Page 72 of Bound by Vengeance
“Even if they chose to separate from us,”Logan said, “they wouldn’t shut themselves off from the otherstrongholds.”
Nathan didn’t respond. They might not shutthemselves from the others, but if they hadn’t unpluggedthemselves, then the alternative could be far worse.
“Asher, Logan,” he said. “Go out and take acount of everyone.”
The count would alert the others Jordan wasmissing, but he had no choice.
CHAPTER 32
Two hours later, a low beeping sound drewNathan’s attention. He lifted his head to discover the Moscowscreen had gone black. He blinked at the screen, uncertain if whathe was seeing was real. When he realized it was, he rose soabruptly from his chair that it rolled away and crashed into thewall.
“What the fu…?” Roland’s question trailedoff as he wheeled his chair over to the Moscow monitor.
The hair on Nathan’s nape rose when heglanced from the blank screen of San Fran to Moscow and back again.Marat hadn’t answered his phone, but Nathan suspected somethingmore sinister than antagonism behind this newest event.
“Roland, put this stronghold on lockdown. Noone in or out,” Nathan commanded. He looked to Asher, Logan, andthe handful of other hunters he’d ordered to join them. “Everyhunter is to prepare to leave here.”
“And go where?” Asher asked.
“I’ll figure that out.”
“We have hunters still out there,” Logansaid.
Not only was Jordan not present, but fourothers hadn’t returned yet either. It wasn’t unusual, sometimes themen let off steam with women and drink at the end of the night, butNathan wasn’t taking any chances.
“They’re not coming back in here unless Iapprove it,” Nathan told him.
“Do you want the women and children movedinto the mission?” Asher asked.
“No. We can’t risk them becoming trapped inthere. Put every hunter on high alert and group them in theclearing with the trailers. Place a quarter of the men on guardduty with them and order the rest to station themselves on thewall. Tell them to keep watch foranythingunusual.”
“Nathan,” Logan said. Nathan turned to lookat his friend. “The elders planned to do the engagement ceremonytonight.”
“Since when?” he demanded.
Logan shrugged. “Since they got bored anddecided to play matchmaker again.”
“It will have to wait,” Nathan said.
“They’re not going to like that.”
Now that a possible threat loomed on thehorizon, Logan seemed to be moving beyond his grief over Kadenceand returning to his old self. On his features, Nathan saw onlyconcern and none of the bitterness that settled over Logan monthsago.
“Right now, we have something more importantgoing on than ceremonies,” Nathan said. “They’ll have to acceptthat.”
“Yeah, cause they’resoaccepting,”Roland muttered.
Two years ago, when Roland turnedtwo-hundred, his age made him an elder, but content amongst hiscomputers and running security, he rarely became involved in thepolitics and infighting often plaguing the elders. Roland’sreluctance, and sometimes downright refusal to get involved,annoyed the other elders, because often he could be the vote thatbroke their stalemates, but he usually abstained.
“They have no other choice,” Nathan said,and Roland snorted. “Did you know they planned to do the ceremonytonight?” Nathan asked him.
“Nope and don’t care,” Roland replied.
Nathan wishedhecouldn’t give arat’s ass about it too.
“Go and get everyone prepared to move out ifit becomes necessary,” Nathan said. Asher and Logan hurried fromthe room with a couple of the other hunters. “Roland, can we moveall this equipment out of here if it becomes necessary toleave?”
“We could, but we don’t have to. I’ve set mytrailer up as a mobile command post. After we left the laststronghold behind, I vowed never to have to scramble to stay linkedto the others again.”
