Free Fire Storm by Ally Shields Page B

employer. Is there anyone who’d know?”
    Ramon lifted a hand high overhead and two young men came running. They stared wide-eyed at the corpse, and he had to raise his voice to get their attention. “Hey, listen up. Gather the families. Spread the word of what has happened to Katya and that we need the name of her most recent client. Hurry.” The men took off running, changing into fox form as they went. Bushy tails were the last parts visible before they plunged into a grove of trees.
    “Outsiders are not allowed at a fox gathering. You can wait in your car or I will find you at the casa di campagna .”
    “Andreas’s country house,” Samuel clarified.
    She looked at Ramon. “How long will this take?”
    “Minutes. Hours.” He shrugged. “Who can say? Is there urgency?” His voice sharpened. “Are you withholding something?”
    Ari glanced at Samuel. He gave Ramon a steely-eyed look. “The master is missing.”
    “De Luca?” The werefox leader looked startled, then disbelieving, and finally settled on bewildered. “By missing, are you saying he’s lost or been abducted? Who would dare? How is such a thing even possible?”
    “He wouldn’t get lost,” she snapped. “Werebears attacked him.” She cocked her head. “Why do you seem so surprised?”
    “Because I am. How could anyone take him captive?” He looked at Ari, then at Samuel. “Oh, I see. You thought we didn’t know he was a vampire.” Ramon gave a dismissive grunt. “It is the worst kept secret in the region. At least among the Otherworlders. He is somewhat of a legend.”
    Samuel’s mouth dropped open; Ari merely nodded. She’d been thinking the local populace would be pretty dense not to suspect. In fact, it was a relief they knew. Not having to hide that fact would make their investigation easier.
    “How long have you known?” Samuel demanded.
    “Decades.”
    “But how?”
    “Samuel, you can catch up on local gossip later. Right now it’s a good thing that they know. We can talk more freely.” She turned back to Ramon and followed her instincts. She liked the way he cared about and protected his pack. Maybe he could also be trusted, at least to some extent, and she needed local expertise. “A sorcerer was involved in the attack, but we’re afraid it was the vampires who were behind it. The powerful elders who rule Europe. But they didn’t pull this off without local help.”
    “By vampires, you mean the O-Seven. We’ve all heard of them.” Ramon gazed thoughtfully at the rolling hills over her shoulder. “I hope Katya wasn’t part of this, but she may have been spying for them without realizing who they were or what they planned. I’ve heard she was pinched for money. Starting this new business and all…” His eyes darkened, and he shook his head. “De Luca and his people have been generous in this region, sheltering, providing jobs without asking questions or demanding anything in return. We will do what we can.”
     
    * * *
     
     
    “Well, blow me over.” Samuel climbed behind the wheel of the truck. “I wonder how they found out. Decades ago, he said.”
    She loudly cleared her throat.
    “Sorry, not important right now, I know, but I’m just so blown away. Our people have never heard a whisper.” He glanced at her. “OK, so what do we do next? Just wait for the foxes?”
    “Hardly. While they talk, I’ll try to contact the only people I know in Europe…the black magic coven.”
    He paused in switching on the engine. “You can’t believe they’re involved in this. Not after you helped them.”
    “Goddess help me, I hope not. I need their help to find Andreas. If he’s deliberately blocking me, I might be able to use the coven’s power to enhance my end of the magical connection. Maybe enough to force a connection. Kind of like boosting the signal.” She watched him back the pickup down the road. “And I’m going to call Gabriel. If the O-Seven’s behind this, and they’re holding Andreas