Chapter 718 Chapter 718
Zain poured on the speed. He was not cut out to sit and do nothing. He’d almost lost his mind on the second long bus ride. His wolf was restless and had probably made him look like a child unable to sit still for the drive. When he hadn’t been fighting with his animal, he’d been a complete paranoid wreck. Every person that so much as moved, he’d freeze and wonder if they were the one after him. He’d almost gotten off at one stop when a man got on and stared him down as he walked down the aisle. When he sat down. Zain debated about making a break for the door at the last moment, but then the man pulled out his phone and proceeded to have a hushed argument with someone on the other end.
Before walking to this treed area, he’d checked the voicemail that Illias and he used to leave each other messages. It started when they were teens and had been upgraded to a much better system since then, but they still did it. Illias was pissed that Zain had taken off. He should probably leave him a message and let him know that he was okay, but then he’d have to explain, and he didn’t know where to start with that. Seeing the wolf prisoner had turned him inside out. The look the man had given him wasn’t exactly recognition, but Zain could tell that he was processing it and would figure out who he was. Barack had said his name loud enough he would have heard, so he really had no choice but to get the hell out of there. If there was still a rat working at headquarters and the wolf had gotten a message to him—well, Zain’s ending would have been quick and bloody.
His wolf put on the brakes and slid five feet in the snow. Zain shook off his mental chatter and looked around. Was someone there? He scented the air and didn’t pick up much, but with all the trees, it was hard to be sure. Probably someone out for a walk, and the wind is just messing with us, he assured his animal.
It had been some time since Zain had left the city and gone for a run in the middle of nowhere, but he was still confident enough that they were alone out here. The walk to get here was deterrent enough for anyone to get to this spot.
He got back to his bag and stopped. It was covered in snow. He looked up. It was his fault, leaving it under a deciduous tree that dumped full branches on it. At least it’s waterproof, he thought right before he shifted back.
The chill of the air on his skin spurred him into action. He shook off his bag, unzipped it, and pulled out his socks. He grimaced when pulled on his jeans. They were a little colder than he would have preferred. Overall, he was pretty sure he set a new record for how fast one could get dressed.
Zipping up his jacket, he jammed his hands in his pockets for a few seconds to warm his hands. “The others are on some warm beach, and you’re out here freezing your ba…”
“Hey there, Mister Sanders.”
Zain jolted and spun around. A woman stood ten feet away. She had red hair, and even though she was smiling at him, he was sure it wasn’t a friendly one. “I don’t know you.” He glanced at his bag and wondered if he could get his gun out of it. He had started out with it in his jacket, but it was uncomfortable on the long bus ride, pressing into his chest.
“Well, you’re about to. Now, let’s take our hands out of the pockets and have a chitchat.”
Zain knew with her accent, or twang, or whatever it was called, that she was from the States. The place where Aiden Tomas controlled the shifter community. He pulled his hands out slowly. “Look, lady…”
“Oaklyn, if you please.” She continued to stand there and look at him. He couldn’t see any weapon, but one hand was behind her hip, so he couldn’t be sure. “And please don’t try to run. I can guarantee I am a very good aim with a knife. I can get a bullseye on a frog’s behind from twenty feet away.”
A frog’s behind? He almost grinned but thought he better not. “Oaklyn.” He nodded slowly. “I guess it’s not a coincidence that you’re out in the bush at the same time…”
“It is a funny story. I just wanted to go for a run while I waited for your bus to get here.”
Shit. How did they find out? “Who sent you? Tomas? That wolf traitor?”
She frowned at him. “Do I look like someone that would keep company with a man like Aiden Tomas?” Her expression changed to anger. “I would not be caught within a mile of that man or those that work with him.”
Zain blew out a breath. Okay, not Tomas. “Then who?”
She made that clicking noise women made when they were annoyed. “Mister Calum Dante asked me to fetch you.”
“Calum?” That should have made him feel better, but his wolf was going crazy inside him. Something was off about this. Playing along with her might get him some answers. He leaned over and put his hands on his knees. “Why didn’t you say so sooner? I thought you were here to take me out.”
“Why would I do that?”
He stood up again and looked at his bag. Leaning over, he picked it up.
“If you’re thinkin’ you’ll use your gun, I’m afraid I removed it from your bag.” She smiled. “Just to be safe.”
Shit. “Safe?”
She nodded.
“Right.” He slung his bag over his shoulder. “What else did Calum say?” He knew he wasn’t even in the province right now. He knew every person on the teams or worked for the Alliance. He would have remembered a name like Oaklyn.
“Mister Dante would like me to take you to a factory.” She nodded.
“A Factory?” Was this some ploy to get him to take her to the factory? How had they learned about it? His wolf was still but so alert Zain was shocked he could move.
She shrugged. “Yes.” She motioned to the path he’d taken to get here. “He said you can not go to Chicago and to bring you to the factory.”
There was no way Calum would think he was going to Chicago. He hadn’t known until he decided to leave. He was going to play along with her until he could figure out how to get away. He couldn’t hop on the bus now. “Let’s go.”
She stood there without moving, so he turned and started walking out of the trees. “Do you have a car? Please tell me we’re not taking the bus.”
“I have a car.” She walked a few feet behind him but far enough away that he could see her out of the corner of his eye. “Why were you running, Mister…”
Calling him Mister Sanders was weird. He stopped. “Zain.”
“Alrighty. Why were you running, Zain?”
He had to fight not to grin. The way she said his name made it sound like a different name completely. It was cute. He sobered. That was a stupid thing to think. “It’s a long story. You wouldn’t understand what it’s like hiding in plain sight and becoming someone else.” How had they figured it out? That wolf in the pen had to have a way to contact them. There were still traitors in the headquarters building.
She laughed softly. “Don’t be too sure about that.” She motioned across the trail. “My car is at a lot behind that white building on the corner.”
“I don’t recognize you.” He glanced at her. “Are you a new team member for one of the teams?”
“I help Mister Dante from time to time.”
“Yeah?” He had to watch where he was stepping because he was pretty sure this wasn’t an actual path people took. “How did Calum figure out where I was heading?” Her answers were too vague.
“I told him the direction you were going.”
“Yeah?” He stopped and looked at her. “How did you know?”
“I’m good at finding things.”
She wasn’t very giving of information. “I see. Okay. Well, I’m glad to be off the bus.” He looked around. This town didn’t have enough buildings for him to make a break for it.
“They’re not my favorite method of transportation.”
He snorted. “Mine either.” He started walking again. “At least I finally get to see the Factory.” If Calum really told her about it, she would know where it was. Then he just had to go along until she dug herself a deep hole. She barely looked at him. She didn’t know about the factory. There was no way Calum would share the location with her. “So, where are you from?”
“Are you always this chatty?”
He grinned. “Yes. It’s kind of what I do. Make calls, arrange things…”
“I see.” She offered nothing more than that.
Zain went around the fence post and slid down the snowbank, so he was on the sidewalk.
“Oh, I almost forgot. I was to relay to you that your teammates are not happy with you right now.”
He sighed. “Yeah. I figured they’d be a bit miffed at me.” She had to just guess that, right? Unless she had some way to monitor communications. Shit. Illias was going to pitch a fit. He couldn’t even call for help because most of those he could call for help weren’t in the province right now.
“Yes, miffed.” She motioned to the building.