Grim Echoes

Chapter 81 - Will

Will narrowed his eyes at the door, intent on destroying whatever dared interrupt him. Ander's expression yanked him out of the kill zone. Maeve panted beside him. His one arm still held her in place. He moved the other one away from his gun. Ander looked back and forth between the two of them with a frown. Tonight was a clusterfuck of mistakes and bad choices. He let her go and ignored she lost her footing and fell to the ground.

"You got something?" he asked Ander.

Ander's eyebrows pulled together, glanced at him, and then back at Maeve. "Yes, are you both alright?"

Will waded through the piles of shit to Ander. Ander kept his eyes trained on Maeve. Will heard her pick herself up and knocked things over on the way to them. Will moved past Ander and out the door. Something crashed behind him as he left. Needed air. Fuck tonight. Fuck her. He rubbed the back of his head. He traced the scar where his hairline met his neck. Didn't get rid of his urge to rip something's head off, but it helped. He paced the yard.

Still felt her lips on his. Fuck, still tasted her. She'd tasted like fresh berries. His hand trembled when it reached for his flask. Had to get rid of her. Now. He took a long drink to steady his nerves.

Control yourself.

Yeah, I know, asshole.

You need to hunt.

Will balled his free hand into a fist. Damn it, he needed to hunt, it'd been so long. He'd been watching over Ander since last September, too afraid of what'd happen if he left him alone for too long. The violence clawed at him, demanded blood.

Ander and Maeve rushed out of the shed. She scowled at him. He was pretty sure she wanted to stab him. If he were her, he'd probably punch him.

"It was unwise to rush out. You had no notion of what could have been waiting,"

"Maybe I didn't give a fuck." Will took another gulp from his flask.

"Damn it, Will, I am being serious. Whatever haunts this property is linked to something here in the back." he gestured to the ramshackle buildings.

Will noticed Ander's shoulders weren't stooped over. "Ok Andy, what are we looking for then?"

Ander's eye twitched at the mention of his childhood name. "I recalculated the information from the file, what I learned in the house, and realized it is something in one of those buildings, or perhaps one of the buildings," his tone overly confident.

Tempted to ask Ander to explain, but had no patience for explanations on how it'd been figured out. Ander was fucking smart, but when he revealed things it took too long and there was more detail than Will cared to listen to or think about. That's why Ander did what he did, and Will followed orders.

"Fine, what are we looking for?" Will took out his gun and checked it. Always better with a weapon in his hand.

"I was concerned that you two may have provoked something back here."

Will raised an eyebrow. Ander's worry was for Maeve. He knew Will could take care of himself. "You find anything helpful in the house?" Hoped he'd found what Mason wanted them to bring back.

Ander shook his head no. That was gonna get Mason's panties in a bunch.

"Did anything happen while you were in there?"

Will froze, his gun still cradled in his hand. Heat rushed from his head down to his toes. What the fuck did that mean? He'd heard Ander's steps because he'd hurried to get to them. Even with his sharp hearing, sometimes he didn't hear Ander's approach. Bastard had mastered silent movement long ago. While it unnerved Will, it was useful as a soldier of night.

"Do you mean with shades?" Maeve's voice broke into his thoughts.

His chest tightened. It was the first time she'd spoken since she'd told him he wanted her help. Will continued to stare at his gun, couldn't respond.

"Yes. Was there any activity? Noises, cold spots?" Ander's tone was off, Will couldn't place it, but his gut told him Ander knew something was up.

"No, nothing like that, just your cousin being a gentleman, as you saw," her words acidic.

The wind picked up, and Will felt moonlight on the back of his neck. "What are we looking for, Ander?"

The hair on his body stood. His instinct that was never wrong told him a threat was near. He raised his head and scanned the area. Will sucked in air to catch the scent of anything that didn't belong and waited. He'd spent most of his life either on missions or hunting. Other than tinkering with weapons and cars, hunting was his only hobby. He craved the peace that filled him when he caught his prey. Made him feel sane. Hunting was a strange paradox. Most of it was waiting for the right moment to strike, and Will had no patience. Or maybe he only had patience with hunting.

Out of the corner of his eye, Maeve trembled. Didn't see Ander, but he sensed where he was. He continued to scan. Movement in the tree line signaled its arrival. It wasn't an animal, no scent. The underbrush and branches moved, but nothing was visible.

"It is in the trees," Ander's voice scarcely above a whisper.

Will gave a slight nod and signaled for him to follow, but wide. It had been a recon mission. Didn't want Maeve on a real mission, but now that the opportunity was here, couldn't just walk away.

"A little girl? Really?" Maeve whispered.

Will hadn't realized she was close behind him. Ander stopped moving away from them and locked eyes with Will. Fuck.

"What did you say?" Ander asked in a muted voice.

"Are you saying that little girl is the shade? She doesn't look like a shade, she seems real," Maeve replied, her voice too loud.

Will turned halfway around to Maeve but also kept the tree line in view.

"You can see her?"

"You can't?" her voice trembled.

Fuck. He'd been making out with a god damn monster.

She stumbled to Ander. Her body now trembled. "You can't see her?" her voice on the edge of panic. She pointed at the movement in the tree line.

"We need to leave," Will said, and stalked to the shed where they'd been. Checking the distance between the tree line and closest building, about thirty feet, give or take. He put the padlock back in place and stomped toward the SUV. It was all fucked and he wouldn't engage like that. Shit needed to be sorted. He pulled his flask back out and emptied it.