and his pack.
Bailey ran into the kitchen and shut the door behind him. It didn’t have a lock, but he grabbed a chair and wedged it under the knob. It wasn’t as good a trick as his broomstick on the stairs, but hopefully it would buy him a few seconds.
He grabbed a knife from the block before running into the pantry. He’d never been so thankful to the contractor for suggesting they add the space, especially since it also had a door into the newly converted dining room.
With any luck, Norman would get into the kitchen, buying Bailey enough time to get out of the dining room without being noticed.
“Think, Bailey.”
He needed to get Logan and his pack here. Which meant finding a phone. The closest one would be in the control room they used to monitor training sessions. Bailey heard Norman slamming into the kitchen door; then it flew open.
He quietly opened the dining room door and slipped out into the hallway. He made his way down to the control room but left the door open as he went inside.
The landline was dead. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise, but Bailey’s heart sank. He bit his lip and tried not to freak out.
What would Logan do?
Bailey turned to the computers at the side of the room and scooped up one of the tiny earbuds the team used when they went out. He tucked it into his ear and prayed whoever was always on the other end for Logan would be there for him.
“Hello?” Bailey whispered. “Are you there?”
“Who is this?”
“Bailey. I need help. It’s Norman. He’s the incubus. He shot Randy. I need my pack.”
“Where are you?”
“In the control room.”
“Security is down. Comms are down for Logan and the team. I lost contact with them twenty minutes ago.”
“The phones don’t work either.”
“He’s cut the lines. Hold on.”
Norman roared again, this time the sound closer than before.
“He’s close,” Bailey whispered. “Help me.”
“Stay quiet and do what I say.”
Bailey crouched down beneath the desk, hoping the shadows would keep him hidden. He’d left the door open on purpose, so that maybe Norman wouldn’t look too closely in the room. He’d expect Bailey to lock himself in somewhere, which is what Bailey would have done before.
But Logan had taught him to keep moving, so that’s exactly what he’d do.
“I need you to get to Logan’s apartment. Ready to run in three, two, one. Go.”
A shrieking alarm sounded, and Bailey didn’t hesitate. He tore out of the room and headed for the stairs.
Norman yelled, but Bailey ignored him for the moment. He made it downstairs and into the fake walls Logan had up for training. He’d changed them up a few weeks before, but Bailey already knew the layout. He’d hidden in them enough to sneak make-out sessions with his mate in the past few weeks.
But for Norman, it would be a confusing maze.
Hopefully.
He made his way through the walls and out the back. The door to Logan’s apartment was steps away. Norman screamed his name, but Bailey focused on his task. He got through the door and slammed it shut, twisting the lock into place.
“Upstairs, fast. That lock won’t hold him.”
Bailey darted up the stairs.
“Spare room closet. Go.”
He did as directed and found himself in front of a large gun safe. He gulped.
“Combination 6-2-4-8-1. Hurry.”
Bailey typed in the code and the door opened. He didn’t even know they had guns in the apartment. “I don’t know how to shoot.”
“But you know how to use a staff. Get it.”
Propped in the corner were a few metal rods similar to the ones he’d been using with Gideon. Bailey put the knife he’d been gripping since the kitchen on the shelf and took the staff instead.
“Call my pack,” Bailey whispered, suddenly feeling stronger than he had a moment before. “All of them.”
He spun the staff in his hand, getting the feel for the weight and balance. It was a little heavier than the ones they’d trained with, but Bailey could make it work. He closed the weapons cabinet again and made sure the lock engaged. No need to give Norman access to any other weapons than he already had.
“What next?”
“Now we hold him off until help gets here. You can do this, Bailey. Remember what you’ve been taught. I’ll be here helping as much as I can, and your pack is on the way. Hold on to that and fight.”
Bailey nodded and moved to the side of the door. He pressed himself against the