“Jordan will get to walk right in. Come up from the south, this will have all of our asses covered. Anyone out in those woods needs to be taken down. There can be no fire alarms. Find the enemy, take him out, then torch the evidence. I want this quiet, people.” He looked at each one of us, his dark eyes narrowed. “There will be innocent bystanders, so no bullets in the streets if at all possible.”
We broke from the meeting and packed up. As I had planned on staying human, I made sure to have my weapons ready. I had a .45 caliber pistol and 9mm as backup, along with two hidden knives.
Luckily, there were enough fields in between the mountains and forests surrounding the town for a helicopter to drop us at our designated areas. The ride was silent, as we mentally prepared. No one looked at Alex, but I wanted to badly. His father would be killed tonight, and though he hid it well, I knew the strain he was under.
I was glad he hadn’t argued about his role. He wanted to be a part of taking down Alexander, to be able to look in his father’s eyes and maybe even ask why. I knew that, but I agreed with Teij. It was better for us all if Alex stayed away from that task.
Terry was dropped first, so she could get to her position. I needed her set up with the sniper rifle before I got to the town center. Hawk went with her and took to the skies.
As soon as I jumped from the copter, I took off through the trees. I was quick and silent, as I kept an eye out for guards. From when I lived there, I knew they had regular patrols.
I reached farm land without sensing any other warm bodies. I thought it was odd, but figured I must have been lucky. As I made my way closer to the residential section, I started to become a little uneasy. It was quiet, too quiet. Not a soul could be found.
I kept to the shadows, going from house, to house, only coming out when I had to cross a street, until I reached the town. The main road going in was deserted. Cars lined the street, but no one was in them. The shops and buildings were empty and most looked just as I remembered, though, some had been updated like the government buildings.
The Town Hall looked brand new. With its massive size and marble stairs and columns, it looked out of place against the older red brick structures. I snorted, knowing exactly whose idea that was. Alex’s father had always thought of himself as better than everyone else, and I guessed he felt he needed a place that fit his ego.
I made my way closer to that monstrosity of a building, sticking to the alleys and shadows. I was only about a block away when I had no choice but to hit the main road. I stepped out carefully and looked around. There was no one. It was a dark, moonless night, and not even a street light was on. That didn’t hinder my eyesight, but I had to admit it was odd. Had everyone skipped town?
I sniffed the air and found nothing. No one was lingering close by, so I made my way down the street. My eyes scanned the area. All was clear, but I hoped Terry was ready. Something didn’t feel right.
I had just reached the four-way crossing at the center of town, when a boy stepped out of the shadows and stood in the middle of the bisecting roads. I stopped. Where in the hell had he come from?
He was in his late teens, early twenties with short blond hair. I didn’t recognize him, but I did recognize the shotgun he carried. I knew the scent of my own gun would have hidden the smell of his, but how had I not known he was so close? He stood only ten feet in front of me.
My gun was aimed and ready to shoot when two jaguars stepped up behind him. Shit!
“Drop your gun,” The boy said.
Of course, I didn’t obey and the boy fired. I dropped and rolled, then got up and ran to the last alleyway I had passed. I hid behind the brick building, then swung around to fire back. The shot went wild, as I was slammed to the ground.
Another jaguar had been hiding in the alley. Fuck! How in the hell was I missing them?
My gun went flying, as we tumbled to the ground with him on my back. I rolled over quickly and grabbed his neck. Before I could throw him off me, he ripped his neck out of my grip and went for my throat.
He was strong, stronger than any shifter I’d ever come across. I was able to block his fangs from ripping out my throat, but that was about it. His claws dug into my chest, holding me, as we rolled around the ground. I knew we were in the middle of the street and there were other threats nearby, but there was nothing I could do.
My hands shifted, and I used my own claws to rip into his sides. Blood soaked me through, but it didn’t stop him. He snarled in my face, and I watched in horror as pink foam dripped from his mouth onto my cheek. His eyes were glowing red. I held back my shock at seeing the disgusting abnormalities and punched him. His claws loosened enough for me to throw him to the side.