Risky Bargains

by J. C. Diem

  “I’m guessing he doesn’t get out of the lab much,” Yas whispered from somewhere nearby.

  Crowmon snickered and I had to bite my lip to control myself as Nick grabbed the box from the back of the SUV.

  We trooped over to the barn and introductions were made. “I understand you’ll be testing the remains to verify that they aren’t human,” Sheriff Unwin said. She didn’t ask why two of our team members were missing. Maybe she didn’t even notice, since her gaze kept flicking to Liam. From the satisfied gleam in her eyes, it was easy to tell she’d enjoyed their night together.

  “That’s right, Sheriff,” Charles said, all traces of excitement gone and assuming a professional demeanor. “Can you show me where the bodies are?”

  “There isn’t much left of them, doc,” Liam said as the sheriff led the way around the side of the barn.

  “Well, you weren’t exaggerating,” Charles said when we came to a stop near the ashes.

  “Is there enough for you to run your tests?” a deputy asked.

  “There are enough bone fragments to determine whether they’re human or not,” Dr. O’Brien replied.

  Nick put the box down where he was instructed and we all stepped back to let Charles work. Opening the box, he took a pair of latex gloves out and donned them expertly. Next, he grabbed a couple of test tubes and forceps. Hunkering next to the remains, he carefully fished out a couple of bone fragments and dropped them into the test tubes.

  Crossing back to the box, he placed the test tubes in wooden holders, then chose one of the containers of chemicals. “If the remains are human, the liquid will turn pink,” he said gravely. Everyone crowded around him, then recoiled when he opened the container. “It’s quite potent,” he said apologetically.

  “No kidding, doc,” Brynn murmured. The smell had hit us supernatural creatures far harder than the humans.

  A few people held their breaths as Charles carefully used a pipet to suck up the chemicals. He squirted it into one of the test tubes, then put the cap back on the container.

  “How long will it take for the test to run?” Sheriff Unwin asked.

  “About that long,” Dr. O’Brien said when the liquid turned silver.

  “It’s the same color as their skin,” a deputy said in awe. “It’s definitely their remains.”

  “I’ll run a second test, just to be sure,” Charles said. He used a different chemical, but the results were the same. “In my professional opinion, these bodies are alien in origin,” he said.

  Sheriff Unwin breathed an audible sigh of relief. “I’m glad they’re dead,” she said. “What should we do if more of them show up?”

  “Call the PIA,” Liam said and handed her a card with contact details to call. The card didn’t have his private number on it. “It’s our job to handle threats from other dimensions.”

  “I’d like to thank you all for your help,” the sheriff said and gave him a seductive smile. “If you’re ever in Landsby again, make sure to stop in and say hi.”

  “We will,” Liam promised with a wink.

  “Gag,” Yas whispered from her hiding spot in the decrepit barn. “Enough with the flirting so we can go home already.”

  “I need to get back to my lab,” Charles said as if he’d somehow heard her.

  “We’ll escort you to your car,” Nick offered and picked up the box again.

  We walked back to the vehicles, pretending we didn’t know the doctor. He waved, then drove off. We followed him to the outskirts of town and everyone climbed out, except for Yas. It was too sunny for her to stand out in the open unless she had to.

  “Thanks again for faking that test,” Liam said. “It was a nice touch to make the liquid turn silver.”

  “I thought they’d buy it,” Charles said with a smirk. “It was my honor to help. Call me anytime you need me,” he added. Nick carried the box for him and Emma took them back to Denver. They returned a few minutes later.

  “Let’s take our time getting back to the base,” Liam suggested. “I’m in no hurry to return.”

  “We should stop for lunch along the way,” Sydney said slyly.

  “I second that,” Brynn said.

  “Don’t worry about me,” Yas complained. “Just leave the vampire in the car like an unwanted pet.”

  “I’ll crack the window open for you,” I said, then caught the key that Liam tossed to me. I was snickering so hard at my bestie’s affronted squawk that I almost dropped it.

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  AS PLANNED, WE DROVE to the base at the speed limit. I followed behind the SUV Nick was driving, so I wasn’t tempted to put my foot down. We stopped for lunch in a town close to our base, then drove the rest of the way to the compound.

  “Franko should be foaming at the mouth by now,” Yas predicted in anticipation. “Can I tear his arms off if he goes nuts and tries to attack anyone, boss?”

  Liam flicked a look over his shoulder at her hopeful question. The hood hid her face, but we knew she was smirking. “Only if it becomes absolutely necessary,” he said in a serious tone.

  “Think of the mess it would make,” Crowmon said with his upper lip lifted. Syd and Brynn had ridden with Nick.

  “Do you think it’ll come to that?” I asked. Up ahead, Nick paused for the gate to open.

  “It’s a distinct possibility,” Liam said. “Alphas can be unpredictable.”

  “I’ll be ready for him if he does something stupid,” the vampire vowed.

  My stomach was fluttering with nerves and I felt slightly sick as I pulled into the garage after Nick. “Do you want us to come with you?” Nick asked when Liam let us into the hallway.

  “It would probably be a good idea,” Liam decided. “The cameras will record it, but the more witnesses I have, the better of I’ll be.”

  “As if we’d leave you alone with the alpha hole,” Syd scoffed.

  We trailed after Liam to the stairs that led to the cells and descended to the basement. Franko was standing at the door when we reached his cell. His expression was blank rather than filled with rage.

  “Huh, I don’t see any foam,” Yas said in disappointment.

  Liam placed his hand on the scanner next to the door, then opened it. Heath moved back to allow the door to open. “Agent Franko,” our boss said in greeting. His tone was icy enough to make me shiver. “Do you have something you want to say to Agent D’Ath?”

  The rookie looked at me, then nodded. “I want to apologize,” he said in a husky voice. I frowned when he sounded sincere rather than fake. “I know I’ve been a jerk and that I’ve behaved badly. Being in the Shifter Squad is very different from being in a werewolf pack. I’m used to using my alpha power to control unruly pack members. It was the same in the Shifter Corps. I guess I assumed I’d have to take charge here like I always have in the past.”

  He paused to examine our skeptical and mistrustful faces. “I thought Agent Steel was grooming me to take Liam’s place, since he isn’t an alpha, but I was wrong. I’ve been given an opportunity few of our kind are awarded. Agent Remington might have flaked out on you guys, but I’m not going to ruin this chance. I want to apologize to all of you for the way I’ve been acting. I promise I’ll change and I’ll be the agent you all need me to be.”

  His stomach growled loudly, reminding us that he’d been locked up in there without any food. Light stubble covered his jaw and his hair was disheveled. He had bags under his eyes that wouldn’t fade until he’d slept properly. Even I had to admit that he sounded sincere.

  “What do you think, team?” Liam asked. “Should we give Franko one last chance? Or should we expel him from the squad?”

  I glanced at the others to see they were torn. Remembering that Lexi had accused me of sulking like a child, I hated myself for what I was about to do. “He can have one last chance,” I said on behalf of everyone. Franko’s eyes lit up and he grinned at me. “But if you ever enter my bedroom without my permission again, I’ll get Emma to tell the herd to tramp
le you to death,” I warned him. “They’ll drag your corpse so far beneath the ground that no one will ever be able to exhume your body.”

  He blanched in what looked like genuine fear. “I won’t, I promise,” he vowed.

  “God help you if you ever steal from any of us again, Franko,” Nick added without a trace of amusement. “You have no right to take anything that belongs to anyone on this team.”

  “I know,” the alpha hole said humbly. “I’ll replace the items I stole from Alex.”

  “Don’t bother,” I said scathingly. “I’ll buy my own chocolate.”

  Liam stepped aside to let the prisoner out. None of us trusted him at our backs, so we formed a judgmental tunnel for him to pass through. Emma glared at him as he trudged past me. He didn’t dare flick a look at me, knowing he was treading on thin ice.

  We were subdued as we followed in the alpha’s wake. “I didn’t see that coming,” Crowmon murmured when Franko entered the main living area and the door closed behind him.

  “I was looking forward to ripping his arms off,” Yas said in disappointment.

  “We were looking forward to watching you do it,” Sydney agreed glumly.

  “Why did you decide to give him another chance?” Brynn asked me curiously.

  “I texted Lexi to ask her advice about something,” I admitted. The twins perked up at that, just as I’d known they would. It was the first time I’d reached out to either of my parents. “I told her we all hate Franko and want him gone. She told me I was sulking like a child and I guess I wanted to prove her wrong.”

  “That means our folks think we’ve all been sulking,” Liam figured.

  “This sucks,” Nick complained and kicked the wall in annoyance. “I’d like to see our parents trying to deal with that douche nozzle!”

  “Maybe this is a test,” Crowmon said speculatively and we all turned to face him. “The older generation might have lumped us with the alpha hole to see how we deal with someone who doesn’t belong with us.” I sensed he’d come up with this theory earlier, but he hadn’t mentioned it.

  “If they did, then I’m pretty sure we failed,” Yas said wryly. “In hindsight, we have been acting like whiney kids about him being here.” Glum glances were exchanged by everyone.

  “Ugh, now we’re going to have to make an effort to get along with him,” Brynn said.

  “That means no more pranks, wee one,” Crowmon said to Emma.

  Her nose twitched and I scanned her mind. “She still wants payback for him stealing her crystal figurine,” I translated.

  “You’ll have to hold out on that, Em,” Liam said reluctantly. “If this is a test, we need to prove we can handle it. From now on, Franko is one of us, at least until he screws up so badly that we can finally get him kicked off the squad.”

  “I bet that won’t take long,” Yas predicted. “He’ll be gone within a month.”

  “How much do you want to bet on that?” Syd asked, grinning slyly.

  “A thousand bucks,” the vampire said.

  “Deal,” the werecougar said and they shook hands to seal their bargain. “I think he’ll last at least five weeks before he’ll do something colossally stupid.”

  We trooped into the main living area to find it was empty. Franko was upstairs, probably taking a shower. I ambled over to the kitchen to make beverages for everyone, feeling bitter and trying to hide it. We’d lost Jax and he now had no memory of us at all. The alpha had become his replacement and it was obvious to us all that he would never fit in.

  If Agent Steel and my parents truly were testing us by putting us through this torment, it just proved my instincts about them were right. None of the older generation of the squad could be trusted.

  Titles by J.C. Diem in chronological order:

  Mortis Series: Death Beckons ♦ Death Embraces ♦ Death Deceives ♦ Death Devours ♦ Death Betrays ♦ Death Banishes ♦ Death Returns ♦ Death Conquers ♦ Death Reigns

  Shifter Squad Series: Seven Psychics ♦ Zombie King ♦ Dark Coven ♦ Rogue Wolf ♦ Corpse Thieves ♦ Snake Charmer ♦ Vampire Matriarch ♦ Web Master ♦ Hell Spawn

  Hellscourge Series: Road To Hell ♦ To Hell And Back ♦ Hell Bound ♦ Hell Bent ♦ Hell To Pay ♦ Hell Freezes Over ♦ Hell Raiser ♦ Hell Hath No Fury ♦ All Hell Breaks Loose

  Fate’s Warriors Trilogy: God Of Mischief ♦ God Of Mayhem ♦ God Of Malice

  Loki’s Exile Series: Exiled ♦ Outcast ♦ Forsaken ♦ Destined

  Hunter Elite Series: Hunting The Past ♦ Hunting The Truth ♦ Hunting A Master ♦ Hunting For Death ♦ Hunting A Thief ♦ Hunting A Necromancer ♦ Hunting A Relic ♦ Hunting The Dark ♦ Hunting A Dragon

  Half Fae Hunter Series: Dark Moon Rising ♦ Deadly Seduction ♦ Dungeon Trials ♦ Dragon Pledge

  Unseelie Queen

  Nox Saga: Night Cursed Series: Hexed On Halloween ♦ Tricks And Treats ♦ All Hallows’ Apocalypse ♦ Trickster’s Treachery ♦ Nox: Succubus Duology: Blissful Demise ♦ Oblivion’s Kiss ♦ Nox: Sorceress Duology: Fatal Glamor ♦ Lethal Charms ♦ Nox: Demoness Duology: Devil Uncaged ♦ Hellion Unleashed ♦ Nox: Triumvirate War: Battle for Nox

  Shifter Squad Next Gen Series: Ink Cursed ♦ Invisible Chains ♦ Risky Bargains ♦ Alpha Rivalry

  If you would like to be advised of my new releases, email me at: subscribe@jcdiem.com or visit my website www.jcdiem.com and sign up to receive my newsletter.