Chapter Seven

Damage Control:

Jace walked outside to find Dante leaning against his cobalt blue Audie R8. Jace growled slightly and Dante quickly got out of the car with a silly smirk on his lips. 

“Where to boss?” Dante chuckled as Jace approached them.

“I dont care after dealing with Rosie and the stress of Kip anywhere that has hard liquor.” Jace grumbled going around to the driver side.

“Rosie? How did you handle her?” Dante said, busting a smile as he spoke.

“I didn't.” Jace groaned.

“You know she wants to be your Luna right?” Dante said to his back.

“Dante, do I need to go by myself?” Jace said sternly.

“No, no I'll stop.” Dante said quickly.

“Place?” Jace saif shoryl.

He unlocked the car and got it. Dante followed suit. He could see Dante was thinking, he smiled. He was thinking a little too hard.

“Seriously?” Jace said a small chuckle escaping his mouth.

“Well there’s Luna if you want to do more of a club vibe, there’s Temple which is still more club then bar, Seven which is bar, and if you want a hole in the wall the Crow’s nest…or do we want a bar with a show?” Dante said, wiggling his eyebrows at the last comment.

“Dante, you are becoming as annoying as everyone else.” Jace growled as his car revived to life.

“No, let's just go to Seven.” Dante smiled.

“Alpha.”

Jace shut his eyes, a headache forming as he at the sound of the mindlink. He knew by the way the word Alpha was said it was not good.

“Go ahead.”

Dante looked at Jace confused but when he saw his glossed over look he knew someone was paging him. He frowned slightly watching his Alpha and friends face grow dark.

 “We have another problem.” Matthew said carefully to his Alpha.

“Ok…” Jace said with a long breath.

“Alpha Kip’s pack. They laid havoc to a small theater just south of here on the outskirts of our town. He has no intent on cleaning it up or covering his tracks.” Mathew said anxiously.

Jace looked over to Dante, his face angry,

“When was the meeting with Kip?” Jace managed to ask through his anger.

“Tomorrow evening.” Dante replied confused.

Jace’s eyes glossed over again.

“Get Adam to start the cover up, Dante and I will meet you at the theater. Bring Wyatt as well.” Jace mindlinked Matt.

“Yes Alpha.”

Jace threw the car into gear as the minlink ended. Reversing out of his parking spot as quickly as possible. Throwing into Drive the tire screeched as he took off.

“So..” Dante asked carefully.

“Kip attacked the theater we were supposed to meet at tomorrow. I'm taking it as a message to us.” Jace said through his teeth.

“Are fucking serious.” Dante said, becoming just as upset.

“The rest of the team is on the way there.” Jace said quietly. 

The rest of the car ride was quiet as Jace did far over the speed limit to get there. Jace’s hands gripped the steering wheel till his knuckles were white. They weren't sure what they were walking into and the only plan they had was to get there, keep it from the public and clean up any damage Kips pack had done.His dark blue Audi skidded into the first available parking lot. Jace recognized the faded black van sitting in the back parking spot. Once Jace’s car was settled into the parking stop the van pulled up next to it.  They emptied out of the vehicles all ready for what could possibly await them; looking like something out of a movie. 

Each one of them was dressed in black t-shirts and dark jeans. Dante’s sleeves had been ripped off of his shirt exposing his very large biceps. Jace nodded to his crew and started to make his way to the movie theater. Jace walked up the concrete stairs making it to the top with long strides. He opened the large glass door and stepped inside. As he stepped inside the men walked in behind him. They all stopped and glanced at each other. The smell invaded their nostrils even from the lobby. Blood and lots of it. Jace looked at Matt and he nodded.  Matt didn't need to be told anything. He knew what he needed to do. Matt walked up to the ticket counter and flashed a badge. 

Each high ranking member for his pack had taken a job in their society that would benefit the pack. Matt was a police officer, Wyatt was a nurse at one of the hospitals, and Adam worked at the city hall. They weren't sure what Adam did but he knew all the ins and outs of the town and everything that was or going to happen.

The girl at the front eyes grew wide seeing the badge. Matt began to tell her about a potential gas leak in the air and he needed the theater cleared out. The girl quickly nodded and rushed to the loudspeaker. 

“Attention to all patrons please proceed to the nearest exit and evacuate the building immediately,” The girl sent the announcement.

A manager came out from the back looking at the confused girl. Jace could hear the whole conversation. The manager was upset that the girl didn't check with her first and then became concerned when she told her about the gas leak in the air. 

“We will help evacuate the rest of the theater please stay up front and help guide everyone out.” Matt said to the girl and the manager.

The manager nodded and then left to inform the staff. Jace walked past Matt with the rest of his men following. They walked through the crowd of people rushing out of the cinema rooms. Jace’s eyes locked on the room he knew the smell was coming from. They paused in front of the doorway. Jace’s eyes flickering to the movie poster next to the door. A horror movie.

 “Well at least he did us a flavor there. No one probably knew the screams were actual screams and not from the movie.” Dante said next to Jace.

 “Matt, you stay in front of the door in case anyone comes looking. The rest of you are with me.” Jace ordered them.

 He stepped forward and pushed the closed door open. The wave of blood hit him. He was hoping it was only one or two people watching a movie but from the smell of the blood he knew there were at least five. He felt Adam go a little stiff as they rounded the corner. The scene unfolded in front of them. The dark maroon carpet of the theater was soaked with blood. A woman was flung over the front row seat and blood had been pouring out of a single neck wound. Next to her, her date was mauled. His face was scratched and torn up so that there was little left to it. Flesh hung off his jaw from his cheek. His final undoing was a neck wound. 

Another couple suffered the same neck wounds. Jace was counting in his head so far four. He scanned the room. There had to be an exit in the actual room. His eyes fell on the red emergency exit sign. He walked over to it. Tracing the wires that would sound the alarm if the door was opened. He yanked them out from the source.

 “Adam bring the van around to this exit here. We will take the body’s from here. Get a hold of your connections and get a clean crew out here. Tell them there’s hush money involved.” Jace said to Adam. 

 “Yes Alpha.” Adam said ducking out the exit and leaving, he seemed like he was more than happy to get out of there.

 “How many?” Jace called Dante and Wyatt.

 “Seven so far.” Dante answered.

 “Eight….we have one still alive.” Wyatt called from the back room. 

 He was on the ground almost underneath the seat. You could tell from his position he was trying to hide. Wyatt had his hand pressed to a neck wound trying to stop the bleeding. Jace was up the stairs and by Wyatt’s side in no time. Jace overlooked the young man. He was probably not older than twenty. He had lost enough blood and was unconscious. 

“What do you think?” Jace asked Wyatt.

 “I don't know if I can get him back to the pack house. I might be able to do something. I don't know if he will make it. “ Wyatt said quietly.

 “What do you need?” Jace asked.

 “Something to wrap around his neck to apply pressure and slow the bleeding.” Wyatt said. 

“Adam bring something from the van to wrap a wound.” Jace's mind linked Adam.

 Jace ran his hand through his hair frustrated. They had to do everything they could to try and save the boy but it would be easier if he was dead. If he survived then they would need to come up with a vicious animal story and leave evidence linking it to a rabid dog or something. He was trying to come up with a story if the boy lived. He was praying the boy didn't get a good look at Kip’s pack or if he saw anyone shift. That would be harder to explain.

“Matt, I need you to come up with something to tell the manager to lock this theater room down for the next day or so. We have one alive and depending on how it goes a simple cleaning crew will do or we might need to stage a wild animal attack.” Jace's mind linked Matt.

“Got it Alpha gas leaks are funny things and can need to keep certain areas shut down for a while and need special cleaning crews.” Matt said Jace could hear the smirk in the mindlink that he knew was plastered on his face.

 “This really needs to stop.” Dante said a course of anger flowing through him.

 He let a body fall to the floor that he was carrying as he turned to meet Jace’s eyes. Jace felt his anger and watched Dante carefully. Waiting to see if he was going to explode.

 “Someone needs to get Kip to get a handle on his pack. Look at this. This is against all laws. We all know he feels we shouldn't have to hide. That humans are beneath us and we should wipe them out. This is all done on purpose. Someone needs to take him out.” Dante said clenching his fist as he closed his eyes trying to get the anger he was feeling to creep back down into his gut.

 “He’s going to bring hunters here.” Wyatt whispered.

 Jace’s eyes flickered to Dante at the hunter statement. The veins in Dante’s arms were staring bulge outward. Jace nudged Wyatt as if ito say what the fuck to him as he quickly raced down the stair way to Dante. At this point Dante’s fangs had come out, he was hunched over and shaking trying to control and trying to stop himself from turning. Jace grabbed hold of him by the shoulders making him stand up right. Dante’s eyes locked with Jace’s.

“Stop. you are in control. You will not turn.” Jace said his eyes glowed a lighter shade of blue as he spoke to Dante.

 “Yes Alpha.” Dante managed to get out through the course of shaking.

 “You will not shift. Look at me, I command you not to shift.” Jace said in his alpha tone, the waves of authority coming off of Jace was calming Dante.

Dante slowly returned back to normal, his fangs rescinded. He stood tall and was shaking. He looked at Jace , his eyes apologetic but Jace shook his head. 

 “Get the last two bodies to the door and when Adam gets here load them into the van,” Jace said to him as he looked back up to Wyatt.

 A knock came from the front door of the theater room. Jace stiffened as he began walking to it. His senses didn't tell him that anyone else was there besides Matt but he was still nervous. He didn't need any more people involved. He cracked the door open and Matt handed him a first aid kit.

 “Don't fucking do that again.” Jace growled at him, snatching the first aid kit and slammed the door in his face.

 “What?” Matt mind linked him back but Jace chose to ignore it.

 Jace came back into the room walking up the stairs to Wyatt. He handed Wyatt the first aid kit and glanced down to where Dante was. Adam had come and they had begun loading the bodies into the van. He looked down to Wyatt.

 “I am going to need help Alpha, I can't hold pressure and open the kit up.” Wyatt explained softly.

 Jace nodded he was so wrapped up in everything happening that wasn't thinking about helping Wyatt. Part of him wanted to tell Wyatt to just let the boy die but he couldn't. If the boy was dead it would be less of a problem. Jace cracked open the first aid kit and found some gauze. He handed the gauze to Wyatt. Wyatt grasped the gauze in one handed and switched out hands quickly reapplying pressure holding gauze to his neck. Jace grabbed the ace bandage that was in the kit and kneeled down. He helped pick the boy upright while Wyatt was still holding pressure to the wound. It would be easier to wrap the wound with him sitting up. 

 “Ok wrapped the bandage around his neck tight but not too tight we don't want to choke him. Start here where my hand is. I’ll lift and reapply pressure each time you go around.” Wyatt said, explaining to Jace.

Jace nodded and they began wrapping the bandage around the boy's neck, On the last wrap the boy opened his eyes and groaned. Jace stood still for a second not sure what to do or say.

 “You're ok, we got you.” Wyatt said calmly, he was used to working with people and traumatic injuries.

 The boy’s eyes rolled back in his head and he went back unconscious. Once they were done wrapping his neck Wyatt double checked it. He looked to Jace who was studying the boy. His heart beat was strong but his breathing was shallow. He could tell the boy could go either way. Jace nodded to Wyatt to tell him to get the boy and let’s go. As he walked down to the space in front of the screen Adam came up to him.

 “The cleaning crew will be here in less than three minutes.” Adam reported to Jace.

“Matt cleaning crew here in three minutes. Hang out till there done. We have one still alive that we need to get back to the pack house and get these bodies out of here. Link us when it's all cleaned up. Once finished, take my car back.” He minded Link Matt.

“Will do Alpha.” Matt responded.

 “Load up.” Jace said to the others in the room and ducked out the fire exit door. 

 The cleaning crew pulled up next to the van as Jace got into the driver's seat. He watched Adam tell them what was expected and handed the man in charge of the cleaning crew money. Adam smiled but not the heart warming smile, it was a threat. As he began telling them  how they were not to speak of this to anyone. The men looked at each and looked like they were going to ask questions but Adam handed him another stack of money. The men grinned and nodded their heads. Without any questions as the cleaning crew went  into the theater. Adam was the last in the van. Dante jumped into the passenger seat as Adam got into the back. The bodies were stacked on top of each other in the very back. Their eyes staring at Adam as he turned his back on them. Wyatt was busy attending to the boy; the little that he could do in the moving van.

“You ok?” Jace mindlink Dante.

 Dante was staring out the window and just nodded. Dante almost lost it back there. The anger he had built up for Kip and his pack was just the edge of it. When Wyatt brought up hunters he almost completely lost control. He hated hunters. He wanted to rid the world of them. Hunters killed his whole family in front of him before he came to Jace’s pack. He was a young teenager at the time and didn't know why they left him alive. He could still see his mothers eye’s as they went wide in horror as she tried to save his sister from the hunter. Then he watched her eyes gloss over as life left hers. He fidgeted in his seat trying to chase the memory from his mind. Tell his wolf to calm down.

 “Dante.” Jace's voice broke through to him, the warning in it sent his wolf into obedience and the anger resided. 

 Dante gave him a small smile and focused on the trees passing  out the window. Jace eyed him worried but saw that he had got himself back under control. He looked at his men in the back of the van. Wyatt tries his hardest to save this boy and Adam zoning out slightly. He gripped the steering wheel tighter. They were almost back home.