Page 65 of Property of Crypt Keeper
“Team Four, Bronx and Toto. They’ll be searching out known smugglers, transport crews, underground suppliers,” he added. “Boom, Spook, Dexter, Dementor, Clutch, and the prospects will stay here to watch over the compound and our families. I don’t trust that someone isn’t watching and waiting for us to leave everything else unprotected while we deal with this. Questions?”
Everyone shook their heads.
“Then let’s get moving,” Boom announced before rapping the gavel for effect.
By noon, Mako and I were standing outside our third building on our list. I was already irritated. Mako looked equally thrilled.
“So far we’ve found…” He looked around dramatically. “…dust.”
I snorted. “Don’t forget rats.”
“Oh right.” He nodded solemnly. “Lots of rats.”
The building itself looked abandoned. Broken windows. Cracked concrete with weeds growing from the centers. Rotting siding.
Normal. What you would expect from an old, empty factory.
Except it wasn’t.
Because as we drew closer to the building, below the grime—I could smell fresh electrical work. Fresh wiring. Recent construction.
Without speaking, we shared a glance. Then we stealthily slipped through one of the broken windows before moving carefully through the structure. There wasn’t a single scurry of tiny feet anywhere.
Keeping the echo of our footsteps to a minimum on the rusted metal stairs, we descended. That was when we found them. Reinforced steel doors in the basement. Warding symbols and residue. A new panel next to it displayed a high-tech power system.
Then—nothing. Empty. Clean. Too clean.
Mako crouched beside the floor, dragging fingers through dust. “No footprints?”
I looked around slowly. “No trash.”
“No equipment,” he added. “No signs anybody actually stayed here.”
Mako stood, jaw tightening.
“Then why all this?” I asked, motioning around us.
“Either we’re getting close…” He paused, then looked around. “…or someone’s watching us.”
My wolf stirred. Because I hated how correct that felt.
The fourth property was a warehouse near the edge of the city. Larger. Darker. And simply… wrong. I felt it immediately. The moment we walked in.
Blood. Old. Faint. But definitely there.
I stripped out of my clothes, shoving them in my backpack before handing it to Mako. Then I crouched down, the ripping, tearing feeling made me grit my teeth as I dropped my head. Bones separated, morphed, lengthened, shortened. My teeth elongated, and my eyes burned behind my lids. I could feel the thick fur as it pushed through my skin and spread over my flesh.
When I opened my eyes, I was staring at everything from the eyes and height of my wolf. I breathed deeply, and the scents were stronger as my senses were more developed and refined.
Nose sniffing, I followed the trail deeper inside, my nails clicking softly on the cement floor. Past empty shelving. Past loading equipment. Then stopped.
Mako walked up beside me as we stood looking at a cage set in an alcove of the building. “Well… shit.”
Silver restraints littered the floor. Broken. Bent outward. Like something tore through them. Concrete walls nearby were gouged deep.
Claw marks.
Long.
