Angel couldn’t tell when the doctor’s body would be discovered and he wanted the humans brought out of the building before all hell broke loose. He paced, thinking of how to keep informed of what was happening in the main building.
If their plans were discovered prematurely, he didn’t think it would be advantageous for them to be trapped in the pit. It would be too easy to wipe them all out.
He watched from the corner of his eye as Odwolf went from cell to cell giving the other Weres the elixir. A few of them swallowed the content in one gulp, Kurt pocketed his and went to sit down on his bed. Angel knew it would soon be daybreak and the thought of sleep was farthest from his mind.
“We should all get some rest. The next few hours are going to be tasking,” Kurt announced. A smile tugged the corners of Angel’s lips. ‘Kurt, always the voice of wisdom,’ he thought, but unlike others, he didn’t approach his bed. He went to a corner of the cell and stood with his back resting against the wall. He folded his arms, thinking of all that could go wrong. Again the nagging thought of their position gnawed at him. And he brought out his phone and texted Nadia, asking her to tell Ava to pass on any information about the guards’ activities. She didn’t reply to him and he figured she must be asleep. He thought to call her but stopped himself before he could press the call button, remembering all he had made her go through for the past hours. He decided then to let her sleep. Walking to his bed, he laid on it, facing up, he stared at the decking.
* * *
Nadia woke up to a gentle knock on her door and she lifted her eyelids to stare at the closed door, when the knock came again, she sat up and muttered, “Come in,” and felt a little disoriented when a young woman skittered inside and gently closed the door. Her hair was left loose and it was covering her face but when she turned around, Nadia remembered she was the girl Angel and his friend Blaze rescued a few hours before.
“Ava?” Nadia called and the girl looked in her direction. She lowered her gaze and walked gingerly to her bedside. “Are you okay?” Nadia asked.
“Sorry to disturb you, Miss Nadia, is just that I heard master Mathew telling the head of the guard to seal the pit entrance so as to keep the um… Blaze’s people in one place till someone gets here…”
“Seal?! What do you mean seal!” Nadai said, hurrying off of the bed. The words were barely out of her mouth when a loud knock came from the door. Nadia tensed and she saw the flash of fear in Ava’s eyes. She quickly reached for her a robe to adorn and was tying the belt when another louder one sounded.
“I’m getting decent. My God!” Nadia snapped. Before saying, “Come in!”
Mathew peered in. His eyes were cold as ice and his eyebrows were pulled together in a deep frown. When his eyes darted about the room and settled on Ava, Nadia knew he must have seen the girl.
“Oh, my God! Did something happen to my uncle?!” she cried loudly. Mathew frowned.
“No. I…” he replied looking puzzled.
“Jesus! You scared me!” she said in a whine. Mathew’s frown deepened. He opened the door wider and walked in. Nadia could see two guards behind him. “Hey!” Nadia said loudly gesturing to the guards behind her cousin. “Look inside my room and I will have you skinned!” she said glaring. Mathew took a quick glance back and the guards immediately disappeared from view. Nadia made a clicking sound with her tongue, rolling her eyes. Mathew looked as if he would rather be anywhere but there.
“What is this thing doing up here?” Mathew asked, throwing a cold gaze at Ava.
“Oh, you mean, Ava?”
“Yes, cousin, if that is her name,” Mathew enunciated his reply speaking as one would to an exasperating child.
“Wait! That reminds me! I could ask for your help instead of waiting for uncle!”
“Help?” Mathew repeated seemingly lost now. Nadia rushed to take his hand, holding it to her cheek. She beamed up into his face.
“You know you are my favourite cousin, right?” she said, batting her eyelashes. Mathew studied her as if he wasn’t quite sure of how to react to her and definitely couldn’t figure her out. Nadia continued to act silly until he smiled at her, relaxing a little.
“You want something?” he said in resignation. Nadia bobbed her head.
“I want my Nana to go back home to do something for me… don’t let me bore you with the detail unless you want to hear about Tamara and her bitchy comment about her dress being more expensive than mine. Can you believe that crow!….”
“You are right, cousin, I don’t,” Mathew said.
“Okay… you are no fun. Alright, while she is gone, I want Ava here to be my personal maid. I have spoken to her,” she said, paused to lean closer and added in a somewhat conspiratorial whisper, “she is a little dull but nothing a simple yelling wouldn’t do.”
“That’s it? You want her, keep her, may I leave now?” Mathew said giving her a forced smile.
Nadia pouted her lips, giving him a puppy dog eye. When he sighed she beamed and threw herself at him, hugging him tightly.
“You are the bestest Cousin, Love you! I also want a ride prepared to take my Nana to the airport.”
“Yeah, I will ask one of the guards to make the arrangement immediately,” Mathew said and carefully extricated himself from Nadia. He couldn't get out fast enough.
When the door was pulled shut behind him, Nadia hurried to press her ear to the door and heard Mathew say, “The girl was just going to my cousin’s room, ignore them and get a car ready to take her old cow to the airport. Meanwhile, do as I asked and weld both entrances to the pit. Keep them there until I say otherwise.”
“With Angel?”
“Yes! That animal is getting cocky, let’s remind him what he is around here.”
“What if the boss asks….”
“Finish that statement and you will be pushing up daisies in the next hour!” Mathew snapped.
“Sorry, boss,” a voice said. Nadia heard their footsteps fading and she straightened her spine.
“Ava, go downstairs to the kitchen and get Nana Viktoriya for me. Would you please?”
“Yes, Miss,” she said with a curtsy. The girl hurried to the door but before she opened the door, Nadia said, “You now work for me, Ava, don’t worry. I will do something for our friends.” Ava nodded with trembling lips and lowered her gaze before walking out. Nadia rushed to her nightstand, brought out her phone and saw Angel’s text. She quickly dialled his number. He picked up almost immediately.
“Angel, you need to get out of the pit now! Find your way to the tunnel. I will let you know when the coast is clear.”
“Something happened?”
“Mathew… he wants you guys sealed in the pit! Until someone named Gunther comes.”
“He is bringing guards for your uncle. I supposed he figured sealing us in would keep us tamed.”
“Angel, please get out of there.”
“I am not inside the pit… I couldn’t sleep and decided to roam a bit,” he replied.
“Where are you?”
“Somewhere in the woods…”
“Please, don’t let them see you…”
“I have to warn the others.”
“Angel, please!” she cried but he had already ended the call. Nadia quickly went inside the bathroom to take her bath, thinking she needed to be up and about to keep tabs on everything happening should Angel need her.