Free Sword of Inquest (La Patron's Sword Book 1) by Sydney Addae Page A

Greggor’s mind refused to wrap around that fact. The wolf had been a staple here for over thirty years. What happened? The footage from the cameras showed more of him and the blasted laser than anything else. There was one clip with Hawke and Jerry fighting and then nothing.
    Dammit , he needed more answers than questions when he talked to his uncle. He needed help. His uncle had left a number for him to use in case of an emergency but cautioned him against using it for any other reason than Hawke. This situation fell in that category and more. Rather than wait, he headed up to his office, and made the call.
    “Why are you calling here?” The gruff voice said before Greggor spoke.
    “ I’m at the castle, Hawke is missing.” There was a pause.
    “ Missing as in kidnapped or missing as in escaped and do not say you do not know which.”
    Greggor snapped his mouth closed, stopping those very words from leaving his mouth. He had no idea.
    “Well?”
    Since he couldn’t imagine anyone kidnapping the arrogant bastard he went with the other choice and hoped he was right. “Escaped.”
    “Damn it. How the hell did that happen? Where is Boris?”
    “In the states.”
    “How many hybrids do you have left?”
    Greggor blessed the man for not suggesting they involve his uncle for this retrieval. “Three.”
    “Three? He left nine.”
    “The test wolves created a number of security challenges,” he said in a stiff tone at the imbecile comment muttered low enough so he could ignore it.
    “Have you at least tracked him?”
    Greggor bristled at the derision in his voice. “Yes. I have the co-ordinates, he is in the forest.”
    “Why haven’t you recaptured him?”
    “ I think he had help when he escaped and I don’t want anyone interfering on the retrieval.”
    “Help? Who?”
    “Looked like Jerry, the security guard. But he didn’t fight like him. Something strange happened. I don’t want interference when I retrieve my uncle’s prize.”
    “Give me the co-ordinates, I will send assistance. Make sure you sedate him and keep him locked beneath the ground until Boris returns. He can sort this mess out then.”
    Greggor smiled, thinking of ways he’d keep Hawke confined. “I’m going to activate the hybrids and leave within the hour.”
    “Sounds good. Make sure your hybrids shoot the right wolf and not any of mine. I want no casualties behind this.”

Chapter 13
     
    Hawke sat still on the limbs of the tree and watched Asia. That name reminded him of something, something significant, but every time he pressed to remember pain shot through his skull. She looked like Jerry, a man who’d worked at the lab for the last ten years, yet her real name was Asia. How had she accomplished changing her appearance? More importantly, why didn’t he know something like that could be done? For decades he’d worked in the lab decoding text and solving the most complex riddles and he had no inkling such a thing could be accomplished.
    Even without the computer chip controlling his mind, he wanted to study this new phenomenon yet he realized the need to protect her secret. Lord Boris would do anything to have the ability to change appearances at a molecular level. Nothing could happen to her. His wolf claimed her, and that settled matters for him. Asia was his to protect and cherish.
    Hawke frowned.
    But she seemed unwilling, and uninterested. Had he been a captive so long he couldn’t recall bitches being so touchy, temperamental? Her stubbornness made no sense. Did the test wolves’ comments about his past actions turn her sour on him? He remembered her defense, she sounded as if she’d spoke from experience.
    A well of pride rose in his chest. In the past thirty hours, she’d done what others attempted for decades and succeeded where they failed. For the most part she’d shut down Lord Boris’ lab. All the research Hawke completed in the past decade waited in a cloud. He’d sent a virus to Sir Boris’ files and