Firebreak (Jackson's Hollow #2)

Chapter 8

"Explain it again."

"That's all I know," Ryker snarled at his father, shoving back from the kitchen bar. He was in the middle of the kitchen at his dad's house, the rest of his family gathered around except for the kids. Charlie was out back with the two of them, keeping them entertained while Ryker gave everyone a rundown of what had happened to Jo.

After talking with Jo's parents and making sure they were going to be okay to the best of his abilities, he had hurried home, speeding most of the way. The connection between him and Jo was so faint, he kept reaching for it to make sure it was still there. That she was still there.

"But it doesn't make any sense," Lexi said. Her eyes were bloodshot and puffy from angry crying. "Why make her go home? Why didn't they come get her here?"

"Maybe they thought it would be easier to make her come to them," Brett said, his expression stormy. He was standing against the back counter, leaning against Aaliyah.

Aaliyah's frown deepened. "Or they know about us. And knew we wouldn't let her go."

"Doubtful," Malcolm rumbled. He crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes following Ryker as he paced around the kitchen. "No one knows about us."

"Unless Jake said something," Lexi snapped. "That asshole."

"That'd be a death sentence for him," Malcolm said, glancing over at his daughter. Hayes wasn't allowed at their family meetings yet, per Malcolm's orders, and Ryker fully supported that choice. "He's an idiot, but I don't think he's stupid enough to chance it twice." Seeing how he had almost been killed when he had invaded Lexi's birthday party.

Ryker scowled. It was going to be a death sentence for whoever took Jo, once he found her.

"Why didn't she tell you where she was going?" Brett asked him as he walked past, unable to stop moving. "We would've helped her."

"I don't know," he growled. It was a question he desperately wanted to know the answer to. She trusted him, he knew she did. So her decision to keep him out of the loop and go off on her own had to have another reason behind it.

"Maybe she was scared of Ryker getting taken, too," Lexi said. "If they took her because of her fire powers, she could've they thought they would want him too, if they knew what he could do."

"That's assuming I would get caught," Ryker said, "I wouldn't have let them take her in the first place."

"What about her mother?" Aaliyah asked quietly. "You said they had her."

"I would've figured out something, if she would've told me."

"Well, she didn't," Malcolm said firmly. "And we have to work with the situation as it is."

Ryker wanted to punch something. Yell. Wolf out and run through the forest until he dropped from exhaustion. If she had just let him know what was happening–

"Dad's right," Brett said, probably sensing what he was thinking even though he wasn't broadcasting it to them. "We'll have to figure out how to help Jo as it is now."

"I don't even know where she is." Ryker hated how helpless that sounded. He should know instinctively where Jo was. He should've been able to reach out through their bond and find her, but he only had a vague feeling that she had moved north. That was it.

"Do her parents have one of those camera doorbells or anything we could look at to see the footage of who came and got her?" Lexi asked. It was a good idea, but unfortunately, one that Ryker had already tried.

"They do, but the people who came must have jammed the wifi or something," Ryker said with a sigh. "When Jo's parents checked, it said it lost the video feed during that hour." There had been no end to the growing frustration during his brief visit with them. If those things were so vulnerable, what was the point of having them?

"Of course it did," Aaliyah muttered, sharing a glance with Lexi, a growl edging her voice.

"And her parents didn't remember them saying anything about where they were going?" Malcolm pressed, leaning forward intently as he tried to hash back through everything with his son.

"NO!" Ryker exploded, throwing his hands up. He knew his family was trying to help, but right now their questions were only probing his frustration and anxiety and he had nothing and nowhere to direct it at, except back at them. It wasn't fair to them but restraining himself was taking all his effort right now. He'd already told them Jo's scent disappeared too, he'd done everything he could think of to find her trail before leaving Charlotte.

A warning growl left his dad and Ryker almost growled back, only reminded of his place when Brett quickly stepped forward and gripped his arm. Ever the peacekeeper. After a tense moment, Ryker finally backed off. " I'm sorry, Dad, I just..."

"You're on edge," Brett said, filling in as he glanced at their dad, his expression a gentle reminder that Malcolm should know what it felt like to worry over a mate. "It's understandable to struggle when your mate is missing."

Malcolm was still tense, but he gave a tight nod, folding his arms.

"Okay, let's think," Brett said, still keeping himself between Ryker and their dad. "They looked like government types according to her parents. How would they know about Jo and her abilities?"

Ryker took a deep breath. "The guy in the hospital?" he offered. "Or security camera footage from that night."

Brett pointed at him. "The guy from the hospital. Maybe we could track him down, see what he remembers about them?"

"What if they're keeping an eye on him?" Aaliyah asked worriedly. "Whoever goes to question him could get picked up too."

Just then, a wave of panic crashed into Ryker, and he grabbed the back of one of the chairs next to the dining room table in an attempt to stay upright, his thoughts immediately focused on Jo. He knew it was her panic instantly, not another pack member's.

He was vaguely aware of the chair toppling from his weight and him crashing against the table before half slumping into another seat, the fallen chair ignored. His family members crowded around him, anxiously demanding answers, but he ignored them as every sense honed in on Jo.

She was wide-open to him, although it felt like reaching down a long, dark tunnel thick with fog. But he suddenly knew the exact direction she was in, and his best guess, based on how far the reach felt, was that she was somewhere around 5-6 hours north of him. He followed the pull, her need for him, internally raging at his helplessness.

Why was she panicking? What were they doing to her, and would he even have a chance to reach her in time?

I'm here for you. I love you. I'm not giving up. Don't give up. He knew it'd be too far for the words to reach her, but he hoped the emotions would. He hoped they could help reassure her, in some small way. He didn't ever want her to think he'd give up on finding her, even if he was also furious with her right now.

The panic started to subside, and then suddenly he felt it–dim, faint, very discernible, but a clear rush of love sent back his way.

And then, like she'd taken a cruel, sharp knife to it, their bond was shut down again, leaving him groaning at the feeling of loss that filled him.

Around him, his family was still yelling at him, their worry loud and clear. He ignored them, stretching out along the dampened bond, doing anything he could to reach her. Why was she shutting him out?

"Hey!" Brett snapped his fingers in Ryker's face and then patted his cheek none too gently. "Ryker? You with us?"

"Brett, do something!" Lexi demanded from somewhere to Ryker's left.

Ryker sunk his head down into his hands, enraged and frightened and upset, all wrapped into a ball of too many emotions.

"Was it her?" his dad's voice rumbled.

Ryker nodded and shot up from the chair, nearly taking out Brett, who had been leaning over him. He tore out of the kitchen and bolted out the front of the house, avoiding the backyard where his nephews were. He shifted as he jumped off the steps, unable to contain it any longer. North. He could go north.

He was aware of Brett following after him, also shifted, a constant presence twenty feet behind him as he ran. He couldn't go with Brett. His brother had a wife and kids to worry about.

But Ryker was going to go get Jo. He was leaving that night.