“No, we didn’t, but that was just a feint. Test them out, see what kind of manpower they have.”
“And what kinda manpower does your pack have? Got any rocket launchers there, Aussie?” Zane asked with a frown.
“No, only rifles, but—”
“They’re merciless,” Nero said. “They’re just as likely to head down into the valley under cover of darkness and execute everyone but the males or females, depending on what they want. That’s what they did to my family. When they infiltrated our compound…” His eyes went blank for a moment. “They took out my cousin, his wife. One of the kids got in the way so they…” He shook his head and then carefully placed the food he’d been eating down on the ground, getting to his feet. He paced, taking one long step after another. “We’ve gotten cocky, shifters. Used to being top of the tree, the apex predators. Hollingsworth is a dangerous combination of…” Everyone held their breath, waiting for him to complete his point. “He’s a true believer with deep pockets. This isn’t a money-making scheme or a plot to take over the world. Somehow, he discovered what we are, what Shannon is, and he has feelings about that. Deep and abiding feelings. He’d make more money investing in the stock market or property market, but instead, he does this.” His eyes roamed the cages briefly. “Our way out of this lies with Shannon.”
“Me?” I squeaked.
“What the hell do you want her to do?”
“That ability of yours, you can control animals.” His dark eyes regarded me steadily. “Wilson seems to think you might be able to use it against humans. Now’s the time to find out.”
“What?” I asked, putting my food down on the plastic plate we’d been supplied with. No crockery or cutlery for us.
“They’ve refined their cages and facilities over quite some time from what I can tell,” Nero replied. “The joints, the mechanisms… We can’t shift them or break them, and if we try, they come in and fry our brains. I know what you’re thinking, Jai, because we’ve all done it. Surely our considerable strength will be able to get us out of here.”
As if directed by the other man’s words, Jai eyed the glass speculatively.
“Here we go,” Zane said with a shake of his head.
“Nero, he speaks the truth,” Kazimir said. “You try to smash the glass? They will activate the sensors. You won't get within touching distance of the walls until you give up.”
“A man’s gotta give it a go, doesn’t he?” Jai said, getting to his feet.
“Jai…” I called out as he ambled over, eyes running along the seams of the barriers and the recesses that held it in place. He went back to the smashed gurney, snapping off a crushed leg with little effort and then tearing the wheel off to use it as a hammer to flatten out the metal. I pushed my plate away, unable to stomach a thing as the sound banged on and on, flinching on every down stroke.
“It’s OK,” Caleb said. “He’s your mate. He won’t hurt you. We all go through this, every time. It’s not in our natures to just give in.”
Apparently not. Jai hefted his makeshift spear, twirling it around his body in a showy display.
“Jai, you don’t want to—”
Gaden called out the warning, watching Jai’s every move as he approached the glass, my eyes following his, but the shifter’s voice was cut short by a humongous bang. Jai had shoved the metal hard into the recess, thinking he could prise the wall out or something. He was wrong.
“Jai!” I screamed, scrambling to my feet as he went flying through the air. My muscles burned as I forced them to move, move, move, following his body as it arced through the air. My arms reached for him, knowing I’d never be able to catch him but unable to stop. Kazimir and Nero moved like lightning to intercept him, thudding down to the ground as his dead weight collided with them.
Dead weight? A sob, a million sobs kept squashed down so far, more or less, rose at the sight of the shifters splayed on the concrete like downed pins.
I dropped down beside them, my hand going to his face.
“Jai… Jai…” I pleaded, smoothing his hair back. His name became a messy yowl when he groaned along with the other men, his eyes fluttering open.
“Now that was helpful,” Zane said, pointing his plastic fork at us. “I’d wondered if they’d done