Page 79 of Chased

It turned out the watch commander and Sugar had both sent out search teams, so Sanchez wouldn’t have to kill either of them. He and Gunn got periodic updates from the searchers.

According to witnesses, Breanna, Dealer and Madison had completed their errand in town and must have been heading back.

They’d found evidence of an ambush along the route—from the tire tracks, it looked like the truck had pulled off the road with a flat. There was also evidence of a gun battle.

No sign of any of their missing people, or Switch’s truck.

Gunn started issuing orders for the few guys left at the Ridge to haul one of the helos out of the hangar, and make sure it was fueled, checked and powered up so they could take off as soon as they got there.

Boomer crowded in behind him. “Tell them to get out two. We need room for another dozen guys.”

Before Sanchez could open his mouth, Boomer said to him, “One team will come with you, pick up the trail. My brother is organizing the rest of the guys to stay on the ground and be ready to meet us as soon as we figure out which direction we need to go.”

He put his hand on Sanchez’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, bro. We’ll find our girls, and we’ll rip those fucking foxes to bleeding shreds if we have to. Not one of the guys will rest until it’s done.”

The helos were waiting when they landed, and they piled in, Boomer’s brother already giving orders to the men staying on the ground.

Just as they got airborne, they got the news. The search team had found Switch’s truck, concealed on a small side road under a pile of branches. Breanna and Dealer were inside, both passed out from tranquilizer darts. Dealer had a bullet graze, but no serious injuries. Breanna was okay.

Madison was nowhere to be found.

Sanchez had Switch fly them direct to the ambush site. Wherever the fucking kidnappers had taken Madison, their trail would start there. They’d have only left a couple of guys behind to hide the truck.

Hiding the vehicle meant they needed time. And since this was obviously a professional job—which could have been done with a quick in and out, putting Madison on a private plane to Colorado within half an hour—needing time probably meant Levesque was in the area, and they were taking her to him.

Not that Sanchez couldn’t—or wouldn’t—follow her trail to the ends of the earth and beyond. As far and as long as it took. But that wasn’t good enough. Because he knew what Levesque planned to do to Madison—he’d seen it on that fucking video. And failing to find her before Henri Levesque violated and disfigured her was not an option.

Switch landed the helicopter in the middle of the road, fifty yards or so from the ambush site, and powered down the rotor to almost nothing. Rex landed the other one further down the road.

There were more people there than Sanchez expected—including Jaeda, Remy, Colt and Caitlyn.

Colt came up to him. “I know you have ground troops, but if you pick up Madison’s trail you’ll need aerial surveillance—something they can’t hear coming, like they can helicopters or drones. We’re all owls—” he glanced at Jaeda— “Or anyway, we all can be. Point us in the direction you need, and we’ll fly overwatch for you. We have flight combat pouches that can hold radios, so we can hear your updates, and if we need to reply we can stop and Change.”

Jaeda put her hand on Sanchez’s arm. “Madison is our friend too. We want to help.”

Colt was right. If Levesque heard them coming in helicopters, he might cut his losses and kill Madison—or the mercenaries might. Owls on overwatch—silent and deadly—could make all the difference. Sanchez agreed and said some stuff to Colt and Jaeda that he hoped included a ‘thank you.’ His mind was so full of Madison he didn’t even know what the fuck he was saying.

Cisco and Matéo were already examining the ambush site, sniffing it out, reading the signs, getting a bead on the kidnappers.

Sanchez closed his eyes and reached for Madison.

It took him a few minutes to calm his racing mind, his thundering heartbeat. Slowing his breathing. Opening his senses. Listening.

He didn’t know how long he stood there, tracing that connection in his head. When he opened his eyes, his cousins were standing in front of him. And he knew what was happening, and where.

He looked at them, and they both nodded. They all knew where to go.

“West,” he said, raising his voice so everyone could hear. “And fast.” His voice turned to a snarl as his muzzle began to change.

“They’re going to let her loose and hunt her down.”

Chapter 32

Madison woke up lying on the ground, under a tented canvas roof. She was wearing padded restraints around her wrists and ankles, and she could smell men. Sweat and adrenalin; leather and gun oil.

The smell of the Ridge, but these weren’t her soldiers. Because in and among them was the scent of Renards.

They’d taken her.