Chapter 27 ~ Red Flags All Over

Momma and Daddy are back in Italy. Aiden wanted to stay with Alexander, but until Ethan is taken care of, I am happy they didn’t let him! Alexander was relieved, too. He is stepping up the search for Ethan. Unfortunately, he hasn’t committed a crime that we can pin on him. Stalking me isn’t considered serious enough to detain him. And since the rogue attacks were on university property and I never actually saw Ethan’s face…can’t call foul!

Jake and I are heading into town.. Aunt Helena has another delivery, and I want pancakes. Forest Glen is a little further from our pack, than Sterling Moon.. but not bad.

I have been practicing my magic, every day. It is still supremely powerful..and I have a tendency to underestimate its strength. Luckily, though, I have been able to repair most of what I damage!

Several hours..swearing and sweating.. later.. we’re finished and I’m famished! Uncle Max sees us walk in.. and within minutes, I am digging into a large stack of chocolate chip pancakes, drowning in syrup and whipped cream!! The last few days, I have been noticing I am developing cravings. So, I’m going to take a pregnancy test today..when we get home!

I hugged my Aunt and Uncle and we headed out.. Ten minutes into the ride, Jake tells me to call Kendrick.. I dialed his number and as soon as he picked up, Jake blurted “We’ve picked up a tail. Two dark blue Land Rovers.. less than a mile behind us, on route 39.. send units to intercept.. I am balls to the wall at 110 mph, right now and we’re still twenty minutes out.” Kendrick asked if we were armed and I told him my daggers are in my boots. Jake said “I’ve got my sidearm.. with a 14 round clip. Just hurry!”

We hung up, and I climbed over the seat to see if we had anything else to use for weapons. Just as we passed a crossroad, another truck slammed into our rear quarter panel.. spinning us out.. we lost the driver side tire and slammed into an abutment. Which sent us tumbling.. and I wasn’t buckled in.

I woke up to darkness.. my entire body ached. I asked 🐺 Angel? Are you okay? 🐺 I’m good.. headache. What happened?” 🐺 Not sure. We were in an accident.. but I don’t know where we are now.. and my wrists are cuffed with iron shackles 🐺So we have no magic. We still have me! Let’s try to reach Kendrick or Brutus.

Kendrick’s POV ~

I raced up route 39.. watching for Bella’s Jeep.. when we finally spotted it, it was on its side. Jake was strapped in and unconscious. We pulled him free and I set about healing him the way Bella taught me. Jaxson walked back over and said “Luna has been taken. There doesn’t seem to be a blood trail, so I believe her injuries to be more minor than Jake’s.”

Alexander and Baron were waiting for me by the time we returned. At my questioning look he muttered “TwinLink. I felt her pain. She is either unconscious right now.. or too far away to mindlink. What do we know?” I sighed.. “Let’s get comfortable. I am waiting for Jake to be checked out by Doc. They called me about ten miles out of Forest Glen.. said they had picked up a tail. Two Land Rovers.. dark blue, chasing them. That’s all I know, at the moment. Brutus is going absolutely nuts! And, before you ask.. Ethan’s scent was all over the scene!”

Alexander is pacing, and I know he is trying to link Bella.. I know.. because I haven’t stopped trying. Jake walks in…still a little bruised, but looking okay. He said “A black dodge ram came from the crossroad and slammed into us. Luna had crawled into the back seat… searching for weapons. She wasn’t buckled in. As we rolled, she was thrown all over that Jeep. I lost consciousness just as the back passenger door was yanked off. That’s it. That’s all I know.”

I told Alexander to call the King and get Helena here as soon as possible. We have to do a locator spell. With Ethan being a half sorcerer.. we don’t have any clue how talented he is.. or how strong. “Jaxson.. send tracking teams out in all directions. I doubt he has her at the cabin.. knowing we know where it is.. but send them there first!”

We moved into the war command center.. I want to be able to see all the monitors of the drone footage. I am barely hanging onto my temper, by a thread! I snarl “He has to have been close enough to watch her, this whole time! This is the first time she’s left the house in two weeks! The only people who knew where she was going is Jake, Jax and me! Jake… did you notice any cars following you into town?”

He sat a few minutes.. wracking his brain “No.. no one followed us in. Now that I am thinking about it though.. When we went to the diner, two men stood and left, after we sat down. I remember thinking it odd, because they left their food. Just threw some money on the table and walked out”

Loren and Olivia stepped through a portal, with Helena and Max. Loren immediately asked “What do we know? Are we certain it is the Simmons boy?” I told him we know it is him, beyond a hint of doubt. And I asked Max about the two men in the diner. He told us “Access my security cameras.. here’s the code. Let’s take a look at these guys. I didn’t pay attention.. I was back of the house today! Martha was on service.”

Jake worked his magic, and had the camera footage running in no time. Sure enough… the two men came in and sat. One of them had a folder that he would open and look at every now and then. Martha served them coffee, then wrote down their order. She was just delivering their food, when I see Bella and Jake walk in. The two men stared intently a brief moment. The one opened the folder and said something to the other one. Then, they walked out.

Loren snarls “Sure looks like a stakeout to me! How often do you have strange customers, Max?” He shrugs.. “It varies.. once or twice a week. Sometimes, every other day. People passing through.. lone wolves from the next town over. Like I said.. it varies. Not frequently enough to raise any red flags.”

I say “Red Flags all over right now!”