When he saw Anthony's number on the display, Christopher immediately answered. As he listened to what the vampire leader was saying, he frowned and stood up from the table in the meeting room, where he had gathered with the others.
"Thank you. Send me your vampire's number. I'll keep him updated personally, if that's okay with you."
He ended the call and dialed Madison's number, but her phone was unreachable. He then tried the direct line to her office, but there was no answer.
She must be in surgery, he thought, and called Sally, his assistant.
The woman answered immediately. "No, Madison has no surgeries scheduled. A nurse said she was called in because the injured werewolf asked to speak with her yesterday. I'll try to reach her and call you back."
Chris was beginning to get nervous. Something was wrong.
The phone rang.
"She's not in the room. The injured man has disappeared. Her clothes aren't there either. Madison isn't answering her phone, and no one has seen her for a while."
Christopher swallowed hard, feeling the blood drain from his face. "Alert security immediately. If you get any news, call me. Ask Dr. Mu to help with the search, and if you find him, contact me right away."
Ending the call, he turned to the Swede. "Markus, hack into the hospital's camera system and look for Madison."
"Chris, what's going on?" his brother asked, as the computer scientist brought up the hospital's footage on one of the screens.
"Madison isn't answering, and something has happened to one of the doctors at the hospital."
Silence fell in the room.
After a few keystrokes from Markus, the screens showed Madison leaving her office, followed by a nurse. Another corridor. They entered a room, and the nurse exited shortly after. After a few minutes, Madison opened the door and turned left down the hallway, followed closely by a man. The doctor looked directly at the camera. Markus and Michael had previously decided not to reveal them, but she clearly knew where every hidden camera was located.
Christopher clenched his fist. They saw her take the stairs and head to the parking lot. There, the man threatened her with a scalpel and abducted a werewolf they passed along the way.
The last screen showed the car leaving the premises.
"I'm trying to track the car and the mobile phones," Markus said, focusing on the keyboards.
The others waited in silence for their leader to speak.
Christopher had no doubt who was behind his partner's abduction: Patrick. But the question that haunted him was—did he want to hurt her, or was she merely a means to reach him?
"The phone has been turned off. The last known location is the hospital. The car has no GPS. It belongs to Dr. Mu Yang. I've entered the license plate, and I'm waiting for some of the city's cameras to pick it up," Markus said.
Christopher nodded. "Gear up. As soon as we get a location, we're moving. Lucian, Leon—bring what you need to break into a building." The warriors stood and headed toward the door. "Mick, stay."
His brother approached him. "This is Jia Hao's number. He's the vampire who saved Dr. Mu. He was on the phone with the doctor when he was kidnapped. Call him and tell him we'll let him know where to join us as soon as we have a location."
"Will he come with us?"
Christopher looked at him. "He's bonded to him. We can't leave him behind. He's one of Anthony's warriors, and Anthony assured me he's a good asset and will follow orders without question. He was also part of the team that attacked Nereus' lair with us."
Michael nodded.
"They passed through a side road in the suburbs heading east," Markus announced.
"The bastard knows how to move," Christopher growled. "Let's move. Markus, keep us updated."
"Chris, let me come. If you need me and I'm not there, I might not make it in time. Let me grab my gear. I'll be quick."
The pack leader looked at him. Markus was trained but rarely worked in the field. Still, he was right—his help could be crucial. He nodded.
"Mick. Call the vampire and give him the location Markus found. We'll meet you there—you're coming with us."
---
Three black Range Rovers pulled out of the mansion's underground garage. Christopher, Michael, and Markus were in the first vehicle; Alex, Lucian, and Andy in the second; Ty, Raeg, and Leon in the third.
Michael drove, following Markus's directions. Aside from one additional sighting that confirmed they were continuing east, there had been no new updates.
When they reached the rendezvous point, they stopped. The vampire was already there, waiting for them. He got into the car with Alex, Andy, and Lucian, who filled him in on the situation.
Jia Hao listened quietly and nodded. "Thank you for allowing me to come with you."
In the lead car, Christopher stared at the road, his thoughts consumed by Madison. Anger, helplessness, fear, and guilt tangled in his chest. She had been kidnapped because of him—and if they had hurt her, he would never forgive himself.
"They're probably heading out of town," Markus said, giving a new position. "If that's the case, I'll have to deploy the drone to track them."
Christopher was glad the Swede had come with them.