Damien snorted. “Let’s just hope we don’t run into Will first. This is going to be very difficult to explain.”
That problem didn’t manifest, but as they approached an intersection of hallways, someone streaked past. Alun’s heart thumped in recognition before his brain caught up. “Merlin.” He ran the rest of the way and nearly collided with Craig. Relief flowed through him. Pointing the muzzle of his weapon downward, he threw his arms around the man.
Craig didn’t hesitate to return the hug. “What the… Do I want to know why you’re here and not back with the others?”
Alun pulled away and headed after Merlin as he spoke. “That was Merlin.”
Craig and Damien flanked him. “Yeah, I know. The little snot took off from me and now I have to chase him down.”
“He’s all right, then?”
“Oh, he’s fine, until I get a hold of him. I know he’s your kid and not mine, but I recommend a year’s worth of grounding.”
“I don’t know what that means. As long as he’s safe, have at him.”
“It sounds like a good idea,” Damien chimed in. “I’m going to recommend a similar fate for Annika.”
“Annika?” Craig glanced at Alun. “The trunk?”
“Yes.” He didn’t bother to elaborate. There was no point. They needed to find both of the children. There was no way the complex was safe yet. In fact, gunfire erupted in the distance. All three of them raised their weapons, although Alun feared that he would merely get in the way. Craig and even Damien were far better suited to warfare than he was. Fortunately they didn’t encounter anyone.
“I can’t see him anymore,” Craig lamented when they reached another crossway.
“We don’t have to.” Alun caught his son’s scent and was never so glad to have a body changed from alien blood as he was then. Of course, if not for the change, he wouldn’t have needed to go chasing after a son.
He tracked him down a hall and would have raced the rest of the way, except Craig held him back. “Hang on. See those?” He pointed to round, black things attached along the upper walls. “Those are security cameras. I was here minutes ago. Claude should be watching us, unless something has happened to him. He’ll let us know where Merlin went.”
Just as he said the words, the warrior, Claude, appeared around the corner at the far end. Once again, everyone readied their guns until they saw who it was.
“What the hell is going on? I’ve been monitoring the security and Annika and Merlin have gone into that room. It appears to house Dracul’s mainframe computer.” He pointed to a door on the left.
Craig wasted no time going to it. “Key code lock,” he muttered before turning to Claude. “Do you know how to get in?”
“No. Merlin does. That’s where he sent his transmissions from. He didn’t bother to share the info with us. Then again, we didn’t ask. No one thought we had to. I repeat, what is going on? Annika shouldn’t be here. Neither should you two,” he added with a toss of his head at Alun and Damien.
Craig didn’t bother to provide any explanation. He merely pounded on the door. “Merlin, Annika, open up!”
When that proved useless, Damien tried. “Annika? It’s Damien. Come on, honey. You have to open this door. You are giving me an aneurysm and that’s nothing compared to how your father is going to react when he finds out you’re here.”
Alun didn’t try to speak with Merlin. He knew his son wasn’t going to listen to him, and it was sufficient to know that he was alive and relatively safe in there. He rested against the far wall, keeping watch along with Claude, in case any of the mercenaries decided to investigate the ruckus. Really, they should all be running for their lives at this point. But men could be stupid and Dracul had always surrounded himself with incredible wealth. It would be hard for them to leave without taking at least some of it. Alun had no doubt that Alex and his warriors would dispatch anyone who lingered.
Craig tried again, changing tactics in a way that Alun thought pointless. “Merlin, your father is with me and he’s worried about you. He followed Annika. Did she tell you? He’s putting his life on the line to save the both of you.” As if Merlin would care.
He straightened with surprise when he heard his son’s voice coming through the door.
“Get him out of here! There’s nothing for him to do. I’m perfectly safe in this locked and reinforced room, but he’s not, hanging around in that hallway. You said you were his friend. Act like it! Pick him up and carry him out if you have to. I’ll be along later.”
Craig turned to look at Alun. He gave him a grim smile. “Yeah, that’s not happening. If you think your father is going to pack up and leave without you, you don’t know him very well.”
There was silence for a few seconds, then, “I hope that will change.” The words stunned Alun. “I’m sorry, Father. I have to do this. The Queen commands it and my life is hers.”
Those words oddly caused Alun to relax. It wasn’t merely Merlin’s surprising concern for him or even his apology, which in itself was a minor miracle. It was the confirmation that he was doing the bidding of the Queen that convinced him they were wasting their breath trying to get them to open the door. Much like himself, Merlin was on a journey that he really couldn’t control and he had to trust that the Queen knew what she was doing. More than him, as well, Merlin was hard-wired to do as she said. If Alun had been unable to resist her determination, Merlin was doubly so.
“There’s nothing for it,” he said quietly to the others. “We wait. They’ll come out when she’s done.”
“Done doing what?” Craig asked.
“I have no idea.”
* * * *
Alex took a moment before giving the signal to attack the room he knew Dracul to be hiding in. Knowing that there was no one in there who needed protecting or who could be used as a living shield helped matters considerably. He and his men were ready to do a full-on assault, shooting anyone who so much as blinked wrong in their direction. And with the muted gunfire that had already occurred, he had to assume those inside were waiting for the attack. A quick end to Dracul didn’t sit well with him. He itched for the chance to take the fucker down himself, the way he should have centuries ago. His ego, however, and his thirst for revenge weren’t important. Stopping the devil incarnate was, by whatever means were necessary.
He glanced at his men—Emil and Harry in particular—who had stayed by his side, loyal to the end. He wasn’t about to betray their trust by grandstanding now. No matter how it happened, Dracul’s death was critical, and once it was done, they could all set about finally living out the rest of their lives on a planet that had become home. His husband was waiting for him, as well, expecting him to do everything he could to return to him safe. He so wished he’d planned the wedding in advance, so that he could have at least given his darling boy a ring. But his impromptu proposal—one that had been rejected before—had been accepted. He’d been stunned by the surprise and worried that Quinn had said yes just in case it was the last chance he got.
I will come back to you. He raised his gun and started to give the signal to attack.