by Amelia Jade
Jarvis snarled mentally. This was her town, but it was under his protection.
His eyes hardened, steel glinting from them as he looked at her.
“Find him. Stop him. Kill anyone who gets in my way.”
***
With Carrie safely on her way out of town, Jarvis turned his attention to the task at hand.
The moment he arrived back at the motel, he began snapping orders.
“Find Ava, tell her and her team I want them in my office ten minutes ago!” he barked at the first Green Bearet he came across.
“Yes sir!” the corporal said, coming to attention and then taking off at a dead run to the section of the headquarters that had been turned over to the RAF.
“Luther, find Gabriel and three other volunteers.” He paused. “Good ones,” he specified, resuming his headlong dash to his office. “The rest of you, find your commanders; leaves are canceled. I want all personnel back at base and on thirty percent alert status at all times.” He looked around. “Move it!”
Behind him officers and enlisted alike scrambled to figure out what was going on even as they carried out his orders. Jarvis hoped that he wouldn’t need the majority of his men, but he wanted them ready in case Fenris had something else up their sleeves as well.
It was better to be prepared.
He moved into his office and studied the huge map on the far wall until all the requested personnel had reported to him. Then he turned around, his face a mask of iron, unreadable in its fury.
“Thank you for coming,” he said to the assembled shifters.
There were twelve of them in the room, making the large conference space feel small with their presence.
To his right there were five of his best Green Bearets.
Captain Luther Klein.
Captain Gabriel Korver.
Lieutenant Aksel Muller.
Lieutenant Kiefer Hartmann.
Corporal Ethan Manning.
But it was really the shifters to his left that were going to make this feasible.
Bunched together around one table stood the six women who made up the Ragin’ Air Fillies contingent attached to the defense of Cloud Lake.
“This sounds serious,” the head of the RAF group, Captain Ava Holmgren, said as he paused to await their attention.
“It’s not good,” Jarvis said. “I have extreme reasonable suspicion to suspect that a human agent, working on behalf of Fenris, is poised to blow the hydro dam north of the city.”
He used a pointing stick to locate the dam on the big map pinned to the wall behind him. Then he drew two lines from it, one down to the road, and the other to Cloud Lake itself.
“Holy shit,” Luther said into the stunned silence.
“Holy shit indeed,” Jarvis said. “If he succeeds, he could wipe out much of Cloud Lake, and the only vehicle access in and out of Cadia.”
“How would any shipments get into Cadia if that happened?” Gabriel asked.
It was a rhetorical question though. They all knew the answer: they wouldn’t. Cadia would be cut off and on its own until the road could be repaired. With the weather the way it was, it was unlikely the road could be repaired for months at a minimum. While Cadia would survive, it would be an extremely costly predicament.
“If this happens, the politicians back home will never support going on the offensive. They’ll be so terrified of something happening while our troops are away, that we’ll stay on the defensive the entire time, until Fenris has killed enough of us that they can just waltz right on in.” Jarvis looked around the room, making sure that his handpicked team knew exactly how crucial their mission was.
“That’s not even beginning to mention the human casualties that the dam blowing would cause. We’re not talking one or two hundred. We’re talking in the thousands. It would be the worst loss of life on this continent in almost two decades.”
His eyes swiveled around the shifters, impaling each one of them individually.
“We are not going to let that happen.”
“What’s the plan?” Luther asked.
“The RAF will get us there with all speed. They’ll then fly air cover while we investigate and stop any attempt to blow the dam. Sounds simple, but I think we all know it’s likely to be anything but. Questions?”
Ethan spoke now. “Any intelligence regarding possible Fenris assets in and around the dam? That’s far enough north that our patrols haven’t reached it yet. We could be walking into a death trap.”
Jarvis nodded. “We could. In that case, make sure you’re real nice to your pilot, because you’re going to be depending on her to get you out of there.”
The assembled Green Bearets looked across the room at the Pegasus shifters. While they may not consider the Pegasi the most friendly of races, there was no lacking of respect for the skill and courage of the RAF. The Green Bearets weren’t idiots. They knew that the reputation of the RAF as the “baddest bitches in the world” as they stylized themselves, was well earned.
“Okay, let’s go,” he said. “Time is of the essence.”
The shifters filed out and headed for the roof at a near dead run, Ava in the lead, and Jarvis bringing up the rear.
He had no idea how long it would be before Angelo was planning to blow the dam. It could be days. It could be hours.
Or it could already have blown. It would take several long, arduous minutes for the water to crash through the countryside and reach the town.
Either way, he had to hurry.
Everything was riding on his ability to find and stop him.
Chapter Eleven
Carrie
“Carrie? What’s wrong?” Andrea asked as she barged into the room.
“We need to go. Now.”
“What? Why?” Andrea said, protesting as Carrie marched up to her and grabbed her wrist, all but bodily hauling the younger woman from her seat. “Let go of me.”
“Ask questions as we go.”
“Go where? Carrie, you aren’t making any sense!”
“Listen up folks! The shifter war might be carrying over to us. There’s a chance that the Fenris stronghold has rigged the hydro dam to blow. If it does, it’s going to wipe out half of Cloud Lake. Including this building. I recommend you be elsewhere until the Cadians can stop them.”
She paused, waiting for people to react.
Besides one or two skeptical glances however, nobody even rose from their seats.
“I’m not making this up!” she shouted.
“Carrie,” Andrea started to say.
“Do not patronize me,” she snarled. “Jarvis is heading up to the dam now with a team to investigate. At a minimum we’re going to the far side of town. The ground rises up in the southwest. We’ll go there and wait this out.”
Andrea looked around. More eyes were on them now.
“This is serious people!”
Nobody was getting up and leaving.
“Fine, stay in your death trap then,” she snapped. “But we’re leaving. I am not letting you stay here out of some idea that I’m going crazy, which I am not.”
Andrea sighed. “Okay, okay. I’ll take the rest of the day off.”
“I don’t give a shit!” Carrie shouted. “Let’s go.”
Heavy footsteps sounded at the door. The two sisters spun.
“Okay folks. My name is Morgan. I’m one of the shifters from Cadia stationed here. We have a credible threat to the safety of Cloud Lake, so we’re ordering a general evacuation of the northeastern part of the city. That includes this building.”
He paused, noting the lack of surprise on the faces. Then he glanced over at Carrie.
“Why do none of you look shocked?”
“Because I came in here five minutes ago and told them the same thing,” she said dejectedly. “The only difference is, they looked at me like I was crazy, while they’re willing to believe you.”
The shifter snarled. “She’s not crazy. There is a bomb threat at the dam that may go o
ff at any time. So get moving!”
And with that, he was gone.
All around the office, others began to pack up their things, chatting softly amongst themselves.
“Well that does wonders for my self-esteem,” she muttered as Andrea finally stopped resisting.
“Okay, I’m just going by my place to grab a few things, and then I’ll meet you at the water tower, okay?”
Andrea nodded. “I need to get Mindy from home, then I’ll head there.”
Mindy was her cat.
The two sisters embraced and went their separate ways.
***
She was grabbing several mementos from her house, things she wanted desperately to save, when she heard someone slide a key into the lock and open the door.
Fear overrode surprise.
The only people who might have a key were her sister.
And Angelo.
Carrie looked around frantically for a weapon, something she could use to defend herself. The only thing that presented itself were the knives in the kitchen block.
Snatching the biggest one, she stood facing the door.
Please be Andrea. Please be Andrea. Please be Andrea.
It wasn’t.
“You!” she shouted. “Get out of my house!”
Angelo stood in the doorway, his shock of black hair pushed to the side, and a big, scraggly beard covering his face that hadn’t been there three weeks ago. Even with the longer hair and facial mask, he was still recognizable.
“Well that’s one way to greet someone you haven’t seen in three weeks,” he said, sauntering inside, seeming not to care about the knife she was waving menacingly at him.
“Get out, or I’ll call the police,” she warned, her cell phone in her other hand.
Angelo laughed. “The police? Don’t you mean your little shifter boyfriend?”
His lip curled up with a sneer as he laughed at her shocked reaction. “Yeah, I know all about you and him. Not everyone is in love with him and his lame Green Bearets.” Angelo snorted. “What a ridiculous name. Who do they think they are anyway? Doesn’t anyone over there know that the Green Berets, the real ones, are an Army unit? And yet they use Marine Corps ranks. That’s just one of the ways they’re a bunch of chumps, but whatever.”
“Is there a purpose to your little tirade, or your appearance here?” she asked at last. God, how had she ever thought he was a good pick? What an idiot!
“Don’t pretend like you don’t know,” he said, advancing on her with a swagger that, even for him, seemed exaggerated and cocky.
“Forget something?” she asked. “I thought you took everything you needed to blow the dam.”
Angelo’s eyes narrowed and he stood up straighter, some of the arrogance gone. “So, you figured that one out did you? Oh well, no matter. It’s too late now. You can’t stop what’s about to happen. That’s why you’ll be coming with me now.”
Carrie’s blood went cold, ice forming in her stomach. Jarvis! She had to warn him, to let him know that he had to hurry. She had a phone number for the motel that he’d given her, just in case something went wrong, and she tried to pull it up in her phone now, without looking away.
Angelo took a step toward her as she did, and Carrie waved the knife at him. “Stay back!” she shouted.
He just grinned, and took another step toward her.
Carrie stepped back, keeping the island between them.
She fumbled with the phone, her eyes flicking back and forth between Angelo and the screen. He continued to come at her, and she backed around the island.
“Don’t try it!” she warned him again, waving the knife.
Angelo picked up one of the placemats from the island, rolled it into a cylinder, and then threw it at her.
Instinctively Carrie threw up an arm to protect herself. But in doing so she blocked her vision of Angelo. There was the sound of footsteps and she jabbed the knife forward in self-defense.
There was a grunt, and her arm jerked as she felt the knife slide into him an instant before his body crashed into her, bearing her to the floor in an uncontrolled fall.
Carrie hit the ground, her head smashing into the tile, and darkness swallowed her up.
Chapter Twelve
Jarvis
The six fliers stooped upon the dam like prehistoric birds of prey, bearing their charges to the ground with a grace that belied their strength and deadliness.
Wings snapped out wide and the Pegasi slowed just enough for the bear shifters to disembark, hitting the ground from twenty feet up and rolling to absorb the impact as they landed on the eastern edge of the dam.
Jarvis wished he could have landed in the center, but if the dam was rigged, then he didn’t want any of his men out in the middle of it unless absolutely necessary.
“I need you to look at the exposed side of the dam for any evidence of explosives, tampering, anything that might indicate they are going to blow it,” he shouted up at Ava as they circled above.
The majestic winged animal whinnied an understanding and tossed her head at two of her team. They took off over the edge to see what they could, while the others climbed to provide support and eyes in the sky. Jarvis hoped he wouldn’t need them.
One of the two Pegasi came barreling up over the edge of the dam just as his team was fanning out on approach to the control offices of the facility. She landed with a clatter of hooves on concrete and began shifting immediately.
“What did you find?” he asked. She wouldn’t be shifting if there was nothing to report.
“I don’t know much about explosives, but there are multiple holes drilled into the wall with big bulges of what look like explosives, if the movies are anything to go by.”
“They’re a little off, to be honest,” Ethan said, stepping forward. “But a dam wall shouldn’t have any holes with things that even look like charges placed into them. So, yeah, they’re probably charges. Any wires running from them?” he asked.
“No.”
“Hmm.” Ethan turned to look at Jarvis. “That means we might be able to jam the signal to them, prevent them from exploding.”
Ethan was one of the resident explosives experts in the Green Bearets, and this was exactly why Jarvis had brought him along.
“What do we need to do then?”
“Odds are, with that many charges, there’s a relay set up somewhere around here. This guy can send the signal to the relay from anywhere, but to send a signal to all the individual charges would be tough if he wasn’t in close proximity. Hence the relay. We find that, I either dismantle it, or I find a way to block the signal using the dam’s equipment. Should be doable.”
“Okay, well, let’s get inside and start looking,” he said. Turning back to the RAF flier he gave her an appreciative nod. “Thank you, if we need you we’ll call on you.”
The woman gave a curt nod and then began to shift back. In seconds she was winging her way skyward once more to rejoin her sisters.
The bear shifters jogged forward to the cylindrical tower that led down into the guts of the dam. There was one on each side of the dam, but according to Carrie, the eastern tower had more of the important control rooms in it.
They moved inside swiftly.
“Where are all the people?” Aksel asked. He was taking point, and it was quickly becoming obvious that the place was deserted.
“I don’t know. But that doesn’t bode well. Eyes open, stay alert,” Jarvis said, motioning for them to continue.
They passed down through the initial levels quickly, only slowing as they reached the lower, more critical areas.
The massive open chamber where the generators resided was the next floor down, and they still hadn’t spotted anything. By now they were deep in the bowels of the dam.
“Sir, something’s wrong. If they were going to have a relay, it wouldn’t function this deep.” Ethan stopped, but Jarvis got the feeling he wasn’t done speaking.
“Go on,” he prompted.
&nb
sp; “Unless the charges are on a timer, and not set for remote detonation.”
“Let’s check the generator room,” Jarvis said, motioning them to the stairwell that would take them there. “If we don’t find anything, we’ll have to go about this manually.”
“We might not have time for that,” Ethan said as they moved out.
“Do you have any better ideas, Lieutenant?” he asked, stressing Ethan’s rank to let him know that such glum thoughts were not to be voiced.
Of course they might not have time to do it manually. But they would damn well try! A lot of people were counting on them to stop this from happening.
Including Carrie.
He hoped she was well clear of town by now, like he’d told her to be. The last thing he wanted was for her to be in the danger area. He needed to focus on the task at hand, and not be freaking out about her safety.
“What the hell?”
Aksel, still in the front, had obviously seen something amiss as he entered the generator room.
“What is it?”
“Take a look at this, sir,” he said.
Jarvis surveyed the room. “Where?” he asked, not seeing anything out of place besides the missing workers.
“The far door,” Aksel said, pointing at the only other entry/exit from the generator room.
Jarvis frowned, staring across the huge room. “Is it welded shut?”
“Looks that way sir.”
“Break it down,” he ordered. “The rest of you, fan out and look for anything out of place.”
The shifters did as they were told.
“Ow!”
He spun as something clanged hard off the door, accompanied by the pained shout from Aksel.
“Sir, I don’t know what they did to this thing, but it didn’t budge,” Aksel said, holding his shoulder.
“It won’t work.”
Jarvis whirled at the unknown voice.
He watched as the man who had spoken strode into the room. Another six figures spread out behind him.
“Fenris,” Luther said from next to him as the Green Bearets formed their own line.
“Indeed,” Jarvis agreed.
“They’re between us and the only way out,” Gabriel remarked.