Madison nodded. "Yeah, I can see that, content and safe. That house is where she feels safe."
He parked the car and they jumped on the subway, heading into the hustle and bustle of the city.
***
Max saw them jump on the subway and teleported ahead. He’d have to check each stop in the city to see where they got off. They exited on Cole Street and started walking in the direction of Haight-Ashbury. How predictable. He followed behind them, shadowing his presence as they walked from shop to shop, the blonde mortal making several purchases.
The Haight was full of old buildings, some of them no longer occupied, and a few narrow alleys. The streets were crowded, but as always in the Haight, there was a sizable population of young people, looking bedraggled, sitting on the sidewalks. Street musicians played for money, and tourists gawked. Max thought he could manage to grab these two in broad daylight without a lot of notice or interference. He saw them exit the shop and he followed closely, bidding his time.
The half-breed pointed to a side street, and the young couple took a right. The half-breed was pointing to a house, and Max could hear him talking to her.
“Janis Joplin lived here back in the 60's. It was before my time, but my mom used to point this house out to me all the time.”
Max swooped in, taking advantage of the fact they walked onto a residential street without a lot of foot traffic, and grabbed them both, teleporting out at warp speed.
***
Shade was deep in his death slumber, the daylight keeping him down. It was his immortal curse, this forced sleep in the daylight hours. He felt the sudden spike of fear, and the rush of adrenalin that woke him with a jolt. He sat straight up in the bed as his son’s blood bond connected him to Cory’s intense emotions. His beast emerged as Shade screamed out, his voice rattling everything inside the house. "No! Cory!"
He bolted from the bed and was acutely aware the room was sealed in darkness, and the electronic blinds still sealed the windows. He could feel Cory’s panic, but he was unable to see what was happening.
He fell to his knees and threw his head back, his eyes blazing bright red, as his fangs punched through. Closing his eyes, he concentrated all his energy on Cory, and knew his son feared for his life.
Kate was in the nursery with Theresa. Sophia had been cranky today and Kate had made her a paper crown. Whenever she cried, Kate placed the paper crown on the baby’s head, and the crying stopped immediately. She and Theresa had laughed so hard, they both had tears on their cheeks. Their laughter was interrupted by Shade's scream and Kate's blood ran cold. Her first thought was of Lorenzo. She quickly handed the baby to Theresa and ran to their bedroom to find Shade on his knees, and the beast emerged.
Kate looked around the room for any signs of danger and saw nothing as Luca appeared at her side and called to him, "Master!"
Kate could hear the sound of little feet running and turned to see Lorenzo barreling down the hall in her direction. She dropped to her knees and grabbed her son, who fought her, trying to get free and run to his father.
"Daddy!"
Kate was in tears now, feeling only his panic and fear, but seeing no danger. She screamed at Shade, "What's happening? Shade, talk to me!"
Shade was aware they’d entered the room, but his attention remained focused on Cory, as the fear inside him built. Looking through a red haze, he stared at Kate as the beast growled out his son’s name. "Cory, it’s Cory!"
Luca crouched before Shade. "Master, talk to me. Tell me what you know."
Shade shook his head back and forth, his curls now dripping with sweat. "Something has Cory. I don’t know what, or where."
Shade stood and turned, he was fully naked, and his sinewy muscles taunt as his eyes lit the room in a soft red glow. "We need help. I need Raven. I need to know where Cory is. I can’t go to him!”
Luca called out to Raven telepathically, alerting him to the situation as Kate was still wrestling with Lorenzo, who was fighting her to be released so he could run to his father. "Lorenzo! Calm down. I need you to be a warrior, now. Help Mommy."
Lorenzo settled instantly and looked at her, his eyes filled with fear. "Tell me what to do, Mommy."
Kate looked at Luca, confused. Only Shade could feel Cory, and he wouldn’t be able to leave to help him until sunset. "Go back to Enzo for now. Please."
Marcello appeared in the hallway, pulled by his master's fear and he heard Kate's instructions to Lorenzo. Marcello picked up the child and took him back to his classroom. "Come on, little warrior. We need to keep you safe, so your father can figure this out."
Kate approached Shade and stood with Luca. “Lover, tell me what to do."
Shade just shook his head. He had no answers.
They felt the energy in the room shift as Raven landed only a few feet from his master. He took in the scene of his master in full beast mode, and Kate and Luca in front of him. “What the fuck?"
Luca filled him in on what little they knew. "It's Cory. Something's happened to Cory, but Shade can't see where he is."
Kate scrambled for the cell phone on the bedside table. "I'll call Rachael. See what she knows."
Rachael answered almost immediately and she could hear the panic in Kate’s voice when she asked about the whereabouts of Cory. Rachael told her Cory and Madison went into the city. She remembered Madison wanted to shop, and she thought they were going to Haight-Ashbury. Now Rachael was concerned. "What's going on, Kate?"
Kate told her they weren’t sure, but she had to go now, and she'd call back. Kate hung up and dialed Cory's phone, which went to voicemail. She recounted what she knew about where Cory and Madison were going. Shade was beside himself with anger, the beast ready to rip anything apart.
She looked at Raven. "Can you find them?"
He shook his head. "Kate, I can get back to Cali in a second, but I have no blood bond to Cory. I won't be able to track him. If you think they were in Haight-Ashbury, I may be able to follow their scent, but that's a long shot."
Kate covered her face in frustration. "There must be something!" She wondered if her gift could help and looked up at Raven. "What about Poe?"
Raven looked confused. "What about him?"
“Maybe Poe can track him. Leave now. Leave! Poe will be waiting for you."
Raven looked at Luca for direction and Luca shrugged. “I got nothing, bro. Until Shade can leave here, we have no idea how to find Cory. Maybe Poe can track him. It's worth a try, and better than doing nothing."
Raven nodded and was gone before their eyes.
***
Max landed in the dark and abandoned warehouse in the naval yards at Hunter's Point. The area had been left abandoned after WWII when it became contaminated with radioactive materials and had only recently begun to have any inhabitants.
He swiftly tied Cory to a support column inside the warehouse, his hands bound behind his back, not that the half-breed offered any threat to him. Cory's strength could never come close to that of a master, let alone a master warrior. He held the blonde in a tight grip against his chest as she struggled to get free. He grabbed her hair and yanked hard. “Hold still or I'll kill you now."
Madison whimpered and stopped her struggle, looking with pleading eyes at Cory.