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.”“And found Simon.”“Yeah.Which doesn’t let Weston, the Boston Alpha, off thehook.He obviously did a lot of clean-up on this one, and lockedit down tight.Not a word of warning.”“Maybe he figured he got them all,” Scooter suggested.“Probably.He still should have put out the word, multipleguys, surveillance and cameras.That’s something other Alphasshould have heard about.”“I’ll let you point that out to him,” I said lightly.Westonhad a nasty reputation, even for an older Alpha.I would haveexpected him to dispose of the rapist wolf himself, would neverhave thought to question why the guy disappeared.Weston wouldnot take well to criticism.Unexpected demands 257Hanson growled.“I will.Later.”“Text on my phone from Layton,” Tanner said.“They’refinished going through the kidnappers’ emails.They think thereare at least five guys left.That includes the brother, who’s no threat, and the caregiver, plus Ryder and a couple of other guys.One ofthem may be a scientist type, one is probably an investigator with maybe security background.”“That’s not bad,” Hanson said.“Unless they’re fortressed upwe can take four plus the brother.”“We have to kill the brother.” Zach’s words were not quite aquestion.“Yeah,” I said.That would be the hardest one for Zach.Heneeded to hear me say it, because I was afraid if the word camefrom Hanson, Zach might argue.“We do.Ryder says he showedhis brother the evidence.We can’t leave him alive.” But saying it opened a cold place inside me too.I bit my cheek and silentlycursed the greed and ingenuity of Ryder and the others that wasdragging us out to slaughter a crippled boy.“Hey,” Scooter twisted to give Zach a wry look.“We’re doingthe mutt a favor.He tried to off himself already and the brotherstopped him.But there is no cure.Can you imagine being trappedin a chair forever? I’d beg someone to kill me.”Zach stirred restlessly, but didn’t answer.Surreptitiously Irubbed one fingertip against his leg above the splint.I openedthe bond a fraction.Just when we started feeling human, like wefit into the greater community, something like this always cameup.There was a level of violence among werewolves that kept usisolated, alien.An innocent bystander would die, because of whathe saw.It wouldn’t be the first time, but, God, I wished I couldbelieve it would be the last.Over the bond, Zach was unhappy but the emotion barelyskated over the surface of his pain.Damn the man.He wasn’thalf as healed as he was pretending to be.Although perhaps hisphysical ills would be a good distraction, keep him from thinking258 Kaje Harperthis through too much.“Where are you planning to stop?” Iasked Hanson.“Ridott is northwest of Seward, where Ryder’s place is.I figurewe’ll get a cheap motel and let the guys do some reconnaissancewhile your boy works the computer.”A cheap motel would be less likely to keep a record of ID orlicense plates.Although I had noticed that the Suburban nowwore Texas plates.And if false ID was called for, I was sure Hanson would be prepared.For all my insistence on being included, Iwas bone-weary and glad someone else was planning the details.Ilifted Zach’s other leg into my lap, so he could lie across the small back seat better, and settled myself into the corner.The vibration of the Suburban’s ride rattled the metal against my skull.Zachhad our only pillow.But I closed my eyes and bet that I could fall asleep anyway.“Wake me when we get there,” I said.Chapter 15The compound around Ryder’s place was fenced with chainlink.It was also electrified and surveyed by cameras, according to the scouting report from Scooter and Tanner.Inside the fence,the main house was barely visible through the trees.It stoodthree stories tall, made of stone and brick.Zach’s search through property records had pulled us a floor plan, and the fact that there was a full basement.Permits were on file for a remodeling project a year ago, but the details of that project were missing.Satellite photos of the property had shown at least three otheroutbuildings, probably a guesthouse, a stable, and some kindof servant quarters.There was also a roof small enough to be ashed or utility room.Zach had cursed the fact that the photoson record were all taken in the summer, under full leaf cover.He coveted the ability to tap into current satellite surveillance, but decided even his skills didn’t have the mojo for that.It wasprobably just as well.The last thing we wanted was to risk coming to government attention.Zach did get into the Illinois DMV, and pulled up threevehicles registered to Clayton Ryder [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]