a beam of infrared over the aircraft and the rest of the space. No laser alarms vibrated in greeting. That padlock appeared to be their only security.
Idiots.
“Okay. Let’s go,” she said, sighing softly when Reed charged ahead of her.
The entry and exit door on the side of the craft was still open. They all climbed inside and spread out to look around. It was as spacious inside as a small passenger jet, but Stewart was insistent that it flew like a helicopter.
“This is not one of ours. The cat-men will love getting a look at this.” Brandi took a moment and messaged the coordinates to Fallon and Lars. She urged them to do a quick recovery because she had no idea when the owners of the craft would return.
“Jon? Check the back of the plane for a cage.” She turned to Reed, who was glaring at the inside of the compartment. “You’re with me, Reed. We’re going to check the logs and see if they left anything of interest behind.”
“I found a cage,” Jon said. “It’s snapping and crackling.”
“Don’t touch it,” Brandi ordered. “That’s portable electricity powering that baby. It could be generating enough to knock even you out.”
Jon nodded and went back to searching.
“I can smell her scent in here,” Reed said.
“Me too,” Brandi said. “That’s why I want the most data I can get. Let’s hope they haven’t found the tracker in her.”
Reed nodded. His gut had been a twisted knot since he’d learned someone had abducted her. “I should never have let her roam around the bear’s compound alone. Do you think she has a secret death wish?”
“No,” Brandi said with a chuckle. “I think she has natural alpha tendencies and protecting others is just what she does naturally.”
Thirty minutes later, she was on the phone. “Hey Emilio, I need some info fast. Yeah, I know it’s snack time. Stick your banana in a drawer and look this up for me. It’s critical. I’m trying to find a kidnap victim while her trail is hot.”
Brandi listened to the search, updated her app when she was told to do so, and immediately saw the blip. “Got her! We got her. Go have your snack, Emilio. I owe you a bunch and you know I’m good for it.”
Reed and Jon both stared at her when she disconnected. She chuckled. “Intel guy. He has a thing for bananas.” When Jon lifted an eyebrow, she gave a tiny shrug. “Anyway… we found Katarina’s tracker signal. She’s within a hundred miles of us. They probably rent places to hide abductees until they can move them for delivery. It’s a common practice.”
“Can we fly there?” Jon asked. “Or run there as our beasts?”
“Probably best if we drive there in a vehicle. I’ve got a recovery team coming. We’ll borrow one of theirs,” Brandi said with a smile. “But I have another plan.”
Reed rubbed his face. “Your last plan didn’t work out so well.”
“Yes, it did,” Brandi insisted with a grin. “The bears could have been abducted, but they weren’t. They’re coming to Alaska. You have to count that as a plan win.”
Reed blew out a breath. He wondered if they were hurting Katarina. The thought made his blood boil. “But one of us got abducted making your plan happen. That is not a win.”
Brandi groaned. “You sound like Gareth. Nobody—and I repeat, nobody—could have predicted that attack on the bears so soon after the bad guys tried to burn your village down. We’re damn lucky Katarina and Stewart stopped them cold before any of the bears got abducted. If you ask me, this has all worked out well considering the odds of us being here at all. What if we hadn’t been in Bear Central when those guys came? How many bears would be in their hands right now? They almost got Jon’s daughter.”
“Bear Central?” Jon interrupted Brandi’s rant to ask as he laughed.
“Code name,” Brandi said to him with a grin before turning back to Reed. “When a shit show like that happens, having only one casualty is damn good. And now she’s leading us to them. They’re going down, Reed. One day soon, we’ll get your grandsons and beta back too. Then you and your people won’t have to keep looking over your shoulders all the time.”
Reed nodded reluctantly. “I am seeing a side of you that makes me wonder how Gareth Longfeather copes.”
“Thanks… Dad,” Brandi said with a chuckle. “Don’t you care how I cope with him?”
“I think you could