“Be careful,” Iain warned her, thankfully his words not a protest. No one had cracked her compelling yet, but if anyone could, it might very well be him.
“I will.” She kissed his cheek. “You’ll learn to trust my abilities soon enough then I won’t need to compel you at all.” She slipped out of his grasp and crawled one row closer so she couldn’t be seen but could still easily project her voice.
Iain crawled in over top of her, shielding her completely with his body then flattened her to the ground. “Just covering you, as requested. Two can play at your game, little bear.”
“I might be little, but I have sharp claws. Lift up a touch.” He did and she smirked. “There’s no taming a compeller.”
On one side of them, Kirk moved into position and on the other, Finlay eased lower onto his belly, his sniper’s rifle propped on top of the dirt and his eye to the sight.
Daniel swept out a few rows, moving closer toward the shack then gave her a nod. They worked well in tandem and he’d wait for her okay to go in.
“We’re ready.” Iain trained his weapon on the mechanic.
“Mechanic man, here my voice and don’t acknowledge it. Nothing is out of the ordinary, but you’re going to wander closer toward me in the corn field then act as if your boot lace is untied. I want you to kneel and tie it back up. Don’t draw any unnecessary attention to yourself while you do so.”
The man swaggered their way, a peek of scraggly brown hair showing from under his cap. He lowered to one knee and grasped his boot lace.
“Who’s with you, and why are you here?” she demanded. “Answer me in a quiet voice.”
“No one’s with me, and I’m fixing my cousin’s Jeep.”
“Who’s your cousin?”
“Owen Mathie.”
“Whose place is this? Give me as much information as you can.”
“Grandpa Mathie-Bourner’s, but he passed away over a month ago. No one lives here anymore. We need to sell the place, just waiting on the lawyers, the will being read and all.”
“Where are Owen and Ewan?”
“They took off for the bunker in my truck. Said they’d leave the truck somewhere for me to pick up once they were done with it. They’ll call. They always do when they need a hand.”
Iain growled in her ear. “The Mathies are cunning.”
“And now they know we’re chasing them.” She lifted a hand toward Daniel. “You catch all that?”
“Sure did. I’ll go check out the shack.”
“Be careful.” She returned her gaze to the mechanic. “Mechanic man, I want you to keep your focus on my voice. You won’t see anyone moving about. What’s your name and where’s the bunker?”
“Name’s Gerry Mathie-Bourner, and I’m named after my gramps. No idea where the bunker is. My cousins are into some weird stuff that I’ve got nothing to do with it, but they’re kin, so I’ve gotta help where I can.”
“Can you shift?”
“Nah, only the two of them and their sisters can, and only on the night of the full moon. Rest of the time their ability to shift won’t rise. Blood’s too weak.” A confirmation of what they’d already known. He snorted then frowned as he worked his boot lace. “Stupid thing won’t do up right.”
Daniel snuck out of the corn field, crept onto the verandah then opened the creaky front door and whipped inside. Three magpies soared in a circle overhead.
“Gerry, give me your address and your phone number.”
He spoke it and she wriggled her cell phone from her pocket and sent the information to Daniel and Dad. “Gerry, how often do your cousins come out here?”
“Three or four times a year, just when they’re swinging by.”
“When they call you, I want you to call the number I give you and tell the man you speak to all the details your cousins pass on to you. You’ll remember this number with ease when it’s needed, although you won’t remember why you must do as I’ve asked, nor shall you remember speaking to me or anyone else about this.” She recited the chief’s direct cell phone number.
“Right. I can do that.”
“Very good, Gerry.”
Daniel snuck out of the shack and dove back into the corn field. He shuffled toward her and said, “It’s all clear in there. Two tiny back rooms along with a kitchen and living area, although there’s nothing but dust coating moth-eaten furniture. The electricity’s on but nothing’s running off it. I got your cell phone message.”
“Gerry’s going to call the chief when his cousins get in touch with him.”
“Good job. Send the mechanic on his way.”
“Gerry, go back to what you were doing. You’re all alone at your grandpa’s shack.”
Gerry stood, rubbed the dirt from his knee and strode back to the Jeep.
Iain scooped her off the ground, set her on her feet and steered her back the way they’d come, his brothers and Daniel walking along the corn rows either side of them. All kept a watchful eye on their surroundings.