“I need to find out who he called,” Julian muttered and began typing frantically on the keyboard. Knowing Katherine had already been tortured was bad enough, but to hear the agents were planning something else?

“Does it matter?” Tessa asked.

“Yes. If there is someone at the prison who is planning something, we don’t want to be surprised if we run into him or her.”

“I’m going to gather our things so we can move out as soon as possible. I think going in this late will work more to our advantage since there will be less people roaming around.”

Gregor pulled Tessa to him, keeping her from walking down the hall. “What will you say if someone asks why you’re visiting so late?”

“I’ll tell them we have received threats to Katherine’s life, and we need to move her to a safe house. It won’t be a lie.”

Gregor nodded, wrapping his hand around Tessa’s neck and pulling her down for a kiss. When she walked away, Gregor asked, “Julian, are you ready to do this, Brother?”

“I have been ready. What the… Fuck!” Julian leaned closer to the screen even though with his shifter sight he could see the information perfectly well. “Everhart was talking to the Deputy Director, Joseph Long.”

“Is he the same Joe Rayaz called?” Gregor asked.

“I have no doubt. This is his photo,” Julian said, pulling up a picture of the man and showing it to Gregor. “Do you recognize him from any of the prison footage?”

“No, but I wasn’t looking for him. Can you run facial recognition to be on the safe side?”

“Yes. Let me just…” Julian tapped away at the keyboard and the program came to life on the screen in front of Gregor. “Here you go. Please watch this and let me know if he shows up.” Julian closed his eyes and covered his face with his hands, sending up another prayer to the gods.

Tessa returned to the living area with two duffle bags. “I think we should go ahead and put the prosthetics on now, that way if someone sees us going into either agent’s home, they won’t get suspicious. Did you look at the size of Everhart’s suits? We never had a chance to buy you one.”

“I did. The jacket will be snug, but the pants should fit okay with a belt. I doubt I have the jacket on long anyway.”

Tessa handed Julian his mask and showed him how to apply it so it fit properly. She applied the Rayaz prosthetic to her own face before tugging on the wig, and within half an hour, the two of them looked like completely different people. “Here are the fingerprint adhesives. These will alleviate worrying about our fingerprints rubbing off on anything.”

By the time they were ready to leave, Gregor still hadn’t seen the Deputy Director at the prison. “I’m ready on this end. Please be careful. Both of you. I know you’re Gargoyle, but I still worry.”

“We’ll be fine, Stone. You just keep your earpiece in so we can talk to you.” Tessa handed him a small transmitter that fit over his ear. It was exactly like the FBI used. Julian didn’t ask where Tessa got it. He already knew she had all kinds of technology she used when she’d been a Watcher for her family. She was a modern-day Lara Croft. “Julian, your earpiece is in the bag along with the serum and antidote. Gregor, here is the extra antidote just in case. The dosage is 10 cc. More is okay, but less won’t have the needed effect, and the agents could die without it. Julian, the serum is pre-measured in the syringe. There are zip ties in your bag as well.

“Once we have the agents subdued, we’ll meet up in the parking lot at FSM and walk in together. That way if anyone wants to question us as to why we’re there in the middle of the night, only one of us has to speak, and our story will be the same. We’ll get Katherine and take her out the back door. Should anyone alert the assistant warden, I’ll handle him while you keep getting your mate to safety. Once you’re outside, don’t worry about me. We’ll meet back here before we return to administer the antidote. Any questions?”

“No. We should be able to get in and get out quickly as long as we can get Kat’s cell open.”

“Rayaz should have a key card that gets us in. If not, we’ll let the shifter loose to take care of it.”

“Deal. Gregor, are you ready, Brother?”

“Yes, I am. Go get your mate, and Red… You better bring your pretty ass back to me in one piece.”

“Yes, sir,” she husked, kissing him deeply.

Julian was ready to get Katherine, but he couldn’t help thinking they’d forgotten something. It was too late for second-guessing. He and Tessa made their way to their rental cars. Tessa looked at him over the roof and said, “We’ve got this, Jules. Even if something goes wrong, we’ll wing it. We’re Gargoyle after all.”

He nodded, gave her a brief smile, and slid into the driver’s seat. He trusted Tessa, and he knew she would do everything in her power to help him get his mate out of FSM. It didn’t take long to arrive at Everhart’s home. Julian parked down the street, grabbed his duffle bag, and made his way to the back of the house. He typed in the security code to the alarm system and let himself inside. After retrieving the serum from the bag, he set the bag by the back door and reached out with his shifter hearing. By the slowness of his breathing, the agent was asleep. Julian padded silently to the back of the house and to the man’s bedroom. Julian jabbed the needle into the sleeping man’s neck and pushed the plunger until all the liquid was gone.

Everhart stirred, but Julian easily held him down with one hand until the poison took effect. As soon as he was sure the man couldn’t move, Julian grabbed the zip ties and secured Everhart’s hands and feet. He flipped the man over and zipped the bands together, effectively hog-tying him. If he were to wake up, he wouldn’t be able to get loose. Julian stepped into the closet and found a suit and shirt. He changed into the agent’s uniform before folding his own clothes and putting them in the duffle bag. Julian found the agent’s ID, clipping it to his pocket. Even though he’d never fired a gun in his life, Julian retrieved the handgun and holster, securing them to his left hip. He checked his reflection in the mirror. It was scary how, in less than an hour, he had become someone else.

Julian found the keys to Everhart’s car, grabbed his duffle bag, and left the house after resetting the alarm. He let out a breath as soon as he was moving toward FSM. That had been the easy part. The hard part was going to be seeing his mate and being able to keep his beast under control.

 

 

Of course Rayaz wasn’t asleep. That would have been too fucking easy. Oh well, Tessa never did like easy anyway. She pulled the syringe out of the bag and left the duffle on the ground outside the door. Once she typed in the alarm code, she let herself in. It didn’t take long before she was met by Special Agent Sonja Rayaz of the FBI. Tessa had never impersonated a government employee before, but she was ready should the woman come at her.

“Who… who are you?” Rayaz asked, frowning. It had to be some confusing shit coming face to face with yourself.

Tessa cocked her head to the side and said, “I’m Sonja Rayaz. Who are you and what are you doing in my home?”

“Your home? This is my home. I…” The woman shook her head and looked around. Tessa took advantage of the moment and advanced on Rayaz. Before she could get the needle into her neck, Rayaz spun around with a right cross, hitting Tessa in the face.

Tessa hadn’t been expecting the attack, but now that Rayaz had struck, Tessa was ready. Using her shifter strength, she did a leg sweep, knocking the agent to the floor. Tessa jumped on top of the other woman and pinned her arms down with her knees. She got the needle into Rayaz’s neck and pushed the plunger down. The woman struggled beneath her, but she was no match for Tessa’s half-blood strength, even if the agent did have quite a few pounds on Tessa. “Why couldn’t you have gone to bed like a normal person?” Tessa asked as she picked the woman up to take her to her bedroom. Once there, Tessa dropped her onto the bed and waited for the serum to fully kick in.

Rayaz’s eyes were wide as she fought the effects, but eventually she succumbed to the poison and her eyes closed. Tessa retrieved her duffle bag. After using the zip ties to secure the agent, she changed clothes. Tessa found the woman’s phone, weapon, credentials, and the door key that allowed her to access the prison. The drive to FSM took almost half an hour even without traffic. Unless he had trouble with Everhart, Julian would already be there waiting on her. She pulled into the vacant space next to him and parked Rayaz’s car. She grinned at him when they got out of their respective vehicles.

“Any trouble?” she asked.

“None. You?”

“Nothing I couldn’t handle. You should have seen her face when she got a look at me. That’ll mess with her head for a while. Gregor, can you hear us?”

“I got you, Red.”

Tessa grinned then asked Julian, “You ready?”

“More than ready. Let’s do this.”

Tessa and Julian strode into the prison like they owned the place. They had watched the security feed enough to know the drill upon entering. The night guard eyed them carefully as they each placed their right hand on the bio-scanner. “Agents, it’s a little late, isn’t it?”

“Criminals don’t sleep; therefore, neither do we,” Tessa stated in Rayaz’s voice.

“I wasn’t expecting you,” the guard said, looking at Julian. Instead of responding, Julian shrugged. The guard frowned at him before going back to whatever he’d been doing before they entered the building. Together they walked down the long corridor to the elevator that led to the basement. Once inside the lift, Tessa pushed the button for the basement but nothing happened. Julian held his key card up in front of a scanner. When the light turned green, he tried the button again. The lift began moving, and Tessa let out a sigh.

Gregor’s voice sounded in their coms. “We have a problem. The guard at the front desk called someone as soon as you walked away, and the other guards are on the move.”

“Keep an eye on where they go,” Tessa instructed.”

 When the doors opened, they stepped out. Tessa turned in a circle. “Since there are only two hallways down here, let’s split up. You take the left, and I’ll take the right.”

As agents, they should know where they were going, but Tessa figured she’d wing it if anyone asked why they separated. The hallway she searched had several rooms, and it didn’t take her long to figure out Julian had been correct in assuming that’s where inmates were tortured. Finding the rooms empty, she turned to go find Julian when his panicked voice sounded in her earpiece. “She’s not here.”

“Shit,” Tessa hissed under her breath. She took off at a jog to the other hallway where Julian was standing in front of one of the cells, his hands and forehead pressed to the glass.

“She isn’t fucking here,” he growled, beating his fists against the glass wall.

“She has to be somewhere in the facility, Julian. Reach out with your senses and feel her. Gregor? Did you see anyone move her?”

“No. Let me rewind the feed and see what I can find.”

Julian pushed away from the wall and began pacing the hallway, and Tessa could only wait him out. What if someone had already gotten to Katherine permanently? Gods, if that was the case, Julian would tear the place apart.

She’s in the infirmary. Tessa looked around for the voice she’d just heard. “Stone, did you say something?”

“No, I’m still looking at the feed.”

Tessa was going to ask Julian if he’d said something when the voice sounded in her head.

Andie, Katherine is in the infirmary.

Tamian? Tessa’s heart sped up. There was no way her brother could be there with her, but no one else called her Andie.

Yes, I had to take Katherine to the infirmary. Someone was drugging her food.

“Katherine’s in the infirmary. Let’s go,” Tessa said, grabbing Julian by the arm to stop his pacing.

“How the hell do you know that?” Gregor asked.

“Tamian’s here.”

“Where?” Julian asked as they entered the elevator.

Where exactly are you, Tam?

Hiding on the second floor. You need to hurry the hell up. The guard at the front door has called the Deputy Director. The place is already on lockdown.

“Gregor, I need you to stop what you’re doing and pay attention to the exits. The guard has already locked down the facility, and we’re going to need an exit point.”

When the elevator doors opened on the first floor, several guards were waiting on them, guns raised. “Agents, we need you to come with us,” one of the men said.

Julian stepped in front of Tessa, shielding her with his shifter body. She knew the bullets couldn’t hurt Julian, but they could seriously fuck her up, and she wasn’t in the mood to go to the hospital. Or worse. Talking them down would be her best bet, so she responded. “In case you’ve forgotten, we are Special Agents with the FBI. You do not have authority over us.”

“No, but the Deputy Director does, and he gave orders to detain both of you. We can do this the easy way or we–”

A large body crashed into all four agents, knocking them down like bowling pins. The man looked at Tessa and growled, “Go. I’ve got them.” Like something out of an action movie, the stranger disarmed all four guards before Tessa could figure out what was going on.

Andie, go!

Tamian?

Yes, now go!

I didn’t recognize you.

Yeah, well you don’t exactly look like you either, Special Agent Rayaz.

Tessa couldn’t move. Her brother was there, within arm’s reach. She wanted to cry. She wanted to yell. But most of all she wanted to grab onto her brother and beg him to come with her. “Tam…”

“Later, Rayaz, now go.” Tessa snapped out of her stupor, and she and Julian took off running toward the infirmary. Julian flung open the door to find Katherine lying on an examination table with an IV taped to her arm. He rushed to her side and dragged her into his arms. “Oh, Kat.” Tessa searched the room for the staff physician, not seeing anyone. She reached out with her senses and heard muffled protests coming from a closed door. Tamian had no doubt bound and gagged him or her.

Andie, take the IV with you. I gave her an antidote to the drugs she was given. It will take about an hour to reverse the effects, but she’ll be fine physically.

“Jules, we need to keep the IV in.” Tessa grabbed the bag off the pole and placed it on Katherine’s stomach as Julian picked her up off the table. “Stone, get us out of here,” Tessa said as they rushed out of the infirmary.

Tamian, I don’t want to leave you here.

I’ll come to the ranch later. Just go.

Tessa should have known her brother would know where she was staying. She had so many questions for him, but for now, she had a mate to help kidnap.

 

 

As much as Julian wanted to find whoever hurt his mate, he wanted to get Katherine to the ranch more. Gregor boomed in his earpiece, “There are guards at every exit. The good news is there’s only one at each door. The bad news is they all have weapons.”

Julian handed his mate over to Tessa. “Hold her. I will shield you while taking them out. Gregor, do you have eyes on us?”

“Yes, Brother. The door you’re moving toward is unlocked. It’s not the closest one to your vehicles, though. Once outside, you’re going to want to hurry. And Julian, you better not let anything happen to Tessa.”

“On my honor, Brother,” Julian vowed as he moved toward the guard.

“Stop right there,” the guard warned, raising a rifle toward Julian’s chest. Julian never slowed down. He picked up the pace and just as he was about to grab the weapon, the guard pulled the trigger, hitting Julian in the chest. He wrenched the rifle from the man’s hands and struck him in the temple with the butt, knocking him to the ground. Julian didn’t wait to see if he was alive or not. Instead, he stepped over his lifeless body and threw open the door. Tessa came through right behind him handing over Katherine.

“We need to run,” Tessa said, taking off across the parking lot. Julian was right behind her, cradling Katherine to him as gently as he could while still running full out. Tessa had the door to Rayaz’s car open, and Julian placed Kat on the backseat, climbing in beside her. Tessa had the engine going and was peeling out as soon as his door shut. He was at an awkward angle, but he managed to pick Kat’s upper body off the seat and slide in under her without ripping the IV out of her arm. Tessa checked the rearview mirror several times. “Fuck!” she exclaimed. “Hang on, Jules,” she warned as she pressed the accelerator to the floor.

Julian clung tightly to Katherine while being thrown from left to right as Tessa did her best to lose whoever was chasing them. His mate was still in his arms, not making any sound. He reached out to check her vitals and let out a huge breath when he found them to be close to normal. Bending over, he placed a kiss to her forehead, and whispered, “I have you now, my sweet Katherine. You are going to be okay, this I promise you.”

Tessa turned the headlights off and used her shifter sight to guide them through the backroads. Turn after turn, Tessa took the corners like a professional driver. The female never ceased to amaze him. He didn’t disturb her while she navigated the streets in the dark. He trusted her to get them somewhere safe. When she slowed the vehicle to a normal speed, Tessa flipped on the headlights and took the onramp toward the interstate that lead to the ranch. “We’re going to have a hard time getting back to the agents to administer the antidote,” she said from the front seat. “Unless…”

“Unless?” Julian prodded.

Tessa shook her head. “Just thinking out loud. How is she?”

“She is going to be okay,” he said, his voice low. Julian cleared his throat. “Thank you, Tessa.”

“Don’t mention it. That’s the most fun I’ve had since Egypt,” she said, smiling. “Stone, can you hear me?”

“I got you, Red.”

“We’re five minutes out.”

“I’ll be waiting.”

Julian could feel the love his cousin had for Tessa through the earpiece. He glanced down at his mate and wondered how long it would be before he felt that deep of a connection with Katherine.

Tessa continued to check both the rearview and side mirrors, but after some seriously skilled driving on her part, they managed to arrive at the ranch alone. Gregor was waiting on the porch. He met the car in the driveway, and as soon as Tessa put it in park, he opened the door, taking Katherine from Julian’s arms long enough for him to slide out of the back seat. Gregor immediately returned her and asked, “How is she?” as Tessa stepped into his embrace.

“She’s going to be okay, thanks to Tamian.”

“I can’t believe he was there. I take it from your reaction you had no idea?” Gregor asked.

“No idea. If he shows up here like he promised, I’m going to kick his ass,” she growled.

Gregor led Tessa to the front door and held it open so Julian could get Katherine inside. “How long do we have until the agents need their antidote?” Gregor asked.

Tessa pulled her phone out of Rayaz’s jacket pocket. “Three hours. The first thing I want to do is get into my own clothes. There’s no way I’d wear a suit every day,” she said, pulling the prosthetic off her face.

Julian wanted to change as well. The dress shirt he wore had a bullet hole where the guard shot him. He needed to get out of it before Katherine could see it and question him. He laid his mate in the middle of the bed he’d barely used, looking around for somewhere to put the IV bag. “Here, I think this will work,” Gregor said, bringing a wooden coatrack into the room. Tessa handed him a coat hanger, and Gregor untwisted it then reworked it so he could loop one end through the hole in the IV bag and the other over one of the arms of the rack. Once Katherine was settled, Julian motioned for Gregor and Tessa to go out into the hall.

“While I’m changing clothes, I’d appreciate it if you’d both monitor FSM. We need to be ahead of anything unexpected. As far as the guards know, Agents Rayaz and Everhart are in the wind with the inmate. They are going to swarm both their houses soon if they haven’t already done so. How are we going to get the antidote to them?”

“As soon as Tamian gets here, he and I will take care of it. We should have time to sneak in before the Feds storm their homes. If that happens while we’re there, we’ll handle it. Gregor can keep an eye on their houses and let us know if someone shows up. You need to wipe the feed at the prison, at least during the time we were at the back door. If the powers that be see Everhart getting shot point blank, they’re going to want to know why he’s not in the hospital.”

“I will take care of that as soon as I change clothes.”

Gregor and Tessa headed to the other end of the house, and Julian made quick work of the mask and clothes. He sat down on the bed next to his mate’s hip and pulled her free hand in between both of his.

Speaking softly, he brushed her red hair off her forehead while assuring Katherine she was ok. He could tell she hadn’t bathed in a couple of days and her clothes smelled of vomit, but that didn’t bother him. All that mattered was she was safe. With him. As soon as she was awake, he would make sure she was fed. As soon as she was feeling up to it, Julian would help her with a shower and get her on a plane headed for New Atlanta.