Sword of Mercy (26 page)

“LOBO.”

“Hmm?”

“Try LOBO
,” Asia said, thinking
Lancaster would be ballsy enough to code his signature
project.

Hawke typed it twice. The second time the
doors slid open. “
Ego, gets him every time
,” Asia said while
removing her sword and walking forward. Inhaling she picked up
Gordon and the hybrid’s scent.

The door closed behind them as they moved
forward. “
I think we miscalculated
,” Hawke said through
their link as they fell through the floor and hit the bottom of a
metal container.

Asia’s sword fell with a loud clank as she
tried to get her bearings. “Miscalculated?” She ground out and
kicked the side of the cage. “Is that what you call this… this
bullshit?” She hit the side again.

“Yes.”

There was barely enough room to move in her
hybrid form, she morphed into her human form and slumped against
the wall. Images of Gordon disappearing, the disappointment from
Jasmine in her failing to break the covenant, the Liege continuing
LOBO and stealing more pups, ran through her mind on a loop.
Somehow they had to break that contract and stop the
Liege.

“If you can stand in that corner, I’ll get us
out of here.”

“Huh?” She looked up at Hawke. “What’d you
say?”

“I need to morph and push out these walls. Can
you kneel in that corner for a few minutes?”

She moved and knelt down while he morphed into
his largest hybrid. The only other time she had seen him in this
form had been during a fight against the bluebirds. The sound of
bending metal hit a nerve and she covered her ears until she heard
it pop. A large piece fell from the top, Hawke caught it and shoved
it over the side. It took a few minutes before it hit the bottom.
Wide-eyed, she looked at Hawke.

“Where are we? In an elevator chute or
something?”

“I don’t think so. Let me check this wall,
cover your ears.”

She replaced her palms over her
ears.

He punched the side wall. It dented but
nothing else. He punched each wall until his fist went through the
metal. Using his long claws, he peeled the metal back until she saw
a sliding door in front of it. She stood slowly as he reached
forward and opened the doors revealing a dark hallway. Hawke shrank
to his hybrid, glanced over his shoulder at her and winked as he
leapt forward.

She shook her head at the cocky gesture and
took his hand, allowing him to pull her into the hall.

“You shouldn’t doubt your mate.” He took her
hand as they moved through the corridors seeking Gordon.

“I will remember that next time.”

Chapter 26

Hawke and Asia walked through every corridor,
searching for Damian and Gordon. Find one, the other would be
nearby, especially with the hybrids defeated and Ulric’s pack
taking everything of value from the building.

Voices. Full-bloods always used their links in
situations like this, being human Gordon would need to speak. Even
if he whispered, the full-bloods would hear and close in on
them.

Turning, Hawke and Asia walked down the
corridor to his left, and stopped. Not this way. He waved in the
other direction, and followed her. The voices grew
stronger.

“Not on this floor. Either below or above
us
,” Asia said, looking up and then down.

Hawke pointed up. Asia nodded and they headed
toward the emergency stairs and ran up two flights before easing
the door open.

“Damn asshole. He locked the code on the lift.
I knew he’d try something. Son of a bitch. We need to get down to
the tunnel.”

Hawke glanced at Asia. “
How much you want
to bet Gordon’s talking about Lancaster?”

“Nothing. Lancaster would sell the
Pope and screw the devil to stay safe. Which way?”

Hawke waved her forward. They walked down a
few halls and saw the black haired hybrid standing outside an
elevator. No doubt Gordon was inside.

“Why can’t I kill him
?” Asia asked as
she bulked to her hybrid.

“Don’t know. Killing him just
seems wrong to me. But if he tries to kill you, rip him
apart.”

“Gee, thanks
.”

They walked forward. The hybrid charged. Asia
stepped in front of Hawke and took the hybrid down. He bucked up,
dislodging her. She jumped up and charged him before he reached
Hawke, who headed for the elevator.

He twisted and tried to break her grip, but
she had a tight hold on him and pounded his head and face with her
right fist. He pushed her off with his legs, sending her backward a
bit and tried to go after Hawke. She leapt forward, grabbed his
ankles and pulled. He hit the ground hard. Asia dragged him back
toward her as the elevator door opened. He kicked out, stood and
tried to run.

She grabbed his shoulder, spun him around,
punched him in the stomach and then beneath his chin. He flew
backward. Moving forward, she grabbed his shirt and slammed her
fist into his face in rapid succession until she saw
bone.

“Stop,” Gordon yelled.

Asia dragged the hybrid forward and slammed
him face down onto the floor. She lifted her sword and raised it
above the hybrid. “
Negotiate with him now or I’m taking this
head
,” she told Hawke.

“Stop, you can’t kill him,” Gordon yelled and
tried to go to the hybrid.

“Why not?” Hawke asked, holding Gordon’s arm.
Something wasn’t right. The man vibrated with sorrow and fear for
the hybrid.

Gordon turned and shook his head. “He’s your
son, Hawke. Your first born. Haven’t you looked at him? Why don’t
you look at him?”

Hawke stared at Gordon processing his words.
“Son? I don’t… no one told me… what?” He looked at the hybrid
struggling to stand and then at Asia. “
He said that is my seed.
They took a pup from me and raised it?
”

“Hawk
e…” Asia said, looking at the male
on the ground.

“What do you mean he is my son? I have no
son.” He met Gordon’s disturbed gaze.

“He’s your seed. One of the first bitches you
mated birthed him twenty years past. You cannot kill him.” It was
the demand in Gordon’s voice that pissed Hawke off, he no longer
took orders from any Liege.

“Perhaps not, but my mate can.” Hawke placed
his foot on Damian’s shoulder while Asia placed her foot on his
back. “What is his name?” Hawke continued staring at Gordon rather
than the pup on the ground. A son… he couldn’t process that right
now.

“Damian.”

“A life for a life,” Hawke said, pressing
harder when Damian tried to move.

“No… no,” Damian said.

Gordon looked at Asia and then at
Damian.

Hawke sensed Ulric’s pack was nearby. “Never
mind. The pack is here. Just pin him to the wall and they’ll rip
him apart.” Hawke pushed Gordon to Asia, who caught the Liege Lord
and shoved him roughly out of the way. Hawke bulked to his largest
size, picked a struggling Damian up and met his gaze. Was he
supposed to feel something for this pup? Hawke waited a few
seconds, there was nothing. Damian’s face resembled Niall more than
him.

“Stop. Hawke put him down. A… A life for a
life. Take him with us, keep him safe from the other full-bloods.
I’ll go with you,” Gordon said, looking at Damian.

“Noooo,” Damian screamed and tried to break
free from Hawke.

Hawke tucked Damian beneath his arm and
carried him out the room. Asia walked behind Gordon, who moved with
a slow, dejected air. Hawke contacted Angus. “
I have Gordon we
are on our way out, is Chacal here?”

“Not yet, but he’s on his way.
Lancaster’s a slimeball. The bastard set explosives beneath the
walls down here. Byte just sniffed them out. Damn it to hell. I
would love to wrap my hands around, the bastard.”

“Time? How much time left?
” Hawke
wasn’t surprised about the explosives, the Liege used them often.
He picked up speed and took the stairs rather than trust the
elevator.

“Don’t know, yet. He just found it
while searching for another exit. We’ll board the pod as soon as I
find out an answer. Ulric and his pack are leaving now. We’ll meet
at Radoff’s. Son of a bitch.”

“What
?” Hawke took off at a slow jog
down the corridors, getting lost at times and turning
around.

“Fifteen minutes. Damn. Can you
make it out?”

“If I can find the main hall,
yeah
.”

“I just updated Chacal, he’ll wait
as long as he can. Follow the scent of the bluebirds, they are
outside. Maybe that will help.”

“Good idea.”
Hawke told Asia what was
going on and inhaled. It took a few seconds, but he finally
identified the bluebirds and did a three sixty turn. They had been
headed in the wrong direction. With the scent locked in, he
tightened his hold on a squirming Damian and moved at a faster
pace. Asia picked up Gordon as they ran toward the exit.

Moments later they hit the front entrance and
heard the copter. Hawke morphed to his smaller hybrid, knowing he
couldn’t enter the copter in any other form than human, but he
needed the extra strength to hold onto Damian.

He veered right, ran past Ulric and headed
toward Chacal. The whirring of the copter blades must have
motivated Damian because he used both his legs and pushed free,
falling on the ground. Hawke turned, reached for him just as he
leapt and knocked Asia down. Damian morphed as he grabbed Gordon
and took off running in the opposite direction.

“I don’t have time for this shit,” Hawke
murmured as he took off behind the two morphing to his larger form.
In a blur of speed he caught them and pushed Damian from behind,
sending him rolling on the ground dropping Gordon in the process.
Hawke growled at the hybrid, picked up Gordon and ran back towards
the copter. Once he reached the copter, he returned to his human
size and all but tossed the older man inside. Asia caught Gordon
and placed him behind her as Chacal lifted off.

“Here he comes,” Asia murmured.

Hawke watched Damian run toward them and jump.
The first leap fell short. The next leap Damian grabbed hold of one
of the skids on the bottom. His weight jolted them for a few
moments but Chacal leveled out and they continued toward
Radoff.

“You okay
?” Asia asked.

“Not sure. I reproduced and no one ever
told me. Is he the only one? Over the years, I… there were a lot of
bitches
.” He met her gaze. “
He told me nothing came of it,
that I wasn’t good for that.”

“When I worked at the castle one of the
workers said something about your breeding, but with everything
going on, it slipped my mind. I think there is one more, but I’m
not sure
.” She paused. “
You didn’t know you were breeding
for them
?”

He scrubbed his face with his fist. “
Not
directly. Sex, that’s all it was, scratching an itch. I never
thought beyond that. Damn
.” He looked behind her at Gordon and
wanted to rip the man’s heart out. “Damian has been with the Liege
since birth? He knows nothing other than the bullshit you fed
him?”

Gordon’s face reddened and he straightened as
much as he could in the confined space. “Yes, he was born in
Lancaster’s castle and taken for training once we decided he would
fit. He has an exemplary education, and has been enhanced as you
were. Damian is the best in his class, in a few years he will rise
to the top.”

Hawke’s brow rose. “Top of what?”

“Our program leaders, you, Asia and Damian.
The best we’ve produced so far.” Gordon looked at Asia. “Roderick
believes your mate uses a chameleon bracelet to hide his identity.
Is that true?”

Hawke shook his head. “No.”

“Not that you would tell me anyway, but he
believes Angus hides behind the bracelet.” Gordon watched him and
Hawke smiled. “
They think you are Angus, I must tell
him
.”

Asia looked away. “
He will love that. Poor
thing, he’ll need to take one for the team
.”