Special Ops Shifters: Dallas Force: The Complete Series Collection (Shifter Nation)

by Meg Ripley

  He shook his head. “Everything is about as normal and boring as it gets. I explored as much as I dared. I didn’t see any evidence of hidden rooms or a shed where someone is building a bomb or anything suspicious at all. It looks like there’s a strong perimeter fence that’s probably electrified, but that could just as much be to keep people out as in. I don’t get it, and I don’t like it.”

  “Either it’s a very good coverup or we’re wasting our time,” Erica agreed.

  Jack’s hand was wrapped around her elbow then, pulling her slightly back from the end of the breakfast line and holding her close. “I want to do things differently today.”

  Her body reacted as she looked up at him and saw the urgency in his eyes. Instantly, her skin recalled the way it felt to be pressed up against him. Her heart thundered in anticipation, even though he touched her with only his fingers. She’d missed him as she’d spent the night alone. Jack had an uncanny knack for making all the danger that surrounded them melt into the background. “Yes?” she choked out.

  “Let’s stay together today. We should be a team.”

  The words were simple, yet they said so much. Erica wanted nothing more than to agree with him, but she knew it wasn’t practical. “It won’t work. We’re supposed to learn our duties today. Ben will be suspicious if we suddenly change our minds.”

  “I don’t know. I’m not sure anyone will notice. Look.”

  The common room seemed to be bustling with even more energy than usual. Clumps of people stood close together, chattering excitedly and gesturing with their hands. Erica sensed something big in the atmosphere, something that was about to happen, but she couldn’t tell what it was. “I think we’re about to get a little insight into our mission,” she whispered.

  Retrieving their meals, a man with a brilliant smile and slicked back hair waved them over to his table. “Jack, there you are! I was looking all over for you yesterday after you ran off.”

  “I’m sorry about that. I got a little caught up in other things. Ted, this is my friend Erica. Erica, meet Ted.”

  The shifter extended his hand to shake hers. Erica picked up waves of confidence, maybe a little ignorance, but nothing sinister. “It’s nice to meet you. Tell me, is there something going on today?” She gestured with her head at the anxious crowd.

  “Oh, yeah! Ben’s going to talk to us!” Ted looked as if he were ready to clap his hands like a little girl on her way to get an ice cream cone.

  “I thought he talked to us every day. I mean, he did yesterday.” She knew she must’ve missed something when she was watching the mechanic.

  “Sure, but this is different. Didn’t you hear him yesterday? He said we were going to get our final missions very soon. I thought it might be another week or so, but rumor has it today is the day!” Ted’s teeth flashed white as his smile broadened.

  “Excuse me? Our final missions? What does that mean?” Jack asked. Erica could tell he was trying to keep the concern out of his voice, but some of it was leaking through. Not that she could blame him.

  “Oh, I forgot what it’s like to be so new here. We all have our normal chores and duties, but Ben has promised us that we’ll be assigned a final mission that will help perpetuate our way of life here in more ways than we can imagine. It’s some big project he’s been working on, and almost no one knows the details. The one thing we do know is that it’ll change our lives permanently.”

  Erica didn’t like the sound of that, and she exchanged a worried look with Jack. For the moment, all they could do was wait.

  Apparently, Ted wasn’t the only one who’d heard those rumors, because Ben’s arrival that morning was met with thunderous applause. It didn’t cease even when he waved his hands humbly through the air, and Erica could feel the tension building in the room.

  Finally, all was silent. Ben pressed his hands together in front of his chest and bowed his head so that his lips touched his fingertips. He closed his eyes thoughtfully and held the pose as he began speaking. “My friends, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate each and every one of you. As I said yesterday, this place would be nothing without you.”

  Again, there was more clapping and cheering.

  Ben opened his eyes, matching his gaze with his followers’ as he looked around the room. “I have heard so many of your stories. I have heard from those of you who have left abusive relationships and needed a new clan. I have heard from those of you who were so desperate to find a different way of life that you turned to drugs and crime before you came here. Broke, broken, addicted, or just fed up, there are so many reasons that you have sought me out. Once again, I must say, for this I am grateful.”

  Erica looked to the doorway, expecting to see the man in the greasy coveralls again, but he wasn’t there. She wished she knew how to interpret that.

  “Some of you already know my story, but today, I’d like to make sure I share it with everyone. You see, when I was a little boy, I lived in the mountains near the Persian Gulf. You might wonder why anyone would try to live there for so long when it has so little to offer. But I say to you, how is that any different than the wastelands you’ve been living in? Country or city, hot or cold climate, we are all seeking a shelter that will keep us safe from the world.”

  His followers nodded and smiled, encouraging him.

  “It was the same way for me and my family, and it had been that way for generations. Our little settlement was the only place we’d ever known, and we thought we were happy. Or at least happy enough. We worked hard to put food on the table and clothes on our backs, but that hard work meant we always slept well at night. Everything changed when the American government came sweeping in. I was only a little boy when they invaded our country and my hometown. I was just an innocent child when they came and took my father away from me. I can still see him turning to me as they dragged him out the door, telling me to take care of myself. It is still so vivid of a picture, and I’ve kept it with me all this time.

  “That single day changed my life and the lives of everyone else in my family completely. I knew I had to do something to fix it, but as I said, I was just a little boy. I grew into a man, and still, I didn’t quite know what I should do. But I came here with the assistance of some other family members who’d already left to seek a better life. Everything is better in America. Or at least that’s what everyone believes.

  “In my time here, I’ve learned that it wasn’t quite true. Yes, there’s more food. There’s more freedom, or at least perceived freedom. But it’s not as perfect as they would have you believe. I want you to think carefully, my friends, about my experience as a child. The American government came into my country and took my father away. They accused him of horrible crimes, and I nor anyone else ever saw him again.”

  The audience was shaking their heads and exchanging sad looks, but they were captivated. No one dared question Ben on exactly why his father was taken or what he might’ve done. This was all about sympathy for Ben at the moment. Erica knew he would soon turn the story around and make it about them. He would unite them with a common enemy, and it wouldn’t be difficult to do since they already respected him so much. These people were beholden to him for their current lifestyle, and their choice would be to go along with whatever he said or face the harshness of reality once again.

  “What I see here in America is that even its own citizens are falling victim to the same thing. Homes are being invaded; guns are being taken. Police are shooting innocent citizens simply because they can. Peaceful protests are shut down with violence and force. And it all makes sense, doesn’t it?” Ben asked. “If they would invade a country on the other side of the world in an effort to control it, then why wouldn’t they do the same thing right here on their very own soil? They do, my friends. They can, and they do. Every day. It’s only a matter of time before we’re next.”

  This caused a ripple of fear through the crowd. It was chokingly thick, and Erica fought to breathe through it. She felt Jack’s hand on her th
igh under the table, a comforting presence, but even he couldn’t make this go away.

  “All of you,” Ben continued, “every single one of you, are different. We don’t talk about it much here, because we shouldn’t have to, but you are not the same as other people. You possess powers the rest of the country—and even the rest of the world—wouldn’t understand. What makes you think the government would leave us alone to live in peace? What makes you think for one second that we would be allowed to have our own community?

  “They know. They know that we are not like them. They know that we have animals inside us, animals with teeth and claws and fighting instincts, animals who don’t hesitate to lash out when they’re being wronged. And believe me, they’re ready to do something about it. The American government strives to eliminate any threat or even potential threat. Anything that might take money from their pockets or control from their fists is absolutely a menace, and that menace is us, my friends. They’ve made us their enemy.

  “The threat is already upon us. I wish I didn’t have to tell you about it, but just as I expect you to be honest with me, I will be honest with you. There are already government officials keeping an eye on our peaceful village. They’re jealous of the food we grow without interference from pesticides. They’re determined to wipe out our happy lives free of taxes and fees. They want to have their hands in everyone’s way of life, and that includes ours.

  “Please,” he said, holding his hands out in an effort to calm the restlessness of the gathering. “Please understand that I’ve known this day would come for a long time, and so I’ve been preparing for it. Who better than us to fulfill this mission? We have the skills to fight if we need to. We have the ability to become something other than the enemy they’re looking for when it’s time to get away. A man may attack the governor, but they won’t see a wolf trotting off through the woods. We are a small group, too small to even be considered a village, but we will make a statement the United States government will never forget! They will think twice before crashing down on us!”

  The room erupted in applause once again. This wasn’t good. Whatever Ben had prepared, he had all his followers on board for it. They were U.S. citizens. They didn’t have to agree with every single thing their government did, but they should be trusting it more than they did some charismatic stranger. Ben had won them over, though. He had them wrapped around his finger.

  “For two years, I’ve been selling used cars. Each one of these vehicles has been outfitted with a special circuitry board, one that will make that statement for us. These vehicles are already parked at homes and businesses, and they will do the job they’ve been set to do. But I have many more vehicles, ones that I ask you all to take out into the world. Tomorrow is my father’s birthday, and when you reach the destinations I assign for you, the world will know that we mean business!”

  People were out of their seats now, clamoring to find out exactly what their leader wanted of them.

  “Friends, please!” Ben shouted. “I will be speaking with each of you. There is plenty of time, and there are jobs for all of you. You can all help our cause.”

  Things settled down somewhat, but a massive ring had formed around Ben.

  Erica and Jack hung back. “I don’t like the sound of this, and I can’t believe they’re actually going for it,” she whispered. “Please tell me I misunderstood.”

  “I don’t think you did.” He gripped her hand under the table. “Those cars have bombs in them. I’m guessing Ben has them set to go off at a particular time. The ones that haven’t been sold will be driven across the country by his followers. He’ll probably have them headed toward national landmarks, churches, schools, places where they’ll really make an impact.”

  “We’ve got to find some way to stop them.” Erica thought back to their briefing when they’d first met in those rural cabins. It had only been a few days ago, but it felt like another lifetime. “Ben’s dealership is a small one, but he’s had to have sold hundreds of cars in the couple of years he’s been operating. If all of them are active, we’ve got one hell of a problem on our hands.”

  “Ben likes you, and you’re better at pretending you’re on his side. You go up there and see what mission he wants to give you, and I’ll head outside.” Jack turned for the door.

  Erica grabbed his arm. “Don’t you think that’ll be a little obvious?” she hissed.

  “Everyone’s pretty well occupied.” He tipped his head toward the crowd. Some of them had already stepped away from Ben, apparently because they’d gotten the information they needed. Two people nearby were celebrating their upcoming trip to Mount Rushmore.

  “Still, if he actually has everyone assigned, then he’s going to wonder where you are. We can’t blow this now.” Jack had reacted strongly when he thought Erica was the one Ben had hit. If he was feeling protective, he might do something stupid because he thought it would keep her safe. They couldn’t risk that.

  “I’ll be back as soon as I can. Tell him I’m sick to my stomach or something. I’m heading out to the cars that are parked here to see if I can find out if we’re right about the bombs. You go to Ben. See if he’s got some sort of master list of where the sold cars are and where the unsold cars are headed. There’s got to be one somewhere.” Again, he stepped toward the door.

  “Jack, we both signed on knowing we would be taking risks. Don’t throw yourself into the fire because you think you’re leaving me safe in the frying pan.” She reached out to him with her mind, determined to make him understand—whether through words or through mental energy—that she didn’t want to lose him. It wasn’t worth it.

  His lips twisted as his eyes skimmed her mouth. “I’ll be fine. We both will. If anything goes sideways, you get Winston on the line.”

  Erica nodded and headed for the crowd. Her stomach churned at all the elation in the air. She wanted to put out a wavelength of peace and harmony, the kind of stuff these people had thought they were going there for, but she knew the energy it would take would only be wasted. They weren’t going to listen to her. For now, she had to do what her job dictated and pretend she was going along with this plan. In the back of her mind, though, she could only hope that Jack was safe enough.

  Ben was handing out small slips of paper. Erica watched as the people around her took them, noticing that each one had a location and a departure date. Some of them had addresses, others were names she recognized. A woman next to her had one that listed the Lincoln Memorial and a time of eleven p.m. Another listed Millennium Park in Chicago, leaving at six the next morning. Erica wiped her face of all the horror she felt knotting up inside her body as she drew closer and closer to the leader.

  “Ah, Erica!” he beamed when it was her turn. “I know you’re still new to the fold, and you probably weren’t expecting this trip.”

  “Yes, you’re right. I was worried when you made your announcement because yesterday, you said you wanted me to learn my way around the kitchens. I wasn’t sure what the right thing was to do.” She gave him a vacant smile as she tried to reach out to him. There had to be some way to find out more about his plan.

  Ben’s mind was well-guarded, though. “Don’t you worry about any of that; I’ll find someone else to do it. I’ve paired you up with Lucy. The two of you won’t have a very far drive, just into town at a rather prominent church. She’s already got the assignment.” Ben pointed to a woman on the other side of the crowd.

  Lucy, a tall woman with her blonde curls yanked back in a tight ponytail, waved the piece of paper excitedly in the air.

  “That’s so nice of you. Thank you.” Ben had turned away, and Erica had no choice but to join Lucy. She bit her lip as she ran through what she knew. Ben didn’t have a master list, or at least not on him. He’d only handed out those little slips of paper, most of which had already been dispersed through the crowd. Ben had eschewed electronics on the grounds, at least for his followers. All the departure times indicated arrival times of around noon the nex
t day. If she and Lucy were only going into town, less than half an hour away, that would give her some time to come up with an alternate plan before anything drastic happened.

  “Are you Erica? Oh, I’m so excited to meet you!” Lucy wrapped Erica in a bear hug that lifted her off the ground and set her down with a thump. “How great is it that so many women will be involved in a movement like this? You always hear about men making a statement. Don’t get me wrong; Ben is a wonderful guy. We couldn’t have done any of this without him. I just think it’s so great that we get to make a difference, you know?”

  “Yeah. Absolutely.” Erica wasn’t paying much attention to Lucy babble on. The woman was either someone Ben trusted implicitly, which was why he’d paired the two of them up, or she was someone he didn’t think was capable of much, which was why they were only going into Hortonburg. She peeked over her shoulder, hoping beyond all hope that Jack had returned, but there was no sign of him.

  “And to make things even better, we’re one of the first to go out!” Lucy squealed.

  “Wait. What?” Erica snatched the slip of paper from the other woman’s grip. To match up with everyone else’s assignments, they should’ve been leaving late the next morning. The scrap listed a time only an hour from then. “This can’t be right. Most people aren’t leaving until tonight or tomorrow.”

  “I know! We’re going to be some of the first ones out the door! Can you believe it? Oh, and I already asked Ben which vehicle he wanted us to take. He said we can have our pick!” She squealed again and clapped her hands. “Let’s head outside and see which one we want.”

  Erica hoped her horror didn’t show in her eyes. “That’s even better. Look, I’ve got to run to my room for a second.”

  Lucy frowned. “What for? You look fine.”

  “I, um, I forgot my bracelet this morning. I wear it every day, and it’s got sentimental value. You know how it is. I’ll meet you outside.” Without another word, she pushed her way through the throng and out the door. As soon as she reached the relatively open space of the hall, she burst into a full run toward her room.