Angel drew in the cold, fresh air into his lungs once they reached the surface. He discreetly scanned the grounds, forming an alternate plan in his head. The keys Nadia gave him were still in his pocket and he thought they might come in handy if Aaron needed to run. He supposed his late boss's men would protect him if he was able to get to Alexander's house but he silently noted it was quite a distance and Aaron was not in good shape.
Mathew gestured to him to follow him and Angel obeyed hesitantly. Guards flanked him as they took a path to the female cell block.
Upon getting to the entrance, Mathew gestured for them to wait and choose just two guards to follow him inside. They came back with two she-wolves. The two were completely naked and almost as white as the snow-dusted grounds.
Although they looked clean, their faces were covered in bruises and they have a glassy look as if they were nothing but a shell of themselves. Angel swallowed when one of the two looked at him. He clenched his jaw, hating his helplessness and inability to help.
He recalled there used to be quite a number of them and now they were two. He hated to think of what may have befallen the rest of them. The determination to make sure Aaron survive increased. He silently vowed to make sure the human survive even if he had to die trying.
'I'm sorry,’ he thought, peering into the eyes of the she-wolf, she looked away and trudged after Mathew.
They all filed back towards the main building, and when they were about a quarter of a mile to the front of the house, Antonio Rufus came to stand on the front porch. And then Daniel appeared by his side.
Angel couldn't tell whether it was the sight of Daniel or Antonio Rufus that triggered what happened next but then he saw the deft movement of one of the she-wolves as she lowered to the floor and pulled out a hunting knife from the ankle strap of one of the guards flanking her. She then rose to her feet and slit the throat of the guard she took the knife from and the one behind him that tried to grab her, stabbed about three in the gut and then howled aloud before stabbing another guard with a passionate intensity that got to him and then plunged the blade into her heart.
"No!" Angel uttered. He couldn't tell whether he said it out loud or in his head but the next he knew there were about six bodies on the snow and the she-wolf was right in the middle of them with her eyes wide open in death and her chest soaked with blood. The other she-wolf looked on with a blank, emotionless stare.
Angel turned away from the sight, still carrying Aaron, and shut his eyes as he zoned out from the happening around him. He took steady breaths, trying to stay calm.
When he opened his eyes. Antonio Rufus was standing a few feet from him, studying him quietly.
"Well… we can both agree I had nothing to do with that one -- a terrible waste, I know," Antonio Rufus said. Angel continued to take steady breaths, forcing his beast to stay calm. His breathing was unusually loud in his ears and so was the blood flowing in his veins. If the humans knew how close he was to losing control, they would be running for their lives. But he forced himself to remember that aside from the brave she-wolf who just died such a courageous death, there are about 13 of his kind left -- hoping to still survive the hellhole.
"Tell me, Angel, why is Alexander's boy still alive?" Antonio Rufus asked as he folded his arms against his chest. Angel knew the calm facade was nothing but a mask.
"Leverage, boss," he forced himself to say through gritted teeth, trying to hide the extended canine as a result of his state of mind.
"I see … hmm," Antonio Rufus said, he then took a few strides toward him and added, "after this leverage business, Angel, I expect you to finish him off. I want him and his boss dead. Do you understand me?"
"Yes, boss," Angel replied. The other man nodded, reached out to pat him on the chest and walked away. When Angel turned around, he saw Daniel glaring at him from afar. His cold eyes promised retribution.
A turmoil of emotions raged inside Angel: he was relieved that his plan was back on course, saddened one of his own resorted to suicide, and then there was the simmering violent rage to throw Aaron aside, rushed to Daniel to reap his head off alongside his father and brother. And finally the fear of what Daniel might have in store for him and who he was going to choose to use against him this time.
While some of the guards started to clean off the dead bodies, the others started to assist the drugged werewolves to wear combat-ready military getups, and this time they gave them boots.
Angel marched to stand beside one of the guards, gesturing to Aaron, he said, "Boss wants him geared up too."
"Do it yourself beast-boy, you've got hands, don't you?" the guard snapped.
Angel directed his gaze to the pile of packed uniforms and Aaron whispered, "Size 42." Angel lowered his gaze to meet his and nodded. He then gently placed Aaron down and search the pile for his size. He helped Aaron as best as he could and blocked him with his body when he couldn't bend over to take off his trousers by himself. Angel quickly helped him, making sure he covered the rag wrapped around his stomach.
"Thank you," Aaron said after Angel helped him to find new boots to wear. He then stood beside him and changed too. Angel felt strange fully covered but was mostly glad for the boots.
They all lined up as a big truck pulled over in front of the house. Angel tensed up when he saw Antonio Rufus Frankenstein's doctor come out, pushing a cart pack full of his mind-controlling devices. He sighed, thinking of the new hurdle he may not be able to escape.
"If at any point I turn mindless and can't remember who you are, I will appreciate you ran for your dear life," Angel muttered calmly under his breath. Aaron silently cursed. "And if you have any means to stop me, use it," Angel added.
"Shit!" Aaron cursed.
The contraption was strapped around the necks of each of the werewolves before they entered the truck. One by one they all sat straight like robots lining the benches stationed on both sides of the enclosed space.
When it got to Angel's turn, the doctor strapped one around his neck too and did the same to Aaron -- the contraption hung loosely around the human's neck.
Angel figured Antonio Rufus must really have it for the human. When activated, the contraption had the power to make a weak Were go literally mental. Aaron might go crazy from the sheer pain of it if left on him for far too long. And looking at him now with all the ordeal he had gone through for the past hours, he doubted he was strong enough to stand the effect but then he might be wrong. At a point, he had thought Aaron might not make it through the night and yet here he was. Angel climbed the truck, still carrying Aaron.
"Angel is to join me in my jet when we get to the airport. I want him in my sight always," Angel heard Antonio Rufus telling the head of the guards.
"And the man he is carrying?"
"Leave him with the rest of the Weres, the very sight of him is pissing me off!" Antonio Rufus retorted. Angel's lips tweaked in a ghost of a smile.
'Are you scared, Rufus? You should be. You have no idea of what I'm going to do to you and your entire fucking family,' Angel fumed silently.
When the guards shut the doors to the truck plunging them into darkness. Angel directed his eyes to Blaze who was sitting on the opposite end of the bench. His face was held forward like the rest of the Were, Angel knew it would take at least five hours for the drug to wear off. And the after-effect combined with the contraption around their necks would make them exactly the weapon Antonio Rufus wanted -- mindless and enraged.
He let out a sigh and was about to take his eyes off of his young friend when Blaze turned his face in his direction and winked. Angel grinned.