The Dark Edge Chronicles - Clan War

Looking for Sanctuary

Truk looked up as Lash and Narcist walked with purpose across the lobby towards him.

"All set?" he asked, falling in with them as they stepped across the threshold and headed for the SUV from the garage.

"The wolf lady has an unlimited credit card, a burner phone, and her marching orders," Narcist said after a quick look up at Lash. "She's going to head for Switzerland, or Italy and dig around some more after the White Flames while she waits for us to sort out Amyra and Anna van Tallert."

Truk nodded in understanding.

"Good. And I took the time waiting to move all of our gear into the garage SUV so we're ready to roll right now."

"Then that is exactly what we will do!" Lash declared.

****

Ballan looked up at the flash of headlights coming out of the trees to approach the gate and glanced down at his chrono. Almost forty minutes right on the dot. Nodding in appreciation, he turned to call into the large transport plane's belly from his position on the open loading ramp.

"Prep for departure!" he shouted. "Wheels up in five!"

Once inside the fence, it didn't take long for Lash to park the SUV beside the buses and the other two SUVs the rest of their caravan had traveled in. Then everybody was tumbling out to grab their duffel bags out of the cargo area, Ellie taking Narcist's backpack to lessen the nestari's load.

As they heard the transport planes begin to throttle up in preparation to move, Lash strode towards the nearest one. And in doing so, spotted three figures standing at the bottom of the cargo ramp, backlit by lights inside the cargo hold, which was almost full of anxious breeders.

Ballan he recognized right away. But who was this tall, long-legged, athletic figure with the flawless silhouette to his right? And the slightly shorter but equally flawless outline beside the first?

Only when he got close enough to see the shaved sides of her head and the beautifully intricate braid on the first woman did he know it was Druzha. And the voluminous flow of red hair marked none other than the Irish lilith, Faidh. The Nosferatu lilith was sheathed in snug leather, a double underarm holster tied around her upper body, a utility belt slung low on her hips, and knee boots breaking up the seamless leather catsuit look.

Faidh, on the other hand, was dressed less like a rockstar super spy and more like a rough and tumble Ventru nestari, clad in Silver Legion fatigues with a holstered sidearm on her hip, a kevlar vest over what was likely her neuron armor, gloves and combat boots. But she was no less beautiful or alluring than the sleek Druzha. And both wore dazzling smiles in greeting as they stepped closer.

"I thought the liliths were evacuating NachtFeuer," he said as they stopped just short of the ramp. "The two of you should be hundreds of kilometers from here."

"Atrix managed to convince the senior sisters to stay after Captain Kingsguard successfully intercepted the White Flames covert team and prevented their lasing the fortress," Dru said, her brilliant smile becoming something much more warm and sensual as Lash's eyes turned to her.

"So no evacuation."

"But when we heard you were heading north in an attempt to rescue a Ventru lilith, we thought you might need help," Faidh spoke up to say, partly to pull Lash's attention back to her and avoid getting shown up by her more experienced Nosferatu sister."

"We don't know how to shoot very well," Meredith said as she appeared out of the transport's hold, dressed much as Fiadh was in a more tactical outfit. "But I know how to use a knife in close quarters."