dessert’ he’d have to take me somewhere fancier
than the bowling alley.” A woman appeared, possibly mid-twenties,
red hair, average appearance. She was dressed in a blue and white
uniform and carried an empty laundry basket.

The other woman
was of a similar age and build. She laughed. “So where’s he taking
you tonight?”

“I don’t know,
but he told me to dress up.”

“Sounds like he
really wants that dessert. Will you have something juicy to tell me
tomorrow?”

“Maybe. He’s
really cute
and
he has good manners.” The woman giggled then
glanced towards the door where Bryan was hiding. Did the smile on
her face falter slightly? Had she noticed him looking through the
crack in the door? He drew back and held his breath. “I’ll finish
gathering the bedding and you get the towels from the
bathrooms.”

“Okay. I’ll
meet you in the laundry room in about ten minutes. Once this load’s
in the wash we can tackle the floors.”

Damn! They’d be
heading back to the laundry area. Bryan clenched his fists,
wondering how Kane and Ryne were doing. Hopefully they were feeling
better by now, or at least would have moved to a hiding place
before these two women returned with their loads of laundry. What
would the ladies do when they saw the door to the stairs open? Did
they know the outside had an electric charge and was part of
Aldrich’s security or did they think of it as a fire escape that
was never used? Would they sound the alarm?

The door he was
hiding behind pushed open and a shaft of light illuminated the
room. A woman stood quietly in the doorway. Bryan tensed, wondering
what she’d do.

“Hey, I know
you’re in here.” The woman’s voice conveyed a sense of curiosity
rather than danger, but Bryan didn’t respond. After a moment, she
spoke again. “It’s okay. I’ve worked here long enough to know to
keep my mouth shut. I’m just going to come in and change the
bedding; don’t jump me or anything, all right?” She paused again,
then turned on the light and moved into the room.

Bryan stepped
out from behind the door and the woman cocked her head at him.
“You’re better looking than the last guy.”

“The last guy?”
Bryan edged around the door, never taking his eyes off the
woman.

“Yeah. The guy
who stayed here last night. I think his name was Hugh. Big fellow,
no manners, though.” The woman smiled at him. “You have good
manners?”

“My mother
would like to think so.”

The woman
nodded. “So, why are you hiding in here?”

“I thought you
just said you knew how to keep your mouth shut. Shouldn’t that
include not asking questions?”

She
shrugged.

“Let’s just say
my friends and I are conducting a security check of the building,
finding its weak spots.”

“Ah! So that’s
why the warning lights were flashing a while ago. I figured it was
just another test when they went off after a minute. Swanson does
that every few weeks; we hardly notice them anymore.” She took a
step closer looking him up and down. “You’re cute.”

“Er...thanks?
Listen, I’d like to stay and talk, but I’m on a tight schedule.
Um... If you see some other guys back near the stairs, they’re part
of my team.”

“Sure.” She
winked at him. “I won’t say anything if you make it worth my
while.” The woman stepped even closer, her breasts brushing his
chest while she walked her fingers up his arm.

Bryan cleared
his throat and spoke firmly. “Sorry. No fraternizing with the help;
Mr. Aldrich’s orders.”

The woman
huffed, but stepped back. “The old miser; he sucks the fun out of
everything!” She immediately clamped her hand over her mouth, her
eyes wide. “You won’t tell Mr. Aldrich I said that, will you?” She
spoke between her fingers.

“Not this
time.” Bryan forced himself to look stern. “Just go about your
duties and I’ll forget all about it.”

Nodding the
woman backed up until her legs bumped into the bed then turned and
began stripping the sheets. Bryan took that as his chance to escape
and ducked out of the room, almost slumping in relief. Talk about
bluffing one’s way out of trouble!

Anxious to be
away before the woman questioned his story, he quickly slipped down
the hallway and around a corner. His heart was pounding from the
close call and he took a second to lean against the wall to gather
his wits about him. That’s when the scent hit him; the coppery
smell of blood!

It was fresh
and entwined with it was Cassie’s own unforgettable scent of exotic
spices and flowers. Panic flared inside him. He’d sensed Cassie was
afraid, but how had he missed this?

Uncaring if he
was detected or not, he took off running. Adrenaline pumped through
his system, his heart pounding so loudly he could hardly hear or...
Was it his heart or was it the sound of a helicopter? Damn it!
Understanding dawned. That was Aldrich’s second line of defence; a
strategic retreat via chopper, not more guards. No wonder he hadn’t
encountered anyone trying to stop him. Aldrich had a rooftop
landing pad and was going to use a helicopter to escape. And he was
probably taking Cassie with him, if she wasn’t already dead!

He put on a
burst of speed. Cassie couldn’t be dead, it must be just an injury.
That was where the blood was from. He’d sense it if she
was...gone...wouldn’t he? That fact provided him with some small
comfort but he clung to it like a lifeline. Of course, injured
she’d be unable to resist when they tried to put her on the
helicopter. And once airborne, there’d be no way to catch them. A
chopper could set down anywhere.