“Jaycee,” Addie said, turning to her, “if you’re supposed to guard me, you stick with me. Tiger supposedly can find anyone. Zander, we might need you—if . . . when we find him . . .”
“If he needs a little healing?” Zander finished for her. “You got it, sweetheart.”
“We should let Seamus and the others dig their way down first,” Jaycee said. “And you should stay up here and wait. Sit in Dylan’s truck.”
Logically, Addie understood that Jaycee was right. She knew damn all about rescue missions, explosions, and underground tunnels.
But something propelled her to follow Tiger, to rush headlong toward Kendrick, wherever he was. A frantic heat gripped her heart, making her feet move out into the open land instead of back to the safety of the vehicles.
Tiger was quickly heading for the horizon. Addie sprinted after him, and Jaycee bounded along behind her, as fast and sleek as her leopard. Zander jogged after them. “Where’s he going?” Zander asked.
Tiger disappeared over a fold of land, and they hurried to catch up. They found Tiger tearing squares of sod from what looked like boards lying on the ground. As Addie neared him, she realized they were doors, like the entrance to a storm shelter.
“In there?” she asked.
Tiger didn’t answer. He finished digging the sod out of the way and yanked the doors up.
A waft of dust poured out, closing up Addie’s throat. She coughed. Jaycee sneezed. Zander peered into the darkness of the hole, his arm over his nose.
“Of course,” Zander said. “Kendrick is hiding in the deep, dark, smelly hole. And you want us to go down there.” He pointed an accusing finger at Tiger.
Tiger gave him an unreadable look. He forestalled any questions by lying on the edge of the doorframe, feeling inside, then righting himself and starting down what appeared to be a ladder.
Addie made herself wait until Tiger had gone a long way down. Following him without knowing how sturdy the ladder was or where it led would be stupid, even though every instinct in her was urging her to scramble down after him.
“You all right?” she called.
Tiger took so long to answer that Addie’s heart thumped in worry.
“Forty rungs,” Tiger’s rumble came to them. “Solid floor. The ladder will hold you.”
Before the others could prevent her, Addie slipped over the side and climbed down in Tiger’s wake.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Kendrick inched his way out from under a pile of rubble, struggling to breathe. He was trapped between the rock fall that had rushed into the corridor, creating a mound of debris, and the low ceiling, which remained intact. There was very little space for Kendrick’s body between the rubble and the ceiling, and he slid through darkness on his belly.
Lachlan didn’t bring firearms, because he went for explosives.
The air was thick with dust and Kendrick couldn’t get a breath. He coughed and spat but had only sand and dirt to inhale.
He shook his head, trying to find clean air. Kendrick had only one thought beyond immediate survival—Lachlan is out there, and Goddess knows what he’ll do to Addison and my cubs.
That thought galvanized him, made him harbor no idea of giving up and dying. He’d dig his way out of here, find Addison, and kill Lachlan. He’d finish Lachlan as fast as he could and send him to dust.
But first he had to get out. Though Kendrick had returned to his between-beast state, strong enough to throw chunks of concrete from his path, his progress was slow.
Something hummed in the darkness. Kendrick knew exactly what it was, having heard that sound resonating deep in his body since the day he’d stood under a grove of trees during the Choosing and was touched by the Goddess.