Hunting Party (Bear Lodge Shifters Book 1) Read online

  She ate hastily, standing up, and cleaned up after herself carefully before wiping her mouth and heading back out into the restaurant. Weirdly, the lights were off now. Maybe a janitor had been by. She couldn't find the switch in the dark, so she started picking her way across the room toward the faint glow of the glass lobby door. It felt like being in a darkened aquarium. She moved slowly around tables, holding her hands out from her sides slightly and swinging them around to get a sense of where things were.

  Was that a footstep behind her? She paused and then turned. “Hello?” Nothing, again. A little unnerved, Anna turned and headed for the door, moving as quickly as she dared. A huge shape loomed up behind her suddenly, and she spun around to confront it. But before she could make out who or what it was, someone yanked a bag down over her head from behind.

  The inside stank of some chemical that seized up her lungs, and she lost consciousness.

  Anna woke on concrete, in dim light... in a cage. She lifted her head and looked around, at a dark underground space separated into six big animal cages with an aisle in between them. A row of bare light bulbs hanging over the aisle provided the only light. A single steel door at either end of the aisle led outside.

  Five other people shared the cells with her, one in each. The one she occupied sat in between two others. In one, a skinny, redheaded woman with huge sunken eyes sobbed and rocked with her limbs tangled around herself. Every once in a while she would stammer out something breathless and half-coherent. She might have been praying, or repeating a mantra, or just going off on some kind of rant; there was no way to tell. She was underdressed for the mountains, and couldn't be local; her miniskirt, surplice blouse and tights spoke of town.

  On the other side, a powerfully built black man with light skin and close-cropped black hair sat in a meditative pose in the middle of his cell. His BDUs were patched and stained, the pockets worn at the corners, and the gray sweatshirt he wore under the jacket had its collar coming loose. He breathed deep and steady, radiating a soldier's calm focus despite the sorry state of his uniform.

  Anna got up unsteadily, her limbs stiff from lying on the cold concrete, and went to the soldier's side, grabbing the bars that separated them and coughing quietly. “Hey.”

  He opened his eyes and looked over, and she saw a scar gleam on his far cheek, marring his handsome features.

  “Yes?” he answered in a calm, polite tone. But in the backs of his brown eyes, now that they were open, she saw a wellspring of rage he was keeping in check.

  “Do you know what's going on?” She still had a disconnected feeling from it all, as if she was dreaming. But the ache from the cold floor was taking too long to go away for this to be anything but hard reality.

  He sighed. “I was picked up off the street in Jackson two nights ago. I was hitchhiking across the country and had a chance to come here. See the sights.” He smirked humorlessly. “Now I'm sorry I took it.” He gestured around. “Everyone here is from somewhere within a hundred miles. We were bagged, drugged, and found ourselves here. I've asked around. Most of us are, shall we say, without a forwarding address.” The homeless soldier smirked coldly. “That much harder to find out if we should vanish. Also that much less chance that anyone will care.” He considered her. “You on the other hand look like a vacationer. Like that one.” He pointed past her at the redhead, who was now giggling uncontrollably.

  “I came up to this private lodge with my new boyfriend. Someone grabbed me while I was downstairs.” She looked at the man, who rubbed his face and then considered.

  “That's out of character for their choice of victims. None of us had any friends or family waiting on us, not even her. But this boyfriend of yours will notice that you're gone.”

  “Then...” It sank in, then. She had been kidnapped along with five other people. She had no idea if she was still anywhere near the Lodge, but it sounded like everyone who had been kidnapped was grabbed from the area.

  And for some reason, she had been taken in spite of the fact that she would be missed.

  “It's a chance. Small one, but it's something.” He offered a long-fingered hand, and she shook it timidly. “My name's Mark. Former US Army Specialist, decorated.”

  “Anna. I'm a grad student and a hiker.” She looked around at the others across the aisle. Two talked to each other; a third slept in a fitful ball in one corner of his cell. We're like zoo animals awaiting transfer, she thought, and shuddered. “Has anyone visited, brought food, anything like that?”

  “Now and again. Nobody any of us has ever seen before. A couple of attendants in coveralls, and one older guy in a suit. He's the one who must have masterminded this, the son of a bitch. No identifying markings, and nobody talks to us so I can't get an accent or idea of nationality.”

  “So we could be anywhere.” Jake she thought sadly, desolately. How could he find her if she wasn't anywhere nearby to be found any more?

  It was only then, as reality settled its cold weight on her fully, that Anna started to cry. She sobbed once, explosively, and covered her face with her hands as if she could hold it in somehow.

  “Hey... hey!” Mark reached through the bars and gripped her shoulder firmly. “You need to hold it together now, you hear? I know you're scared. This whole thing is crazy.” She looked up at him, and saw the rage in the backs of his eyes banked down, with something resembling sympathy mixed in. “But you can't afford to lose it.” He looked up and past her, at the woman thoroughly losing it in the back cell.

  “I... I just... how is this happening...?” She shook violently under his hand, tears spilling down her cheeks. “Who would even do this?”

  “Aw, kid. You're too innocent for your own good.” He gave her shoulder another squeeze and then let her go. “I wish I could tell you I didn't know, but I've seen the breed that does this kind of shit. Rich, privileged, sociopathic. The only question is, which group of rich, privileged sociopaths are we talking about?”

  She gulped and sniffled and tried to pull herself together, but it was tough. Tougher in some ways to do it with the other woman wailing behind her. But the man in front of her was like a pillar of stone, all strength and firmness, and she tried to pretend she was like him, and had, if not fearlessness, at least some hope. “Don't know yet. But... maybe they'll slip up and we'll find something out.”

  “There. That's the spirit.” He smiled tightly at her.

  She was starting to relax a little bit again when the far door opened suddenly. She looked up, and saw two tallish, dark-haired men in gray jumpsuits walk out, followed by a familiar looking figure in a black suit. She knew that iron colored hair, those broad shoulders. Anna clutched the bars and stared as he came nearer.

  Anthony Matson, Jake's father, looked into each cage at a time as he walked down the row, taking his time, sizing up each captive coldly, his expression never changing. His hands were clasped behind his back, and he said absolutely nothing.

  “Mr. Matson? Mr. Matson!” She couldn't help it. She ran up to the bars and clasped them, calling out to get his attention. This had to be some kind of joke, or mistake, or something.

  “Mr. Matson, what is this? Why are you doing this? Why are you here? Please, let us out!”

  He stopped just across the bars from her, and blinked once, seeming to consider. Then he spoke without turning to her.

  “You will not get the chance to entrap my son. There is no such thing as a true mate. There is only human trickery to enslave us by our emotions. You will not be permitted to do that to him.”

  She froze, breath catching in her throat. “Do... what? I don't want to hurt Jake!” She started to understand, though, that it was fruitless. His face, its blankness, the flat cold look in his eyes, all of them confirmed the suspicion that his disjointed, half-nonsensical words had put in her head.

  He's crazy.

  “And you won't get the chance. I imagine he will be very upset at first, but... better now than once he's had time to get any more attached.” He
started walking again. “If you wish to lessen your suffering, I suggest that you run toward the guns instead of away.”

  “...Guns? What guns?” But he ignored her. “Mr. Matson!”

  It was if she screamed at a stone statue. She sagged and backed away, arms around herself. Matson was crazy, he had taken these hostages, he had something awful planned for them... and he was doing it to her personally, because he thought he had to save Jake from her. Which was the craziest part of it all.

  Tears filled her eyes again, but she kept her voice down. She didn't want that bastard to hear her crying.

  Chapter 5 - Shell Game

  “She left on this morning's helicopter to town,” Jake's father said mildly, steepling his fingers on the top of his desk. Compared to last night, he was the picture of calm, his hands steady and his gaze unflinching. That only threw gasoline on the fire of Jake's emotions as he gripped the armrests of his chair and ground his back teeth.

  “She wouldn't just leave. Are you sure? This is important!” He couldn't understand why his father was so placid right now, so cold. This was his mate and he had just found her. Whatever his father's crazy, bitter ideas were about shape-shifters being better off alone, he couldn't possibly be blind to the kind of fear Jake was feeling. He had felt it himself, after all.

  “I'm quite certain. You may check on the passenger manifest if you have any doubts. I will ask our pilot to make it available to you.”

  He reached for the phone on his desk.

  It can't be true. She was happy. She was happy with me. She wouldn't just leave without saying anything. If there was an emergency, like with her family or something, she would at least leave a note. But she didn't even take—

  He went very still. Anna, experienced hiker and California girl without much cold tolerance, had somehow gone on a helicopter ride and left while not only leaving her luggage and other changes of clothes behind, but her jacket. He had to fight his emotions then, especially the part that wanted to deny. Because the hard cold truth sat right in front of him and he had to be able to deal with it, and act. He's lying to me. He knows where Anna went, and it wasn't on any helicopter.

  He caught his breath, recognizing that his father was not only irrational, but also up to something. He would need to get away from him, and figure out what to do. And he would need help. Darrin had been invited to the hunt, which was mustering to leave in an hour. Jake had overheard enough talk just walking through the lobby to hear that the game his father had imported had been released an hour before, and was being allowed to spread out before they went after it. So Darrin would still be around. He called his cell phone, glad that the land had its own towers.

  “Jake? Holy shit, you're never awake this early. Hey.” Darrin yawned. “We're still around if you want to grab breakfast together.” He was a typical ex San Franciscan, his voice a rapid casual drawl.

  “Darrin, I need you to listen very carefully. I have a big problem, and you're the only backup I've got handy.” Jake couldn't keep the shake out of his voice. “Meet me on the back observation deck.”

  Darrin went all business at once. “I'll be right there.”

  Ten minutes later Jake stood against the deck railing, wind blowing his hair around, his heart still pounding away too quickly. Anna, he thought worriedly. How in the world was he going to find her? How was he going to make sure she was safe? And why on Earth was his own father somehow mixed up in this? How could he be? What was his plan?

  The door to inside opened and closed, and Darrin came striding out, breath puffing in a silver cloud around him. He was more urban than Jake, bundled up in at least three layers of high tech hunting clothes, his hands gloved and some kind of graphite or dark metal walking stick clutched in one hand. He came over to Jake and touched his arm with his fist in a friendly way, but his voice stayed low and hard.

  “What's the problem?”

  “I messaged you yesterday, remember, said I'd found my mate? Well, I brought her here. To tell her — you know, to tell her about us.”

  Darrin was a bear shifter as well, though his shift form was... less impressive than Jake's. The California Black Bear was an intelligent and agile creature, but also roughly the size of a large dog. They could be and often were scared off by angry cats. Darrin was a little sensitive about his shift form, and had always made up for it by being super-competent in other areas. Like being very observant and persuasive, and being a damned good tracker. It was this last skill that Jake desperately needed to depend on now.

  “But I woke up this morning and she's gone. She's gone, and my Father is lying about her leaving on the helicopter.”

  Darrin blinked slowly, his black eyes filling with dawning horror. “That's bad. That's really bad. Especially with how... off... Anthony's been acting lately. What do you think he could have done with her?”

  “I... I've got no idea. It never even entered my head that he would do anything to someone I cared about.” He gripped the railing so hard his knuckles went white. He could feel his bear-self's rage simmering deep inside of him, demanding the safe return of its mate. If something happened to Anna... his father was going to pay.

  “No, of course not.” Darrin puffed out his cheeks. “On the helicopter ride over they talked off and on about this special hunt of Anthony's. I am surprised he has anything else going right now while he's heading up that. Maybe he just quickly shuffled her away to try and make it look like a voluntary breakup, in the hopes you wouldn't come after her?”

  “I hope it's something that innocent.” But the sick feeling deep down inside of his heart was telling him otherwise. I mean, not innocent, but... he was talking so crazy, Darrin.” He raked a hand back through his hair. “So completely crazy.” He took a deep breath. “Very anti-human. I mean, I have heard a little bit like that out of him and some of the other Lodge members, but nothing that serious.”

  Darrin sighed. “Well, you've only been a member for about what, a year? Yeah. Trust me, the anti-human thing goes back a ways. Your Father's been vocally anti-human for a couple of years now, and there's maybe a half dozen of like mind in the Lodge. Talking about how humans are endangering the Earth, how their hold on the world needs to be weakened, how they would hunt us all down if they knew about us. I played tolerant of their bullshit so I could stay close enough to keep an ear on them for Helga. But then she got sick, and stopped coming up to the Lodge so much. Nowadays, your Father pretty much has the run of the place. This special hunt was his idea. I don't even know what kind of prey animal he rustled up for it, but everyone in the copter was really excited.” Jake absorbed all of this slowly, breathing deep, feeling horror pound deeper and deeper into his chest like a sliver of ice. “So he did something to her because he hates humans that much now.” Oh no. I endangered her by bringing her here. I may have killed her by bringing her here. And all because I thought it would be the best place to show her what I am, and didn't know that my father has gone completely off the rails.... “I don't know.” Darrin sighed and then turned to Jake. “You have anything with her scent on it? This magic nose of mine needs to know what to sniff for.”

  Jake nodded and pulled a plastic bag with the camisole Anna had slept in tucked into it. Darrin's eyebrows went up. “Black silk, very nice. You buy this for her?” He opened the bag and took a long sniff.

  “Yeah.” He grinned a bit despite himself.

  “Good, good taste, I'm clearly rubbing off on you.” He sighed. “Okay. Let's start at your suite and work our way around the building. I have her scent memorized, I'll work from that.”

  They talked quietly as they walked. “So nobody told you what you guys were going to hunt today? But everyone was really excited.” Jake went quiet as they passed a pair of middle-aged bear-shifter gentlemen in hunting gear on the stairs. Both of them nodded hello; the men smiled, then went back to talking to each other in French. One already had a glass of brandy in his hand.

  Darrin waited until they were out of earshot before going on. �
�Well, I was sort of invited at the last minute. I wanted to see what these anti-human guys talked about when they were completely off their guard, and on a hunt everyone's half-drunk and happy and not really watching their mouths. I figured I could find out more about what they've been up to. So after Helga got sick he arranged this special hunt, and the only reason they let me in is that one of their original picks backed out for scheduling reasons, and they needed another guy who could track.”

  “Okay. But....” He waited for Darrin, who had paused on the stairs to sniff, and drew his brows together. “What is it?”

  “Not sure yet. Thought maybe I caught wind of her. Fairly fresh. Few hours.”

  Jake froze. “Can you follow it?”

  “Not very many people have been through, I can try.” He headed down the stairs with Jake on his heels, sniffing the whole way, his narrow face set in a frown. Darrin's nose led them to the restaurant, which was just opening up, and he paused in the middle of the room. His thoughtful frown became a scowl.

  “What is it?” Jake stood right beside him and spoke low.

  “Chloroform mixed with her fear-sweat. This is where someone grabbed her.”

  “Chloroform...? Why the hell was someone here stocking chloroform?” Jake's stomach churned. It was true, then. Someone had Anna, against her will. And it was probably someone that his father was covering for.

  If not his father himself.

  “I'm following the chloroform smell, it's stronger. They dragged her into the service elevator.” He pushed into the kitchen doors when the servers setting up weren't looking, Jake darting somewhat awkwardly after him, and crossed over to it, sniffing the whole way. “Yeah. She won't have known a thing about what was happening to her when they moved her. Probably deliberate, to disorient her.”