She was surrounded by a flash of light and when she opened her eyes she was lying down on the cold, bumpy rock floor. She’d only had time to raise her head and look around when Michelle came around the corner and spotted her. “Alex! My God are you ok…I’ve been looking everywhere for you. Why did you run off like that? Where did you go?”
“It’s um…I…it’s kinda hard to explain.”
“Well, can you try? The sun is out. It’s over…” Michelle looked towards the cave entrance and then back to her. “Do you know anything about that?”
Alex faced her dilemma straight on. Michelle had faced the same scenario when it came to Alex’s memory. A memory that. to Alex’s knowledge, hadn’t returned yet. Michelle hadn’t told Alex, whatever it was, for Alex’s own safety. Alex understood that now. What to say to her now? It wasn’t a matter of trust: it was a matter of love. She didn’t want to put Michelle in danger. Michelle looked down and then up, her expression hard to place. “Can you tell me about what happened?”
Alex thought about it. Yes. She could do that. She didn’t know the first thing about what to do next with her new life, but she knew she could trust Michelle to help her. And to take care of herself.
Chapter Thirty-Four
A Thorn In The Side
“This had better be good,” Tynan growled to his war council. Over the last day and a half, his compound had received over a dozen red triangles. All from sections of Rykard’s family, declaring war.
“We are tracking their movements, but at the moment they do not appear to be organising any strategic front that we can see.”
“Did you attack their stronghold?”
“We did.”
“How many casualties?”
“None.”
“Excuse me?”
“My Alpha, they were ready for us. They left immediately after you murdered Rykard.”
“How can that be possible? Perhaps you moved too slowly?”
“From what we understand, Rykard was to keep hourly updates to his base. When he didn’t, there was a pre-rehearsed measure to vacate. Attacking a stronghold after a submission was a known move of yours, my Alpha, after you did the same thing to the Slade Estate.”
“Very well. He was more clever than I gave him credit for. I want hourly checks of the perimeter radar. Tell all our allies to be on alert for revenge attacks.”
“Just on that front, my Alpha, we have reports that one of our smaller ammunition stores has been hit in the last hour.”
“What did they take?”
“We haven’t a full count yet, but it housed nothing more than rifles and rounds. Though there was a generous supply of silver bullets.”
“Well…that is concerning. Send a jeep. I want to know exactly what they took.”
“It will be done.”
“Is there anything else?”
“You asked us to monitor air traffic, my Alpha…there was something that caught our attention. A small aircraft. No weaponry.”
“What is so special about it?”
“Its registry and its point of origin. Slade One from-”
“Sydney…well well. The prodigal son finally returns. Send a harrier. Instruct it to land or it will be shot out of the sky. He’ll either die or be a bargaining chip to use against his mother.”
*
Nightingale shifted, as did Nick, at the beeping alert. At Nightingale’s unspoken question, Nick explained, “Radar has picked up another plane heading for us. Coming in fast.”
“Could be a regular plane?”
“Not coming this fast…”
Nick waited several minutes, keeping his course steady until the plane was not only visible on radar but in front of them too. It zoomed past, and Nick watched it on the screen as it swerved around so that it flew parallel and lower with them.
“Slade One…by order of Tynan Ross, you are instructed to proceed immediately to the landing zone of red west. Repeat, landing zone red west….”
“Who the fuck is Tynan Ross?” Nightingale asked.
“He is an Alpha. He’s also my uncle.”
“Sounds like a cunt.”
“Slade One…respond that you understand your instructions. I have authority to shoot you down. Repeat, I have authority to shoot you down.”
Nick picked up the radio. “What does Tynan Ross want with me?”
“Slade One, you have entered his airspace…”
“Bullshit,” Nick said, confirming his thoughts via the screen. “This belongs to the Kents, who are allies of the Slade family.”
The radio crackled and a different voice came over. “Slade One…Nicholas, isn’t it?”
“Uncle Ross, I presume. We’ve never been formally introduced.”
“You’ve been gone a long time, young man. It’s a different world over here. The Kent family is no more. As is the Slade family. Whatever remains of them, fights for me.”
“My mother would never submit to you.”
“Right you are. Luckily your mother wasn’t in charge of the Slades at the time of the estate’s destruction. I’m not quite sure where she is at the moment, but I do know where someone is. Someone close to you. Nicole has lovely hair m’boy.”
Nick was silent. The words he never expected to hear in this situation filled him with dread.
“That’s what I thought. If you want to see her again, you’ll do everything the escort tells you. You will receive your instructions and you will carry them out. Any act of defiance will be seen as treasonous, punishable by death. But I will allow a right of response.”
Nick pressed the radio to his chin. Thinking over what to do. Finally, he glanced at Lee. “What do you think?”
“He’s probably got her. But if he hasn’t killed her yet, there’s gotta be a reason why. Using her as bait for ya?”
“Comply or perish. Your response, Slade One?”
Nick placed the
