Red Blooded
Page 83
“Italy?” I commented. “That’s where the Mediterranean Pack is headquartered.” Julian de Rossi was the Pack Alpha of the biggest European Pack, located in Florence, and was my father’s ally.
Marcy shrugged. “That’s all I have. But as much as I love my aunt and my little cousin-niece, I’m going to make sure my mate is alive and well first. Once that is done, we can figure out the next Big Bad. My aunt is powerful and fights dirty. She’ll be okay until we can get to her.”
“Agreed.” I nodded. “Pack comes first, everything else is second.”
I’d fill her in on what had happened in the Underworld during the flight. I also needed to pick her brain for everything she knew about the Coalition. The witches kept better records than we did—in fact, it seemed everyone kept better records than the wolves did, but that was about to change if I had anything to do with it.
The pilot exited a small building next to the runway and walked toward the plane. I turned to Rourke. “Do you want to let him know we’ve added a few flyers to the list?”
“Sure,” he said. “I’ll be right back.”
“No need,” Marcy chirped before he turned. “They already know five of us will be on the flight. There was no way you were leaving here without me. And if Vamp Airline had failed, your little plane there would’ve been delayed by an hour or two until I could’ve made it conventionally. As I have the final payment right here.” She reached into the pocket of her cherry-red jeans and said, “Voilà” as she brandished a card in the air. It was black.
“Is that the Pack credit card?” I asked.
“Yep.” She smirked. “My man is crafty. I got in touch with him after we talked and he told me where his was. He also told me where they were in Florida.”
“Great news! That makes this easier,” I said.
“But we can’t get to their exact location by plane.”
“Okay, how do we get there?”
“We need to fly into Florida City, and then we have to rent one of those swampy hovercraft boat things. The boys are somewhere smack in the middle of the godforsaken Everglades.”
“What she says is correct,” Naomi called as she walked out of the trees. None of us had heard her land, but that was likely because she had landed farther away and walked in. Humans were now showing up for work, pulling into the parking lot in front of us. “It took much searching, but I have located them. You were right, Ma Reine, the fracture wolves are not in a town, but are in the middle of the swamp. Your Pack lies just outside their boundaries, but they have been forced to wait before they can strike.”
“Why do they have to wait?” I asked.
She shook her head. “I’m not entirely certain, but I did overhear some of the wolves talking when I hovered over for a brief moment. The news did not seem especially good.”
“What did you hear?” Rourke’s voice held a command.
“It seems the Voodoo Priestess has taken some of your Pack as prisoners.” She cleared her voice with a small cough before she continued. “And your father was discussing giving himself over in exchange for their release.”
Of course he would. He was their Alpha. He was much more powerful than any of his wolves and had less chance of dying. The situation must be dire if he felt he needed to make an exchange.
“That’s not the news I wanted to hear,” I said. “Let’s hope we can get to him before he decides to go through with it. It’s time to move out. I need to contact my brother and hopefully he can make a connection with our father to let him know we’re on the way.”
The plane’s engines started and we headed toward the plane. The stairs were down. I turned toward Marcy. “We told the pilot Everglades, but you said Florida City.”
“It’s all taken care of.” She waved her hand. “The moment Ray and I landed here I called them and they changed it.” She patted her back pocket and I saw her cell phone sticking out.
We boarded the plane.
It was small, but nicely appointed. All the seats were leather and I could smell the coffee brewing. I took a recliner next to Rourke, facing Ray and Marcy. Naomi scooted in behind us. I could’ve sent her and Ray to the Pack ahead of time, but the flight was only going to be an hour or two at the most and we needed the time to come up with our next plan. Plus, the wolves were not familiar with the vamps, so it was better to wait.
Tyler, I called in my mind. Can you hear me?
Yes, he answered. He was running and I could sense his short breaths through our connection. He had to be tired. It was going to be a long run.
Were you able to get in contact with Dad?
Not really, he answered. I’ve been trying for the last hour, but the connection is too fuzzy. I think it’s because you and I swapped blood. I think whatever causes you to block him is starting to affect me. Maybe it’s a built-in protection thing?
I don’t know why it happens—
Marcy’s cell phone rang, interrupting our conversation.
She’d set it on the small tray table between us, along with the black credit card and some other things she’d brought.
Marcy’s eyes shot to mine, mild panic filling them. “That phone is not ringing for me.”
“Do you know who it is?” I asked, effectively cutting off communication with my brother. I knew without a doubt that whoever was calling Marcy’s phone was the same caller who had tried our hotel room.
“Well,” she answered, “I know whoever is calling is not human, that’s for sure. The magic coming off that phone”—she pointed to it with a shaky index finger—“is off-the-charts crazy.”
It kept ringing and we all stared at it, none of us daring to reach for it.
It stopped suddenly and I commented, “I don’t know who would be trying—”
A message began to flash across the screen.
Rourke leaned over.
“What the hell does it say?” Ray asked.
When Rourke frowned, Marcy plucked it up using only her fingernails. She turned it toward herself first and her eyebrows shot to her forehead as she read the message. Then she slowly turned the phone around so I could see it.
The screen was flashing the words PICK THIS UP, CHICA! PICK THIS UP, CHICA! PICK THIS UP, CHICA!
The message scrolled across the screen like a ticker tape.
Marcy shrugged. “That’s all I have. But as much as I love my aunt and my little cousin-niece, I’m going to make sure my mate is alive and well first. Once that is done, we can figure out the next Big Bad. My aunt is powerful and fights dirty. She’ll be okay until we can get to her.”
“Agreed.” I nodded. “Pack comes first, everything else is second.”
I’d fill her in on what had happened in the Underworld during the flight. I also needed to pick her brain for everything she knew about the Coalition. The witches kept better records than we did—in fact, it seemed everyone kept better records than the wolves did, but that was about to change if I had anything to do with it.
The pilot exited a small building next to the runway and walked toward the plane. I turned to Rourke. “Do you want to let him know we’ve added a few flyers to the list?”
“Sure,” he said. “I’ll be right back.”
“No need,” Marcy chirped before he turned. “They already know five of us will be on the flight. There was no way you were leaving here without me. And if Vamp Airline had failed, your little plane there would’ve been delayed by an hour or two until I could’ve made it conventionally. As I have the final payment right here.” She reached into the pocket of her cherry-red jeans and said, “Voilà” as she brandished a card in the air. It was black.
“Is that the Pack credit card?” I asked.
“Yep.” She smirked. “My man is crafty. I got in touch with him after we talked and he told me where his was. He also told me where they were in Florida.”
“Great news! That makes this easier,” I said.
“But we can’t get to their exact location by plane.”
“Okay, how do we get there?”
“We need to fly into Florida City, and then we have to rent one of those swampy hovercraft boat things. The boys are somewhere smack in the middle of the godforsaken Everglades.”
“What she says is correct,” Naomi called as she walked out of the trees. None of us had heard her land, but that was likely because she had landed farther away and walked in. Humans were now showing up for work, pulling into the parking lot in front of us. “It took much searching, but I have located them. You were right, Ma Reine, the fracture wolves are not in a town, but are in the middle of the swamp. Your Pack lies just outside their boundaries, but they have been forced to wait before they can strike.”
“Why do they have to wait?” I asked.
She shook her head. “I’m not entirely certain, but I did overhear some of the wolves talking when I hovered over for a brief moment. The news did not seem especially good.”
“What did you hear?” Rourke’s voice held a command.
“It seems the Voodoo Priestess has taken some of your Pack as prisoners.” She cleared her voice with a small cough before she continued. “And your father was discussing giving himself over in exchange for their release.”
Of course he would. He was their Alpha. He was much more powerful than any of his wolves and had less chance of dying. The situation must be dire if he felt he needed to make an exchange.
“That’s not the news I wanted to hear,” I said. “Let’s hope we can get to him before he decides to go through with it. It’s time to move out. I need to contact my brother and hopefully he can make a connection with our father to let him know we’re on the way.”
The plane’s engines started and we headed toward the plane. The stairs were down. I turned toward Marcy. “We told the pilot Everglades, but you said Florida City.”
“It’s all taken care of.” She waved her hand. “The moment Ray and I landed here I called them and they changed it.” She patted her back pocket and I saw her cell phone sticking out.
We boarded the plane.
It was small, but nicely appointed. All the seats were leather and I could smell the coffee brewing. I took a recliner next to Rourke, facing Ray and Marcy. Naomi scooted in behind us. I could’ve sent her and Ray to the Pack ahead of time, but the flight was only going to be an hour or two at the most and we needed the time to come up with our next plan. Plus, the wolves were not familiar with the vamps, so it was better to wait.
Tyler, I called in my mind. Can you hear me?
Yes, he answered. He was running and I could sense his short breaths through our connection. He had to be tired. It was going to be a long run.
Were you able to get in contact with Dad?
Not really, he answered. I’ve been trying for the last hour, but the connection is too fuzzy. I think it’s because you and I swapped blood. I think whatever causes you to block him is starting to affect me. Maybe it’s a built-in protection thing?
I don’t know why it happens—
Marcy’s cell phone rang, interrupting our conversation.
She’d set it on the small tray table between us, along with the black credit card and some other things she’d brought.
Marcy’s eyes shot to mine, mild panic filling them. “That phone is not ringing for me.”
“Do you know who it is?” I asked, effectively cutting off communication with my brother. I knew without a doubt that whoever was calling Marcy’s phone was the same caller who had tried our hotel room.
“Well,” she answered, “I know whoever is calling is not human, that’s for sure. The magic coming off that phone”—she pointed to it with a shaky index finger—“is off-the-charts crazy.”
It kept ringing and we all stared at it, none of us daring to reach for it.
It stopped suddenly and I commented, “I don’t know who would be trying—”
A message began to flash across the screen.
Rourke leaned over.
“What the hell does it say?” Ray asked.
When Rourke frowned, Marcy plucked it up using only her fingernails. She turned it toward herself first and her eyebrows shot to her forehead as she read the message. Then she slowly turned the phone around so I could see it.
The screen was flashing the words PICK THIS UP, CHICA! PICK THIS UP, CHICA! PICK THIS UP, CHICA!
The message scrolled across the screen like a ticker tape.
