The Alpha - Joel Abernathy Page 0,42

to pull the Alpha card and make an official decree that this never gets out to anyone. Especially not Ronnie.”

“None of this changes who you are,” Susan said, crossing the room. She stopped in front of him and started to reach out before she seemed to think better of it. “But you are and always have been Melanie’s son. She would be so proud of the man you’ve become, Colt. I need you to know that.”

He was still trying to find the words to respond when the door opened. Ronnie stood there, looking at his parents, then at Colt. There was a wild look in his eyes and he was breathless, like he’d been running. “Sorry to interrupt, but I figured it out,” he said eagerly. “I know where Jason is.”

Chapter 17

It took Colt a second to process what Ronnie had just said, on top of everything else. “Are you serious?”

“Swan Road,” he answered. “‘Swan, shed.’ I still have no idea what the rest are, and there’s like a billion Swan Roads and Lanes between here and Vermont, but the only one that stood out to me on Street View was this one,” he said, thrusting a fresh printout of a grainy aerial view of a dilapidated multifamily home and an even rougher-looking tool shed behind it.

“You think that’s where he’s hiding Jason?” Colt asked doubtfully.

“No, but my guess is there’s more than one clue, so it’s a good place to start,” Ronnie said with a shrug. “Still haven’t figured out what the fuck ‘Vaughn’ and ‘hunter’s mark’ mean, but long story short, the changeling left a bunch of cryptic clues. You know what it means?”

Susan studied the list, shaking her head as she handed it back to him. “I don’t know about the others, but I do know a ghoul named Harrison Vaughn. He used to be part of the Providence Kinship.”

“Used to be?” Colt demanded.

“He worked for the Moreaus,” Susan answered. “No one really knew what he did, but he was far from the only one with a question mark for a job title back then. All I know is that he retired about ten years ago and moved out to the country last I heard.”

“Do you know where?” Colt pressed.

She hesitated. “No, but I don’t imagine it would be that hard to figure it out. Why? You think he has something to do with all this?”

“Peter certainly seems to think so,” said Colt. “And he fits the description of a Plague Doctor with all the mystery bullshit. It’s worth a shot.”

“Okay, I wasn’t gone that long. Who’s Peter?” Ronnie asked.

“That’s the changeling’s name,” Colt answered. “My brother.”

Ronnie turned a few shades paler. “Oh,” he said awkwardly. “So that’s definite, then.”

“Unfortunately,” said Colt. “I’ll explain later. While I’m gone, try to figure out where the fuck Vaughn went off to live out his golden years.”

“I’m going with you,” Ronnie protested.

“No, you’re not,” Colt and Susan said in unison.

“Look at that. We can agree on something,” he muttered.

Ronnie’s eyes narrowed at them both. “As awesome as it is to have two mommies, I’m not a child, and I’m going.”

“You’re practically human,” Colt reminded him.

“By ghoul standards, he is,” Stan mused.

Ronnie scowled. “Not helping, Dad.”

He gave his son an apologetic smile.

“You need backup, Colt,” said Ronnie. “You can’t waltz in there with an army without setting the pint-sized Pied Piper off, and I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the chances that we’re gonna open that door and find Jason are next to zilch. If this scavenger hunt continues, you want me there.”

Colt winced inwardly, even though he knew Ronnie was right. “If you come, you’re staying in the car.”

Ronnie rolled his eyes, but he didn’t argue, walking out the door instead. Colt knew there was a good chance he was just waiting to put up a fight until they were alone so it wouldn’t be three on one.

Colt looked back at Susan and Stan. “I won’t let anything happen to him,” he assured them both before following Ronnie outside. The younger ghoul was already in Colt’s truck by the time he made it out the door. Colt got in as Ronnie input the address in his GPS.

“So, I take it the talk with my parents didn’t go well?”

“What makes you say that?” Colt asked, pulling onto the road.

“Your faces mostly.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Colt could see him mimicking a scowl. He sighed. “Long story short, your parents knew my mom, the Plague Doctor