Sweeter than Wine

CHAPTER 13

Marc and Kelly left for safety the next night. Atticus and Lissa went with them after taking their leave of Christy and Sebastian. One of Hastings' kin had been attacked and all evidence led to Mario as the perp. He'd left the youngster alive-just barely. He would recover, but it would take a very long time, and he'd never be quite the same again. A bird shifter, the Venifucus operative had seemed to take pleasure in maiming him so he would never fly again.

The attack was a message. Mario knew something was going on, and he knew Hastings was part of the team surrounding Sebastian and his mate. The attack upped the ante in a terrible way, driving home the necessity for the mated couples to go to safety. None of them liked it, but they saw the sense in taking precautions.

After Lissa and Atticus left Sebastian's house, Christy seemed more alone. Sebastian held her and offered reassurance, but there was little he could do. Christy wasn't alone, but they were in a very bad situation that was likely to get worse before it got any better. If it got better at all.

So it was a somber couple that entered the media room that night to greet their were guardians and friends. Matt waited for them, seeming to know without being told, that Christy's spirits were low. He slipped a brotherly arm around her shoulders and hugged her close while he and Sebastian shared a concerned look. The three seemed to communicate on an unspoken level that didn't go unnoticed by the others in the room. Such communion between were and vampire was abnormal, to say the least, but each person who saw them felt a tug at their emotions. These three were closer than mere friends. They were family.

Seeing their intense feelings for one another made this operation more personal, somehow. Even Steel felt a sort of kinship with these supernaturals. They felt sorrow and fear, happiness and pain, just like everyone else, he realized in those moments. For too long he'd been in awe of the abilities of these creatures. He'd missed the realization that almost every vampire he tracked had once been human, and every werecreature had family and friends, living and mixing within human society. Sure, they were different, but they weren't entirely alien.

He remembered that when they sat down to discuss the events of the day, while their hosts had been asleep. Mario Gonzalez had raised the stakes and they would answer.

«We can't wait any longer,» Sebastian said decisively. The entire team was gathered around. Steel and Cameron sat together. Matt sat between Christina and Hastings. «With Marc and Atticus safely away, this is up to us now. Gonzalez has to be stopped here. By us. Before he goes after anyone else.»

«I agree,» Cameron said easily. «By hurting the boy today, he was sending us a message. He knows more than we gave him credit for, I'll wager. At least about us.» Cameron's crafty eyes shifted to the mortal at his side. «But I don't think he has a clue about you, Steel. You might be our ace in the hole – if you're willing.»

The former SEAL shifted in his chair. «I hope you're right. And of course, I'll help in whatever way I can.»

«All right then.» Sebastian took control once more. «Let's do this simply. Steel, I want you to call Mario. Get him to meet you at a warehouse I own downtown. Tell him you've got a lead on Christina. There's a caretaker's cottage attached to the guard house on the property of the warehouse. You can say she's been hiding out there since the run-in with her husband.»

«Sounds plausible.» Steel nodded.

«We'll be lying in wait, though Christina will have to be exposed more than I like to get him to take the bait.» Sebastian reached out to cover her hand with his. «I'll be with her. When Mario comes, he'll find us together. Cam, at this point, I hope you'll be nearby.»

«Wild horses couldn't keep me away,» the fey warrior confirmed.

Sebastian turned sad eyes to the werehawk. «Your people have already taken enough casualties in this battle, but we need backup, in case Mario doesn't do as we expect.»

«This is personal now,» Hastings said. «He's hurt my people. We'll be there. I'll have operatives at every perimeter point. Gonzalez won't escape, no matter what happens inside the warehouse compound.»

«Good.» Sebastian nodded. «So that leaves Steel outside near the target, with Christina, myself, and Cameron inside the warehouse.»

«And me.» Matt spoke for the first time, his voice strong and clear, as if he expected an argument.

«No, Matt.» Sebastian didn't make him wait. «You can watch our backs well enough from the perimeter.»

«I beg to differ.» Matt's voice was firm. «Look, you, Steel and Christy have got to be out in the open. Gonzalez is expecting you, but Cam will be hidden, biding his time for the right moment to spring the trap. I propose to do the same. If Gonzalez zigs when Cam expects him to zag, I want to be close enough to redirect the bastard. We can't wait for him to hit the perimeter. We need at least one other person hidden on the inside of the compound to help steer the man in the right direction for Cam to do his thing.»

«The lad has a point.» Cameron scratched his chin thoughtfully.

«I don't like it.» Sebastian bit out the words.

«There is also the fact that I'm connected to you two.» Matt clinched the deal. «If something goes wrong, you can communicate with me without anyone-and I mean anyone-being the wiser.»

The plan worked like a charm. Up to a point.

Mario Gonzalez seemed normal on the phone. Steel called him in for backup, as he had many times before. Mario responded as always with cold efficiency. No hesitation. No questions. Just as it had always been.

Why then, Steel asked himself as they waited within the empty warehouse compound in a desolate part of town, did the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Something wasn't quite right, though he couldn't place his finger on exactly what it was.

«He's coming.» Steel flipped his phone shut and looked at the assembled players. Sebastian and Christy stood arm in arm, Matt hovering nearby. Cameron watched all with a discerning eye and Hastings, as always, looked ready to move. He was finalizing his team on the perimeter and would join them shortly.

«What's wrong?» Cameron asked quietly.

Steel shook his head. «Maybe nothing, but I've got this spooky feeling.»

«You think Gonzalez knows something?»

«At this point, I wouldn't put anything past the man,» Steel said grimly. «I can't believe he fooled me for so long and frankly, I don't trust my own judgment when it comes to him.»

«A wise course when dealing with Venifucus.» Cam's eyes darkened. «It's good to listen to your inner voice. What is yours telling you now, Benjamin?»

Steel was silent for a moment. «Trouble,» he finally said. «There's something bad on the way and my hunch says Mario knows more than we want him to.»

«There's no way to stop the wheels we've put into motion now,» Cameron said with a sigh. «Best we make the most of this opportunity. It will not come again.»

«I'll hit the perimeter now.» Hastings began moving away. «Unless there's trouble, I'll keep my team out of sight until you signal.»

Sebastian nodded. «The rest of you had better go too. Get in position and wait for all hell to break loose.»

«I'll be outside the gate.» Steel turned to go, walking to his agreed-upon position outside, looking in, as if he'd been conducting surveillance. He had a view of them all as he left.

Cameron took off for the concealment of a stack of crates on the other side of the yard. Matt hugged both Christy and Sebastian before trotting off after Cameron. Steel watched them go as he took his position outside, moving around a bit to make it look as if he'd been in the area for a while.

Steel had his senses fully extended, hoping to catch some glimmer from Gonzalez, but when the man appeared at his side about twenty minutes later, he didn't feel even the faintest hint of magic around him. It was unsettling. For the briefest moment, doubt crossed his mind, but then he thought of the people he'd gotten to know over the past few days. He knew them now. He'd witnessed the very real love between the mated pairs and the decency of the other folk. Now way could all of them be deceiving him. He'd been able to sense the magic in the air around them. They had nothing to hide.

Unlike Mario Gonzalez.

«What's up?» the man asked, eyeing the warehouse compound through the fence.

«Christina Kinsey. This is where she went to ground. I checked around and this land is owned by a shell corporation. Ultimately, the owner is a vamp. He's in there with her now.»

«Convenient,» was Mario's reply. It set the hackles on the back of Steel's neck to tingling.

Current Altor Custodis policy was to have two eyewitness accounts to any supernatural surveillance, hence the need for a backup man in the vicinity when Steel was actively investigating. Mario was here to document Steel's observations, and then, if all went as it should, they'd both leave and move on to the next case.

He'd been sent to check out Kelly LaTour's friends, of which Christina Kinsey was one. This lead had panned out and now they knew she was, at the very least, under the protection of a vampire and the facts would be filed with the AC hierarchy. That was supposed to be the extent of his work. Others would be sent to keep tabs on the couple from time to time, now that they'd been identified.

But in the case of the others he'd tagged with Mario as witness, normal procedure flew out the window shortly after Steel left the scene. Mario-if all the evidence was to be believed-had left a bloody trail in Steel's wake from one end of the country to the other.

It would stop here. Tonight.

They watched for a few minutes until Sebastian came out of the small cottage with Christy following behind. He went to his car, removed a few shopping bags and stopped to give Christy a quick kiss before they both headed back inside.

«Looks like they're a couple now. This guy moves fast. Good collar, my friend.» Mario lowered his binoculars. «What do you sense from them?»

«Vamp,» Steel said shortly. «Not too old. The guy…maybe a few centuries. The girl is new though. A lot of unfocused energy around that one.»

Mario gave him a sharp look, but didn't say a word. They went through the motions of signing the paperwork Steel had prepared. If he sent it in to his superiors at the AC, it would net him a hefty bounty, but this particular file would never see the light of day. It would be destroyed tonight, before anyone else was killed because of his work for the AC.

«So, you want to grab a beer?» Steel asked, as he usually did after they'd finished a job. Mario always refused and this time was no different.

This was it then. Steel had done his part, but he couldn't leave the others to face Mario on their own. Plus, there was still a small part of him that needed to see the proof of Mario's treachery with his own eyes. Steel took his leave of the other man, but didn't go far. He would wait in the wings, just in case.

«Soon now.» Cameron spoke in a low voice to Matt. They'd used Matt's ability to communicate with Christy and Sebastian to good advantage already. Cameron sensed the slight stir of energy when Mario showed up and was able to stage the scene, alerting Sebastian and Christy. They'd done their part, traipsing out to the car and back, letting Gonzalez get a good look at them. «Tell them to prepare. Steel just left, but he didn't go far.»

The things Cam could sense amazed Matt while he played go-between for the fey and the couple inside the small cottage. This was tough on Christy, Matt knew. He could feel the echoes of her fear in his mind. The poor woman had been through a lot and though she'd stood strong through it all, at some point, Matt was afraid she was going to break. No one suffered through years of abuse without residual effects of some kind.

«Cam says Steel just took off, but he didn't go far,» Matt relayed the message. «Gonzalez is still hanging around. Cam thinks it won't be long before he makes his move.»

«I hope Steel knows what he's doing.» Christy's worried tones came back to Matt.

«Don't worry about him, Chris. He's a SEAL, and not the shifter kind either. Those boys know how to take care of themselves. My brother has some spec ops friends who work for us from time to time and to a man, they're every bit as resourceful as the were, even though they lack our native abilities. For mortals, they're damn ingenious.»

«Watch now, the sorcerer is making his move. Tell them to be on guard.» Cam's voice came to Matt's sensitive ears in the merest whisper. «Our boy just jumped the fence in a single bound. Nice trick, that, for a mortal mage.» Cameron sounded suspicious, but continued to give Matt the other man's track.

«He's coming,» Matt passed on the details as Cam relayed them.

There was a yard in front of the cottage, between it and the larger warehouse. It was an open space, with only a few strategically placed shipping containers and metal crates they'd positioned ahead of time. Cam and Matt hid behind one of these, waiting for Mario to get into a spot where they could ambush him.

But this wasn't your typical ambush. It was more magical than physical, though both aspects would have to be watched. They'd agreed beforehand that Matt would stay in human form. For one thing, he was an effective fighter in both his forms, but as a human he wouldn't have the extra telltale magical energy around him that might tip off Mario to the trap. Of course, changing to cougar was always a possibility if things went not quite as planned.

«He's not going for the cottage. Something's wrong. Our boy isn't playing by the rules. Warn them.» Cameron moved to get a better view and Matt was chilled by the dangerous glint in his eyes. The lighthearted fey he'd seen to this point was suddenly all warrior and as deadly as they came.

The cottage was a decoy. Sure, the couple had gone into the small building, but they'd quickly gone out again through a secret, underground passage that led to the edge of the warehouse and then into the far end of a large, empty shipping container positioned right outside the warehouse's large doors.

Vampires had a habit of outfitting their properties with secret passages in order to keep them out of the sun. Perhaps Mario had guessed that, though there was no reason for him to single out the particular shipping container where the couple was hidden. The warehouse would have been the obvious choice if he didn't fall for the cottage and the trap they'd laid within its sturdy little walls. They'd prepared accordingly though, leaving Hiro, Ian and several others inside the warehouse to keep the mage busy while Cameron did his work, but Mario moved as if he knew exactly where the couple was, and that didn't fit with their plans at all.

«He's heading your way,» Matt warned them. «He's not making for the cottage or the warehouse. He's heading right for you. I wouldn't recommend getting caught in that tin can.»

The shipping container was large, but not big enough to maneuver in, should the fight come to them. Sebastian had considered this when they devised the plan and thought it worth the risk. He also had two clear exits from the container, and an ace in the hole-Matt on the outside, able to relay just where the mage was headed.

«He's coming in from the south,» Matt said.

«Let me know when he's at the door. We'll go out the north end and circle around him, but I don't want to move too soon, in case he has some way of tracking us.» Sebastian reasoned that for the mage to home in on them so quickly, there had to be something about them that he sensed and was able to follow. Timing was critical. Move too soon and the mage would adjust his course to intercept. Move too late and be caught in the box.

«He's almost there. Any second now.»

Sebastian kept one hand on Christina's back, ready to push her out the door, should it become necessary. He didn't like the way this was playing out, but they'd make the best of it.

«Cam says something's happening. Get out of there now! Now!»

Matt's warning came a second too late as Sebastian felt his world turn upside down.

He had time enough only to shove Christina out the door before the shipping container became a rolling maelstrom of death and destruction.

«Holy shit!»

It took a lot to take down a vampire of Sebastian's skills, but a crashing, rolling, ton of steel with wildly flying doors could do it. Matt saw one of the swinging metal doors clip Sebastian in the temple as the shipping container thundered away, rolling like a giant, steel tumbleweed. When the thing came to a rocking halt after a revolution and a half, it was yards away, creaking ominously. Sebastian was nowhere to be seen and Matt couldn't feel the vamp's presence in his mind. Sebastian was either dead or out cold.

Christy sat alone, her small face white with terror as Mario walked calmly toward her. Matt willed himself to change, but found he was frozen in place by some kind of magic that not only restrained his shift to cat form, but also glued him to the spot. He could move his jaw just enough to whisper to Cameron. The fey's face was grim, his concentration total as he cursed under his breath.

«I can't move.»

«I know, lad. I'm working on it. Can you still communicate with the lass?»

«Yes, but Sebastian's gone.»

Cameron's face grew darker, but he seemed able to move his hands. He made small gestures that Matt couldn't follow, but knew they had something to do with his way of spellcasting.

«Talk to the lass. Ask her about the mage. Blast! This angle is all wrong. I can't work from behind him. I need to see his face. I need to know about his mark. Ask her.»

The command in his voice was clear, as was the frustration. Matt understood it well as he touched Christy's mind, finding a choking whirlwind of terror.

«Sweetheart, calm yourself.»

«Calm myself? Matt! Sebastian's hurt!»

«I know. Mario's done something to the whole area. I can't move. Cam needs to know about Mario's mark. What can you see of it?»

«His mark?» Confusion sounded through her words, but she was slowly getting it together. Matt only hoped it would be in time. For now, the mage was stalking her, moving closer as she cowered on the ground, seeming to enjoy her fear.

Matt saw her head move. She wasn't immobilized, thank heaven. He could have cheered when she got to her feet and faced Mario, but he also feared for her.

«The mark on his face is glowing, Matt. It's pulsing.»

Matt relayed the information to Cam, who was still weaving patterns with his fingers. He seemed lost in concentration and barked back a single question.

«Which part of the pattern is glowing brightest, honey? Cam needs to know. And anything else you see.»

«The sixth line, Matt. There are nine lines in all. They're all interwoven like Celtic knot work on the edges, but the center part lines up. The largest is at the base of his eyebrow, the smallest at the top. The sixth from the bottom is pulsing really strong. The bottom one is also brighter than the others, but not as bright as the sixth.»

Matt passed on her words, cringing when he saw the mage close in on Christy. She looked so vulnerable, so defenseless as she waited for the attack that would surely come. He only hoped the training they'd been doing with her over the past days would help her stand strong.

It felt eerily familiar to be cowering before a man, hoping he wouldn't kill her. And the warm, loving presence that was Sebastian was gone from her mind. Christy didn't know if he was even alive, though she knew it would be hard to kill an immortal with nothing more than a flying shipping container. Still, that impressive little magic trick had scared the crap out of her!

She had to believe in her heart that Sebastian was just unconscious. The alternative was unthinkable.

«Be strong, sweetheart. Cam is working on something, but he's affected by the paralysis too. He can move, but only his hands, and not fast. You need to buy him some time to bring that spell down.»

Matt's voice in her mind was a lifeline. It reminded her she wasn't alone anymore. Even with Sebastian's fate uncertain, she had friends all around. She just needed to keep this bastard busy while they worked. Only with their help could she get to Sebastian and find out if he would be all right. That was all that mattered now.

She segregated the fear and put it away. She'd had ample practice of late, hiding from things she didn't want to face. Pain, fear, longing for a more normal life. All those things she'd separated out while she'd put up with increasing problems in her home life and marriage.

That experience stood her in good stead now. She stood opposite the man, watching him watch her. He seemed to be sizing her up and the sneer on his swarthy face said he found her lacking.

Never again, she vowed. She'd never cower before a violent man again. She wouldn't play dead and she would defend herself to her last breath. She knew how now. Thanks to Sebastian. And Matt and Hiro, of course. She'd only known the men a short time, but they'd each touched her life in significant ways. Sebastian had given her new life and a reason to want to live it to the fullest…with him.

«How dare you?» Christy went on the verbal offensive, wanting to give Cameron the time he needed. «This is the second time you've attacked me and I don't even know you! What is your problem?»

His black eyebrows rose at her tone. She'd surprised him. That was good. Maybe.

«My problem, senorita, is you and all your little supernatural friends that would oppose our plans for this realm.»

«Good girl,» Matt crooned in her mind. «Keep him talking. Cam says he's close. Just a few more minutes.»

«I have no idea what you're even talking about. Make some sense, will you? In case you didn't know, all I want is to get a divorce from the abusive slimeball I married and get on with my life.»

«Don't you mean your death?» Mario moved closer, smiling in an evil way as he began to move his hands in a mesmerizing pattern.

«I'm not dead.»

Mario sniffed disdainfully. «So you believe, but I will remedy that shortly.»

«Don't let him wave his fingers around like that. Cam's doing something similar over here and I think it's the way they weave their spells. I bet if you can disrupt his hand motions, you might disrupt whatever it is he's planning to throw at you.» Matt's advice was given in an urgent tone. Christy bided her time, waiting for Mario to move within range of her best roundhouse kick. «Stop him, Christy. Stop him, now!»

Christy let loose with a kick that took the mage by surprise. She heard a crunch and knew she'd broken at least one of his fingers and probably some of the bones in his palm, all thanks to her sturdy, pointy-toed flats and Sensei Hiro's tutelage.

«Christina?» Sebastian's voice sounded in her mind and the relief she felt knew no bounds.

«Sebastian! Are you all right?»

«My head hurts like the dickens and I can't move, but otherwise I'm okay. What happened?»

«Matt said this Mario guy did something that immobilized him and Cam too, to some extent. Cam's still working a countermeasure and I'm supposed to keep Mario busy until he gets it done. I kicked him and broke his finger, Sebastian. And probably some other bones in his hand.»

«Good for you, sweetheart.»

«You might think so, but it was really gross.»

The warm chuckle in her mind and loving caress of his thoughts went a long way towards shoring up her flagging courage.

«Where is he now?»

She eyed the man, standing a few feet away, breathing harshly.

«He's giving me the stink eye from about five yards away. He's hurt, but he's still standing.»

«If he hasn't fled, he'll come after you again, love. Be wary.»

«Oh, I'm watching him like a hawk, don't worry.»

«Dammit! I wish I could move!»

«Me too. I love you, Sebastian. No matter what, I'll always love you.»

«And I you, my sweet. Forever.»

Mario chose that moment to launch his next attack, but she was ready. Barely.

«Die, bitch!» Mario screamed, clutching his injured hand to his chest, while in his other hand, a sparkling fireball formed out of thin air. He lobbed it at her, but she was able to spring out of the way like a cat, diving, rolling, and landing, crouched on all fours. Mario launched another fireball, but she sprang out of the way again, rolling toward him, coming up in a fighting stance right in front of his startled face.

She took the opportunity to punch him in the stomach and when he crumpled inward, she grabbed his uninjured hand and twisted it up behind him, trapping him in an arm bar position. She couldn't allow him to lob more fireballs, so as gross as it was, she used the move Hiro had taught her to break his arm at the elbow. The crunch was sickening, but she had no alternative. It was either that or be burned alive by one of his magical fireballs.

Christy thought she was going to puke. She'd never forget the sound of that arm breaking as long as she lived. She let Mario go and stumbled away, revolted by what she'd been forced to do. A wave of nausea made her clutch her stomach and for a split second, the mage was forgotten.

«Hold fast, love,» Sebastian counseled in her mind. «I'm coming.»

«Sebastian?»

She saw him then, out of the corner of her eye, struggling as if his limbs weighed hundreds of pounds each, but still, somehow, making his way out of the remains of the shipping container behind Mario. But he was moving too slowly. He was fighting the immobilizing magic, but would be a sitting duck if Mario discovered his presence.

«Matt? How is Cam coming with that countermeasure?»

«Almost there.»

«Tell him to hurry, Matt. Sebastian is awake and out in the open. He's fighting it, but he's very vulnerable right now.»

«Dammit!» Matt broadened his communication to include Sebastian. «Stay put, man, until Cam frees us completely.»

«Sorry, Matt. No can do. My lady needs me.» Sebastian sounded as if every word were a struggle as he fought against the magic trying to hold him in place.

«She needs you to stay alive, you idiot. Stay put! Cam says he'll punch through any second now.»

Christy kept her focus on Mario. The man was still standing, mouthing words under his breath in some foreign language, and Christy feared what he might be calling.

«Oh, no you don't.» She ran forward and launched herself in a flying kick, meant to knock him out, but ran into a kind of invisible wall that sent her flying backwards. Only the animal grace imparted by Matt's blood allowed her to land without breaking bones. As it was, she knew she'd be sore for days from her jarring contact with the ground.

But her distraction served its purpose. She saw the sixth line of Mario's tattoo stop pulsing and fade to match the other lines. That strange phenomenon was followed by a little pop of magic in the air and then Sebastian was moving normally. Well, normally for him. He was across the distance from the shipping container to Mario in a blurring display of speed.

His hands had morphed into razor-sharp talons the likes of which didn't exist in nature. With them, he neatly sliced the mage's neck from behind, before the other man even knew what hit him.

Sebastian threw him down hard, discarded like an old rag doll, and morphed his talons back to hands as he came to her, picking her up off the ground and tugging her into his arms.

He rocked her as she clung to him, touching his blood-stained face and inspecting what she could see of the damage. He'd been hit hard in the temple, which is undoubtedly what had knocked him out.

«Oh, my love,» he whispered, kissing her hair and clutching her close, «I was so worried.»

«Me too.» She hiccupped, remembered fear clogging her throat.

Sebastian held her with his back to the man on the ground, but she could see Mario's body, twitching. He wasn't dead!

Things happened quickly then. A streak of tawny fur tore across the yard and tackled Mario as he rose to his knees, muttering dark words of magic. The glow of his facial tattoo increased and the cougar slowed, but refused to be stopped.

Matt had the mage by the throat, but Mario refused to fall. Then Cameron stepped out into the open and for a moment, Christy saw his whole body glow with otherworldly light. In the blink of an eye, Cam was dressed in ethereal armor as he strode forward to face Mario. His hands moved in intricate patterns and one by one the marks on Mario's face diminished and then popped out of existence. The glowing tattoo unraveled as it died, the intricate knot work of twining vines of energy retracting and winking out of sight.

Then the light of life itself left his eyes as Matt's strong, cougar jaws ripped out his throat. Mario fell, finally, lifeless to the ground while Christy hid her eyes against Sebastian's shoulder. She'd seen and done enough for one night. Never before had she witnessed or committed such acts and just thinking of it made her feel queasy.

«Courage, my love.» Sebastian was there, with her, knowing her thoughts and ready to help her recover. If not for him, she could never have done any of this. If not for him, she'd already be dead. He was her life, her world, her universe, and she would be strong for him.

They stood together and faced what would come next.