John narrowed his eyes. “You think mom was taken somewhere else? Either that or she is having an extremely long lunch.”
“With the twins?” Jane shook her head. “Harry can’t sit still for a minute. A long lunch like that would drive him crazy. He’s a hyperactive boy. He’s like an ADD kid on a sugar binge.”
Quinn took it all in and made his decision. “Let’s go to that location and find them. Trent and Vanessa—you go with me. John, you and Jane take another car. Maybe take mom’s SUV in case we need to…” his gaze flitted to Jane. “You know.”
“She is enlightened, don’t worry,” John explained.
“Great, then. Let’s bounce,” said Trent.
* * *
They found Savannah’s Mercedes in Greenpoint, parked in front of a dilapidated warehouse between Milton and West Street. Vanessa confirmed Savannah’s cellphone location; the device was on. John and Quinn checked the car, and the others followed. No one in the Mercedes. It seemed it had been abandoned. The engine was cool to the touch. The car had been left in place for a few hours.
The Mercedes’ doors were locked. Trent smashed the window of the driver seat and unlocked it. Quinn examined the backseat and John opened up the trunk.
Quinn found their mom’s phone hidden beneath the seat. It had a big crack on the surface as if it had been thrown down recklessly. He sniffed it to get a lock on the scent. “Mom was taken against her will, all right,” he declared. “Find anything in the trunk, John?”
“Shopping bags filled with stuff. Clothing. Shoes. Nothing stolen, so my guess is this isn’t a robbery,” said John. He turned to see his wife looking ashen.
“I can only think of one person who wou
ld do this. Uncle Alfred.” Jane wrung her hands, panicking. “That bastard wants to hurt the twins, but your mom’s in the way. I just know it. We should call the cops. Now. Before it’s too late.”
John calmed her. “We’ll get them, don’t worry.”
Vanessa hugged distressed Jane, patting her back. “Trent’s a great tracker. We can find your brothers long before the cops will.”
Quinn handed Trent Savannah’s phone.
“I know mom’s scent,” said Trent. He scanned his surroundings carefully before peeling off his clothes.
“I’ll come with you,” said John, following his brother’s lead.
“What are you doing?” Jane looked confused, but a moment later she understood what he and his brother were about to do.
Luckily, the street lamp where they found Savannah’s car didn’t work. If people happened to look in their direction, it would be too dark for most to see what was about to take place.
John released the beast within him.
He could feel Jane’s eyes on him as fur rippled down his body, and his limbs expanded into the even more muscular, sinuous appendages of a tiger. His eyes flashed yellow, and his face gave way to the great cat’s. He turned to regard her, looking regal and predatory all at the same time. John knew the effect tigers had on humans. But there was something in Jane’s awed expression that was different. He sniffed the air and smelled her fear, but she was able to hold her ground without hesitation.
Quinn told Vanessa and Jane to follow the tigers. He himself tailed behind. No sooner had the ignition turned on then they were off, slinking through the night.
John moved like a shadow alongside Trent. They didn’t have to go far. They tracked their mother’ scent and the twins to what seemed to be basement doors around the side of a building.
Behind them, Quinn and Vanessa stopped their cars and followed John and Trent.
Trent, in his beast form, glanced at John with his yellow eyes and scratched the door. Mom and the kids are in this building. Should we look for another entrance so we don’t alert that bastard?
Nah. I don’t care. Let him know we’re coming. Let’s tear this door down, replied John.
Fine with me. Trent rammed the door with his bulk.
John did the same until the hinges gave away and the whole door fell back, landing on the floor with a deafening crash.
The scent of his mother and the kids got stronger. John growled. The deep rumble from his throat reverberated in the small enclosure. There were narrow stairs that lead to a lower level. They wasted no time and barreled down into what seemed to be an abandoned meat processing warehouse. The tiled walls were dingy, and the air smelled wet and moldy. Trent rammed through another door and was greeted with a startling scream. John followed him.
What he saw almost made him lose control.