Silence greeted her words except for the sound of distant gunfire and heavy male curses. Outside the shattered windows, Faith watched several dim shapes darting about in the darkness, too quick for her to fire at, but slow enough for her to keep a careful watch on.

“We need rifles,” she bit out as she felt Jacob moving around behind her. “I’m out of reloads and we’ll be sitting ducks here when our ammo runs out.”

“We’re moving in your direction.” A voice came through the link. “She’s right. We have four Coyotes in the compound and a handful of soldiers. We’ve taken down a few and moving in for the rest.”

“Watch your asses, they have night vision goggles, and have moved into a position of defense.” As Jacob barked out the orders, Faith watched as the shadowy shapes shifted, merging outside. “They want in this house, and they’re determined to get in. There are too many entry points to cover them all.”

“Stay down, keep your eyes open.” Jacob was beside her instantly, his revolver placed in her free hand. “I’m going for the rifles and ammo.”

She could hear the worry in his voice, wanted to look up and reassure him but she was too frightened to take her eyes off the windows surrounding them.

“Hurry,” she bit out. “I’m a hell of a shot, but there are a lot of them out there.”

She fought to keep her voice from quivering, her fear from locking her up. She was a negotiator. She had to keep reminding herself of this. Why did she keep finding herself in the middle of gun battles?

“Five seconds max,” he promised her as she picked up his revolver, trained both weapons on the windows and waited.

The comm. link was filled with activity. Voices were raised furiously, curses tainting the air blue with their virulence as whoever was supposed to be watching outside fought for dominance.

“Dirty bastards are moving on the back,” someone yelled. “They want in that house. Kill the dirty sumabitches.”

Gunfire erupted again just as those outside the ballroom decided to make their move.

“Jacob, get your ass in here,” Faith yelled into the comm. link as they began firing again.

Bullets rained around her as she returned fire. She couldn’t set off a barrage of killing steel as they were doing. Her only choice was to pray she was sheltered enough, that the bar was thick enough, and that each bullet hit its mark.

She watched several figures drop, but the gunfire didn’t cease. Holding her weapon steady she picked off the closest target, the bastard sneaking around the side with the obvious intent of making it past one of the shattered windows. As three more took his place and her last round exploded from the chamber, Jacob burst into the room, returning the assault with a punch of machine gun fire that had the enemy scattering for safety.

He kept up the barrage of bullets as he came over the top of the bar, rolling over it and throwing himself behind the protection of the thick wood.

“Rifle, ammo.” She turned at his voice, catching the heavy weapon and the shoulder pack filled with reloads.

“What the hell are they after?” she bit out, as she went back to her position, her eyes moving to sight the dim shapes once again.

“Hell if I know,” Jacob bit out as he moved in beside her, covering the far windows now. “But we’re in a hell of a bind. Stygian, report.”

The gunfire still blazed outside, echoing in the comm. links as curses and furious orders poured through the connection.

“We’re working our way around,” the dark voice reported. “I have three sides covered. We’re free of danger and heading your way.”

“Well it seems the bastards have concentrated here,” Jacob bit out. “Take at least one prisoner, I want to know what the hell is going on.”

“Take prisoners?” Incredulity poured from the voice. “You ain’t askin’ for much are you, boss?”

“Try your best,” Jacob growled. “We need to know why they’re striking now.”

“Do my best, boss.” There was a wealth of mockery in the deep drawl.

Faith felt Jacob grunt in irritation beside her.

“You do that, Stygian,” he bit out just as another round of gunfire began to sweep through the room. “Son of a bitch, Caleb is gonna be pissed over his house now.”

Faith returned fire as Jacob let loose beside her. More windows shattered, spraying the ballroom with glass as the ear deafening blasts of repeated rounds assaulted her ears.

“We’re comin’ through. Leave off. Leave off. We have them,” Stygian’s voice was imperative now as he and his men cleared the side of the house and began driving the enemy away from the windows.

The bullets turned from Jacob and Faith as distant screams of fury and rushed orders echoed amid yet more firepower. Outside, fiery bursts of color exploded through the once immaculate gardens like a destructive display of miniature fireworks.

“Stay put.” Jacob jumped to his feet as he reloaded and headed for the windows.

“Stay put, my ass,” she bit out, following close behind him. “Sorry, babe. I’m still horny. I can’t risk letting you get yourself killed on a whim, mate, until I get my BOBs. Where you go, I cover you.”

There was a brief pause in the gunfire outside, a strangled chuckle over the comm. link, a gasp, a male groan and Faith’s face flamed. Then need overtook shock as the battle waged once again.

“Stay behind me then,” Jacob ordered, his voice strangled as he moved alongside the bar, working his way to the gaping holes where windows should have been.

“Covering your ass, babe,” she promised him, doing just that as they moved towards the darkness outside.

“They’re on the run,” Stygian suddenly yelled. “Catch one of those bastards, dammit.”

There was a fury of movement outside the windows as Faith followed Jacob at a run, well aware of the importance of catching one of the attackers. If there was no clear reason why they should attack, then they needed to know why.

“Fuckers are getting away,” Stygian yelled.

“Dammit, Stygian, move on those bastards.” They cleared the window frame in a running jump and were moving quickly for the tall, stone wall that surrounded the estate along the back of the gardens.

Another short, quick burst of gunfire came from several directions, and then dead silence filled the comm. links for long minutes.

“Son of a bitch,” Stygian cursed again, breathing roughly. “Jacob, we just lost him. Sniper took him out.”

“The sniper?” Jacob questioned as they moved through the thick foliage, coming out to where a small group of Enforcers had converged over several fallen bodies.

“Well, boss, it was kill his ass or let him kill me. And I only go so far for the sake of answers, ya know?” Deep, rough, the baritone was darker in person than over the comm. link.

Faith ignored him, despite her curiosity. She went to the fallen bodies, kneeling at their sides despite the blood and gore that littered the ground. They were definitely Coyote Breeds, but there were human soldiers as well. She knew the scent of both.

“Help me check their pockets,” she told one of the Enforcers standing beside her.

The silent Breed bent and began riffling through the pockets of the other dead man. As Faith worked, she placed the few folded pieces of paper she found on the silent chest of the fallen enemy.

Behind her, Jacob was giving the others quiet orders, though she could feel his gaze on her.

“Hey, I found something.” The Enforcer beside her kept his voice low as he placed several pictures on the small pile of papers Faith had accumulated. “Looks like a list of some sort, too.”

“Flashlight?” she asked him, glancing over as he reached back to a thick hip pack.

Faith twisted the end of the small penlight, and was rewarded with a bright, though slender beam of light. She directed it on the bloodied pictures. There was one of her in the bar. Surprising. She couldn’t recall a picture being taken of her. There were also pictures of Hope and two other women. The list gave names, locations and several small drawings that Faith assumed to be a code of some sort. She went back to the pictures. She knew Hope of course, but she knew the other two as well. All but her were full humans rather than hybrid breeds.

“Jacob, do we have any kind of Internet connection in this hellhole?” she bit out as she read over the list, and glanced back at the pictures.

“No BOBs,” he bit out. “Keep your mind on the job.”

Faith stilled. Beside her, she could feel the younger Enforcer holding his breath. She came carefully to her feet, staring at her irritated mate as he glanced back from the face-off he held with Stygian, and a flame-haired Enforcer that scowled dangerously.

Her eyes narrowed as she felt offended fury course over her body.

“Excuse me?” She heard the primal growl in her own voice, and would have been as shocked by it as Jacob was if she hadn’t been furious.

Jacob frowned at her again. “In a minute, Faith.” He turned back to Stygian.

Faith felt her body tremble with hurt. His men stood around him, watching her carefully, aware that she was the Alpha female of this pack, but his response to her had placed her in the lowest level of the hierarchy instead. So much for Alpha intelligence.

“Was he shot in the head?” She directed a look of pseudo-innocence at the Enforcer, Stygian, ignoring Jacob’s narrow eyed look.

Stygian cleared his throat carefully. “Not that I can tell.” His look was assessing as he watched her, wondering how she would handle her mate, and if she was strong enough to stand with them.

She didn’t blame them. With one thoughtless comment born of his own anger, Jacob wiped out any initial respect they had for her.

“Is there an Internet connection available here?” Once again she directed her question to Stygian. “I will assume that the heat of battle has fried his brains, so I’m hoping you, at least, will have an intelligent response.”

She ignored Jacob. It was that or shoot him.

“Well, I have a laptop—”

“Get it,” she bit out. “Satellite connection?”

He glanced at Jacob.

“He didn’t ask you,” she reminded him. “I did.”

Stygian shrugged. “He’s boss. You get a laptop at his say so.”

Which wasn’t satisfactory. Before Jacob could reprimand him, Faith moved.

The bigger they were, the less they expected from a small, puny woman. He blocked her intended blow, so he wasn’t watching her feet. Her legs tangled with his, throwing him off balance as she slid her legs expertly out of the way, pushed firmly and watched him fall. As he landed on his back, she planted her foot firmly at his crotch.

Had she been the enemy, he would have taken her then. But had he been her enemy, he would have already lost his balls, and then his throat.

Jacob cursed behind her.

“I’m smaller, and he’s the asshole that left his mate for six years to play jungle tramp. He might not like it, and you might be under the impression you can follow suit. But I am still your Alpha.”

Stygian shuddered, but not from fear. Deep, hard chuckles welled in his throat and shook his body as his hands reached out. He grabbed her ankle. Faith twisted in his grip, executed a flip and landed in a crouch several feet from him.

“Damn. Boss, she’s a live one.” He came to his feet, facing her as Faith stood to her full height. Which she admitted wasn’t much when standing next to Stygian.

“That she is,” Jacob growled in warning and a measure of respect she hadn’t heard in his voice before this.

“I don’t need your help now,” she bit out, staring at him furiously.

“No, you took care of it yourself, but it was me who should have been on my ass again,” he sighed wearily. “I have a laptop and satellite connection in the house. I’ll show you everything you need. You’re right. You proved your place tonight, I shouldn’t have let my anger and worry for you get the best of me.”