Chapter 672 Chapter 672
Deva adjusted the way she was kneeling. The rock wasn’t very flat on the top, so she had to use her forearm to balance it.
“What do you see?” Tripp asked Amari through the comm.
“No one has gone near the shore. Calla, what’s happening down there?”
“No boats in sight,” Calla answered. “But with the clouds gone, that could change fast.”
“There.” Tripp turned and looked at her.
Deva adjusted her position and looked through the scope. There was a vehicle pulled off the road. Five men that she could see. Moving slowly, she looked around the area, trying to find Taggart. She made sure her comm was off. “I don’t see Taggart.”
“I see Creed, but not Lars. He’s an owl, right?”
“Yeah.” She moved slowly until she was looking at the men again. “What is that guy taking out of the truck?” She watched him carry a large case over and set it on the ground.
“That’s—shit.” She could hear him moving but continued to watch the man.
“Calum. Keep everyone out of sight. They have what looks like a high-powered rifle.”
“What are they thinking? Shoot everyone, one at a time?” Deva moved slowly and checked around the area again. She almost missed the animal hiding among some rocks. Adjusting the scope, she zeroed in on a lynx. Taggart. “Taggart is there. To the right, behind the boulders.”
“Calla, you and Slater move further away from the shore. They have a powerful rifle.” Tripp said in a monotone voice.
“You think they can reach us this far out?” Slater didn’t sound worried at all.
“Let’s not find out,” Tripp answered.
“Moving. Finding a sight line to our visitors. Keep watch for company, Calla.” Amari sounded like she was running.
Deva blew out a quiet breath and adjusted the angle again. “Taggart can’t take on all of them.”
“I know.” Tripp sounded like he was closer, but she wasn’t going to take her eyes off Taggart to find out. “Pick one, call it out.” His voice echoed beside her and through the scope.
“Blue hat,” Amari said in a hushed voice.
“I’ve got the one on the gun,” Tripp said in a quiet voice.
“We have no way to tell Taggart.” Deva clacked her teeth together and adjusted the scope. If she picked the one Taggart was going to jump, she could hit him. “Logic says he’ll go for the one standing by the road.” She whispered. Touching the bud in her ear, she turned it on. “I’ve got the one at the front of the truck. Taggart is in the rocks, Amari, do not shoot him.”
“I see him,” Amari answered.
Deva turned the comm off again. “What is he waiting for?” She wasn’t really asking Tripp. Just needed to think of something else other than the fact that she was aiming the gun at something that wasn’t game on a hunt.
“Devin would like them alive if possible.” Calum’s voice was in her ear.
“Copy,” Tripp answered, his voice without emotion.
“Will try.” Was Amari’s response.
She’d never shot a person before. “It’s just hunting,” Deva whispered, trying to keep her nerves steady, “just animals—sick, abhorrent animals…”
“Go for a leg. Knock him down.” Tripp said calmly beside her.
“Owl overhead,” Amari reported.
Deva lifted her face up and looked at the sky over them. A large owl was circling. “Lars. Taggart will hit now that Lars is there.”
“Focus on your target,” Tripp said evenly.
Deva blew out a breath and looked through the scope. If Lars went for the guy in front, she risked shooting him instead of the man. Or Taggart, she could shoot him. “Dammit.” Pushing away from the rifle, she grabbed her run pack and looked at Tripp. He hadn’t moved. “I’m going down there to help them. Don’t shoot me.” She jogged across the road before he could acknowledge her.
“Deva is inbound,” Tripp sounded unphased by her change of plans.
“Shift and go for the legs, Deva.” Amari sounded amused.
Deva touched the earbud. “Got it.” She turned it off and pulled it out of her ear. “I’m going to take out his legs when I get there.” She slid to a stop behind a tree and quickly kicked off her boots. Pulling her shirt over her head, she ran through every cuss word she could think of. “He’s insane.” She growled and pulled her pants off. “And I’m going to kill him.” Jamming the handgun in her run pack, she rolled up her shirt in a tight ball and stuffed it in. Closing it, she put it around her neck and pulled her arm through it.
Dropping to her knees, she stared at the tree, focusing on the shift. She didn’t need to. Her cat was right there and was conveying urgency to get to Taggart.
~
Lynx weren’t the fastest cat, but the incline helped with that. The one thing her clan did accelerate at was jumping. And she was using that to her advantage to get her to Taggart before he did something stupider than jumping off the yacht to go against five armed men.
A screech from above her let her know that Creed was following her progress. She didn’t speak bird, but she hoped he was cheering her on. She didn’t have time to slow down to see what the men were doing but hoped that Amari or Tripp would stop them from firing the gun. She had to go up to circle around and come down near where she’d seen Taggart. Another thought occurred, what if the men had handguns? She had to trust that Amari and her mate had her back.
She spotted Taggart and issued a quick sound that she could only think would be called a bark. She didn’t want to startle him. Before she could reach him, he bolted out of his cover and toward the men. She was going to kill him.
As her paws hit the pavement, the owl screeched and attacked the man closest to the road. The scream that followed told her that Lars’ talons had connected with the human’s flesh, likely his face. There was no time to check on Taggart. She jumped and then collided with the man holding his face and knocked him to the ground. Lars landed on the man’s chest lifted his wings, and shook. She took that as ‘I got this one’ and turned to see if Taggart was okay.
She rounded the corner of the truck to see one man lying on the ground and Taggart on another’s chest. He looked all right. The man that was nearest to the gun was on the ground, moaning and holding his leg. Blood was all over his hands.