SWNOVELS Chapter 21 ~ Grow Up Doofus
Evander’s POV ~
Olivia made her presence known exactly five hours and twenty one minutes after we had climbed into bed for the night.. She wailed her announcement of her birth to the world at the break of light in the horizon. The Moon swelled and beamed her approval before she winked out of sight. I carried Adrianna and the baby up and out of the Lake to the infirmary.
Our beautiful bundle of joy has the stark white hair of her mother.. with an adorable single, red streak at the right edge of her hairline. She has blue eyes with lavender starbursts.. she carries witch and fairy DNA along with her wolf. Time will tell if she has a dragon. Avery has both his beasts.. but we are not sure about the other three DNA affecting him yet. His hair is as dark as mine.. and his eyes are green with the gold of his wolf.. when his temper gets away from him, his dragon flames in his eyes.
Mom and Dad arrived and I knew I was going to have to fight them off to get time with my princess. Avery and Olivia are the only grandchildren so far.. and Goddess, are they going to be spoiled!
Dad told me “Son, we got word Pogue has surfaced.. Supposed to address the nation at eight tonight. I figure he’s going to try and capitalize on Hicks’ execution. And that’s fine.. we will still catch him.. and end this.”
I asked “Any clue on where he’s sequestered? The sooner we get him in custody, the better”
Mom said “The indictment was handed down by the grand jury this morning. The FBI raided his and Silas’s offices as soon as it came down. I should have more information on discovery.. once his computers are broken into and decrypted.”
Adrianna was just waking up from her nap, and she muttered “I think Pogue is underground.. the five labs we destroyed and the two in the Gulf.. I doubt they were the only ones. There’s still groups of hunters.. actively searching for lab rats to sell.. that tells me they haven’t stopped testing.”
She’s right! And it makes total sense! He hasn’t been seen. Silas hasn’t been spotted. Staying in a bunker, underground.. makes perfect sense!
I mind linked Blake to hack into the satellite system.. checking for any type of bunker activity seen from the sky. We might get lucky with Pogue’s decrypted computer files.
Doc came in “You are free to go home.. but no strenuous activity for two weeks.” Adrianna smiled and said “I plan on being a couch potato and just cuddle with my three cuddlebugs!”
I laughed and said “Cuddles, it is! Let’s get you and our beautiful princess home.” Adrianna’s eyes filled up with tears and whispered “She really is a princess! Why didn’t that ever occur to me?” I busted out laughing.
Adrianna took a nap with Olivia, as soon as we got home. I went to tge conference room and called Dave to meet me, with Siman and Ben. I wanted to pick their military brain for any latent memories that might lead us to where Pogue is hiding.
I told them what I needed and the three sat there thinking. Simon said “Wait! Eight months ago.. I was part of a security detail to extract the president from a park in Floral City. His detail were to stay behind and defend an attack against Pogue, while we got him out of there. We drove him to an underground building.. I assumed it was a bunker.. but I remarked on the size of the building. I was told to mind my business.”
I asked him where it was.. he grinned “Almost impossible to find the entrance.. Interstate 40 between North Carolina and Tennessee, a tunnel runs through Hurricane Mountain. Heading west, Halfway through the tunnel is a right turn road.. turning on that road.. the driver pressed a garage opener like button.. and Bam! It opened to an underground tunnel.. leading downward.”
I gasped.. No fucking wonder we couldn’t see any suspicious traffic. Any increase in traffic.. “Isn’t there surveillance in the tunnel? I believe there is. If we can catch traffic going in.. and not exiting the other side.. how frequently.. what kind of vehicles.. we will know Pogue is there.”
We set up to watch the address after dinner. My mate in my lap.. Avery snuggled into her.. while Olivia napped in a bassinet beside us. This is my family. I am so grateful to have listened to my parents about your true mate. I wouldn’t trade my life for anyone!
The president came on the screen.. looking more maniacal than ever before. He played Hicks’ execution on a loop behind him.. Accusing our kind of brutal, senseless murder.. lawlessness is rampant. We didn’t allow Hicks a fair trial.. therefore, we are all war criminals. Which would seem plausible, if we were ruled by human law. If we were even American citizens. We are citizens of the Dragon Kingdom.
Dad said “Told ya. He’s hoping to incite the humans to fight. It won’t work.. but he’s desperate. If he has been checking email.. he knows he’s being indicted.. along with Silas. This is his last ditch effort before he launches a full scale war.”
Caleb said “We will step up patrols.. and we need someone monitoring that tunnel.. 24/7. Anderson and Bruno have been training together.. we need a mixture of bears and wolves running the perimeters of the Kingdom. They should be able to put a team together.”
I asked “How is Anderson doing with the rejection and everything.” Caleb grinned “Better than I have seen him in a very long time, actually! Lincoln, on the other hand, is a loose cannon. I know he is your cousin.. Fuck! He’s my nephew.. but I don’t trust him. Amelia raised him in her image.. We may want to put a shadow on him.”
Adrianna jumped up and said “On it!” She kissed me and said “I will be back.. half hour, tops. I have to chase an elf down. And you’re on Daddy duty.” Blake snickered “Daddy doodie.” Adrianna popped him, in the back of the head “Grow up, doofus!”