by Sydney Addae
Tyrone nodded slowly. “Is she here?”
“No, she’s at the complex. I can have her sent wherever you want,” Thomas said eager.
Hawke can take a look —”
Thomas stood fast. “Hawke? The Liege’s Hawke? You know him?”
Tyrone nodded. “Yes. Do you?”
Thomas shook his head, thoughts tumbling one after the other. “No, just by reputation. Word has it that he’s brilliant and may be the one person in the world who can tell us what the hell the Liege did to us. We searched everywhere for him but he disappeared like a vapor.” He stared at Tyrone. “And you actually know him? Seriously? Are we talking about the same person?”
Tyrone grinned. “Probably. Hawke’s smart, that’s for sure.”
“No. The Hawke who ran the labs at the compound was a fucking genius, computerized brain, everyone knew he was the real brains at the compound.”
Tyrone rubbed his neck while smiling. “I think it’s the same guy, only we don’t quite praise him the way you’re doing. Gotta keep the big guy humble.”
Thomas met Tyrone’s amused gaze and smiled. “I see. Thank you. It’s just... we’ve searched for him, for answers for so long, it’s... it’s hard to believe you have access to him. For the information, we’ve needed for decades. The lives that could’ve...” He inhaled and released a breath. Thinking of those already transitioned wasn’t productive. “Thank you for your help. We need answers, badly.”
“I’ll be honest with you, Thomas. We want answers to, it’s the reason we’re going to help. Because for humans to handle energy the way your team does, without being consumed, the longevity of your life and additional skills, we want to know how it’s done.”
Thomas stiffened as flashes of being caged or on metal tables flashed across his mind. “We won’t be experimented on again.”
Tyrone frowned as if offended. “Of course not. We’re talking examinations and blood work, questions, answers that kind of thing.”
Thomas thought it over. “Where would this take place?” He hadn’t mentioned the location of their complex but with Pack in every state, if La Patron really wanted to find them he could.
“Hawke and his team will go to Lizzy. They could also do preliminary work on the others at that same location.” Tyrone held up his hand to stop Thomas’ objections. “You’re asking for more than what a quick evaluation can provide. For Hawke to identify what the Liege did to each of you, he’ll need to examine you where he has sophisticated equipment which is in La Patron’s compound. Before that happens, a thorough background check will be completed on each of you. It sounds as if Lizzy does not have that kind of time, so Hawke is willing to travel to whatever state she’s in and make use of the Alpha’s health centers there.”
Thomas heard the take it or leave it in Tyrone’s voice. He hadn’t been kidding when he told Mia they had nothing to offer the Pack and he was grateful for their assistance.
He bowed his head in gratitude. “Thank you. Lizzy is in Wyoming. Where do you want her sent?”
Tyrone held up his finger. Moments later he spoke. “Alpha Crimson is setting things up. Take her to this address within two hours. Hawke will be there with his team.” He wrote the address on a piece of paper and handed it to Thomas. “You have to take her. Alpha Crimson has your description and will not allow any other humans into the facility.”
Grateful and filled with hope Thomas accepted the slip of paper. “Thank you. We’ll be there.” Tip was in Tennessee, Mia around the corner asleep and the other two team members were in Italy and returning soon. There was no one else to take Lizzy anyway. Mia never worked an op alone and there could be some fall out there when he canceled with the General. But the opportunity to discover more about them and possibly save Lizzy was too great to pass up.
When Tyrone stood, Thomas stood as well working through scenarios to get everything done. He would leave within the hour to ensure Lizzy was at the clinic on time. As soon as this meeting was done he’d have Mia start packing and tell Tip to return to base for his exam with Hawke’s team. Finally, they could get answers. Mia nailed it. Things were changing.
Tyrone extended his hand.
Thomas shook it and unsecured the room. “Thanks for everything.” What else was there to say when someone offered to save the lives of him and his friends.
“On behalf of La Patron, you’re welcome.” He walked to the door and left.
Thomas called Tip and then Mia. He would cancel the op, let the time run out, return a part of the money to General Strait and they’d leave. Mia had never worked an op alone and he refused to leave her behind. As the youngest in their group, they’d all protected and sheltered her through the years, allowing her to search for a child possibly long dead. It made her happy and they were okay with it.
Maybe there would be something in La Patron’s files about Mia’s child. He hoped he could find answers for most of their problems and prepared to check out.
CHAPTER 14
NOAH ROLLED OVER, OPENED one eye and looked out the window. Another blazing hot day in Texas, no big surprise there. What did surprise him was the sound of a rabbit or small creature nibbling on something, in the field beyond his home, over a 100 yards away. Other sounds, the hum of the AC, his refrigerator, even the back porch ceiling fan that he never turned off, all buzzed in his ears.
With his hand on his chest, he continued staring outside, listening in wonder to everything around him. Swallowing hard, he slid out of bed, walked to the window and stared at his detached garage where he stored his tools for his workshop in the back. His gaze slid over the grassy field that separated his land from his neighbors and zeroed in on a rabbit, in the middle of the field surrounded by grass and debris, eating.
“Whoa.” He blinked, uncertain he was seeing correctly and looked for the rabbit again. It moved a few feet, stopped and continued eating. Noah didn’t know what to think. “What the hell?”
He grabbed his jeans from the floor and headed to the back porch. Pants unsnapped, he stood outside, inhaled and sneezed. Strong scents assailed him. Wiping his nose, he tried to rid his nostrils of the odors he’d picked up and failed. Eyes watering, he returned to the house, sat in one of the kitchen chairs and took shallow sips of air, refusing to breathe through his nose. When the sensations eased, he inhaled lightly, the scents were strong but not debilitating.
Something happened to him.
Thirsty, he grabbed a glass from the cabinet, filled it with water from the sink, and drank it down fast. Heart racing, he closed his eyes to think.
Last night he dreamed.
His eyes flew opened and he looked at his hands. No shakes. No pain. No nausea. He was clear-headed, alert and remembered everything like the last time she walked with him in dreams but turned up several notches. Stunned, he returned to the chair staring at his steady hand.
Shocked and elated, he smiled and then not trusting the reprieve, he frowned. They broke through some kind of barrier last night. For the first time, he saw the day of the crime and found relevant clues.
First time.
Those two words ran through his mind on a loop. Was that it? Mia had pushed into an area he hadn’t been able to see before. Is that the reason for feeling fucking awesome?
He’d given her a hard time even though he knew she was right. Thoughts of how she boldly walked into his house yesterday with attitude floated through his mind. Cute too. He kept coming back to her body, it was a work of art.
He’d noticed. She mattered.
The fella Tip seemed to like her and she had given him a big smile too when he left. They weren’t a couple, but maybe they had a history. He stopped smiling, ran his hand through his thick hair and stared at his fist.
“You’re trying to rob the cradle these days?” He’d be 40 in a couple months, she had to be in her early 20’s, still, he couldn’t help the attraction, especially when they walked in dreams together. There was something magical, intimate about that which transcended a
nything he’d ever experienced.
Last night, the mist had come at him with a vengeance, the sights, and sounds of war-battered his mind. He was back on the battlefield fighting for his life. She saw him at his absolute worst when she pulled him out wearing that ridiculously oversized, long coat. She looked like a teen playing grown-up and utterly adorable.
He had wanted to kiss her so bad he shook with it. Embarrassed by his wild need, he rebuked her. Strong and feisty, she turned the tables and probably saved him, again by pushing through that barrier. He moved his hardening cock to the side, knowing there would be no relief from what he wanted most, to plunge into the silky smooth depths of Special Agent Mia Haddon.
Hunger pangs hit his belly. In the kitchen, he pulled out bacon, eggs, potatoes and started breakfast. Unable to get Mia and the things he wanted to do to her out of his mind, he placed a call to the number on the back of the card she gave him.
“Hello?” she sounded cautious.
“Morning, just thought I’d invite you over for breakfast and before we go over what we learned last night.” He turned over the bacon and pulled out a can of biscuits, he was hungry.
She sighed. “That’s a good idea. I just... never mind. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
He frowned. “Are you already out?” It wasn’t nine o’clock yet. The offices in town didn’t open until nine.
“Yes and no. I’ll explain when I get there. It’s going to be a long day.” She disconnected.
Noah stared at the phone, shrugged and stuffed it back into his pocket. Listening to various sounds of nature and light jazz that played in his bedroom he continued cooking. By the time he heard Mia’s car, he had prepared a feast of bacon, sausage, biscuits, eggs with cheese, spinach and mushrooms sauteed in butter, tea, and orange juice.
“Come on in, I’m in the kitchen,” he yelled.
Her scent speared through the aroma of everything in the kitchen and teased his nostrils. Strange how he sensed her before she spoke. Smiling, he looked over his shoulder. She stood at the entrance staring at the food and then looked at him. Today she wore a pair of navy trousers with a navy and white pinstriped dress shirt. Classy but still touchable. He liked it.
“Smells good.” She took the plate he offered and filled her plate. Pleased he provided this service for her, he filled his plate and followed her to the table.
They ate in silence.
Spirits high, he had so many questions, wanted to share what happened to him, and get her take on this change in his life. When he looked at her, she didn’t return his smile. Didn’t look at him. She seemed dim. Preoccupied but not quite the bright bulb of confidence he was accustomed to seeing.
“What’s wrong?” He missed her smile and the light in her large doe shaped eyes.
She looked at him and shrugged. “Thomas left. He had to go back to handle something important.”
Okay, that wasn’t what he expected to hear. But it must be a big deal for her to look so glum. “When’s he coming back?” Not that it mattered to him, especially if it meant they’d be able to spend more time together exploring dreams without Thomas’ interference. That was a bonus.
She shrugged again and continued eating.
Unsure if now was a good time to discuss his good news or ask questions about last night, he remained silent wishing he could ease her discomfort.
“I’m going to continue working on the case, solve it if possible,” she said as if trying to convince herself.
Surprised, not by what she said, but by the doubt in her voice. “You wanna do that?”
She rolled her eyes before glaring at him. “Of course I do, that’s why I’m here. It’s just...” she exhaled and looked away. “I’ve never run an op by myself. Everybody else is busy or out of the country. Thomas isn’t sure how much support he’ll be able to give me. He wanted me to leave with him, cancel the op, didn’t think I could handle it.” The last few words were said with a bite of anger.
She took a sip of juice and cleared her throat. “I looked up the closest colleges and was researching them when you called. I plan to go check them out, see if anyone remembers seeing his van. We’ve only got a few more days to locate the killer.”
Noah had a couple ideas on how to play her announcement. For one, he was happy as hell Mia was alone. He would definitely encroach on her time. Age be damned. Another, she was unsure how to run an op, something he had a lot of experience with, but he wasn’t a member of her team. She seemed reluctant to allow him to get close because of that pesky detail.
Since becoming a civilian and moving here, Noah hadn’t dated or been with a woman. He hadn’t wanted to expose anyone to his new brand of crazy. But Mia was like him, with her own kind of crazy. Normal rules didn’t necessarily apply. He wasn’t alone anymore. Plus, his dick was rock hard from watching her eat scrambled eggs. He’d cancel his next therapist appointment, hell, he was cured.
“Yeah, what colleges are on your list?” If she shared, let him in, he’d walk through that door and stay for a while. They’d start their own team. He liked that idea.
She named three. The junior college was five miles from the victim’s house and the place she would hit first.
“Good call.” He finished his food. “Want some company? I can ride with you, another pair of eyes.”
She looked at him surprised. “Oh, Ryan and Ryder will be there.” She frowned. “Or maybe just Ryder or Ryan.” She waved the hand holding her fork. “One of them, they offered to help. I split the list with them this morning, we’re going to meet at the Lucky G for lunch, go over what we find.”
Disbelief raced through him, chased by anger. Noah stared at her. “What? Who?”
“Ryder and Ryan, the twins I met yesterday when I left here. We went to lunch.”
He shook his head and pushed down the anger bubbling beneath the surface.
“Dream-walkers?”
“No. They aren’t gifted,” she said.
That made him feel somewhat better. “You told them about the investigation?” She hadn’t told him a damned thing until he met her in their dream.
“No. They were aware the victim died. They offered to help and since I’m short on assistance I agreed.” She shrugged, finished her juice and pushed back from the table. “That was delicious, you’re a good cook. Do you need help with the dishes?”
He looked up at her wary eyes and counted to ten. His jaw clenched and unclenched. Why the hell was he so pissed? He just met her a couple of days ago. Basically, he told her to get lost and stay away from him.
They walked through dreams together to solve a case. That wasn’t a big deal. Then why did he want to break something or someone? Unreasonable anger festered beneath his skin. She should’ve come to him for help.
She did, you told her to get out, and go away, he argued. That was before last night. Last night changed everything, he defended.
For you, maybe. But not her. It was the truth and he didn’t like it.
“Yes, please. If you’ll rinse the dishes and place them in the dishwasher I’ll go get dressed.” He stood and walked out, leaving her staring at his back.
<<<>>>
MIA STARED AT NOAH’S broad back and wondered how had she missed the fact he hadn’t worn a shirt during breakfast. The sight of his pale skin stretched across a muscular back snapped her out of her morose thoughts.
She picked up their plates, carried them to the sink to rinse and placed them in the dishwasher. Moments passed. Her thoughts returned to the confrontation she had with Thomas this morning.
Shame coated her throat.
She’d been angry, more than angry but she shouldn’t have said the things she had. Fear had taken over her mind and fed her tongue when he explained he wasn’t abandoning her as she claimed, but accepting help from a possible ally. In the back of her mind, she agreed they needed La Patron’s assistance to attempt to save Lizzy and learn more about the Liege’s experiments. The fact he found Hawke when they had been search
ing for the reclusive scientist for decades was unbelievably awesome.
Her rational side knew Thomas had to take the opportunity. However, fear was irrational and it locked onto her the moment he told her to pack up and prepare to leave for home. She wasn’t a child, and challenged him, something she rarely did.
“Would you tell any of the others to leave the job like this?”
Her question caught him by surprise. Hell, it surprised her that she actually wanted to stay and work the job. That hadn’t been in her mind until he ordered her to drop everything to go home.
“No. But they have experience.”
“This will give me experience,” she argued.
“I know. But I might not be able to assist you. Tip won’t either, not directly. I don’t feel comfortable leaving you here working on this. Plus we haven’t made enough progress on the case.”
She reminded him what they discovered in the dream. “I’m not leaving until there’s nothing left to investigate. That’s not how we operate and you know it. Ryan and Ryder offered to help, we’ll hit the colleges, show the victim’s picture and van, see if we learn anything.”
They stared at each other for several uncomfortable moments before he sighed. “Mia please.”
She’d never seen him so conflicted before and knew if the deal with La Patron hadn’t been on the table he wouldn’t have left.
“I’ll be fine, Thomas. I’m a part of this team and it’s past time I do more than scout or administrative work. Go, find out what you can to save the rest of us. I’ll be fine.” At the time, she meant it. Once he agreed and left, fear rose and choked her.
Up until an hour ago, she’d been coasting, reporting what she saw with the expectations of Thomas figuring everything out. Now, all of that changed. Nathaniel Green and several other victims fell into her lap. Their silent voices cried for justice, how could she give them answers? Peace? Truly, she didn’t know.