Wayward Son (32 page)

Spalding shook his head. “No, but I also wouldn’t have thought he’d turn on us either.” He glanced up and noted the men in the back seat listening to their conversation. Raising his voice, he added, “All the same, expect anything.”

“Copy that.” Ing pressed the button on his throat mic. “First squad Bravo Three, break away, take the lead. Once you are within a half click, shut her down and set up the perimeter.”

“Copy that,” Popo’s voice came back over their ear pieces and the squad watched the black truck accelerate and pass them. Within moments, it exited from the interstate and headed for the industrial park. Lamb followed, but far enough behind that First Squad would have time to advance and set a perimeter watch.

Second Squad watched as the Raptor’s brake lights turned the area red then they winked out. Lamb pulled the matching truck in behind the first and shut off the engine. The members of Second Squad sat silently in the cab of the truck for a moment before Donnie opened the back door and stepped out. “Time to make the doughnuts.”

18

Mark appeared in the hallway causing Mitchell and company to pull up short. “Doc cleared me, boss. I’m heading to OPCOM to observe Jones on this op.”

Mitchell shot him a questioning stare. “Doc cleared you? Already?”

Mark shrugged. “We figured out what caused the rapid healing and he’s convinced that I’m not a threat. He wants me to check in every morning for a workup.” Mark grimaced at the thought of all the needles he’d have to endure in the near future. “I guess I’m not done being a lab rat.”

“What was the verdict?”

“Worst case scenario. Both viruses working in tandem. I know I know…it’s not supposed to be possible, but I’m a walking, talking conundrum.”

“You’re carrying both the wolf virus
and
the vampire virus?” Mitchell shook his head. “You do realize what this means, don’t you? We’re going to have to rethink our inoculation protocols. Apparently the men aren’t immune from…”

Mark interrupted, “I believe they still are, sir. The only reason I got infected with both was a timing thing. I was pretty much down for the count and got infected by both at the same time.”

“Still that shouldn’t be possible.”

Mark hesitated then added softly, “Doc asked if I might have Elf or Fairy blood in my heritage.”

Mitchell shot him a confused look. “Would that make a difference?”

“Possibly,” Jennifer added, stepping into the conversation. “If there was Fae blood especially.”

Mitchell glanced at his watch. “We don’t have time to get into this too deep right now, XO. Go. Do your thing, but listen to Doc. Check in with him every morning.”

“Roger that, Colonel.” Mark watched as the two entered the elevators and Mitchell punched in the code for the basement. “God speed, sir.”

“I’ll see you in the morning, Mark. Try to take it easy until then.”

Mark watched the doors close then headed for the stairwell. He took the stairs two and three at a time until he reached the floor the OPCOM was housed. He exited and headed down the hallway with purpose. Seeing the center rigged for red light, he quickly opened the door and slipped in.

Jericho Jones glanced up from the command chair and registered surprise. “Major? Should you be out of bed, sir?”

“Cleared for duty.” Mark slipped in behind him and stared at the screens. “Don’t get up, Captain. I’m just here to observe and assist if needed.”

“Yes, sir.” Jones turned his eyes back to the screens and relayed the position of the incoming drone. “Team Leader, Predator is in a holding pattern above your location.”

“Roger that, OPCOM. Preparing to make contact.”

*****

Rufus waited outside the Council chambers for his enforcers to come to him. “I would call this meeting a success,
oui
?”

“I still don’t trust them, brother.” Paul paced slowly in the hallway. “What’s to stop them from letting you do their dirty work and then going ahead as planned?”

Thorn sighed softly and placed a reassuring hand on Foster’s shoulder. “It is called honor, dear brother. These are ancient vampires. Even with being the head of the
Beastia
, and having your people aligned with me, my power pales in comparison to theirs.”

Paul’s face twisted as he stared back at the closed doors. “What kept them from answering the call of the Sicarii?”

“They are their own
familia
.” Rufus shrugged. “By charter, the heads of each of the largest familias come together and form their own
familia
to rule over the rest. Unless the Sicarii was aware of that, he wouldn’t have known to bring them under his rule.”

“They were never conscripted?”

“
Non
.” Rufus glanced back toward the closed doors. “They were very lucky that their charter called for such or they all would have been.”

“Lucky bastards.” Foster turned at the approaching enforcers. “Any troubles?”

“Negative. They never knew we were there.”

Rufus clapped his hands together. “Excellent.” He motioned toward the stairs. “Let us be off. We have a lot of work yet to do.”

“Do you know yet how we’ll track down Damien?” Foster fell into step beside Thorn.

“I have an idea that may work.”

*****

Laura collapsed in her chair and leaned back to stare at the ceiling. She allowed herself a chance to breath and a smile crossed her features. She was finally home. Nobody was trying to kill her and she could finally start making plans to pack her belongings and actually leave. She giggled lightly to herself and spun her chair back and forth while the realization set in that she was nearly free.

A knock at the door snapped her from her exhausted daydreaming and she leaned her head to the side. “Enter.”

Evan stepped inside carrying a rose and quietly shut her door. “I heard you were back.”

She gave him a sleepy stare and continued smiling. “Finally.” She debated sitting up, but it felt so good to just lean back and relax. “I’m so tired.”

Evan dropped the rose on her desk and scooped her from her chair. He carried her to the couch and gently lay her down on the overstuffed leather. “Let me see if I can help you relax a little bit.” He sat behind her and rubbed gently at her shoulders. She let out a low moan and leaned into him.

“You have wonderful hands.”

“So I’ve been told.” He gently kissed her earlobe and worked his way to her neck. “If memory serves, it was you who told me that.”

“Mm-hmm. I was right.” She leaned her head to one side and he gently bit her neck, drawing blood. “Ooh…skip the foreplay, big boy.”

Evan chuckled low in his throat as he sipped from her. “You know me, go straight for the jugular.”

Her hand reached up and behind her to grip the back of his neck, pulling him tighter toward her. “Harder,” she whispered.

Evan opened his mouth wider and bit hard, eliciting a shudder from her as she sucked in her breath. Her hand reached for his hair and she balled her hand into a fist. “Oh, my God…”

Evan sucked harder and Laura’s eyes rolled back as her toes curled. He pulled his mouth from her neck and whispered, “I missed you.”

“Don’t stop.” She pulled his head closer to her neck and ground his face into the bloody bite. Evan tasted her again, but held himself back. “Harder…”

“No. Remember, we have to restrain ourselves.” He pulled back and turned her so that he could stare into her eyes. “We can’t risk it.”

She took a deep breath and nodded, her desires not quite sated. “If you say so.”

He pulled her into a tight embrace and held her. “You know me. Always the cautious one.”

She lay on the couch wrapped in his arms for quite some time. Evan watched her breathing to see if she had fallen asleep and was prepared to slip out when she shifted and laid her head in his lap. “I still plan to leave.”

He felt himself stiffen slightly at her words. He ran a hand through her long mahogany hair and stared at her profile. “When?”

She closed her eyes, unable to look at him. “As soon as the Colonel cuts me loose.”

Evan knew better than to show his disappointment. It would do no good. Once her mind was made up, there was no changing it. “Will you come back?”

“Of course. I’ll have to. I have to see you, don’t I?” He watched as the corners of her mouth curled upward. “I can only go so long without a dose of you.”

“I really wish you’d stay. Just…tell Mitchell that you want fewer duties. Maybe you could work in supply or something?” He continued to stroke her hair. “You could always be my assistant.”

She chuckled and squeezed his leg. “I need to get away, Evan. I’ve been in this game for way too long.”

“But if you’re going to be coming back anyway, why not just stay?”

She shook her head slowly. “I can come back and visit you without having any strings attached. If I stay, I’ll just end up having to do something else that will strip another piece of my humanity.”

Evan stiffened again, but continued to stroke her hair. “Strip your…how do you mean?”

She turned on the couch so that she was looking straight up at him. “Over the years, I’ve had to do things that I never thought I’d do. I think it all came to a head with Senator Franklin.” She lifted her hand and brushed her fingers against the side of his face. “He killed himself because of what I did.”

Evan shook his head. “He
chose
to end his own life. He was a mean bastard and if it weren’t for him trying to take down everything we’ve been doing, it wouldn’t have happened.”

She closed her eyes again and replayed events through her mind. “I suppose we’ll just have to agree to disagree on that one.” She opened her eyes again and the sadness painted across her face would have broken his heart if it were still beating. “Franklin was just the tip of the iceberg though. Losing First Squad, then losing Dom. The whole ‘end of the world’ thing. Mueller’s wife and kid. It just starts adding up after a while. And, Evan, I’m just tired of it all. I’m tired of…” She stared into his eyes and stroked his jaw again. “Honey, I’m just tired.”

Evan moaned as he leaned down and kissed her, the taste of her own blood adding a salty, coppery tinge. “I really don’t want you to go.”

“I promise it won’t be forever.”

“I hope not. Forever is a very long time.” Evan wiped at his eyes absently. “I’m a vampire. I should know.”

*****

Matt opened the door the cell and escorted Jennifer inside. He gently pushed the cell door shut and the clang echoed off the painted concrete walls. “I’ll be right next door.” He watched her as she looked around the cell and began stripping her clothes off, tossing them outside the bars.

Jack sat in the adjacent cell in a black spandex bodysuit. He averted his eyes not from shyness or respect. The time he’d spent with the wolves on the island had long ago taught him that nudity was nothing to concern himself with. Rather, he was concentrating on the pull of the moon. Hoping to time his shift just moments before the moon called.

Mitchell stepped into the cell next to Jennifer’s and pulled the door shut. He turned to her as he began to undress. “The doors are on a timer. They’ll open at dawn.”

Jennifer tossed the last of her clothes outside the cell and gave him a smile. Mitchell tried not to stare at her as she stood in the center of her cell, nude. She truly was beautiful and it took him a moment to remember what he was supposed to be doing. As he tossed his socks and shoes outside the cell door he could feel his wolf clawing to surface, eager to meet its mate.

Mitchell removed the last of his clothing and tossed it outside the door and turned to stare at her once more. He saw that her eyes had already shifted to amber, glowing in the low light. Suddenly she took on a golden brilliance and he saw a grey timber wolf standing where Jennifer once stood. The wolf never took its eyes off him as he felt the shift begin to pull at him. He glanced over the wolf’s shoulder and saw Jack stand to his full height then shift to his Halfling form, the Spandex suit expanding to fit.

Mitchell cocked his head to the side, curious about the bodysuit when the shift hit him and he began his own shift. His vision changed from color to black and white and Mitchell’s memory faded as the wolf rose to the surface and howled.

*****

“All clear. Operators, stand by.”

The overhead speaker sounded more tinny than usual as Kalen and Brooke retrieved their weapons and stepped outside the simulator.

“Nailed it.” Brooke held the door for Kalen as he exited.

“You did very well, Raven. I actually felt like you could be counted on during that drill.”

Brooke gave him a droll stare then let the door fall back to hit him as she walked away. “That was the point, Keebler.”

Kalen opened his mouth to say something, but thought it better to hold his tongue until after the training officer informed them of their performance.

“You passed. A report is being generated and will be sent to Phoenix. Cadets, dismissed.” The young officer turned and walked away without any further discussion.

Kalen watched Brooke spin on her heel and head for the exit. “Why did you get upset? I was trying to compliment your performance and you—”

Brooke spun and shoved a finger into his chest, cutting him off. “You still don’t get it, do you Sugar Cookie?”

Kalen shook his head, unsure what he was supposed to get. “I suppose I do not.”

“I didn’t do this for you. I did this for…for…” She huffed suddenly and turned to leave again.

“What? What did you do it for?” He fell into step behind her. “Please explain to me what it is I’m missing.”

She threw her hands into the air, her back still to him as she marched away. Kalen watched her leave, completely unaware of what he did wrong. “Please tell me.”

“Figure it out on your own, Elf.” She slammed the door as she left, leaving Kalen alone. He stared after her, but for the life of him, he couldn’t understand what he may have said that upset her so.