Isobel is at the university, said the male voice. The enemy is making an attempt on her as well.
Liberty gasped and then tried to get the dead weight off her. It didn’t work.
I warned Isobel, said the man. In her mind, like I am with you now. I told her the attack was coming just like I warned Daisy as best I could. Her mind is harder for me to reach—to touch. She’s a lot like me but then again, she’s not. She’s like…like the bad seed one who wants to make you suffer and then kill you.
“Daisy is not evil!” shouted Liberty before realizing she was talking to herself.
I know. But her mind is hard to read, like the bad one’s, said the man. I couldn’t read it this morning—when she was pretending to be the therapist. I should have known there was something wrong. I’m sorry.
“W-who are you?” asked Liberty as she lay pinned to the van floor covered in what she was guessing was the dead guy’s blood.
You know me, said the man.
Just like that, Liberty thought of Gus of all people. Images of him holding the helmet with the mannequin head filled her mind. Then she pictured him blowing bubbles in his milkshake at the diner. She gasped. “Gus?”
Yes, said the man. Now. Listen to me carefully. All you have to do is focus and you can use your ability to get free. You have control over it. Just like when you used it tonight while baking before Bill and Rurik came over.
“Getting tape off me is different,” she squeaked. “And there is a dead guy on me, and Rurik is… oh God. Rurik! Is he dead?”
Not yet, said Gus. But he will be if you don’t focus and get yourself out of there. Bill is luring away some of the other men. There will be two left for you to handle when you get loose.
“Handle?” asked Liberty.
If you don’t hurry, Rurik will fall against his enemy, said Gus. He’s not at full strength and his concern for you will leave him making costly mistakes. Ones that will get him killed.
Liberty’s breath caught and she pushed at the weight on her, her arms pinned against her, her wrists still bound. “No!”
Liberty, said Gus. He may have only just reconnected with you today, but he loves you already. For you, he’d do anything, including sacrifice himself or make an error in battle that costs him his life.
She gasped.
Liberty?
“W-what?” she asked, tears coming fast.
You love him too, said Gus. It’s as it was meant to be. You’re mates. Made for each other. Destiny made sure of that. Now, I highly suggest you tap into your inner rage and start throwing people around like you did that trailer years ago before it’s too late.
Just like that, the temperature in the van plummeted. The dead man on her floated up and to the side. The body then dropped with a thud.
Her arms tingled as the tape ripped open on her wrists. With her hands free, she went for her bound ankles, tugging at the tape there as well. Sadly, that didn’t go as planned.
“You can do this,” she said, talking to herself yet out loud.
Nothing happened.
Worry for Rurik filled her and the net she knew, the tape on her ankles ripped and the van doors didn’t just blow open, they blew off the back of the van completely.
Olga and several more armed men weren’t far from the van.
The men spun and lifted their weapons.
Liberty merely glanced at them, and they were taking flight. She sent two at trees and one at a telephone pole before sliding out of the back of the van. She stood and stared at Olga, narrowing her gaze as she did.
“Oh, you done did it now,” said Bill, coming out from behind Rurik’s house. He had part of a garden hose in his hand, looped—carrying it like a belt. He grinned and motioned with his head toward the driveway. “Two less dicks to worry about. You got three, Liberty Bell. Nice.”
“Gus?” she asked, worried for the other man.
Bill smiled. “He’s good. Heard he had a little chat with you.”
She nodded.
Bill glanced in the direction Olga had been and stiffened. “Uh, Liberty Bell, we’re missing a bad guy.”
Liberty looked too. Sure enough, Olga was gone.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Rurik killed the last of the men on the staircase and then leapt, landing crouched at the base of the stairs. His animal side was on overdrive as he remained there a second, still partially shifted, still covered in the blood of his enemy.
Just then, Pavel came out from the dining room area, with his shirt torn open fully and the sleeves were shredded. He too was partially shifted. Where Rurik’s fur was brown, Pavel’s was white—like parts of his hair.
Pavel flashed jagged teeth at Rurik. It was a challenge. One the man had been stupid enough to issue years ago. One that had left Pavel with the very scars he was complaining about before. And one that was going to be the end of him tonight.
Rurik came up fast and charged the man.
The two locked arms and slammed into the far wall, breaking through the drywall, to the studs. Dust kicked up around them, momentarily blinding Rurik in the process.
Pavel used the opportunity, slashing and catching Rurik’s upper arm, ripping it open. It was the same arm that was already in bad shape since the attack in Savannah.
Rurik snarled and thrust Pavel back from him and blinked, trying to get the drywall dust from his eyes. His vision cleared and he went at Pavel with murderous intent.
Rurik yanked on Pavel and went to throw him only to have pain shoot through his neck, back, and arm. He knew it was from the injuries he’d gotten weeks prior. The pain and moment of hesitation cost him, giving Pavel the upper hand.
Pavel bent partially
