“What’s happening?”Ivan asked.
“They’re slowing.Damn, they’re waving at me to stop.What do I do?”
Roscoe slowed behind them and got out while Gregory wavered.Roscoe spoke to the man, and Edwina heard through the window Gregory cracked open.
“What are you doing out here?”a man with a gruff voice asked.Suspicion coated his words.
“We were doing a spot of night hunting,” Roscoe said easily.“In the forest over there.”
“This is private land,” the man said.
“No, we hunted in the public forest,” Roscoe said, keeping his tone light and non-confrontational.“I checked the boundaries before we came out.”
“What were you hunting for?”
“Birds,” Roscoe said.“A collector hired us to capture ten local owls.”
“Owls!”The man had relaxed at Roscoe’s words.“I didn’t hear any guns, but I figure you wouldn’t need guns to collect owls.”
“Nope.Killing the birds defeats the purpose.”
“Did you get any?”
“Not tonight, but we’ve found a nesting site.I’ll check with the collector and ask if he wants eggs.”
The man’s eyes narrowed, but he finally nodded.“You should take care driving on these roads.Don’t get too close to Smirnoff’s estate.Accidents happen.”
Roscoe gave an easy laugh, but tension slipped into the vehicle.“The collector constantly changes his mind about his needs.We might not have this job in an hour after we speak with him.”
“Drive safe,” the man said, and they inched past.
“We’re lucky we got Mikhail out tonight.I doubt we’d have been as lucky on a third visit,” Ivan murmured.“They seem to have upped the security.”
“Our problems aren’t over.Mikhail doesn’t recognize us,” Edwina said.“What do we do next?”
25
“Where’smywife?”Mikhailhuddled in the bed, with not the slightest recognition in his expression.
“He’s becoming agitated,” Edwina murmured, her heart aching.Her mate had forgotten he’d married her.Her throat hurt, and all the adrenaline from Mikhail’s extraction had drained from her, as had the high emotions at finding him safe.Unfortunately, he hadn’t escaped Smirnoff’s hands unscathed.“The healer told me we should back off and give him space.”
When Ivan and Gregory hesitated, she grasped their arms and hauled them from the room.They found Roscoe waiting for them.
“Has he improved?”
“No.”Tears stung Edwina’s eyes.“He’s confused.Disorientated.”
“His eyes don’t look right,” Ivan said.
Gregory shook his head, his worry for his friend written into his expression.
“What did the healer say?”Roscoe asked.
“She thinks it’s the drugs they used to suppress his memories and hopes he’ll improve once they leave his system.He keeps requesting his wife and told me his father-in-law would retrieve him because he’s important to the business.Whatever drug they’ve used is interesting.He can operate without a problem but has no recollection of the past.”Edwina’s breath caught, the knot in her throat forcing her to stop speaking.“Physically, he’s okay.A few bumps and bruises, but no one has abused him.”
“He’s determined to get to his wife,” Ivan said.“We’ve had to watch him closely to ensure he doesn’t leave the house.”
“I thought he’d be more comfortable in his own home,” Roscoe said, his tone thoughtful, his golden eyes bright with intelligence.“But it occurred to me Smirnoff might send his men to search for Mikhail.We should take him someplace where Smirnoff won’t think of searching.”
