The Archer And Her Wolf

Chapter 6 Thea

It's been 48 hours since I left Valor Moon's packhouse and returned to my mark, Hugo. I guess he and his boss, Matt, got the message because they haven't tried anything with the Alpha's son, Logan, lately. Hugo was held up in his cabin, only receiving one visit from Matt yesterday morning. I was getting impatient and was ready to make my move. Hugo needed to be captured and interrogated by Base.

My phone buzzed in my pocket and I shifted on the tree branch to pull it out. I looked at the screen, it was a coded message from Base. They were asking me about the two men I sent and why I didn't have Hugo yet. I quickly typed up an explanation and stuffed my phone back in my pocket. I grumbled, having enough of this stakeout. I jumped down from the tree and readied my bow.

I crept around to the back side of the cabin, looking for the easiest way to sneak in. I found a window that was open about an inch. I jimmed it loose and opened it up the rest of the way, popping out the screen so I could crawl through. I threw my bow over my head, the string crossing over my chest and the bow resting on my back. Then, I shimmied myself through the window.

I quietly jumped down and readied my bow again, notching an arrow and sneaking through the small cabin. I was inside a bathroom, so I had to silently open the door and take in my surroundings. I slipped through the crack in the door and stepped into the hallway. To my left were two closed doors and to my right I could see the kitchen. I listened carefully and heard the sound of a TV coming from the right.

I chose my steps carefully, not wanting to disturb any of the old wooden floor planks. When I reached the archway that led to the kitchen and living room, I paused to look around the corner. Hugo was sitting on the couch in front of the TV with his back towards me. Otherwise, the cabin was empty. I leveled the arrow with his head and stepped inside the living room.

Hugo flinched and jumped up, spinning around to face me as he sensed my presence.

"Archer." He growled at me.

I didn't waste any time. I released the arrow and it plunged into his stomach. I smirked as he dropped to his knees and then disappeared. I pulled at the chain around my neck, bringing a golden pendant out from underneath my shirt. I pressed the pendent between my fingers and watched as a portal surrounded me. I, too, vanished from the cabin.

I was dropped down in the middle of the Archer's base of operations for the east coast. My pendent portal took me to a secure location inside the compound, unlike the portal from the arrows which took its victims straight to the jailhouse. I was in a small room specifically meant for arriving Archers. No one else was around. I flung my bow over my shoulder and pushed open the door.

"Captain." The guardsmen on the other side bowed his head to me, "Welcome back."

"Thanks, Rich. Where's Effie?" I asked.

"She's in the jailhouse. You've been keeping her busy this week." Rich chuckled at me and I grinned.

"Just doing my job." I winked at him before heading down to the jailhouse.

The Archer's base was a large compound that looked like an abandoned factory to outsiders. Below it was the jailhouse. Every Archer got a private bedroom and bathroom within the compound. There was also a kitchen, dining hall, a few living rooms, and some recreational rooms. Connected to the compound by an underground tunnel was the gymnasium, workout rooms, weapons arsenal, and indoor swimming pool. Outside were training grounds, another pool, and an archery range.

I pressed my palm into the digital scanner next to the secured basement door. It clicked open and the lights automatically turned on. I jogged down the steps and through another secured door, punching in my security code this time. The door opened and exposed the dark jailhouse. It was exactly what it sounded like, a dark, damp, dim cinder block basement filled with unpleasant sights and smells. It held around fifty cramped cells and two huge interrogation rooms.