“Yeah. Funded by oligarchs who are protected by the military. But it’s not military troops stationed at that facility. Usually hired mercs.”
“How did you escape from the facility?”
“I’d just arrived, and they still had me in a van. Like you, I played possum and let them think I was out. Waited for there to be only one guy watching the van. I shifted, shed the cuffs, and shifted back to look like I was still unconscious. Made a noise and then held my breath. Guy climbed in to check me, thinking I was dead. I shifted, ripped his throat out, put on his clothes, and took his gun and keys. Aimed the van toward a fuel tanker truck, jumped out before it crashed, and in the confusion from the fire and explosion, I shifted and escaped. I was maybe twenty minutes from being locked down inside that place. Most of the complex is underground. You’re lucky you got away when you did. If you hadn’t, no one could have helped you, much less knew where you’d been disappeared to.”
“Why didn’t you keep running? Try to return to the States?”
“Didn’t know where the hell I was, at first. I spent a couple of weeks staying shifted and running around in the wilderness trying to get my bearings before I dared to creep back and investigate. I’d hoped they thought I died in the fire. Might not even have realized I escaped. From the way they acted, the people who grabbed me didn’t know what I was. I mean, maybe the scientists behind it did, but as with you, the goons handling me didn’t. If they had, they would have been a lot more careful.”
“You’ve stayed out here all this time?”
“No. Early on, I spent two years as a working dog for a Russian family who ran a sheep farm. Kept me fed and safe, and I learned enough Russian to get by. Used that time to research and figure out where I was, all of that. Crossed the border and spent another two years over there with a Finnish family as their farm dog and, again, learned the language. There’s a small town, maybe fifteen kilometers from here. A few farms between here and there. Periodically, I make scouting runs while shifted. When I need supplies, stuff like that. Carry a tote bag, sneak onto the property shifted to scope out the place, shift back if it’s safe, take what I need, and boogie on out of there. I hunt shifted, so that’s not a problem. When I’m tired of that, I make a supply run.”
“Why did you come back into Russia and not stay in Finland?”
He shrugged. “Landscape and politics. Best hiding place I found. Fewer people around, too. Less chance of any of Ray’s people running into me.”
Peyton studied him for a moment. “And it was easier to hide than try to fight back.”
He nodded. “In this case, yeah. I hoped that if Ray thought I was dead he wouldn’t go looking for Carl and cause trouble for him.” He shrugged. “Not like I’ll run into Ray’s brother-in-law out here, will I?”
The vodka and the meds were helping a little to take the edge off Peyton’s aching head. “How’d you get the 411 on the lab?”
Jake cocked his head. “Huh? The what?”
Peyton realized he needed to treat Jake similarly to how they’d dealt with Duncan in the early days. “The research and intel. How’d you get it?”
Jake smiled. “People talk around dogs. Talk to them, even.”
“You weren’t worried about being shot as a wolf?”
“How many wolves go around wearing a dog collar?” Jake grinned. “Do a few tricks, look cute, they toss you food, rub your belly, and continue to talk their heads off. Hunt down rats or other vermin, they think you’re useful.”
His smile faded. “I figured out the location of the nearest village to the lab facility. Guys would cycle through on leave and stuff. Super-easy to eavesdrop. Once I learned Russian, that is. The lab workers don’t really hang around town—it’s the guards who do. They don’t know much of what’s going on, but what they do know freaks them out enough to not want to talk about it in detail, and not for the usual reasons people in this country don’t want to talk about stuff.”
Jake took a swig of vodka right from the bottle. “My best guess, from what I’ve observed of shift changes, is that there are usually around thirty people underground inside the facility at any given time. No more than fifteen guards up top, unless there’s a delivery.”
“Have you seen people brought there?”
He slowly nodded. “Yeah. About seven years ago. Saw a guy, unconscious, hauled in there once. Fully shackled. Middle-aged looking guy. Couldn’t tell if he was a shifter or not. I was too far away to scent him, even going downwind.”
“We need to shut that place down. We’ve received sketchy intel that shifters are being abducted and experimented on. It sounds like that’s the place.”
“Destroy it?”
“Well, and rescue anyone being held prisoner.”
Jake snorted. “You and what army? Literally. Destroying it’s easy enough if you can get your paws on heavy munitions. But for a rescue? You’ll need fully automatic weapons, body armor, and more than one Prime to manage it. Not saying it’s impossible, but it won’t be easy. If you’re suggesting the two of us try that right now? Then Pack Alpha or not, I will have to respectfully tell you to go fuck yourself, sir. Because I’m not interested in a suicide mission.”
Peyton knew those plans would have to be put on the back burner. “No, not right now. You’re right that we need more people.” His first priority was getting them out of there. “Carl’s been looking for you, you know,” Peyton said. “He was worried about you. He never gave up hope he’d find you.”
Jake studied his hands for a long moment. “I loved his mother so much,” he softly said. “We had a mate bond. It damn near killed me to lose her. Pissed the fuck out of Ray Dorland when she brought me home to meet him after we’d mated. We lived in Australia for several years, stayed out of Ray’s way. Still, when she died, I had Carl to take care of. I knew Ray always hated me because I was a stronger Alpha than him and he knew it, too, but I had no interest in challenging him for Pack Alpha. I didn’t want to deal with any of that bullshit, especially after Maya died. But he didn’t want me around for that reason, I’m sure.”
“How do you know Ray’s behind you being captured?”
Jake stared into the fire for a moment. “It’s a… story. Can we talk about it tomorrow during our walk? We’ll have plenty of time for it then. I’m still trying to…” He waved his hand at his head. “Process.” He swallowed hard. “My son’s alive, happy, and wants to find me.” He tapped his fist against his chest. “I’m kinda overwhelmed right now.”
“Sure,” Peyton said. “Ray Dorland doesn’t exactly strike me as a nurturing kind of guy.”
