by Missy Jane
I made my way back to the stairs and raced down them, hot on the heels of Lance and Scott. We were the three closest to the checkpoint and everyone was now on full alert. I pulled my gun from its holster as I approached the checkpoint and Lance laughed.
“Jesus, Lex. You think you’re gonna need that to handle a few drunks?”
“Beats finding out the hard way don’t ya think?” I asked.
He just laughed and yanked a baton from his belt. I kept my Glock in my right hand and pulled my flashlight with my left. The damn thing had to weigh at least eight pounds, surely it could do some sort of damage. Scott watched us both and produced a knife from a sheath on his leg. Lance and I both snickered as Scott began to sing the theme from “Rambo”.
“Look, sir, no unauthorized person is allowed past this checkpoint. If you have business in Georgetown we need to see proof of residency. Otherwise, you need to turn around and be on your way.”
The voice of the guard drifted over to us and we picked up the pace, reaching him within seconds. The group of men watched our approach and grew even more agitated.
“Oh, I see how it is. You gotta call in back up, eh, tough guy? It’s not enough to have a gun, but you gotta get one of your women involved too, eh?”
The crowd laughed and started shouting obscenities at us, most of them lewd comments directed at me. Or so I assumed. We ignored them and took up positions behind the two checkpoint guards, one of whom was locking down the gate. The canine shifter saw this and leapt forward, grabbing the guard’s arm before he pulled the wrought iron gate shut. I acted on instinct, shoving my way to the front and jabbing my flashlight into his ribs in one swift move. I caught both men by surprise, and suddenly there was chaos.
All around me, men were shouting and shoving, hitting and kicking at each other. I was trying to help the human guard shut the gate, but three shifters wedged their way in where the canine had fallen and were blocking the way. I lifted my right arm in an attempt to shove my gun in someone’s face and convince him to move. A bear of a man appeared before me, grabbed my arm and pulled.
Suddenly I was airborne, flung above the heads of the crowd and onto the Circe side of the wall. I hit the street hard and had enough sense to roll and gain my feet in a crouch. I thought the abrupt silence came from hitting my head on the concrete, but when I looked up I saw how wrong I was. The crowd no longer shouted and pushed at the gate, because it was now closed. They turned their attention away from that lost cause and were watching me. All of their eyes predatory, and I was the prey.
“Fuck,” I whispered as I quickly calculated how much ammo I had and whether it was enough for the ever-growing crowd.
I felt naked without my Ruger, and pulled out my sword to compensate. I had dropped my flashlight at some point, but held onto my Glock. It’s nice to know I can get my priorities straight sometimes.
The big guy who’d pulled me into the crowd stepped forward and I realized he was human. That really pissed me off and I decided he would be the first to get shot. I heard Lance yelling at the checkpoint guards to open the gate but they refused. Once the lockdown is in place only the commander has the override code to reopen the gate. I knew that, Lance knew it too, but he was arguing anyway. I heard him shouting my name, but kept my focus on the crowd instead.
They were inching closer, as if waiting to see what I would do. I thought about shooting with one hand into the crowd, but it had grown too large to take down alone. My only other option was to run, but where? I was in Circe, with nowhere to go on this side of the wall. I inched my way back toward the nearest building, and cast quick glances to be sure no one was sneaking up from behind. Amazingly enough, the threat stayed in front of me and nothing blocked my retreat.
“Where ya goin’, sweet thang?” the human asked.
“Yeah, baby. We just wanna have a little fun,” another taunted.
“My idea of fun is target practice, boys. You up for it?” I asked with a grin.
They didn’t seem to think it was as funny as I did.
“Don’t worry, pretty little human. We like to play with our food.”
I looked over at the new voice and saw a cougar in mid-shift. His legs and arms were human, but everything else was feline and feral. I tried to suppress the shudder of revulsion, knowing any sign of weakness would only excite them more. Then I heard footsteps to my right and turned to keep the new threat in my sights. I glanced over and saw a familiar face. It was the shifter in the long black coat. He nodded in my direction briefly before turning to face the crowd.
“What the hell do you want?” the human asked him. “You got no business here.”
“I can get you back over the wall unharmed, but you will have to trust me,” he said in a voice low enough for only my ears, though I was certain the other shifters still heard him.
“Yeah right,” I said, as my heart rate accelerated.
He turned his full attention to me and looked me up and down.
“I’ll help you fight if it will make you feel better, but I cannot guarantee your safety that way.”
His deep voice had a European accent I couldn’t quite place. It could’ve come from at least a dozen different countries. For a split second I had the oddest thought it was sexy. I frowned and pointed my Glock at him.
“I don’t trust you to guarantee anything, shifter. Now, back the fuck off.”
He looked at the crowd again, then back at me. Suddenly I felt pressure in my head and everything went black for a few seconds. The next thing I knew, I was landing on my back on a hard surface and heard shouting from somewhere below me. I sat up and realized I rested atop the wall, and the crowd in Circe was running away from the wall as if the hounds of hell were on their heels.
I put a hand to my head, feeling my gun still in a firm grip. My sword was on the wall beside me. I heard the sound of running feet and looked up to see multiple flashlight beams headed my way.
“Lex! What the fuck? Are you all right?” Lance hollered from a few feet away.
He ran to me and went to his knees, running his light over me head to toe.
“What? Yeah… I’m okay. I think. What happened?” I asked, feeling more than a little dazed.
“That fucking shifter threw you. I mean he just fucking picked you up and threw your ass up here. He was so fucking quick too. No one got close enough to stop him before he was running back down the street.”
I shook my head in disbelief and rubbed my back absently. I’d landed hard, but it was certainly better than the alternative. Those shifters were going to tear me limb from limb. Lance laughed, in what sounded like relief, and helped me stand. I was still reeling from being tossed in the air twice in one night as I made my way in to file a report.
Chapter Two
I was halfway to my place, passing between the darkened buildings where the new recruits are schooled on shifter culture, when I saw movement in the shadows. I had my gun in my hand on reflex as I stepped to the side.
“Alexia, I mean you no harm,” said a vaguely familiar voice in the shadows.
I pointed my gun there without a second thought.
“Yeah, sure you don’t. Why don’t you come into the light where I can see you?”
“Because you’ll shoot me, and though I don’t care much about death, I have something important to tell you first.”
I felt intrigued. I don’t know if it was due to meeting someone who cared as little for his own life as I did for mine, or curiosity over what he had to say. I lowered my gun, but kept both hands on it.
“I guess it would be asking too much for you to holster your weapon,” he said, sounding amused.
“You got that right, buddy,” I replied without so much as a grin.
“Fine. I’ll take what I can get. Is there somewhere we can speak without being overheard?”
“Nowhere I’m willing to go without seeing your face.”
He sighed.
“Can I have your word you won’t shoot me until aft
er I’ve said my piece?”
I was even more intrigued. I couldn’t imagine who he might be if he thought I would shoot him on sight. I thought about it for a few seconds and nodded.
“Yeah, sure. But my promise only extends until you’ve said your piece.”
“Fine. Holster your weapon.”
“I don’t think so,” I said with a shake of my head and a humorless laugh.
“Alexia, I am weaponless, and I know your first instinct will be to shoot me.”
“You aren’t exactly gaining my confidence here, mister,” I replied, raising my gun a few inches.
He sighed and I heard his footsteps as he slowly approached the light. I saw his hands first, extended in front of him, palms up and empty. I began to lower my gun until I saw his wrists. His black sleeves extended up his arms into a full-length leather coat. Half a heartbeat later, I looked into his face, and saw the shifter who’d saved me…on my side of the wall. I raised my gun to his face, my finger on the trigger.
“I swear, Alexia, you will want to hear what I have to say.”
I heard desperation in his voice, and it warred with my instinct to shoot first.
“How the fuck did you get over the wall?” I asked through gritted teeth.
“That is part of what I need to explain to you. It happens a hell of a lot more often than you know.”
Of all of the things he could’ve said, he picked the one that stopped me from shooting him. I froze and cocked an eyebrow at him in question.
“Alexia, please. I don’t want anyone to see you pointing that at me. They might not wait to hear me out before shooting.”
For all his protests, I still didn’t think he sounded nervous enough for someone with my gun pointed at him. I nodded and lowered my gun, but I still refused to put it away.
“Where can we go to talk?” he asked.
I opened my mouth, but shut it again. When I thought I was dealing with a human I was going to take him to the nearest pub. No matter how loud we got, the drunks around us would be louder and no one would overhear anything. However, I wasn’t about to go out in public with a shifter. I couldn’t take the chance someone would recognize him as such any more than I could promise to keep my gun holstered. We had to go somewhere private, and unfortunately that only left one place.
“Shit. We have to go to my place.” He nodded and took a step toward me. I tensed, but he kept his hands out and froze, eyeing me warily. I motioned to my left with my gun. “That way. I’ll walk behind you and tell you where to go. If you hear someone coming get into the shadows and I’ll stop and tie my shoe, but don’t turn around to face me or I’ll shoot you.”
He began walking away without a word. I followed close enough behind him to whisper directions, but far enough back to maneuver should he abruptly turn. I kept my gun out against my right thigh, my finger on the trigger. Luckily, the area I live in is nearly deserted after dark. During the day it’s used for training and research. At night, the buildings are empty of anyone but the cleaning crews and night security. They both stay indoors, depending on us to do our jobs on the outside.
We encountered no one on our way to the building where I lived. It was a warehouse after the war started, but outlived its usefulness within a year. I had bought the entire building and converted the second floor into a loft. My commander wanted me to stay in an apartment set up for military use, but I don’t like having neighbors. My warehouse was one of a few civilian-owned structures in the area. We no longer had military bases, just military zones. The civvies walked among us freely, some even toting weapons to rival ours. Such a brave new world.
I held my gun on the shifter as I gave the voice command to unlock my outer gate. Then I turned for the retinal scan. He stayed completely still until it was complete, gaining a bit of my trust in doing so. Once we entered the gate, we approached the steel door that led into the building. I placed my hand on the ID scanner and didn’t even wince as the needle took my DNA sample. The door unlocked when it verified my ID and I motioned the shifter inside.
He walked into complete darkness with a confidence that unnerved me.
“Lights,” I said, before stepping in behind him.
The overhead fluorescents came on slowly, illuminating the empty warehouse.
“You live here?” he asked, sounding skeptical.
“In this building, yes, but if you think I’m going to offer you a drink you’re wrong.”
He shrugged and stepped further into the room, removing his coat. I raised a brow at the sight of his revealed body. His broad shoulders weren’t his best feature after all. From my vantage point I would have to say it was his firm, perfectly sculpted ass. He wore a black T-shirt, stretched taut against his muscular chest and biceps. His black jeans were also tight enough for me to see the strength in his thighs. I mentally shook my head at the waste. If only half the human men I knew looked as good I might not still be celibate.
I walked over to a darkened corner of the room where a collection of folding chairs resided in the dust. I used one hand to grab two of them, keeping my gun in my free hand. The shifter watched me without offering to help. Smart guy.
“My name is Andor Olavson.”
He took a chair from me and sat. I couldn’t help myself, I laughed.
“You find my name amusing?”
There was no anger in his voice, just mild curiosity.
“Actually, yes. When I first saw you I took you for a cat, not a bird,” I replied with a grin.
I instantly realized what I was doing and frowned, thinking I must really be tired to be joking with a shifter. He smiled and inclined his head in a slight bow.
“You know your names, Mrs. Williams.”
“And you know a hell of a lot more about me than you should.”
My amusement disappeared as I fought the temptation to point my gun at him again. I sat, holding my gun between my knees in both hands, pointed at the floor.
“I do and I apologize, as I know it will make you uncomfortable. However, I assure you it was necessary for me to know with whom I would be dealing. As I said, the information I have to give is vital, and I need it in the hands of the right human.”
I frowned again.
“All right, Andor, spill. And this better be worth me letting you live. Though I appreciate you saving my ass out there, my gratitude will only last so long.”
He nodded with a resigned look on his face.
“What do you know of the Jamison Treaty?”
“What every other human and shifter knows. It’s the only reason there’s been a wall between us for the past year instead of a body-filled trench.”
He gave a short, humorless laugh.
“Aptly put, Alexia. You are quite astute. What you don’t know about the treaty is there are concessions buried deep within the writing no human was meant to see. As we speak there are shifters influencing your government, worming their way onto your side of the wall.”
“Even if that’s true, which I doubt by the way, why in the hell are you telling me this?”
Andor sighed and looked at his feet, rubbing his forehead as if he had a headache.
“Alexia, I’ve been alive for nearly three hundred years. I’ve lived through many things, fought in numerous wars, buried many loved ones. It wasn’t my choice to be revealed for the animal I am, and now I find myself on the side of those I despise and resent. I used to have a human family and human friends who thought me the same. I can no longer go back to pretending to be human, but I can still help you if you will allow it.”
“You would betray your own people?” I asked.
His face turned to stone, and his eyes once again took on the feral look I’d noticed before. At that moment I would have sworn an oath he was feline, a fierce jungle cat at the least.
“The animals on the other side of the wall are not my people. Only my species, and sometimes I question even that,” he said quietly.
He spit the word “animals” as if it was a cur
se, and for the first time I considered it might be. I’d never met a shifter who resented what it was. Of course, I didn’t usually pause to hold a conversation with them. As I sat and considered his words, I realized he was the first shifter I’d said more than three words to. My favorite three words… Time to die.
“You said you would explain how you breached the wall,” I said finally.
“Yes, of course. The man who patrols with you, Lance, likes to watch over the red zone as much as you do, especially the dark corner near Drake Street. I flew over the wall while his back was turned.”
I frowned. We kept a patrol of one guard every two hundred yards. If Lance was standing on that corner, the guards to either side wouldn’t be able to see him in the dark. Normally, we shine our flashlights as we walk through that area, alerting the other guards to our position. I hate doing it because it also alerts the shifters. I don’t like being a walking bull’s eye. If Andor flew over that spot no one would have seen him, but Lance would have heard him. Andor saw the doubt on my face.
“I have the ability to throw attention away from my presence. By the time he was aware again I was well away,” he replied.
“How in the hell can you deflect attention?”
Anger building in my voice, I fought to control my emotions. Andor looked at me in silence for a heartbeat.
“I have psychic abilities, Alexia, as do many other shifters my age.”
I blinked.
“Bullshit.”
“I promise you, this is the truth.”
“We would know by now. Others have been captured, interrogated and examined. We would know,” I insisted.
“Your government knows, your people do not,” his voice said in my mind while his mouth remained closed.
I stood so quickly my chair fell back. Andor sat up straight in his chair, hands on his knees.
“What the fuck?” I shouted.
I stared at Andor, my jaw somewhere in the vicinity of my knees as I tried to regain rational thought. I didn’t doubt for a second he’d actually spoken in my mind without uttering a word aloud. How could I? I was watching his face at the time, and I know the voice I heard was his. Not only did I hear it, I felt it in my head as intimate as a caress, but much more sensual for being in my mind.