“She’s not in danger from the Council. But why would he need Nikki and Charity?” he asked quietly.
“And how did they know when to be here, unless they were aware of the attack coming?”
“There’s rumor Del-Rey has a network within the Council,” Aiden bit out. “After this thing with Charity was resolved, I had intended to set up a meeting.”
Wolfe grunted. “It would appear Del-Rey wasn’t willing to wait. Comeon, let’s get back to the command center. If a message comes through, we need to be certain that we alone see it.”
“Finding our spy won’t be as easy,” Aiden bit out. “When we do, I want him, Wolfe.”
“He’s not under Breed Law, Aiden,” Wolfe reminded him tightly.
“Then I’ll do it quietly,” Aiden bit out. He wouldn’t let the betrayal go unpunished, it didn’t matter who it was, or who they were with. Several of their people had been seriously wounded in this attack, and now Charity and Nikki were missing. Breed Law demanded justice. He demanded it.
“We have to find him first.” He jumped into the open jeep, waiting on Jacob and Aiden to follow before he put it in gear and headed for the communications building. “Breed Law only applies to those who agree to it, Aiden, you know this. But the betrayal won’t go unpunished, I swear that.”
The drive to the communications building was a short one. Once the vehicle came to a stop, Aiden jumped from the back seat and moved purposely to the door. The betrayer had to be part of those who manned the radios and computers for the compound. Nothing else made sense. He stepped into the room, staring around at the men and women working there. Radar, satellite communications, cell phone transmissions, email and radio all came through here. Every man and woman who worked within the large room would have had access to the messages that had come just before they left for South America. One of them had been responsible for destroying them. He moved through the room, aware of Wolfe and Jacob at his back, watching the others carefully. There were over half a dozen Army personnel. He refused to believe a Breed had betrayed the locations of the most important cabins on the compound. No Wolf Breed alive would have betrayed their Pack Leader. The code of honor was a part of them, even before the written law came into effect.
“Clear out the humans,” he muttered as he turned to Jacob. “I want only Breeds in this room until we get a message. Assign themelsewhere, put them on cleanup duty, I don’t care. But get them the hell out of here.”
The rage building inside him was nearly more than he could control. The distinction between Breed and full-bred humans had never beenso impressed upon him as it was now. They were fighting for equality,
fighting to make their way in a world where they had been created rather than conceived naturally. They hadn’t wanted to be different. But Aiden felt the differences now more than he had in his entire life. Not that it was unheard of for a Breed to turn violent.Quite the opposite. But never did one Breed betray another to the Council or to other humans. Their crimes were often against the Council or humans suspected of working with them. A few instances of insanity had pitted a Breed against his Pack, but never to the extent that they betrayed them to the monsters who created them. Disposable soldiers.This was what they had been designed for, he thought as he sat down in front of the master computer.Disposable.Without value. Creatures designed and created to follow the whims and cruelties of those who made them.
In the eyes of the Council they had no humanity. They were animals, nothing more. In the eyes of many full-bred humans, he knew it was the same. He had seen it in their eyes, in their actions. The Breeds were different. They were animals, undeserving of loyalty or life.Undeserving of his mercy. When he found the bastard who had betrayed them, he would kill him. It was that simple.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“Have I mentioned I hate caves,” Nikki bit out as the jeep pulled into the wide entrance of just that.A cave.
The two men in the back jumped out and within seconds an expanse of concealing foliage slid across the entrance. Charity watched the maneuver with narrowed eyes. From a distance, the fake evergreens would look real and would effectively hide the entrance of the cave.
“Come on.” The driver jumped from the front and turned back to them as lights flickered on in a tunnel to the left of them.
“Impressive.” Charity gave the driver a hard look as she moved from the jeep. “I bet you can see the Breed compound easily from here.”
She had paid attention to the drive as it was made. Several times she had glimpsed the large lake that the compound sat beside as they moved into the mountains. She roughly guessed that with the right equipment, spying into the compound would be easy enough.
No one answered. They were moved quickly, impatiently through the tunnel until they entered a large, cavernous room. There, Charity stopped in shock. It was well lit, comfortably heated and laid out almost like a large home.
On the far side stood several electric cooking rings.Rough wood shelves held an assortment of pots and pans and dry goods. A small refrigerator sat on what was obviously a homemade table. Across from it was a long plank table with simple wood chairs.
Charity was standing at the entrance of what appeared to be the living area, though, benches, a few old, beaten recliners, a couch that had seen better days, and a card table.
“We’ll redecorate one of these days.” The hard-eyed Coyote glanced at her mockingly. “Come on, through here.”
Another tunnel led off to the side. This one was lit by several fat candles that had been set within grooved ledges in the stone wall. Within seconds of entering the narrow walkway, Charity heard the first moan. It was low, distressed and definitely female.
“Shit,” she heard Nikki mutter behind her, and Charity silently agreed. She knew that sound. They entered a bedroom. Against the wall a wide bed had been set up, made from rough wood but holding a large mattress. On the mattress the woman was curled into a fetal position, her arms wrapped around her abdomen. Beside her sat a tall, roughly handsome male, his dark blonde hair falling past his shoulders, his eyes cold and unusually black in his weathered face. He rose to his feet, the damp cloth he had been holding in his hands dropping to the table beside the bed. His eyes went to the men behind her.
“Casualties?” he asked.
“None.The Council was attacking so we grabbed them and ran before anyone was the wiser.”
His broad chest lifted with a weary breath.
“Oh, I’m certain someone’s wiser by now,” Charity bit out as she moved for the bed and the woman laying on it.
“I hope you at least have some medical supplies,” Nikki bit out as she followed. “What happened to her?”