Free Creature of Habit (Book 3) by Angel Lawson Page B

calm me. He turned his attention to the computer and pressed the play button on the video. I covered my eyes and listened.
    When it completed, Adam growled in his chest, low and menacing. "What a prick," he muttered. "Okay, what we're going to do is watch that video again and try to figure out where they are. Can you do that?"
    I nodded and wiped the tears from my cheeks. I could do it. I had to for Olivia and Grant. They were my family now and I had to do what I could. I moved closer to Adam and told him to start the video. We watched it, pausing so could I take notes every time I noticed something.
    "Do you see those small squares on the wall?" I asked Adam the third time through.
    "Yeah, I noticed those too. I feel like I should know what they are,” he said.
    "They have markings, something written on each one," I said, pointing to a small blemish on the top of each box.
    "Are they plaques or panels?" he mused.
    "I don't think so."
    We continued the film, commenting on the lack of sunlight and the smallness of the room. The final time Caleb panned the space something caught my eye. "I think that's a door," I said and gestured to a solid, windowless block of metal.
    Adam studied the image and considered the door. "Well, they would have to be keeping her someone secure and locked. But she's strong, very strong and could get out of almost any type of restraint. The fledglings can overpower her with their juiced-up strength, but in general they would have to keep her imprisoned somewhere."
    "It doesn't look like a jail cell," I replied. He grunted in agreement.
    Adam pushed his long body back into the cushions, and stretched his legs out. I noticed for the first time his feet were bare and his shirt had a large tear in it. What did he do when he went outside?
    "Hey, play that video again… back to where you can see the wall," he directed, and I found he spot he wanted. He ran his thick finger over the screen again, muttering something under his breath.
    "What?" I asked, feeling oddly nervous at his behavior.
    Adam turned to me and gave me an ultra-white smile, tinged with self-assuredness. "Call your blood sucker. I think I figured out where they're keeping the girl."
     

 
    Chapter 10
    Grant
     
    I quickly passed my family as I traveled through the woods to the location Ryan had given me over the phone. Our destination was deep in Southern West Virginia, away from most civilization, and something about it felt off. We'd met up with Ryan quickly then spreading out into a wide line, covering as much space as possible. Ryan knew Olivia's scent, of course, but I was afraid Caleb may be luring him in the wrong direction. He’d done it before and my fear was that he would lead us intentionally away from her, isolating us from one another. I inhaled and caught Elijah's scent on the leaves and branches that crisscrossed the trail.
    Once I left the house, I was able to push Amelia from my mind. I hated doing it, but she was a distraction I couldn't have at the moment. I loved her and she loved me in return, that had to be enough. When this was all over, we could figure out the future. Right now was about my family, and I owed them my utmost concentration.
    I considered the fact I'd lived so long but never had experienced war first hand. I was too young to enlist in the First World War. I'd watched it unfold around me as a teenager; friends and family leaving, fighting, and if they came home at all, they were never the same. After my transformation, I was able to see the images of war change people. They were different. Elijah was the survivor of a devastatingly bloody war. No matter how much he separated himself from the battles and fights, he was covered with scars, physically as well as mentally.
    I quickly raced around a thick grove of trees, feet pounding on the leaf-covered forest floor. The only sound was that of my body as it made contact with nature, realizing with surprising clarity, that I was heading to war. In my mind,