“Did they find the tunnels?”
“Shish kebabs,” I snarled as I texted Odin's question to Austin. “I hadn't thought of the tunnels. If Viper tries to come back—”
“He won't,” Odin cut me off. “Why would he when he could just trace home?”
“If hewantsto come home.”
“Did you try to speak to him again?”
I nodded. “The same. Nothing—no emotions or response. I'm getting scared, Odin.”
“I'll go into the tunnels.” He sat down beside me and pulled me in against his side. “I'll find him.”
“Thank you.”
My phone buzzed with Austin's text:I covered the tunnels.
Thank you,I repeated the words, this time in text.
You coming over?
I looked at Odin. “When do you want to go into the tunnels?”
“There's no time like the present.”
I texted Austin,Be there in 5. Meet us at snake house.
It's a crime scene. Don't let anyone see you.
I sent him a duh face emoji.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Austin's warning ended up being unnecessary. It was well after noon—Texas time—when we arrived at the snake house in Lexington and by that time, all of the agents and cops had left. Yellow ribbons of crime scene tape crisscrossed the front door as well as the forlorn, faded, wooden gate but there wasn't even a cop posted to watch the place. Beyond Cowboy-Cop, that is, but I don't think he was on duty.
Austin was waiting for us on the porch, sitting in a rocking chair.
I texted him before I dropped my glamour:You alone?
Austin pulled out his phone and read the text. He chuckled, then said aloud, “Yeah, I'm alone. You can show yourselves.”
Kirill had stayed behind at Pride Palace to finish with the Intare, but my other husbands had come with Odin and me. All of us dropped our invisibility as we approached the porch.
“Did the Feds find anything we missed?” I asked Austin as I claimed the other rocking chair.
Sitting in it made me a little sad. The dead couple had probably sat here together, watching the sunrise or sunset and talking about their lives. All of that had been taken from them by a bunch of snakes for no other reason than they needed a place to nest.
“Naw, they got nuttin'.” Austin rocked lazily. “I hope you have another lead for us cause I'm plumb out of ideas.”
“Actually, no. We came back here so that Odin could go into the tunnels after Viper.”
“He still hasn't come home?” Austin stopped rocking.
“No, and I'm not getting anything through our link,” I admitted. “It's very strange. And worrisome.”
“Can I ask you somethin'?”
“You just did.” I grinned at him.
