Firestarter

by Jan Stryvant

  Firestarter

  Published by Jan Stryvant

  Copyright 2019 Jan Stryvant

  Copyright Jan Stryvant 2019

  Cover Credits: eBook Launch (http://ebooklaunch.com/)

  No part of this eBook may be reproduced in any form without expressed, written consent from the author. The material in this story may feature graphic depictions of a sexual or adult nature and is intended for a mature audience only. All characters in this story are fictional and of the legal age of consent for any activities they engage in. Any resemblance between characters, places, or things in this story, and people living or dead, actual places, or events, is purely coincidental. It's fiction; I made it up.

  License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be copied and given away, or copied and sold, to other people. Got that? No copying, please! If you would like to share this book with another person, it would be really nice if you purchased an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use, please consider purchasing your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  #62953

  Jan Stryvant Books:

  The Valens Legacy:

  Black Friday Book 1

  Perfect Strangers Book 2

  Over Our Heads Book 3

  Head Down Book 4

  When It Falls Book 5

  Stand On It Book 6

  Vegas Rules Book 7

  Desperate Measures Book 8

  Secret Treaties Book 9

  It Ain't Easy Book 10

  Red Skies Book 11

  Demon Days Book 12

  Simple Things Book 13

  Trying Times Book 14

  Firestarter Book 15

  Shadow

  Day by Day

  "You called, Sean?" Oak asked as he came into Sean's workshop.

  Sean looked up from his workbench, which had Estrella's necklace sitting on it. He'd borrowed it from her this morning to see if he could figure out how to copy the invisibility function on it, so he could work it into all of his wives' necklaces, or perhaps make them new ones. So far it wasn't going as easily as he would have liked. Repairing it had been a lot easier than copying.

  "Yeah, I need you to pack those up for shipment," Sean said, motioning at the machines against the wall. The last week he'd been doing nothing but working on getting those built; they had a shortage of collars, silver tags, and even medallions in Europe. The First wanted to see if humans wearing one of his mind spell-negating medallions might be protected from having their souls ripped out and their minds possessed, so Sean had built one of those as well.

  "You're building machines again?"

  "Just those four, I finished the last one this morning. Right now I'm working on something new," Sean said, motioning to the materials on his workbench. "Sometime tomorrow a couple of lions are going to show up to pick those up, which is why I need them packed and read to go."

  "Where are they going?"

  "Europe, if I had to guess." Sean set his notes down and looked up at Oak. "How's everything holding together? I haven't really had the chance to sit down and talk with you in a while, Oak. Got anything you need?"

  "Oh, things are fine, Sean. If I need anything, mostly I just ask Roxy or Daelyn."

  Sean grinned. "Anything you need that they won't give you, then?"

  Oak laughed. "If I thought they'd say no, I'd have come to you first. Last thing I need is for them to see me going over their heads."

  "If you have to go over their heads, I'm the one who's going to be asking questions, so I wouldn't worry about them. How's Minnie doing? And what's everyone saying when I'm not around?"

  "Minnie's doing good. She delivered twins last week."

  Sean sighed. "And now I feel like a total heel. I totally forgot she was due. Sorry about that."

  "We know you've been busy, Sean."

  "Still, bring them by one of these nights for dinner so we can all see 'em. If the girls haven't seen them, I'm sure they'll feel guilty."

  "And if they have?"

  Sean grinned evilly. "Then I'll make them feel guilty for not reminding me! So what's the story on everyone else? Anything going on with the troops out there that they won't tell me about?"

  "Well, have you been following the news at all?"

  Sean grimaced. "I've been trying to avoid it."

  "It's been getting pretty bad. Not the news so much right now, but there's been a lot of stories floating around trying to push anti-lycan sentiment, as well as anti-lion stories."

  "I'm sure it'll blow over, Oak."

  Oak shook his head. "I think you should call your friend Steve."

  Sean thought about that. "Are our people getting that upset about it?"

  "Up here? No. But I was talking to some of Art's wolves down in Sacramento, the ones helping to set up better security at the Sapientia council there, and they've been hearing some ugly comments when they're out in public."

  Sean blinked. "People are getting in their faces?"

  "Not yet. But you know how mundanes underestimate our hearing. They've been hearing more than a few muttered insults."

  Standing up, Sean swept his work into the top drawer of his workbench and locked it with a simple spell.

  "Guess I need to call Steve. If you could get those taken care of?"

  "I'll get someone right on it."

  "And don't forget to bring Minnie and the kids by."

  "Wouldn't miss it," Oak said with a grin.

  Walking outside, Sean got out his phone, checked his messages, and then dialed Steve.

  "So, calling about all the bad press, I take it?"

  "What, no 'hello Sean, how are you today?'" Sean teased.

  "Right now I'm thinking I should have gotten on the plane with you and flew back to Reno," Steve said with a heavy sigh. "The president's still on our side; same for all of the important government agencies, and more than a few of the folks in Congress. As I understand it, secret briefings have been going on with a lot of the pols, bringing them up to speed on what happened in the embassy, as well as what happened on the highway."

  "I hear a 'but' in there," Sean said.

  "Yup. They know you pretty much executed all the people who attacked you on the highway, that you didn't accept surrender. It's being kept quiet, but there are some folks right now who aren't very pleased with you."

  "Why do they think that? Do they have pictures?"

  "No, thank god, but the forensics are supposed to be clear enough that they've drawn a few conclusions. I think some folks have bought my explanation that we rounded up all the weapons before we left, and the people who were shot lying down were still engaging us.

  "But I'm not so sure everyone is buying it."

  "Well, I guess that explains some of the supply issues I've been hearing about. At least it's nothing more than annoying right now," Sean replied, "but I heard there's something else going on?"

  "Yeah, someone with a lot of money has taken out a pretty substantial PR campaign against us."

  "Who?"

  "Who do you think?"

  "The German government?"

  "Bingo."

  "Well, I guess their request for our help really was just a ruse then."

  "I've been trying to get some of the local reporters to pick that story up, but no takers so far."

  "They afraid?"

  "More like they're too stupid to recognize propaganda when they see it," Steve said with a sigh.

  "Well, what about running our own propaganda?"

  "We're working on it, but right now all the ALS people seem to be in town, and going around isn't always safe. Our people out here are being engaged damn ne
ar every day now. They're really spoiling for a fight, trying to provoke us."

  "Maybe you should think about coming home, Steve."

  "I don't know, Sean. That just feels like running away to me."

  "If you can't accomplish anything, what's the point of being there? And more importantly, Steve, I can't afford to lose another friend."

  Sean waited as Steve digested that for a minute.

  "I don't think it's that bad here yet," Steve finally replied. "But trust me; I've got Terri and Tisha here to worry about. Not to mention the hundred some odd people working for me. If it gets any worse, of if any of our security people start getting worried, we'll leave."

  "Don't be afraid to ask for more people, either," Sean said. "You might also want to see about moving to a new location."

  "The problem with that is I'm pretty sure the spies Germany has here will out us."

  "Talk to Duncan, see what he's got available."

  "Why would he have anything? Hell, why would he even want to help?"

  "Well, I can think of three reasons right off the top of my head. First, he's probably still got a lot of open lycan quarters from before they freed theirs, even if they never kept a lot. Second, we're allies. That works both ways."

  "And third?"

  "If things are heating up in DC, he just might appreciate the extra bodies to help protect him and his as well." Sean paused a moment. Thinking about that triggered a few thoughts. "You know what, call him, and call Eruditio, too. I'm gonna have Oak send out another hundred troops, maybe more. See if you can't get permission to billet some of our people on their grounds no matter what you end up doing. It'll spread 'em out so they're less likely to be noticed, and if Sapientia or Eruditio do become targets there, we won't have to scramble to help them out."

  "You think they will?"

  "Eruditio did take down the Vestibulum's high council."

  "You think the Vestibulum…?"

  "No, I think the djevels and maybe some of their allies might now see the mages as a threat and decide to go after them preemptively."

  "What about the Ascendance and the Vestibulum? Want me to call them?"

  "If they want it, they can call us and beg," Sean growled. "Well, maybe not the Ascendance, they at least came around. But I think it'll be a very cold day before we help the Vestis."

  "Got it."

  "Anything I can do to help with the PR?"

  "Actually," Steve chuckled over the phone, "if you're gonna send me that many bodies, I have an idea for a nice little guerrilla marketing campaign. The big problem was, I couldn't do that and still swing security with all the ALS asshats in town."

  "Well, whatever you do, understand you need to do it everywhere. This thing has spread beyond the beltway; we need to start getting ahead of it."

  "What's my budget?"

  "I'll talk to Deidre, but I don't think we can afford to cheap out on this one, Steve. If we lose public support, we could lose the war as well."

  "Okay, I'm on it."

  "Bye," Sean said and hung up. Looking up, he saw Oak coming back with the crew to pack up the machines.

  "Oak," Sean called, walking over to him.

  "Talk to Steve?"

  "Yeah, we're sending him another two hundred. I want people who are well trained in small unit tactics and who understand how to keep things on the down-low and out of sight. They may end up bunking on the grounds of one of the councils, so make sure there isn't anyone with a grudge."

  "You want me to send them with weapons?"

  Sean nodded. "Armor, too."

  "That means we'll have to charter an airplane."

  "I know. Make it happen. Don't be surprised if you get some strange requests from Steve or Granite, either."

  Oak laughed. "I'm never surprised when I get a strange request from anyone working for Steve anymore!"

  "Thanks, Oak," Sean said and, stretching, he decided that now was as good a time as any to get some lunch before he went back to work on Estrella's necklace. He wondered idly if perhaps his uncle Maitland could find the original maker for him? Fey did live a very long time.

  Sean dropped into one of the seats at a table in the main mess. He didn't eat here often, actually he hadn't eaten in the main mess since he'd come back, as this building hadn't been built yet. With all the troops here now, they'd had to put together something larger than what they'd been using.

  But again, as the boss, he didn't eat with the grunts very often, because nobody wanted their boss looking over their shoulder all the time. But every once in a while it was appreciated. He was a lot more to them than just their boss, after all.

  "Hey! Slumming with the rest of us?" asked Frank, one of the werewolves from Hunter's team, setting his tray down and dropping into one of the seats next to Sean.

  "Yeah, just longing for the good 'ole days when we were in that building downtown and we'd all eat together every morning." Sean sighed.

  "I hear it's all fixed up again."

  "Yeah, I went by there a couple weeks ago to check on Alex after he got shot. It looks nice, but I really didn't have the time to check it out when I was there."

  "Ah, I see the Pride of the Marines is here," Frank said, nodding over towards the chow line.

  "Huh?" Sean said, looking over. There were a group of Marines in fatigues, looking as sharp as always. Sean often wondered how they did it. With them was a very attractive young woman. He searched his memory a moment, and then recalled her name, Betty.

  "That gal with 'em. She's like their property," Frank said with a chuckle. "Regular party girl, I guess you'd say."

  Sean blinked and remembered where Betty had come from and what she'd looked like. Straight-laced was almost an understatement; the way she'd looked and acted when Stewart had brought her by had made it clear she'd led something of a sheltered life. Nothing like the young and very daringly dressed young woman he was looking at now.

  "Her?" he asked.

  Frank laughed. "I know, right? And since she's latched on to the Marines, well, word is they'll thump you one if you go putting the moves on her."

  Sean watched her as she went through the food line with the Marines around her. There were a lot of little 'public displays of affection' floating around between her and the men. She definitely seemed a lot more at ease.

  When they finished getting their food, Sean raised his hand and waved them over as they started looking for a place to sit.

  "Sure you wanna do that, Boss?"

  Sean snorted. "Just want to be sure she's happy."

  Sean watched as they all trooped over and, taking a good look at him, they took up all of the remaining seats at the table. Betty was giving him a little bit of that 'deer in the headlights' look as she whispered something to the man she was with. As a group they were all big guys, ranging from probably five and a half feet tall to over six feet. Each of them was built pretty impressively.

  They were definitely built a lot heavier than most of Sean's wolves, and pretty much all the men in the infantry they'd picked up.

  "Guys," Sean said smiling at all of them. "Take a load off. Don't believe I've had the pleasure to meet any of you yet. I want to thank you all for signing on; my commanders have been very happy to have the Marines onboard."

  One of the older-looking men, whose rank insignia pinned to his collar had rockers under the bar, replied.

  "Thank you, Sir. I don't believe we've been formally introduced."

  Sean nodded. "You'll excuse me if I'm not familiar with your rank insignia there, Sergeant…?"

  "Gunnery Sergeant Wyatt."

  "Ah, right. Sean Valens. I'm the lion in charge of all this, and of course all of you as well." Sean leaned forward a little bit and lowered his voice, he didn't believe for a minute they didn't already know who he was. "And if you think generals can get cute when you start playing games with them, trust me when I say, us lions got them all beat.

  "So, how do you like being a jag?" Sean continued, sitting back up.

/>   Wyatt blinked and looked at Sean in surprise, while Frank just rolled his eyes.

  "I like it. I like it a lot. I'm a lot stronger now, and I'm definitely tougher."

  Sean looked around the table. "Are you all jags? Kind of hard to tell from here."

  "Lance Troy and Corporals Moss and Lee are tigers. Same for Sergeant Dall over there. Corporals Ulrich, Rice, and Sergeant Masters are bears."

  "How many of you have your hybrid forms down?"

  Sean noticed only two hands went up.

  "That's pretty good; you guys were infected what, three weeks ago?"

  "Four, actually," Wyatt said, looking a little uncomfortable. Sean got the feeling he'd touched on a sore spot.

  Sean nodded and went back to eating his breakfast. "Try spending more time in your animal form, as much as you can. It helps."

  Glancing down the table, Sean saw that Betty was still looking a little nervous.

  "Nice to see you again, Betty. You're definitely looking a lot better since Stewart brought you by. Everything going okay?"

  "Ummm, well…" Betty blushed, looking down at her plate.

  "I'm hoping that means 'yes'," Sean said with a smile. "Still thinking of getting infected?"

  Betty's head came up and she looked at him, surprised. "Maybe?" she squeaked in a small voice.

  "Stop picking on Betty," the guy sitting next to Wyatt said.

  "You are?" Sean asked looking at him curiously.

  "Corporal Lee," the man said with a warning look.

  Sean nodded and held up a finger to him, then turned back to Betty. "Be sure to talk to some of the more experienced lycans before you make up your mind. I'll be sure to give permission to whomever you ask."

  "Permission? She doesn't need your permission!" Corporal Lee said.

  Sean noticed that the people sitting behind Lee were getting up and quickly moving away. Frank was making furious hand signals to him to shut up.

  Sighing Sean turned back to the corporal. "Infecting someone without a lion's permission is pretty much a death sentence."

  "I didn't need no lion's permission!"

  "Actually, you did, and you got it, too. We just delegated it out. Now," Sean said, giving him a serious look. "Do you have any idea who and what I am?" he asked with a hint of a growl.