Marked by Dean Murray

completely forgot about the fact that we'd been headed to
Idaho with the intention of setting up an ambush designed to save the
other half of our people.
    It
took me completely by surprise when the massive RV gently shuddered
to a stop. Alec was at my side before I even managed to get out of my
chair.
    "I
want you to stay inside the RV, Adri. This should be a quick, easy
fight, but there's still no reason to risk you."
    I
wanted to argue with him, wanted to tell him that I belonged by his
side, but I knew exactly how tight our timing was on this particular
operation. I couldn't bring myself to argue with him, not this time,
not when I knew doing so could end up costing lives.
    "Fine,
I'll stay inside, but I want you to take Vik with you. If things go
badly I want you to have all the help possible out there."
    "Okay.
I'll take Vik and Donovan can stay here to drive the RV in case we
need to bug out quickly."
    "No,
take Donovan out there too. I can drive the RV."
    Alec
wanted to argue with me, but I could see the same understanding in
his eyes that was in the forefront of my mind. We simply didn't have
time to waste, not if we were going to save our people. I got a short
nod and then the rest of the shape shifters started filing out of the
vehicle.
    I
worked my way up past all of the laptops and settled into the
driver's seat, unrolling the passenger's window so I would be able to
hear what was going on.
    Whoever
had picked this location for the ambush site had been nothing less
than brilliant—it was that perfect. We were situated in some
kind of low, natural amphitheater in the middle of a lava field. We
were parked on a large stretch of blacktop that seemed to indicate
someone had been planning on building something out here at some
point in the past, but if so they'd never followed up.
    Paul,
Alec's bodyguard, had parked our vehicle so that we were facing back
the direction we'd come from, but I noted that only because it meant
that I wouldn't have to turn the beast of an RV around if we did have
to leave in a hurry. The other RV was parked just to the left of me,
and I looked over expecting to find Mallory sitting behind the wheel,
but the driver's seat was empty.
    A
few seconds of searching let me find Mallory, who was obviously in no
condition to be in the middle of any kind of fight. That didn't seem
to be stopping her though and even Donovan's beseeching looks in her
direction didn't seem to be having any kind of effect on her. She had
some kind of pistol hanging from the end of her arm and seemed to
know how to use it.
    "I
want everyone to spread out in an arc. Stay far enough back that you
don't get caught up in the area of effect of my ability, but if
something goes wrong be ready to jump in and help out the new
arrivals."
    Alec's
orders got a round of nods and then everyone turned towards the
entrance of the amphitheater. A few seconds later I was able to hear
it too, an engine under hard acceleration. The white subcompact that
raced into view caused Alec and Donovan to look at each other in
astonishment.
    "I
thought we were expecting someone in a black SUV first, Donovan."
    "Indeed,
sir."
    The
white car was followed by a red minivan which was in turn followed by
a pair of black SUV's, which would have been good except for the fact
that these SUV's were sporting flecks of red and white paint from
where they'd tried to run our people off of the road.
    "They've
learned from the other ambushes so far—they're being more
aggressive. They want to get their people here all at once rather
than letting them come in piecemeal. Why didn't we know this was
developing? This is going to have major strategy implications,
Donovan."
    "I'm
not sure, Master Alec. The logical answer is that they must have used
their IT resources to shut down our communications."
    "Once
we're clear of this we're going to need to invest in some dedicated
communications equipment. It's not going to be possible to get by
just using the commercial