by Rayne Reilly
He sneered as he spoke. "You don't want to follow orders, and you are insubordinate. Perhaps working with your own kind is best."
She put her hands on her hips and thrust out her chin defiantly."So you think I'll toe the line if you shove me on a team of shifters?"
SSA Jones coughed and looked at Patrick. Julie caught an unspoken exchange between them that she didn't understand. She continued to plead her case."Look, I may not always follow the rules. But I'm good at my job. You know that...I get results."
"I'm afraid you haven't got any other choice. Either you accept the new position or hand in your resignation. I won't discuss this any further," SSA Jones said.
Julie shook her head. She had no choice. She had worked hard to be accepted into the F.B.I., She enjoyed her job, for the most part. She had to make the switch to this Shifter Task Force, or be unemployed. Part of her was relieved and happy that she would no longer see Patrick every day. However, she was also a little suspicious about the timing of the transfer. She wondered if it had anything to do with the revelation that shifters were being forced into the fight club.
She dropped her arms at her sides and stepped away from her chair.
"Fine. I'll be there Monday. Where is the office located?" She asked Patrick. He shoved a piece of paper toward her with the address. Snatching it from his hand, she headed for the door of the office. She glanced over her shoulder as she left and noticed that SSA Jones and Patrick were grinning at each other.
CHAPTER THREE
The Shifter Task Force was set up in a large office building downtown. An entire floor was dedicated to the new unit, but Julie could see that there were still plenty of empty rooms waiting to be filled.
Exiting the elevator, she noticed two large glass doors open a few feet in front of her and moved toward them. The room beyond was large, with desks scattered here and there out in the open. Up a couple of stairs on the far side of the huge room sat a couple of offices. She assumed that was where she would find her new bosses.
Smiling, she entered the room and strode over to a woman seated near the entrance.
"Hi, I'm S.A. Julie Williams, here to meet senior agent-"
The woman interrupted her, "You're here to see Dayna?"
Julie exhaled a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. Smiling widely at the friendly woman, she nodded.
"Yes, please."
The woman pointed to the other side of the room.
"Right up there. She and Jake have offices next to one another. Dayna's is on the right."
Julie thanked her and padded through the office, around the desks and up the several stairs toward the office of her new superior. She knocked lightly on the door and waited.
"Come in," a warm voice announced.
Opening the door and stepping inside, Julie was happy to be greeted by a woman with a warm smile.
"I'm Dayna," she said putting out her hand as she came around the desk toward Julie.
"Julie Williams" Julie shook Dayna's hand.
"Julie...we are going to go next door to Jake's office. We both want to meet with you at the same time, if you don't mind?"
"Sure," Julie said as she followed Dayna out of the office. Dayna knocked on the door next to hers and then opened it and entered. Jake stood and beamed when he saw her. From the way they gazed at each other, Julie could see that they were deeply in love. She felt relieved that her immediate supervisors seemed kind.
Maybe this won't be such a bad place to be after all.
Julie entered the office behind her.
Everyone took a seat and Jake began to fill Julie in about the Shifter Task Force. Julie sat listening as Dayna and Jake took turns speaking to her. Jake explained that Dayna had been with the F.B.I. when he met her,and she had hired him to help her set up the task force. He expressed that they were also working alongside the Shifter Alliance Council, otherwise known as the S.A.C.
"Jake is well liked and trusted by the S.A.C," Dayna announced proudly. Jake smiled at her affectionately.
Julie felt a little worried at the mention of the S.A.C. She didn't trust them. Their original intention was to make sure there was fairness in the treatment of shifters whether they committed crimes or were the victims of crime.
Shifter-on-shifter violence happened sometimes and they needed those who understood shifters dealing with these matters instead of humans.
In recent years, however, the S.A.C had been accused of keeping secrets from the rest of their kind,and there were rumors that they were not as altruistic as they claimed to be.
"I don't have to report to the S.A.C., do I?" Julie scrunched her nose as she spoke.
"No. You will report to me directly and I will tell the S.A.C. what they need to know."Jake paused and grinned."Not a fan of the S.A.C.?"
She shook her head. "Not really. I don't agree with the things that the Shifter Alliance Council stand for."
Jake laughed and exchanged a look with Dayna.
"We don't agree with everything they do either. The reason I agreed to report to them at all is that I have seen first hand how shifter criminals and victims have been treated by some in human law enforcement. They just aren't equipped to handle them and in some cases, cause more damage than they do help."
"We also found out that when humans are left solely in charge of shifters, sometimes they take advantage of them," Dayna said, "Even within the F.B.I."
Jake nodded.
"I'm all for fair treatment of shifters, obviously. I just don't like being told how to live my life out in the world. It's bad enough we have to follow human regulations and rules...add on the S.A.C. wanting to control us and it...well, you know what I mean?" Julie moved her hands as she spoke.
"I understand completely. I feel the same way. No one likes to be controlled. We believe in doing what is ethically and morally right...and sometimes that means ignoring a rule or two," Jake grinned.
I'll fit in here just fine. Julie grinned.
Several minutes later, the discussion wrapped up. Jake and Dayna stood.
"It was nice to meet you, Julie. I'll leave you in Jake's capable hands; I have to make a few calls."
Julie nodded as Dayna excused herself from the office.
Walking around his desk Jake gave a warm smile, "Welcome to the team. I'll take you down and introduce you to the everyone."
***
Julie followed Jake around the main office area as he explained the lack of staff.
"The task force is still small but growing. We have about fifteen people on our team.The ratio of humans to shifters isn't quite equal," Jake mentioned. "Unfortunately, some shifters refuse to work with humans and it's been hard to find actual team players. But we're getting there," he finished.
Julie nodded. At her old jobs within the F.B.I., she had encountered a little bit of resistance to her being a shifter. It didn't surprise her that some shifters still didn't trust humans and she hoped that was changing for the better.
She listened as Jake continued to speak. "I think that over time we'll find the right group of people who enjoy working together. I'm sure you'll come to feel part of the group in no time at all."
So far, everyone who Julie met was friendly and welcoming. She didn't feel the same animosity here that she got from some of her team members in the gang unit. It was easy to tell who the humans were and who the shifters were. It was just one of the perks of being a shifter. However, she was left somewhat perplexed by one of the last people to whom Jake introduced her.
As they walked up behind a dark-haired man, Julie felt tingles of excitement in her body.She looked around to see if anyone had noticed her physical reaction. Luckily, no one was watching her. They stopped walking when they reached the man's desk. Jake motioned to the man, who was now standing.
"Julie this is Xander Bachman. He's been with us just over a month already. He joined us from the organized crime unit, isn't that right Xander?"
Xander cleared his throat as he stood with his shoul
ders back. He had an air of confidence about him that struck Julie as being borderline cocky because of the smirk on his face.
"Sure did!" He grinned and put out a hand to Julie. "It's nice to meet you."
Julie gave a small closed-mouth smile as she shook his hand and looked into his eyes.His hand felt slightly cool to the touch. The tingles had returned along with a fleeting and silly thought of him being a vampire.She held back a laugh at such a foolish idea. There were no such things as vampires.
The tingles went from his hand into hers and traveled up her arm. In spite of this, she didn't want to let go of his hand. He didn't smell like a shifter or a human and yet he looked human. She tried to keep her face neutral as she glanced over his face quickly. Her lips parted slightly as she found herself staring at his sexy smile.
He was incredibly hot, with short wavy hair and sweet brown eyes. He didn't look much older than she was either,he looked to be around thirty years of age. She hated to admit it to herself, but she found him very attractive. He was nearly half a foot taller than she was with a sexy athletic build. Quickly, she admonished herself for thinking of him in a romantic way. You've only just met him. Relax.
She dropped his hand and glanced downward toward his desk. Her cheeks flushed a pale pink.
Jake cleared his throat and placed a hand on her upper back. "Well, I will leave you here then. Find an empty desk and make it your own. I'm going to get back to work now. We're happy you're here."
Julie nodded and smiled, looking over at Jake as he walked away. Turning her eyes back to Xander, she noticed his gaze hovering on her a face. She took a step back and smiled.
"I guess I better go find myself a desk." Julie turned and walked away.
***
Xander had noticed the new team member when she first arrived. The energy of the room changed the moment the elevator doors opened. He looked up from his work to see who was coming into the office and watched as she entered and approached a colleague. He heard her ask about the supervisors in charge and knew that she was, indeed, a new team member. His heart leapt in his chest when she passed him. She had no idea that he was checking her out and based on his body's reaction to her, he was glad about that.
She was a stunning beauty with shoulder-length blond hair and a fit body. He could tell she was a shifter by the way she carried herself. Probably a cat shifter of some kind, he mused. Her long legs moved with elegance and confidence.
He couldn't wait to work with her and get to know more about her.
He stopped and gave his head a small shake, returning to his work.
Pull yourself together, man. You have a job to do.
He frowned and turned back to the papers on his desk.
About twenty minutes later, Xander saw Jake and the new woman head out of his office toward the center of the room.He smoothed his hair back with his hands and waited in excited anticipation. As she grew closer to him, he was filled with an energy he had never before experienced.
As they approached him from behind, he stood to look into the incredible blue eyes of this sexy shifter woman. He watched as her pupils dilated and her nostrils flared when he shook her hand. He noticed the slight frown on her lips when she sensed he was not like she was.
Was that disappointment on her face?
His eyes lingered on her for a moment too long, and he wondered what she would think of him if she knew what he was.He licked his lips as she walked away. He couldn't help but wish that he would be paired up with her for an investigation, preferably sooner rather than later.
CHAPTER FOUR
A few days had passed when Xander found the perfect reason to go and chat to Julie. He hadn't wanted to appear overly eager or pushy. He wanted to wait a couple of days before asking her out.
He had returned to his desk mid-morning to find a file had been placed on it with a note asking him to investigate.
He wasn't sure who had left it but after glancing at the contents inside and seeing Julie's name as a previous investigator, he decided it was the perfect opportunity.
Xander grabbed the file and strode over to her desk.
"Hi, Julie," he said casually.
She looked up at him and smiled.
"Hi...Xander right?"
He nodded and held the file up.
"I understand you recently wrapped up a case around a fight club? This file was on my desk. It says that shifters are being forced to participate in these clubs. It seems that there might be a couple more of them around the city after all."
Julie grimaced. She looked pissed. "What? But they arrested the organizers...don't tell me...they weren't the real people behind it?" She pushed her chair back and stood.
Xander felt the warmth of her body as she stood close to him. His revelation about the file had not had the desired effect for which he had been hoping. She was not impressed with his news at all.
"Er...I don't know...I was just handed this. I haven't read it thoroughly yet. I was hoping to take you out for coffee and discuss it?"
Julie put her hands on her hips for a moment, then quickly snatched the file from his hands.
"I should have known," she muttered as she opened the file and quickly scanned some of the documents. She thrust the file back at him. "I want in on this case with you."
Xander was taken aback. He hadn't expected her to be so passionate.
"Sure. Yes. I would appreciate the feedback. About that coffee...?"
Julie's brow furrowed and she moved away from her desk, past Xander.
"Let's go. The sooner we solve this case the better," she proclaimed.
"Maybe we should discuss the file first and get some idea-" he didn't get to finish.
She was now past Xander. Suddenly, she turned and grabbed his upper arm. He turned his head and looked into her eyes. Her irises darkened and flashed with anger. In an even voice, she spoke, "I saw the shifter men the night of the fight club bust. They had huge ankle bracelets on. I could see that they were exhausted and probably barely had time to heal between fights. I want to get the bastards that are doing this...now!"
She let go of his arm and walked away. Xander shook his head and followed her out of the office.
***
Xander pulled out a chair for Julie and sat next to her in a relatively private area of the small cafe.
Julie took the file back from Xander and began to pour over it. Xander cleared his throat.
"Do you want anything? I can go and get it."
Julie looked up at Xander and her face softened. The minute Xander mentioned the case that she thought she had closed, alarm bells went off in her mind. She had wondered why Patrick and SSA Jones were so quick to get rid of her. They had to have known the case was not wrapped up. Is that why they reassigned her? Something is off about this whole thing.
She remembered Dayna mentioning that there had been some corruption within the F.B.I. Maybe this was part of that? She was baffled by the recent turn of events and hoped that her intuition was wrong regarding what she felt about her former boss.
Xander was looking at her with concern. Suddenly, she realized that she had probably offended him with her angry tirade.
"I'm sorry for the way I acted back there."
Xander gave a friendly smile. "It's okay. Your passion is admirable. So can I get you that coffee?" he asked confidently.
"Yes, please," she said gratefully. "Just coffee and cream, no sugar."
Xander nodded and walked toward the counter to order. She watched him walk away, admiring the way his suit fit his slender body. Julie wondered if he was as athletic as he appeared to be. Catching herself ogling him, she turned her attention back the file on the table.
There was a note about the guys who had been arrested for setting up the fight ring. She read how the men had admitted to taking orders from someone else but there was no mention as to who that was.
Way to go Patrick.
SSA Jones and Patrick had both said that the case was closed. Yet here she was
looking at a file that indicated that the fight rings were still happening and someone else was behind them. Julie tucked some hair behind her ear as she looked through the rest of the file. There wasn't much to go on except the names of the four shifters who had been found the night of the bust. Maybe speaking to them would yield something helpful.
Xander approached five minutes later with two cups of coffee. He sat down and handed one to Julie. She thanked him, took a sip of coffee and made eye contact with Xander.
"It looks like there could be two more fight clubs. Of course, I have no idea where in the city they could be. I would like to speak with the shifter victims who were freed from the one we shut down." She said, placing the cup down on the table.
Xander nodded. After a moment or two, he sat staring at his coffee cup. Julie took the opportunity to study him. His posture was fantastic. He had a classy look about him that didn't seem pretentious or put on. She noticed that he hadn't touched his coffee yet, and she wondered why.
"I hope you don't mind me muscling in on your case?" she asked lightly.
Xander turned his head; his lips were pressed in a slight smile. "No. Not at all. It makes sense for you to work it...you handled the original case. I don't know why it was given to me in the first place. I'm glad, though," he said and winked.
Julie felt her cheeks flush. At times, when he looked at her she felt herself getting excited. Once or twice since their first meeting a couple of days ago, she had caught herself fantasizing about him.
"Who gave you the file?" she asked, pretending she wasn't embarrassed.
"I don't know. It was on my desk with a note to investigate it. I assume it was Jake or Dayna who left it."
Julie bit the inside of her cheek. Whoever had given him the file knew that it could only be solved by a shifter...and whatever Xander was. She felt her lips curl a little. That question was on the tip of her tongue. She was about to blurt it out when Xander interrupted her.
"Are you single?" he asked with a confident gaze.