Page 41 of Shadow Spirit

“You’ve got the whole dad thing down,” said Colby.

Greg flashed him a smile. “All in all, I think I got the easier side of the whole fated mate triad. Now that we’ve all had our sentimental, feel-good moment, let’s go kill this bastard that’s threatening my family.”

They beached the boat out of direct sight of O’Shea’s stronghold and turned their attention to finding and freeing Adriana.

Even with the link dampened, Greg could feel her fear and anger rolling down the link to him. Decker might think he would be the one to kill O’Shea and avenge all he had done to Adriana, but if Greg got to him first, all bets were off.

CHAPTER 19

DECKER

At the edge of the tree line, just beyond the sight of those who waited within, Decker and Samuel stood silently keeping a close and deadly watch when the three scouts returned from reconnoitering O’Shea’s fortress.

“Samuel, what do you think?” asked Decker.

“I think when she gets older, you need to recruit Erin to the team. I’ve had less accurate reports from seasoned special ops guys. The kid was right, he has no perimeter guard set outside the stronghold, nobody walking the parapets, one of the towers has been badly damaged and has no one in it, and the other three are only minimally patrolled.”

Decker grinned. “And here I thought I was just making conversation. It would appear she was listening.”

“Any idea what happened to the one tower?” asked Samuel.

“My guess is Adriana. It wouldn’t be the tower I would have chosen to destroy nor would I have basically blown the top off, but if it could give those coming up from the beach a better shot at success or make it easier for Erin to escape, it was the perfect choice.”

The day had begun to cloud over. What had started as a relatively mild day with a watery sky had devolved into a gray, foggy mess with a scent of rain and the promise of violence. The fog rolled off the ocean giving better cover to those who would be moving up from the beach to enter the fortress and search for Adriana.

But it wasn’t just from down below that the heavy fog crawled towards the massive stone walls that surrounded O’Shea’s fortification. It seemed to creep along the ground, moving upwards as it enveloped the landscape in a kind of ghostly shroud.

O’Shea’s stronghold stood on a rocky precipice, facing outward with its back to the rugged coastline. The gray walls rose from the ground like a grim sentinel to survey the foreground. Lamps flickered through the battlements and cast minimal light that failed to penetrate the encroaching weather. The door was a formidable iron structure which might have presented them with a serious obstacle to their success, but it had been left ajar, and no patrol outside the walls could be seen.

“We’re in position; are you ready?” asked Greg down the tether. It seemed the more they used the link, the stronger it became.

“My men have set charges at either corner. As soon as you hear them blow, we will be moving in.”

“Got it.”

Decker turned to his men. “Strike hard and fast. Our greatest weapon is stealth, and we need to provide cover for those from the beach to get inside. Once they have Adriana, we will hit them with everything we’ve got. O’Shea is not to be killed until we know my mate is secure.”

“Should we save him for you?” asked Samuel.

“I would prefer to be the one who ends his life, but that is secondary to getting Adriana safe and knowing he will never threaten her safety again. For those of you who don’t know, my mate is descended from the banshees, so don’t take it amiss if you see them come screaming down out of the sky to steal his soul away.”

He glanced around his men, making eye contact with each. On his nod, his demolition expert sent the signal that triggered three simultaneous blasts—one at each of the two forward towers and one midway along the side wall at its base. Decker wanted to give the illusion that O’Shea’s fortification was being assaulted by a much larger force.

As with one of the battles during the Wars of the Roses, the fog had become their ally. It swirled all around them and obscured their approach from O’Shea and his people. Decker thought it curious that the weather had appeared with little warning and wondered if perhaps Adriana had sent it to aid their cause.

As the blasts from the explosions rocked the walls of the fortress, O’Shea’s men gave a hue and cry and as expected, rushed forward. They seemed reluctant, though, to actually leave the relative safety of the stone barrier. The confusion that could be heard from within, plus the weather, gave Decker and his men the cover they needed to cross the open ground.

Reaching the base of the stone fortification, Decker and his men pressed their bodies against the cold stone and made their way inside the iron gates. One-by-one they entered, finding a place to hide amongst the chaos inside and silencing any who saw them. Decker was first inside, snapping the neck of a man who stood in his way and stabbing the throat of another with his combat blade. Warm blood covered his hand.

Once inside, the group split into two—one group securing their exit and the other moving forward to engage the main body of O’Shea’s forces. Decker led his team, moving like phantoms, their footsteps muffled by the sounds of O’Shea’s men, who were afraid and inexperienced. Decker guessed they were ill-trained and had no real loyalty to their alpha. Decker wasn’t convinced that the guards wouldn’t have managed to attack each other after the explosions and saved Decker the trouble.

“We’ve made the top of the cliff; entering the stronghold now. I fear our daughter may follow in your footsteps rather than mine.”

Hearing Greg refer to Erin as their daughter made Decker smile and reminded him of what was at stake. The initial explosions had sparked flames which now roared to life, lighting the courtyard and cutting through the soupy weather.

It occurred to Decker, not for the first time, that Brie must have known that Adriana was going after Erin on her own. He would have words with Colby about Colby’s fated mate and his own keeping their objectives and plans secret from those who shared the abbey with them.

Amidst the chaos, Decker’s team moved into the main keep.

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