Chapter 8

• Konner put his absorbent vest back on and brushed off the water on the outside of it. He’d have to wait a few minutes until the outer part dried before putting his shirt back on, but he felt ten times better than he had before stopping. There was something about water that was unaffected by man that appeased his very soul. He smirked, he might have a slight boggy odor for a few hours, but he didn’t care.
• He looked over to see Baylee wrapped in a blanket as her mother guided her to trees to get dressed again. Seeing her splash around made him feel like a hero. It was confirmation to her that she was actually free now.
• Reaching the van, he opened the door and checked his phones, Niema had told him to leave them she’d keep a listen for them. A few messages on the one, nothing he needed to deal with right now and the other one had no calls listed. When the assigned one rang in his hand, he jumped like a frightened child.
• Shaking his head, he answered it, “hello.”
• “Konner, it’s Calum.”
• His spine stiffened, he didn’t know the man well, but he was pretty sure Calum Dante didn’t call people up just to chat. “What’s going on?”
• “We just packed it in here and are heading back to Blair’s.”
• “Everything go well?” He still felt ripped off that he hadn’t been able to stay to complete the last two raids on more of Tomas’ stash houses.
• “It was very lucrative,” Calum told him in a serious tone. “Add ten more to the count, and a few what we’re figuring are top of the food chain in the whole of things.”
• That had Konner’s attention. “I’m intrigued.”
• “They’re on route right now with the special ops boys.” He sounded amused, “so with luck we’ll have more news soon.”
• Konner had never worked with that team, but if there was a ranking for how aggressive the Alliance teams were, they were at the top. He’d heard some of the things they’d done, and it chilled him to the bone, despite how necessary it was at times. “I look forward to hearing more.”
• “We also liberated a lot of paperwork and records.”
• “Records?” He watched Baylee come out of the trees, fully clothed again, she was smiling, the first real smile he’d seen on her face.
• “Yeah.” Calum had a growl to his voice now, “they’re fucking selling them to the highest bidder. All over...” He stopped abruptly, realizing they were still talking over airwaves, regardless of how secure.
• “How detailed are these records?” He scowled at the ground, hating that his earlier thoughts had been right. They were matching the clans and breeding them.
• “I can’t be sure, I only got a quick look at them, the S.O. have them now on their way back to Shep, Devin will have copies.”
• Konner nodded, he had to see those for himself. “I suspected, well, no not that I didn’t, but my passengers shared with me that they were treated fairly while they looked for a male to go with them.”
• “It’s sickening and the shit is going to be ended.”
• Closing his eyes, he blew out a breath, trying to keep focus. “How is that boy, Galen doing?”
• “He’s going to be okay. Shae was just talking to the doctors looking after him.”
• That eased some of the pain in his chest. “And the two men of Blair’s the other team found?”
• “We’re heading there now for Shae to patch them up, they refused any other stops until they saw their families.”
• Konner didn’t blame them at all for their obstinance, he would likely be the same way. “We’ll be at the camp early morning.” He lifted his hand toward the lake, “I just had to stop and refresh a bit.”
• “Enjoy your downtime, things are going to get fast and lethal from here on out.”
• Konner smirked, “I look forward to it.” As he was sure every shifter on the teams did. Ending the Tomas empire had been on a lot of to-do lists for the last twenty years.
• “I’ll let you go.”
• “Thank you, for calling and letting me know.” He cleared the lump out of his throat, “it almost gives me hope.” That was something he hadn’t felt in nine years, not since he’d found Olanna living in a tiny lake in the middle of no mans’ land.
• “If there any of yours out there, we’ll find them.”
• To have a man like Calum say that, made the weight on Konner’s shoulders lighten. Calum Dante didn’t do anything half-hearted. “Yes, we will.”
• Calum chuckled, “I have to go, the young Alpha is doing the math in his head and the longer he thinks the more glazed his eyes become.”
• Konner grinned, “tell him to feel blessed because he is.”
• “Will do. I’ll call if I find out more.”
• Konner nodded but didn’t get a chance to reply when Calum hung up.
• “Good news?”
• He looked to see Niema and her daughter standing beside the van. He looked at the phone and then nodded his head slowly, “I think for the most part it was.” Motioning to the van, he smiled, “shall we?”