Page 59 of Dawn of the Pack

Richardson leads us in a silent, single file line for a while. He’s got some sort of coated, printed map he’s following, and he checks it regularly with a tiny flashlight. It’s nice to be surrounded front and back with pack members, but something about this place feels really exposed and almost threatening. As if I’d called him, Jared walks up beside me, and I slide my hand into his, grateful for the company.

We continue walking in silence. I’m just wondering how much further we have to go until the barrier when Richardson stops. “We’re almost there; I’m going to signal the witch, but be ready to run.”

We wait while he walks forward, and my heart pounds against my chest. A dozen ways this could go wrong fly through my head, and I clench Jared’s hand tightly.

Richardson stops, then lifts his flashlight and flicks it on and off three times in rapid succession. He waits a moment, then repeats it.

My nerves are on edge, ready at a moment’s notice to turn and flee. Then a condescending voice calls to us from the shadows.

“Oh, for goddess’s sake, this isn’t mission impossible! Get over here already.”

I’m not surprised that Azalea’s decked out head-to-toe in black. She even put on a black hat to cover her electric purple hair.

Passing through the barrier is surprisingly easy. Even though the guys got on the property several days ago, Azalea didn’t know if Nielsen had specifically banned me. But her family’s magic created the barrier, and she’s officially a member of Pack Montrose, so she has all the authority she needs to pass us through safely.

It’s probably just in my head, but it feels more dangerous on this side of the magical field. Azalea leads the way, muttering to herself about the cold, but the rest of us follow in silence.

I’m still not sure that trusting the witch was the best plan, but it’s our only option. At the very least, I know I can trust her to abide by her own self interest, and she seemed sincere in her professed need for revenge against Nielsen. At a certain point you have to stop questioning everything to death and just decide, so I did.

For better or for worse.

It seems to take forever, not knowing exactly where we’re going in the dark, creepy forest. On the plus side, we keep a pretty good pace, so I’m warm enough despite the frosty air. I’ve fallen into the rhythm of following the back ahead of me, Jared in step at my side, so when we stop it feels very abrupt.

We’re at an intersection of trails, and we all gather to huddle together.

Azalea speaks in a low voice. “The house is about a hundred yards further up the trail, up on a hill. It’s pretty easy to get up, and no one will see us from this direction. Once we’re all there, I’ll cast a pass-through spell to get us through the hedge. There’s no camera on the side because it’s basically right next to the house. From there, we’ll go around back and then it’s up to you guys to get us in.”

Richardson nods. “The four of you hang back until we make sure the area is secure.”

We nod in confirmation, knowing this was already the plan.

With nothing left to say, we follow Azalea to the hill she mentioned and climb. True to her word, there’s a hedge just like Jared and Landon described. A few mystical hand gestures along with a whispered phrase, and a magical doorway appears in the hedge, allowing us through. When we hear the guard just around the corner radio in, we hold back and wait for Richardson and Levi to slip around the corner and take care of him.

Blood rushes through my body, heart pounding, and my ears strain to pick up any clue of what’s going on. The guys and I are crouched and waiting, but Azalea leans lazily against the wall with her arms crossed, looking bored.

Suddenly the guys’ radios spring to life, static interspersed with two clicks—Richardson’s ‘all clear’ signal.

I draw in a deep breath of relief and follow the guys around the corner, where the two security guys stand over a pair of bodies on the ground. I hope they’re not dead.

Richardson points above our heads and we note the camera angled out toward the dark lawn. Hugging the side of the building, we creep toward the back door and stop in a huddle.

Richardson nods at Azalea, who whispers a few phrases I don’t understand and swoops both hands around in a large circle.

I don’t feel anything, but she finishes and looks around expectantly. “For the next half hour, your movements won’t make a sound. Let’s go.”

Richardson slides a key into the lock and turns it slowly, then eases the door open and peers inside before waving us in. Azalea and Milo follow him, then me, Jared, Landon, and Levi.

We creep down a partially-lit, innocuous hallway. It has a sort of sterile smell to it, like a hospital, along with the unmistakable scent of human misery.

My heart’s racing and I feel like I might throw up, but we keep pressing forward. Azalea’s spell is working. Our shoes don’t make a single squeak on the polished floor, and we continue forward silently.

When we reach a cross hallway, Richardson throws up an open palm, stopping us, and then signals Levi to come forward. Once again, they slip around the corner and leave the rest of us waiting. This time, however, we can distinctly hear the muffled movements, a person trying to speak before getting cut off, and then two distinct thuds.

The radios click twice again, and we move forward again.

Just as Azalea described, we catch up to Richardson and Levi at some sort of desk that reminds me of a nurse’s station. There’re a couple of computers on it, and basic office supplies like pens and clipboards.

Richardson looks at Azalea expectantly, and she takes the lead, walking stealthily down the hallway.

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