Page 50 of Tracking the Alpha
Unfortunately, there wasn’t much he could do outside the main building. The area around had been sectioned into a few courtyards, and he didn’t need to enter the closed areas to sniff they were empty—and washed clean with heavy cleanser, erasing scent and whatever fluids might have been spilled, like blood. Did the general cover his tracks in case of discovery and an investigation, or was there worry about biological contamination? After all, in the movies, werewolves could pass on their curse. A chilling thing to think of considering what happened between him and Tanis. At least he’d not bitten her.
But I did spill my seed.
Fuck. He shook his head. Now wasn’t the time to worry about him possibly infecting Tanis. Back to his task of getting inside. He spent some time doing a circuit around the compound, scenting, looking, observing, seeking out weak spots or points of ingress. It took hours before he admitted to being stumped.
The principal building had windows, with bars over them. Two doors, both requiring facial recognition to enter. The barracks, set on a solid concrete slab, didn’t have any access to the basement levels he needed. The only other structure he could explore, that didn’t require a key or an approved face to bypass security, was a four-bay garage that appeared attached to the main structure.
It proved entirely too easy to enter, one of the roller doors open, showing off the vehicles inside. Barrett happened to be poking around said garage when Tanis departed with a soldier and a female wolf whose scent he didn’t recognize. Most likely an experiment like him. Sent to be bait, or so he assumed from what he overheard.
Barrett wanted to race after them, not liking the fact Tanis would be left alone with a possibly rabid beast. However, his rational side reminded that he’d never make it out the gate without being noticed by the cameras or the sentry. He had to trust the huntress could handle herself.
As he studied the tools left behind on a workbench—wondering if any of them would be of any use breaking through the steel door going into the main building—he heard the click as the door in question unlocked.
Someone was coming. Rather than bolt outside, he quickly rolled under a partially jacked vehicle missing a tire.
Two people entered the garage. He recognized the scent of only one. Major Stevens.
“I’ll radio you once I’m on the way back with our missing patient so be sure his cell is ready,” the major ordered. “I’ll make sure the sentry is sent off duty before we arrive.”
“I don’t see why you’re still so intent on trying to keep them in the dark,” the other guy answered. “They are aware by now that we’ve got some weird shit going on.”
“The less they know, the better.”
“And the more work for me and the others,” grumbled the male.
“Enough of the whining. Just do as you’re told,” snapped Stevens. “With luck, I’ll be back shortly.”
Footsteps receded as the major left. However, the other person stayed and muttered a low, “Prick.”
Click, puff. Cigarette smoke drifted as the guy stood around having a drag.
Barrett dared to sneak a peek and saw a fellow in sneakers and jeans, wearing an unbuttoned white coat scrolling his phone. He leaned against the workbench, huffing away, casual as you could please.
Fucker. Barrett recognized him as the dick who usually administered the IV of poison. Revenge would taste sweet. Not literally because, hello, human again, not wolf, but he’d enjoy the feel of his neck cracking when he broke it.
Unless…
The idea hit suddenly. Barrett’s face couldn’t get him inside, but this fucker had access. With a stealthiness that now came naturally to Barrett, he approached the guy, who never heard him coming. One second the fucker ogled a porn video, sucking his cancer stick, and the next, Barrett nabbed him in a headlock.
“Hello, remember me?” Barrett purred in the fucker’s ear.
“Oh shit.” The instantaneous tang of fear proved gratifying.
“You should be worried because I am still pissed at what you did, but I can also be a reasonable man, so here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to get me inside that building and take me to my people.”
“To do what?” the fucker blurted.
“Release them, dumbass,” Barrett snapped.
“If I help you, I’m dead.”
“If you don’t, I’ll kill you. Think of it this way, though. With me, you have a chance to make it out alive because I’m gonna make sure the general and major are too busy to worry about where one of their lackeys has gotten to. Or I can snap your neck now and wait for the next fucker who comes out that door.”
“Won’t be anyone else for hours. Medical team is off-duty and the soldiers don’t have access.”
“Then guess I’ll have to hope the facial recognition software doesn’t care if I’m holding your severed head.”
“You should have escaped when you had the chance,” muttered the fucker.
