* * *
Mom! It was all Ashe had time to shout mentally before the man had Adele by the throat, demanding information on children hidden in the area. Blazingly angry at the attack on his mother, Ashe was mist and through the office wall in a blink.
Chapter 13
"Marcus, I only know he had dark hair and green eyes. That's all I really saw before he grabbed me by the throat." Adele was rubbing her neck—bruises had appeared from the cruel grip of her assailant. "He was asking about hidden children." Adele gratefully accepted the glass of water Ashe held out. "Ashe might be able to tell you more; I'd be dead if he hadn't turned me to mist. We both watched that man go crazy after we disappeared. You see what he did," Adele's voice was raspy as she nodded toward the aisle that had nearly been destroyed. The assailant had gone crazy, sweeping everything from the shelves surrounding him in demented anger and cursing loudly as he did so. He'd then rushed from the store and raced down the street, disappearing in seconds.
"I'm calling Agents Lawford and North," Marcus stepped away to make the call. Ashe had sent mindspeech to Marcus and Jason first thing, after the assailant had run from the store. Marcus, whose small locksmith office was only a few blocks away, arrived in record time. Adele was coughing again and attempting to drink the water Ashe had gotten for her as Marcus punched numbers on his cell. Ashe's head jerked up as the bell over the door rang. Jason Landers, the old werewolf, had arrived.
* * *
"Winkler is sending up two more to help, and Marcie and I can run the store. I don't think Adele should come back to work until we have this well in hand," Jason said, dropping a hand on Ashe's shoulders. "And Ashe shouldn't be here, either, I don't think." Jason had arrived at Cordell Feed and Seed quickly, driving the distance from Cloud Chief to Cordell in a matter of minutes.
"But Mr. Landers," Ashe worried his lower lip while studying the old werewolf's grim and determined expression.
"Ashe, that one was looking for hidden children. You're on that list, or near enough. I know you saved your mom, but that doesn't mean he won't be back and with even more malice on his mind. Mr. Winkler is coming up for the day tomorrow, with Roger and Toby. He'll take a look at those images in your security system, Mrs. Evans. And Mr. Jennings may come, too. Winkler said he was going to call the Director right away."
"In the meantime, I'll have Micah and somebody else stay here at the store tonight," Marcus had left a brief message on Agent Lawford's phone before hanging up—the agent hadn't answered the call. Ashe moved to his mother's side and wrapped his arms around her shoulders.
"Honey, we'll be all right," Adele patted Ashe's arms. "You got both of us out of harm's way."
* * *
"I have a jet ready to go now," Director Jennings informed William Winkler. "Derik North called me earlier. Said that Nick Lawford didn't come back from breakfast this morning. Now, I don't think you know Nick as well as I do, but there's no way he'd just disappear, and no way he'd forget to answer his phone or return a call. Something has happened to one of my best agents, Winkler. The question is; did the killer get information from him before he died."
"You're sure he's dead."
"Unless he was overpowered somehow and confined. With this killer, that would be highly unusual. He likes to kill. I'm sure if he were aware that Jane Scott survived, even if she's in a coma, then he'd be working to finish the job."
"I agree with that," Winkler said. "Two Cloud Chief wolves are staying at the Evans' store tonight, but I've asked Jason to transfer the recorded images to me by computer. I'll have a look at what the security system shows us. This may be our best bet on identifying this man. Jason says that Adele and Ashe agree that the man has dark hair and green eyes, but Ashe says the man has a scar on his upper lip, slightly off-center."
"Off-center, you say?" Director Jennings was immediately interested.
"Something you know, Director?" Winkler recognized the Director's attentiveness.
"Can't say for sure at this point. Just a suspicion at the moment. I'll work on that while I fly to Oklahoma. Expect me there around eight tonight."
"I'll be there; my private jet is fueling up right now." Winkler hung up.
* * *
"Agent Lawford is missing?" Ashe wanted to shiver. He'd liked the tall agent, who seemed both confident and competent. Agent North had met with Marcus in Cordell and now he, Marcus and Mr. Winkler were sitting in Ashe's kitchen with Ashe and his mother, while Denise DeLuca handed out soft drinks and glasses of sweetened tea. Sali had come with Denise, and he and Ashe sat together at the kitchen table. In half an hour, Aedan would wake and he and Nathan would be informed of the day's events. Ashe didn't look forward to seeing how angry his father might become when he learned Adele had been attacked.
"But if Mr. Lawford was already missing, and that man wanted information from Mom, doesn't that mean that Agent Lawford didn't tell him anything?" Ashe worked to keep the quaver out of his voice. After all, Agent Lawford should be alive. Might still be alive; Ashe hoped he was, anyway. "Mr. Winkler, that man hauled Jane Scott to Lake Altus to dump her. Do you think he'd go back there again? Since nobody has reported that she was found there?" Ashe turned imploring eyes to the Dallas Packmaster.
"Kid, I'll send Trace and Jason out right away. I'll let them sniff around and see if they can find anything." Winkler slipped his cell from a pocket and made the call. In minutes, Jason and Trace were on their way, after Derik North described where Jane Scott's car had been dumped in the water.
"If there's anything out there, they'll find it," Winkler nodded at Ashe.
"Thank you, Mr. Winkler," Ashe loosed the breath he'd unconsciously been holding. He'd expected resistance from Marcus and the others, and from the look on Marcus' face, that's exactly what would have happened if Winkler hadn't spoken up right away.
"Not a problem; they were pacing like caged wolves anyway, and since Roger and Toby took over watching those kids for a while, they needed something to do." Winkler grinned briefly at Ashe. Renegar chose that moment to appear in a corner of Ashe's kitchen, nearly causing Ashe to jerk in his seat. Sali lifted an eyebrow at Ashe anyway; he'd felt the slight twitch. Renegar gave the slightest nod in Ashe's direction.
You're still telling me when I'm right? Ashe guessed.
Correct.
We need to hurry, don't we? Ashe sent.
Correct.
"Mr. Winkler, ask them to hurry," Ashe stood, his eyes and his voice begging the Dallas Packmaster to move faster. Somehow, the situation was critical and a life likely hung in the balance.