and placed his hands behind his head. Kyle followed his example next to him.
"Good. Cuff 'em," the man ordered and one of his companions stepped ahead and reluctantly placed steel handcuffs around Jamie's wrists. From the solid clicking noise they made as they were tightened, Jamie could tell they weren't toys and would be impossible to break free from without help.
"Up on your feet," Alison's brother barked. "Tell us where you're holding our brothers, animal!"
Jamie got up and stared down at the man in silence. If they hadn't brought guns, this much shorter human would have been no match in hand-to-hand combat, even for Kyle.
"Don't worry, we have ways of making you scum talk." The man gave him a hateful look, then focused his sights on Kyle. "You. You tell me where they are!"
Kyle also didn't say a word.
Jamie knew how this would play out. Their silence would buy a little time, but these people would soon find their prisoners down in the basement on their own. Guarded only by Heidi, who also didn't carry a gun, they'd have no trouble freeing them.
After that, there was no way of knowing what these guys would do. The Alliance attack had resulted in two deaths, mainly because the humans hadn't known when to surrender. This strike was probably as much about revenge as rescuing their men, so once they'd found the cells, they might just kill Heidi, Kyle and Jamie for sport.
"They're alive," Jamie said at last.
Alison's brother shot him another hateful look. "Where? Or do I need to beat it out of you?"
Jamie felt his entire body tense up as instinct tried to take over.
Beat it out of him? Let this clown try.
He tried his best to remain calm, because if he shifted right here in front of a bunch of trigger-happy fanatics, he was certain he wouldn't survive it.
"Fine, have it your way," the man hissed, and stepped up ahead, until he stood right in front of Kyle. He held his weapon to Kyle's temple and turned to make eye contact with Jamie again.
"You tell me what I want to know, or your friend here gets it."
There was no doubt in Jamie's mind that the threat was real. These were the people who had been responsible for disappearances of shifters everywhere, and they'd think nothing of eliminating another one of their enemy.
If Kyle was afraid for his life, he didn't show it. Jamie knew it was over. If he gave up the prisoners, at least hopefully he could ensure Heidi didn't do anything to get herself hurt either.
"Downstairs." Jamie nodded in the direction of the door leading to the staircase.
"Both of you lead the way. Go on." Alison's brother prodded the muzzle of his weapon into Jamie's shoulder blade, forcing him ahead.
One of the armed intruders stepped ahead of them to open the door for Kyle and Jamie, while the rest waited for the two bears to step into the staircase.
"Don't do anything stupid, you hear?" The man warned, prodding his gun into Jamie's back again.
Jamie wasn't planning to. He'd go along with whatever these people wanted, just as long as it would keep his team safe. They went down the stairs into the dark hallway leading to the basement rooms they'd repurposed as holding cells. Heidi was waiting by the first door, tense, ready for confrontation.
"Oh, hell," Heidi said under her breath.
"Stand down," Jamie said, making a calming motion with his hand.
She didn't seem convinced, especially now that the men behind Jamie and Kyle came into view, but didn't argue.
One of the armed men stepped around the two bears, holding another set of handcuffs.
"It's okay, Heidi. Just give them what they want." Jamie watched while Heidi was being restrained.
Some of the other intruders started to fan out ahead, inspecting the doors leading off from the corridor. These rooms originally didn't have windows, so Jamie had ordered Kyle to install spyholes in the doors before securing each prisoner inside. The Sons members now benefited from the same, looking inside first and breaking down only those doors that
"Good. Cuff 'em," the man ordered and one of his companions stepped ahead and reluctantly placed steel handcuffs around Jamie's wrists. From the solid clicking noise they made as they were tightened, Jamie could tell they weren't toys and would be impossible to break free from without help.
"Up on your feet," Alison's brother barked. "Tell us where you're holding our brothers, animal!"
Jamie got up and stared down at the man in silence. If they hadn't brought guns, this much shorter human would have been no match in hand-to-hand combat, even for Kyle.
"Don't worry, we have ways of making you scum talk." The man gave him a hateful look, then focused his sights on Kyle. "You. You tell me where they are!"
Kyle also didn't say a word.
Jamie knew how this would play out. Their silence would buy a little time, but these people would soon find their prisoners down in the basement on their own. Guarded only by Heidi, who also didn't carry a gun, they'd have no trouble freeing them.
After that, there was no way of knowing what these guys would do. The Alliance attack had resulted in two deaths, mainly because the humans hadn't known when to surrender. This strike was probably as much about revenge as rescuing their men, so once they'd found the cells, they might just kill Heidi, Kyle and Jamie for sport.
"They're alive," Jamie said at last.
Alison's brother shot him another hateful look. "Where? Or do I need to beat it out of you?"
Jamie felt his entire body tense up as instinct tried to take over.
Beat it out of him? Let this clown try.
He tried his best to remain calm, because if he shifted right here in front of a bunch of trigger-happy fanatics, he was certain he wouldn't survive it.
"Fine, have it your way," the man hissed, and stepped up ahead, until he stood right in front of Kyle. He held his weapon to Kyle's temple and turned to make eye contact with Jamie again.
"You tell me what I want to know, or your friend here gets it."
There was no doubt in Jamie's mind that the threat was real. These were the people who had been responsible for disappearances of shifters everywhere, and they'd think nothing of eliminating another one of their enemy.
If Kyle was afraid for his life, he didn't show it. Jamie knew it was over. If he gave up the prisoners, at least hopefully he could ensure Heidi didn't do anything to get herself hurt either.
"Downstairs." Jamie nodded in the direction of the door leading to the staircase.
"Both of you lead the way. Go on." Alison's brother prodded the muzzle of his weapon into Jamie's shoulder blade, forcing him ahead.
One of the armed intruders stepped ahead of them to open the door for Kyle and Jamie, while the rest waited for the two bears to step into the staircase.
"Don't do anything stupid, you hear?" The man warned, prodding his gun into Jamie's back again.
Jamie wasn't planning to. He'd go along with whatever these people wanted, just as long as it would keep his team safe. They went down the stairs into the dark hallway leading to the basement rooms they'd repurposed as holding cells. Heidi was waiting by the first door, tense, ready for confrontation.
"Oh, hell," Heidi said under her breath.
"Stand down," Jamie said, making a calming motion with his hand.
She didn't seem convinced, especially now that the men behind Jamie and Kyle came into view, but didn't argue.
One of the armed men stepped around the two bears, holding another set of handcuffs.
"It's okay, Heidi. Just give them what they want." Jamie watched while Heidi was being restrained.
Some of the other intruders started to fan out ahead, inspecting the doors leading off from the corridor. These rooms originally didn't have windows, so Jamie had ordered Kyle to install spyholes in the doors before securing each prisoner inside. The Sons members now benefited from the same, looking inside first and breaking down only those doors that
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