“I get it. There’s a better way to approach it, though,” Paxton said.
“You good?” Rance shouted from his truck.
“Yeah,” Feral answered.
“Then get in the damn vehicle. Let’s go,” Rance said, taking his foot off the brake and driving out onto the highway.
Feral got in the vehicle, but no matter how many times he glanced toward Paxton’s truck, Alison wasn’t looking his way.
“Got to relax, Feral. She isn’t a reward, and most likely doesn’t understand why you’re like you are, why we’re all like we are. You have to find a happy medium or she’s going to kick you to the curb. She’s not human, so she’s going to tolerate a whole lot less,” Frenzy said.
“Says you, who has practically stalked Tawny,” Feral said.
Frenzy smiled as he looked out of the window at the road going by. “No more, my friend. I’m not forcing anything anywhere. If it don’t want me, I don’t want it. No stress, no fuss, just breathing easy and come what may — unless I gotta kill something, which I’m not completely against at any given time should the need arise.”
~~~
Four vehicles drove along a quiet strip of highway in the back roads of Missouri. One by one they chose a place to turn off and stash their vehicles in heavily wooded areas. As the last ofthem found a place to leave their vehicle, a single text was sent to everyone that made up their five multi-person teams. “Fifteen”
Every single member of their teams looked down at their watches and took note of the fifteen minute point from that moment. That was exactly how long they had to be in position on the perimeter of Gamieyon property, prepared to start their trek to the center of the carnage they expected to find.
They’d been given clear instructions — make yourself invisible, watch for any type of electronic device that could monitor the area and anyone coming or going. If found, notify the other teams immediately. Keep the Gamieyon males near the front of each team for quick identification of anyone they encountered and to lead the way. They knew the locations of all their scouts and security so should be able to find them with no problem. Look for any evidence that might identify those responsible, make note of any bodies, and don’t get killed. Teams of four led by Frenzy, Savage, Rance, Rage, and Grim moved quickly to their entry points on the perimeter of the Gamieyon property. The Variant had their own communication devices, but they’d also supplied Rance and his people with ear pieces so they could remain in contact with their team members, and be updated on anything pertinent as the mission progressed. Frenzy personally handed out the ear pieces, beginning with the five Gamieyon Pride members that had accompanied them back to the scene of their destroyed Pride. After they were all checked for functionality of their earpieces, they moved in. Each team moved slowly, taking their time, making note of anything they found. By the time they reached the center of the property and the main Pride house, or what was left of it, they’d pretty much determined that they were alone. There was not a building on the property that hadn’t been touched by fire, only a small shed or two were standing though they’d been damaged as well. The only things left behind weremelted, or ashen. An occasional scrap of burned paper that may or may not have been a photo at one time, charred clothing, traces of what was once furniture.
When Frenzy arrived at the Pride house, Rance was already poking through the remnants of it.
“Anything unusual to report?” Frenzy asked.
“Some boot prints on top of and beneath some paw prints, a lot of them headed in the same direction instead of running in different directions. They’re not messy and hard to read like I’d expect if they were fighting,” Savage said. “Makes me think they were working together.”
“Same,” Grim and Rage both said.
“Lot’s of prints everywhere, not just boots. Some lions, some smaller cats, too. Maybe a few panthers,” Slade said.
“Animal prints, I expected,” Feral said. “Same boots we were all issued, I did not.”
“Same you’re issued at Alliance, or same you were issued while in captivity?” Dane asked.
“In captivity,” Frenzy answered. “We got the good shit now that we’re free.”
“A lot of bodies, and they couldn’t even be bothered to bury or burn them. Intentional disrespect in leaving them to rot, knowing no one was coming to clean up after them. This wasn’t just an I want supremacy. This was I’m wiping you out and any trace that you ever existed,” Harsh said.
“Agreed. Looks like the safe room was accessed, too,” Rance said as he stood just over the visible outline of the door that had been hidden in the floor. “Steve took us to the cave they used as an extra safe room off premise on the way in, and there is no evidence that it was even located. In fact, I wouldn’t have found it if Steve hadn’t pointed it out and walked me over to it. This one, though, was obviously found, we just haven’t opened it yet.”
Frenzy kind of canted his head thoughtfully as he watched Rance access the door and descend beneath the ground. He walked over and looked down into the space that was once a safe room. He shook his head as he began to recognize charred skeletons. “What kind of motherfucker murders women and children like that?”
“How do you know they were women and children?” Menace asked.
“Because males wouldn’t have hidden while the fighting was going on,” Tate said. “This is so fucked up.”
“Looks like the safety door was forced open and the interior was set on fire,” Rance said, his jaw set and voice growly as he came back up. He turned and looked at Steve. “Was this the only safe room on the property?”
“No. There was one upstairs in Alpha Grail’s bedroom, but I know no one knew about it except for a handful of his most trusted. It was to hide his mate and kids in the event of the house being breeched. It was destroyed in the fire. They weren’t in there. Alpha Grail recognized that this wasn’t a usual attack and sent them away. And there were two more, one at each end of where the family homes were built, for quick access if needed suddenly, whether it was attack or tornadoes.”
“We found them on our way through that area,” Fierce said. “Also compromised. They’d been minimally occupied.”
“How would they have known where the safe rooms were?” Rance asked.
“They weren’t a secret. We all had to know about them for storms,” Steve said. “This one, too. But the only one that wasn’t easily identified and visible to anyone who looked hard enough, was this one. Even once the house burned down, it shouldn’t have been easy to see under all the destruction.”
