by Sarah Noffke
Adelaide knew this Zephyr business was a power play on Rox’s part. She wanted to prove that she could skirt the rules and get away with it; otherwise, the FBI agent wouldn’t be so bold.
From behind Adelaide she heard racing feet and then a blur of a figure shot around her and popped into the seat at the head of the conference room table.
Adelaide regarded Kaleb as he leaned back in his seat, putting his sneakers on the table. “How is it that someone with the gift of stopping time is always so fucking late?” she said.
“It’s a part of my charm. I like to keep you all guessing,” Kaleb said.
Adelaide pointed to a seat opposite of Zephyr. “Move, Runt. That seat is for the person in charge,” she said. “Where’s Rio?”
“Probably eating his third breakfast,” Kaleb said, reluctantly moving to another seat.
Just then Rio strolled around the corner, talking loudly with Adelaide’s boss, Trent. The two seemed to have established an easy conversation, but that didn’t surprise her because both were social personalities. Trent had gone through a series of traumas that had made his usually jovial nature retreat, but with each passing month he seemed to return to his former self more. She was hoping the same would happen for her, or actually that she’d become something new. Plunking her leather-bound book on the table, she took the seat that Kaleb had been occupying, extending a hand to the seat beside her. “I saved you a seat, Trent,” she said.
“Thank you. I’m interested to hear what you’ve learned from the news reports,” Trent said, taking the seat, not seeming to care it wasn’t at the head of the table.
“I’ve learned where Orion Murray, one of the werewolves, is going to be this afternoon,” Adelaide said, resting her hands on the book in front of her. “He shows up to his previous psychiatrist’s office in San Francisco. Lucky for you three,” she said to Zephyr, Rio, and Rox, “there’s a GAD-C in that city, so the trip will be easy.” She then turned her focus to Rio. “You’ve learned how to generate your body using the GAD-C, correct?”
“Yeah, that shit will make your head spin,” Rio said with a laugh.
“Just imagine if you had an actual brain what it would do to you,” Adelaide said and then cast her glance at Zephyr. “Roya was able to see the location and time. However, the event turned blurry when an altercation happened. She couldn’t make out the details in her clairvoyant vision. I don’t know if Orion battles with one of Mika’s people or one of you. Visions of the future are tricky in this way and when we intervene there are many different complications that occur due to the space-time continuum.”
“Man, I didn’t understand half of what you just said,” Rio said, his dimple surfacing with his broad smile.
“That’s because you’re a git,” Adelaide said. “My point is that things we do in the future can affect the visions we see in the past of said event. That’s probably why they appear blurry, because they are shifting based on us learning the events and our meddling.”
“Well put, Adelaide,” Trent said, looking impressed. “That’s an astute observation and not something many of the agents consider when intervening. Your fath—”
“As I was saying,” she said, cutting him off before he could mention her father, thereby giving all the wankers in the room unnecessary information about her, “because of the nature of this vision, I want you three on the case.” She threw her hand at Rox, Zephyr, and Rio, who sat on one side of the table. “Go to—”
“What about me? Remember I’m not as worthless as you previously thought. I can use my gift to stop time and kill the bad guy,” Kaleb said.
“You are still worthless, especially since you don’t have any manners and interrupt those superior to you,” Adelaide said to him before turning her attention back on the others. “Go to San Francisco and retrieve Orion. I want a report as soon as you have him in custody. Zephyr and Rio, you two escort him to the Institute. Rox you return to your escort job, since I know you don’t want to lose that part of your income.” Adelaide didn’t like having Rox on the cases actually, but it was necessary. The men could change without much notice, she’d learned from her experience with Connor. She couldn’t have them in society unchaperoned. And Rox was strangely the perfect dog walker due to her skin resistance.
“Aye aye, Freckles,” Rox said, lazily saluting at her.
“Now, Runt,” Adelaide said, turning her attention on Kaleb, who was pouting like a puppy that had been tapped on the nose with a newspaper, “a report came in from another reporter while I was grabbing the one about Orion from Roya.”
Trent automatically leaned forward, his dark head creasing with wrinkles. “What?”
Adelaide waved Trent off without looking at him. “There’s a bomb set to detonate in the Pearson Federation,” she said and then opened the flap of her book and withdrew a piece of paper. “Here’s the exact location and time. I think this is a case for your lame time-stopping skill. Dream Travel to the closest GAD-C, generate, and a car will be ready to transport you to the site, which is heavily guarded and also prowling with terrorists ready to early detonate if there’s any sign of trouble. Once there—”
“Adelaide,” Trent said, leaning forward even more, trying to capture her attention. “This really should be my—”
She turned to Trent, giving him a look of offense. “Would you not cut me off? I’m trying to save the bloody world.” Turning back to Kaleb, Adelaide said, “Once you find the location for the bomb and stop time, retrieve it and cut the red and white wire. My sources tell me that’s the right one to defuse it.”
“Your sources?” Trent said through clenched teeth.
“I checked the whole thing through Aiden. He’s certain that’s the right one in this case,” Adelaide said, not even looking at her boss. “Okay, Runt, you ready to join the strategy department and do some real work?”
“Heck yeah!” Kaleb said, grabbing the paper and flipping it open. “This is going to be so freaking cool.”
“Now, your time stops have only worked for roughly two to three minutes thus far. You’re going to need to be quick. Once the job is done, release time, however you do, and get the bloody hell out of there,” Adelaide said, and then she actually smiled a little.
“You got it,” he said, still scanning the instructions.
“Although your plan sounds okay, I’m failing to understand where you thought you had the authority to take a news report that should have come to me first and assign it. I am the head of the strategy department,” Trent said, fully turned toward Adelaide.
Adelaide shrugged. “I was harassing Roya for news reports. I was in the right place when the report came in. I can’t help it that you loaf off and therefore I have to do your bloody job for you,” she said.
Trent dropped his head, his dreads covering his cheeks as he did. But when he brought his chin up he was actually smiling. “My God, you remind me so much of your father right now. He used to do the same thing to me after I took this position. But the funny thing is that you were never the head of the department and you still act like you run the place,” Trent said.
Adelaide shrunk back in her seat. It hadn’t occurred to her that she’d taken over the way that Ren would have done. She’d only tried to be proactive and knew that her werewolf Kaleb was perfect for the case that happened to come in while she was in the news reporting department.
“Wait, who is your father?” Zephyr said. He’d been watching the whole exchange with mild interest, but now looked extremely attentive.
“He was a nobody,” Adelaide said, turning and giving Trent a look that hopefully communicated so much. “Just a regular person, am I right, Trenton?”
“Right,” he said, nodding his head, seeming to understand that Adelaide didn’t want the people working for her knowing that her father was the main author of the Dream Traveler Codex, which also highlighted him as one of the most powerful Dream Travelers to ever live. She knew that the newbies in the room had heard Ren Lewis’s name just
walking around the Institute. He was a legend and constantly referenced in conversation. It was annoying.
“And I want to congratulate you, Kaleb,” Trent said to him, extending a hand. “I think that Adelaide’s instincts were correct and with talents like yours, you belong in the strategic department. Is that amenable to you? I think these three can track down werewolves for us so you can give your focus to worldly affairs.”
“Are you kidding me, Dreads? This is by far the very best thing that’s ever happened to me! I’m an agent for the Lucidite Institute,” Kaleb said, with a bright smile. He then looked up to the ceiling, his eyes glassing over. “That hopefully makes my father very happy, wherever he is.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“The werewolves exhibit aggressive behavior when changed, but through behavior conditioning this tendency should be controlled and honed for beneficial reasons.”
- Olento Research, Canis Lupus Project File
On the eve of his birthday, Connor stirred from a sleep that seemed to want to imprison him. His head felt like it was full of paint when he tried to turn it to the side, like his brain had been liquefied. The dark sought to hide the room but his wolf vision could see clearly that he was in the infirmary at the Lucidite Institute.
Fuck, he thought. He wasn’t sure if he should be grateful that they saved him or angry that they intervened in his attempt at suicide. He sighed, his throat feeling cracked and dry like it was a paper bag. Now that he was still alive and back at the Lucidite Institute there would be little way to run from his problems, from himself. These people seemed bent on saving him, on making him better. They reminded him of the strange man he met at Ferocity Carnival, and then the voice of the man with the top hat rang in his head: You could be great, my boy.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“CRISPR technology, which was derived from the Lucidite Institute, is thought to be the method used for splicing wolf DNA into the abducted men.”
- Lucidite Institute, Werewolf Project File
Through the window Orion watched Veronica as she grabbed her coat and scarf off the rack. Her receptionist had already gone home. The psychiatrist always worked late, tirelessly poring over her cases, thinking of ways to help her patients. Orion had watched her so many times through this window, believing that she spent more time reading through his file. More time wondering how she could make him happy. It had to be difficult for her to remain professional when they shared such intimate feelings for each other.
To his relief the receptionist hadn’t locked the entrance. Veronica looked up with surprise when the front door to her practice opened.
“Orion,” she said as she ducked her head, wrapping the blue scarf around her neck. “What are you doing here? Are you all right?” Her eyes fell to his bandaged hand. She was concerned for him. She wanted to make him better.
“I need you,” he said, his voice raw from the many tears he shed from the pain. The pain in his hand and in his heart.
“I can help you. We just need to set up an appointment,” she said, her eyes swiveling to the clock on the wall.
“No, I don’t want an appointment. I want you,” he said, not believing the words coming out of his mouth. He was finally doing it.
The realization of what he was saying dawned on the young doctor. She drew in a breath, her eyes widening as she did. “Orion, it’s common for patients to develop feelings for their therapist, but you must realize my job is to help you achieve a healthy mental state,” she said.
“I’m not sick,” Orion said, putting his unbandaged hand to his forehead. “They did something to me. They made me into a werewolf. They made me what I am.”
“Who did?” Dr. Roland said, seeming to be humoring him.
“I don’t know,” he said, dropping his hand, feeling the doom start to ache in his being. Maybe this was a mistake. He knew most of what he did was a mistake. Orion shook off the doubt and launched into his rehearsed speech. “These scientists. They kidnapped me. Held me prisoner. Did horrible things to my body and my mind. Now I’m a werewolf. I’m fast with incredible senses. And I have telescopic vision.”
Dr. Roland let out a gentle sigh. “Orion, this is serious.”
“I know. I’m so happy that you see that,” he said, stepping forward, his hands extended to her.
She paced back, shaking her head. “No, Orion, the delusions are back and they have you in a serious state. If you won’t have yourself committed then I want to start your therapy immediately. And you need to be on your medicine beginning tonight,” she said, heading for the receptionist’s desk.
Orion lunged forward, his movements blurring slightly as he did. His good hand gripped onto Veronica’s arm, pressing his long fingernails into her blouse, piercing her skin. “I need you to believe me now!” he said with a low growl in his voice.
Veronica’s eyes widened at Orion in sudden alarm and then darted to something over his shoulder. Her mouth fell open.
From the street Grant stood in full view. If the street where he lurked was occupied then people would have surely run and called the police. No one would regard the beast skulking in the middle of the road with anything less than mind-numbing fear. The other werewolves didn’t compare to Grant. The streetlight shone off his black hair which covered him from his enlarged head to his bulky legs, which resembled those of a wolf. He hadn’t realized how massive his transformation had been. However, Mika obviously wanted the best for him, and had proven that by making him the most incredible werewolf. His fangs and claws weren’t foreign to him but rather a natural extension of himself. And the wolf was now his best friend. He’d always felt lonely but now he had the wolf and they shared so many of the same desires. The wolf told him what to do and it was never wrong. It was fun to do the one thing that had been impossible for him all his life. Indulge in his fantasies.
Grant watched as Orion strode for the front door of the psychiatric practice. He was so much weaker than Grant, unable to change into the werewolf and back at will. And even when he did change, it was so much less than what happened to Grant. This was going to be easy. Whereas before the werewolves had eluded him time and again, now he was going to prowl over to Orion and put him into submission. Then his guards would be called to transport the pathetic animal back to Olento Research where he belonged.
Orion hadn’t meant to startle Veronica. It wasn’t him, it was the wolf. That beast had ahold of Orion’s will, pulling at it, making him react in ways he knew were inappropriate. But now Veronica was gaping at something behind Orion. Had his worst fears come true? Had they found him? He turned, bracing himself, and realized that what he had thought was his worst nightmare was wrong because the most horrible fear now stood before him.
“That Roya girl sure knows her shit,” Rio said.
“She doesn’t know anything. She’s a clairvoyant who is gifted with a cosmic force,” Rox said, smacking her gum.
“Pipe down, you two. This isn’t social hour,” Zephyr said, watching from across the street as Orion stood looking through a window of a supposed psychiatric office. “I’m going in to approach him. Watch my back,” he said. Zephyr took a step out of the shadows and immediately stepped back, his sense of smell catching a distinct odor that he knew wasn’t Orion. But it was another werewolf and his anger suddenly flared but it wasn’t his, it was the wolf inside of him. And it made him growl softly.
“You smell that too?” Rio said at Zephyr’s shoulder.
“Yeah,” he said, putting his nose up higher and sniffing the air. “It’s foul.”
“I agree,” Rio said.
“Smell what? The trash cans? This isn’t really the time to be a bunch of pansies complaining about the odors of San Fran,” Rox said.
Zephyr shook his head. “No, it’s another werewolf and my instinct tells me it has changed.”
“But that’s impossible. You all aren’t changed and you always mutate at the same time,” Rox said.
“Exactly, which means it’s not o
ne from our pack,” Zephyr said, scanning the street. “We need to get Orion and get the hell out of here.”
“I agree. What’s the plan, boss?” Rio said.
“We’re approaching together. Hate to do this but you’re going to knock him out. We don’t have time to explain things and Orion is the fearful type according to his records. I’ll have your back, Rio. Rox, you have my back and look out for anything approaching,” Zephyr said, his voice full of a confident authority.
“Who the hell has my back?” Rox said with a sideways grin.
“God,” Zephyr said.
“Oh great, I’m screwed,” she said.
“You wish,” Zephyr said, grabbing Rio’s bicep. “Let’s go for it.” He stepped out of the shadows a second time, his head darting around as he did. And a second time Zephyr sunk back to the alleyway, Rio doing the same in unison.
“Holy mother of Jesus,” Rio said, his eyes wide just as a giant werewolf covered in black hair stalked down the street, not stopping until standing tall across from the psychiatric practice.