Chapter 12

Lassiter had been looking for four days. He still had found Tahlly. "Damn it! Where the hell are those bastards!" He cursed slamming his fist into the wall. He felt exhausted. He had taken out at least six or seven lessers. Not a single one had talked.

'The bastard must be keeping her secret.' He thought lighting up a cigar. He usually didn't smoke but he needed something right now. He walked out of the alley and into the sunlight. He really that right now too. 'She's been gone for four days now. It's been over a week since she got some sun. She'll be getting really weak soon.' He thought.

That thougth just pissed him off more. He took a drag, holding it in and slowly released it. He was in the slumps of Caldwell. Since lessers didn't really care about their digs they got the cheapest, crappest apartment they could. Half the time the place was empty except for the jar and a computer.

Lassiter let his mind wander trying to feel out the area. Not a single vampire was around. "Damn it!" He growled stamping out the cigar. His phone began to ring. The thign was nearly dead even though it had been off most of the time he was gone. He had it on only at night in case the brothers called. He had forgotten to shut the thing off.

He picked it up and looked at the screen. It was such a waste it just read untraceable. 'Someone is calling from the compound? Probably his highness.' Lassiter thought as he flipped open the phone to answer it. "Yeah?" The conversation wasn't long. He was todl to report back to disccus the areas that were covered. With eight of them looking they had to cover msot of the city.

'Maybe they're not in the city. They did have a van.' He thought. He wanted to kick himself for that thought. He went back down the alley and then dematerizaled to the manison. Everyone was in the study. Of course Lassiter had been right they had cover the entire city, almost twice over in fact. "This Forelesser is smart. He's keeping his little pet a secret." V growled.

"There has to been afew lesser that know. At least two, it took that many to drag her down." Rhage said. "It's just pickign the out of the bunch." Butch said sighing. "By then she could be dead." Z said. Two deep growls filled the room. Lassiter glared at the other growl.

It had completely slipped out of Qhuinn. He didn't mean to growl. He cleared his throat and looked away from Lassiter's silver eyes. 'Damn it I don't need to see him right now.' Qhuinn thought staring down. "Bella survived for six weeks. If that sick bastard has the same twisted vision he'll keep her alive just for leverage." Wrath said slamming his huge fist on the tiny desk.

'It better not stretch out like that.' Lassiter thought as he twitched his fingers. He really couldn't handle just standing here. He wanted back on the streets. "How about some the subrubs? They might not be here in the city." Lassiter suggested.

"It's possible. We'll have you, V and Butch searched the brubs the next couple of days. We'll have everyone else in the city. Try to force on highly populated areas. Those bastards like the slums. Remember don't think anyone until you make them talk." Wrath informed them. They nodded their heads. "Alright then everyone get some sleep." Wrath ordered.

"Lassiter! Stay we need to talk." Wrath said before he could hit the door. Everyone glanced between Wrath and Lassiter. "Everyone else out!" He shouted pointing to the door. They grumbled and left. But they both knew they didn't go far. "Look we both know I don't follow orders well." Lassiter growled.

"I know. But this isn't an order, it's an…corcern. We're not the best of friends. Hell we both know we would rather fight then talk. But you've been going nonstop for ninety-six hours now. You look pale." Wrath started when Lassiter shot him a look. "Pale for you." He corrected himself. "You have to be hungry or tired. I know I can't say much cause if it was Slaughter that was taken I would be going crazy. But take a break, until night fall tonight." Wrath said.

"Hell no! Each second I waste here is a second I could be closer to finding her." Lassiter snapped. "Have you seen yourself? You look aged and thin. I know she's your daughter but if she saw you like this she would chew your ass out and the rest of us for letting you get like this. Yes, she wants you to find her but, she doesn't want you killing yourself doing so." Wrath said.

Lassiter grumbled. He grounded his molars a second before muttering a reply. "You're right. Fine! I'll stay until sunset butthen I hit the road with or without your boys. I don't want to waste time." Wrath gave a small smile. 'I figure that would work on him. But it's truth.' Wrath thought. Lassiter left without another word and headed up to his room.

Wrath sighed as he leaned back in his chair. This whole thing was draining them all. His brothers were exhausted. When it came to searching for someone they threw themselves into their work. With the Forelesser being all hush hush it was going to be a lot harder for them to find her.

Beth snuck into the room and wrapped her arms around his thick neck. "Talked some sense into him?" She asked kissing his cheek. "A little, but he wasn't happy to hear what I had to say." Wrath said bring her into his lap. "I checked on Slaughter, she was sleeping." Beth said leaning into her hellren. "Finally, she's been sleepless for days." Wrath said.

After the meeting Qhuinn, John and Blay went down to the gym. "Maybe you should slow down too. 'Blay suggested as Qhuinn got on a treadmill. "Can't, if I cross one of those bastards I want to make sure I'm in peek condition." Qhuinn said turning on the machince.

"There's a fine line between peek condition and overtraining." John signed. "Yeah I know. But I don't want to take the chance." Qhuinn said as he began at a steady pace. The guys shrugged and went to their machinces. "No talking any sense into him." Blay said as he got on the bench press.

Qhuinn put in his earphones and blarred his mp3. He also upped the speed. He didn't want to think right now. Every time he staretdto think everything came back to Angel. No matter where the starting place was it always ended up the same place. 'She was here nearly a month one of us should have fed her. Then we would have problem finding her. Damn it! Why didn't we take procautions?!' He thought running faster.

He had been every lesser he had seen he had beat into a bloody plup. Until they bled and could hardly breath. He couldn't get any information out of them. No a single one knew anything. 'Damn Lash! He was always a problem!' Qhuinn thought. He grabbed his water bottle and swing some water. Most of it flowed down his face.

After awhile Blay beside the treadmill. He scared Qhuinn for a second. "Jeez man, what are you a ninja?" Qhuinn siad between breaths. Blay hit the red button to stop the treadmill. "You're going to hard if you can't run and talk, slow down." Blay said before Qhuinn could snap off his head. Qhuinn glared at him then finished his bottle water.

"You like her don't you?" Blay asked making him choke. "W-What did you s-say?" Qhuinn asked. "You like Angel. You can't hide it. You're acting like a bonded male." Blay said looking him straight in the eye. Qhuinn growled and looked away.

"You're fucking crazy. Even if I do like her there's no way I'm bonded with her." Qhuinn growled getting off the treadmill. "But you did say I do like her." John pointed out. "No I didn't." Qhuinn snapepd grabbing a towel. He wiped his face off as Blay retorted. "Yes you did." Qhuinn glared at his friends.

"I said even IF. There's no way I like her. We fight constantly. You were there. She hates my guts." Qhuinn said. "That's how most couples are. They're constantly fighting atfirst then they're lovey dovey." John signed. "He has a point. She volunteered to fed you, she can't hate you too much." Blay said looking hi straight in the eye.

'Volunteered? No told me that.' Qhuinn thought going wide eyed. "Did you even talk to her after that?" John signed. "Um no I didn't. God I feel like a jackass." Qhuinn muttered sitting on the weight bench. "You should. Angel isn't like most females. That's obviously as hell." Blay began when Qhuinn cut him off.

"I talked Slaughter told me. I didn't believe her. It didn't add up." Qhuinn said. "Does love ever add up?" Blay asked. John just nodded. Qhuinn could tell Blay was pissed with him. Hell he was pissed with himself. Qhuinn looked away. "Look I got to go. Blay watch him." Qhuinn growled as he stormed out of the gym.

Qhuinn flopped down on his bed feeling weighted down. Even the cahin around his neck felt like it weight a hundred pounds. He closed his eyes wishing he could wind back time. "Damn it! Why didn't I tell her?!" He growled. His body ache worst then it had five years ago.

The beat had been horrible but it was nothing compared to this. His chest hurt like someone had dropped a avlin on it. 'This is how bonded males feel isn't?' Qhuinn thought. He had been told how Tohr and V acted when their shellans were taken away. 'You've got to be kidding me. How in the seven hells did I bond with her?' He thought.

The weight seemed to get heavier. He needed to get his act together. If Wrath knew how much he was slacking on his job he wouldn't be happy. I thought back to when he started to feel so tired. "Four days ago." He muttered opening his eyes. "When Angel left."

'Am I that dumb? That disconnected? I didn't notice my chest was hurting so much?' He thougth placing his hand on his heart and the other on his bite wound. The wound was partical healed but it still felt tender. He sighed deeply. 'We need to get her back. No, I need her back.' He thought as the other hand traveled to his heart.

Angel woke up feeling groggy. The torture had gone on for what seem to be a few hours. She was still fully restrained. He had cut both her arms. He had taken several instruments to her wings. She could only see a part of them. What she could see made her want to cry. They was no way she could fly away to safety.

Her wings were defitnly broken. 'If I don't get them looked at soon they won't be useable.' She thought looking away. The whole time he had never touched her face or body. 'Probably saving it for next time.' She thought as she began to shiver. The Boss had taken the thin blanket she had the day before. 'How long have I been here?' She wondered starign up at the ceiling.

When the Boss was here she could easily track the time. He had on a watch msot of the time he came in here. But otherwise she was lost. 'Has it been a week? Have the lesser told them I'm dead? Still they still have hope to find me? How long will they look? A month? Slaughter must be distraught.' Angel thought.

She closed her eyes as her stomach rambled. Her stomach hurt like hell. They hadn't fed her anything since she had got here. Wosrt it had been nearly six months since she last 'fed'. She was still part vmapire and still need blood. Since her lifestyle wasn't too bad she could go motnhs without feeding. But with the recent injuries in the last month and the past week. She was about due.

She swallowed and tried to let her mind wander so she wouldn't notice the pain. She should lullabyed herself back to sleep. Her dreams were the only place she could find comfort anymore. Sometime passed before she woke up again. This time it was from the door opening. The boss stepped though. "Hello Birdie." He grinned shutting the door behind him. He had nothing in his hands this time but he had done that before.