Lucy's Wolverine (Lilly Town Shifters)

by Bobbie Palmer

  "Bill," Lucy said, looking at him sternly. "I think you're grasping. I know you don't want to trust him, but honestly, if they were set up outside right now, why would they wait for him when they could just kill us now? I think he's trying to understand something and came to the only place he could get answers. I really don't think this is a trap." Bill just looked at her. "Fine, call some of your buddies and set them up outside or something," she went on, rolling her eyes. "We aren't going to figure out anything until we actually talk to the guy. Having him sit in the diner isn't going to help us. For all we know, he's already gone and we’ve lost the information we could have gained."

  "She's got a point," Mike told Bill.

  "Fine, let me call Emily and Basil. Give me ten minutes, then we can talk to him. Why don't you go talk to him while I call?" Bill said, and pulled out his cell.

  "Okay. Let me just talk to Lucy for a minute first."

  ***

  He watched as Paul sat at the table drinking coffee. He looked nervous. Maybe because he was afraid he'd be caught. Well, he was going to be, and he was going to regret helping those animals. He couldn't get over it. He considered Paul family. Why did he have to deceive him like this? He pulled out his cell and dialed his third. He watched Paul as the phone rang, unable to believe it. He just didn't understand.

  "Sir?" Mark answered.

  "I need a team here to help me with this mission, and spread the word: whoever kills Paul Mills gets to be my second," he said, and hung up. That would kill two birds with one stone. He'd have a replacement and Paul would be taken care of. He just hoped his replacement was good. Someone he could rely on. He knew Paul was good: maybe he should worry about someone actually killing Paul. After all, he had trained the man. It wouldn't be easy.

  ***

  Mike watched as Bill walked behind the bar to make his calls. "How did you come up with that?" Mike asked. Lucy giggled. He knew the answer would be odd, just like her.

  "This sounds like something out of a book. Why couldn't the answer come from one too?" she asked.

  "You read something like this in a book?" he asked incredulously.

  "No, but it's something I would write. Doesn't it make sense, though? You guys need to listen to the guy. If it is a trap, well, maybe you'll learn something from him anyway?"

  Okay, she really did make sense in an odd way. Out of a book, though? He didn't want his life to be something from a book, unless it was a happy ending. He wouldn't mind having one of those with Lucy. She leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He sighed and stood up, helping her to her feet at the same time. "You go ahead and finish that book, and I'll go chat with Paul."

  "Okay," she said, and before she could get very far, he pulled her into his arms and gave her a toe-curling kiss. She looked dazed as he pushed the ear buds into her hand. He knew she'd need them. It could be really quiet in the bar when it wasn't open. He wished he'd thought of giving them to her sooner, but they did get a plan from her out of it.

  When Mike walked back into the diner, Paul was still sitting in the same booth, eating pie. He sat down across from Paul and said, "Hi."

  "So what's the verdict?" Paul asked him.

  "We wait here for a few minutes, then head to the bar to talk with Bill," Mike said, looking at him.

  "Well, why don't you get some pie and we can sit and stare at each other while we wait?" Paul said, taking another bite. Maybe when this was all over, if Paul didn't get him killed, he might get a drink with him.

  Chapter 24

  As Paul walked toward the bar, he saw all the shifters surrounding the building. He guessed he couldn't blame them. He'd be afraid it was a trap too. As they walked into the bar, he felt like he was walking into the lions’ den. He just hoped it wasn't true.

  "Bill, this is Paul," Mike said, walking up to a bald, tattooed man. The guy was scary. Definitely not someone he wanted to run into in a dark alley, or someone he wanted to piss off. He guessed he’d already done that.

  "Hi," Paul said. What else was he supposed to say? He extended his hand to shake Bill's, but Bill didn't move. When Bill didn't say anything, Paul looked around the bar. Lucy was sitting at a table towards the back of the room. She was the only kind face in there. There were two men sitting at the bar, each with a drink in their hands. They looked like they were trying to stare him down. Looked like he wasn't going to be making friends any time soon, other than Lucy.

  "Sit," Bill said, putting a stool behind him. He was starting to wonder if he was going to make it out of this alive. He sat as requested and waited for his next order. He knew if he didn't do as he was told, they'd bury him in someone's back yard, or he’d be found washed up on some beach in a year or something.

  He took a quick look at Lucy, taking some relief from her kind smile and knowing that they probably wouldn't do anything with her sitting right there.

  "Don't try anything. Emily's going to be making sure you don't go and do something stupid," Bill said.

  Emily? He looked behind him and saw a face from the extremely dangerous files. He'd memorized her file. He didn't quite know why, but there was something about her. She was beautiful with her long blonde hair and hazel eyes. She looked hard and able to take on anything, but in some of those pictures, she looked soft and capable of kindness. She intrigued him. Emily pushed on him, making him turn around and face the group in front of him.

  "Tell us about your boss," Bill said.

  He seemed to be the one in charge. "His name is Zeke Elliot. He's ex military and very good at his job."

  "More," one of the men at the bar demanded.

  "What else do you want to know?" Paul said. He knew he needed to stay tough. He knew they could smell his fear, but they didn't need to be able to see it. Why wouldn't he be scared? One of the most feared shifters was behind him, there was a group of them outside, and there were four others standing there, three of which looked like they wanted to kill him on the spot.

  "How do they find the shifters they kill?" Bill asked.

  "Zeke has men set up around the country to investigate odd things. He also keeps an eye on the tabloids and the internet for info."

  "Does he kill them all or does he experiment on them?" Mike asked this time.

  "He kills most, but keeps a few as trophies. As far as I know, he's never experimented on any. He hates shifters too much."

  "How high are you in the organization?" the guy at the bar asked.

  "I'm his second, but I don't know if I'm that any more. I'm sure he knows by now that I didn't follow his orders."

  "You said he's kept trophies. They're still alive?" Mike asked.

  "Yes."

  "What shifters does he have?" Was that hope he saw on the guy's face? Maybe he was hoping there were more of his kind?

  "Last I saw, there was a pair of lions, bears, wolverines, and wolves."

  Mike seemed to fall back in his chair. "Did you say wolverines?"

  "Yeah. He's had them since before I started with the group."

  "And when was that?" Bill asked.

  "About eight years ago."

  ***

  His parents might still be alive? Mike couldn't believe it. He looked at Bill. Maybe Bill could use some of his contacts and get them out. He was aware that, if Zeke knew Paul had switched sides, or even suspected so, the shifters were probably dead. They might not be his parents, but he wouldn't be the last wolverine any more.

  Bill nodded his head. He understood. Mike would do anything to see his parents again. He was lucky to have parents who loved him and cared for him. They spent time with him, they talked to him. They went to school functions. They were the parents that all kids might not want, but dream of. They were strict, but loving.

  "Where are they being held?" Bill asked.

  "They're in a bunker in Washington State. I can give you all the information you need on it."

  "Good. I'll get that from you when we're done," Bill said.

  Mike let out the breath he didn't know he
was holding. Bill was going to get them out. Even if they weren't his parents, knowing there were more wolverines out there would be something. That would mean he wasn't alone.

  "I'm guessing you're asking about the wolverines," Paul said, before anyone could ask him another question. Mike nodded. "I want to let you know that last I heard, the female was pregnant. That was a few months ago. Zeke was interested in the gestation, so I'm sure he didn't do anything to her, but I'm guessing you're planning on getting them out, so I wanted you to know so you were prepared."

  They couldn't be his parents. His mother couldn't have any more kids. That's why he didn't have any siblings. The bastard must have caught another pair. Well, he wasn't alone. He wasn't the last, which was something.

  "So why is he after me?" Mike asked. He knew this Zeke guy wanted him dead; he just couldn't figure out why.

  "Because you're the one he missed. He thought he'd gotten the last of the wolverines, but when someone saw a wolverine in the woods, he flipped out. He was happy to say he’d taken out an entire race of shifters, but now you've changed that."

  "Why did you decide to talk to us?" the man at the bar asked. He must be in charge of something. Paul guessed the bald man was the alpha of the local pack and that the other man was in charge of the shifters that weren't wolves.

  "Lucy."

  ***

  Lucy had her computer open and was taking down notes about everything she’d learned. She couldn’t believe she lived in a world where all this was real and had never thought to write a book about it. It was going to be fiction and she’d probably change some of the facts so it wouldn’t look like she’d really lived it, but it was great. She could finally write that paranormal book she’d wanted to write. She finally had an idea! She had no intention of using this situation, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t draw a few things from it.

  “Lucy,” Mike said. She looked up and saw everyone looking at her.

  "What?" she asked, wondering why every eye in the room was on her. Did she do something wrong?

  "Paul named you as the reason for his sudden change in heart," Mike said.

  "Yeah, he already explained it," she said with a ‘duh’ look.

  "I know, but Basil wants to understand why," Mike said.

  "Okay, but why are you all looking at me?" she asked.

  "Because you're pretty?" Mike asked. She snorted and looked back at Paul with a ‘go on’ look. She didn’t know why he needed her permission.

  "I saw her going after Mike and I had to know why. The more I thought about it, the more I realized some things about your kind."

  “Like what?” Phil said. He seemed curious, not malicious. Lucy looked at him sitting at the bar drinking something. He was watching Paul, trying to figure him out.

  "I thought back to the times when I've fought shifters. They seemed like they were protecting people – defending themselves, not just attacking. When I've observed them, they were normal individuals and didn’t just attack random people. I've been taught that shifters are rabid beasts that kill anything they come in contact with. That when they're in their human forms, they're trolling for victims. I followed Mike for a few days and he wasn't doing that. He was hanging out with Lucy and working, helping Bill out. He seemed… human."

  "That's because we are human. We might be able to shift into animals, but we are still human." That was the first time Emily spoke. She didn’t seem to like Paul’s thinking on the subject, and Lucy didn’t blame her.

  "I'm coming to learn that," Paul said with his head down. He seemed genuinely remorseful.

  Lucy took one last look at Paul and went back to her plans. She wasn't a shifter. She didn't feel right imposing on their planning and their decisions on Paul. She hoped they let him live and let him help, but she knew there was a huge risk to them if they did. She was amazed that the ideas for this story were coming so fast. She loved this time. The time when she got to create new characters and a new story. It was an amazing feeling.

  All she wanted to do was curl up on her couch with Mike and write the story. She didn't know when that had happened. She knew she liked Mike, but she'd never included another person in her life like that. She never envisioned sitting with someone while writing. She normally wrote alone, other than the past few days, and when family was visiting. She never liked the distraction. But Mike wasn't a distraction; he was a comfort. The warmth of his body on hers was relaxing and helped her concentrate. That day when she sat on the couch writing with him was one of her best writing days. She really was falling for him. And it wasn't a scary thought. She could see her life being filled with him. She couldn't imagine her life without him. That thought put a smile on her face.

  Chapter 25

  "So we'll meet up in the morning to formulate a plan with everyone," Bill said. Everyone nodded and Mike walked over to Lucy, helping her pack up her computer.

  "You okay?" he asked.

  "I'm great. I just came up with some great ideas for a new book. I've been wanting to do some adult books. Wait, that came out wrong; more grown-up books," she said with an excited giggle.

  Even though he'd had a hard day, he couldn't help but be excited for her. She jumped into his arms and kissed him. He was surprised, but was quick enough to catch her. He knew she hadn't heard what Paul had said about the wolverines. He knew he had to tell her but just didn't want her to lose her happiness. "Come on, let's get you home," he said with a smile.

  "You're done?" she asked.

  "Yeah. We're going to meet tomorrow and get everything set before we raid their base."

  "Good. I get you all to myself tonight," she said with a smile.

  God he loved that smile! He wanted to see it every day, wake up to it every morning, and see the joy on her face when she got an idea about something she was working on. He knew that now she’d had that idea, she’d be living in her world of books, but maybe she wouldn’t mind letting him be there while she worked. He could only hope.

  They walked out to his truck, hand in hand, with him carrying her computer bag. That was something he never thought he’d be doing, carrying a green computer bag, flowers and all. He’d always thought of himself as very masculine. He was always very respectful, opening doors, helping to lift heavy things, helping old ladies cross the street, that kind of thing. But holding a girl’s hand while carrying a bag that screamed ‘girl’ was something he would never do. Yet there he was doing just that and doing it very happily. He must really like her.

  Mike was shocked when they walked through the door to Lucy’s house and instead of pulling out her computer and typing away, she walked over to her DVD collection and picked one out before disappearing into the kitchen. A minute later, Mike smelled popcorn. She was putting together a movie night. Maybe she thought he needed to relax or maybe she needed it, but he had a feeling it was for him. She walked back in with a bowl and two bottles of beer. Yeah, this was for him.

  “Here,” she said, and handed him one of the bottles. He took it and sat down on the couch. Lucy pressed the ‘Play’ button then settled into his arms. He pulled her close and wrapped a blanket around her as he watched the movie.

  Mike could tell she was having trouble watching it. She was constantly readjusting, trying to get comfortable, like she was bored or having trouble concentrating. He knew she wanted to pull out her computer and bring to life what was in her mind. He wasn’t surprised; she was a writer.

  ***

  Zeke paced his office, waiting to hear from someone that Paul was dead. The Hunters had started trickling in hours ago. He couldn't figure out why the man was still alive. It was a small town – how hard was it to find one man? There were only so many places he could hide. He knew Paul was a good soldier. He knew he was the best fighter. He also knew that no one had turned up injured or dead. That meant no one had found him. He shoved everything off his desk angrily. He wanted Paul dead. It was that simple. Did he have to do that himself too?

  Taking a deep breath, Zeke straighten
ed his clothes, trying to gain some composure. He was in charge. He couldn't afford to show anger and weakness. The men followed his lead. He had to be strong no matter what. He needed their fear and respect, not for them to see him lose it. He could do this. He could catch Paul and destroy the wolverine. It was possible and he was going to do it, no matter what.

  ***

  Paul watched from the tree outside of Zeke’s command center. He’d done enough to hurt the shifters; it was time to help them. He needed to see what Zeke was up to. He knew Zeke was aware he had switched sides, for there was no way his boss hadn’t noticed that he had not followed his orders. He also knew that Zeke was going to try to take him out. He knew too much about the organization. He was a huge threat to them.

  Zeke was pacing back and forth in his office. The man was stressed. He deserved so much more for all he’d done. He deserved to die for all the parents, children, brothers, and sisters he’d killed. Paul probably deserved it just as much, but he was trying to make up for his involvement.

  Maybe if the shifters Zeke had in his collection were released, he’d make up for just a small part of it. He was going to keep trying to help until the day he died. He was ashamed of what he’d done. He was wrong. And now he was going to make it right.

  ***

  “I want a team in Washington ASAP,” Bill said into his phone.

  “I’ll have them there in two hours. What’s our mission?” Jason asked.

  “There are shifters being held there. I’m told there are two wolverines, and one is pregnant unless she’s already given birth. I want them on a plane back here as soon as they’re out.”

  “Yes sir. Any other details?” he asked.

  “Just be alert. This is a Hunter base. I know Zeke sent some men here, so the security might be lighter, but I’m guessing that the facility has a lot.”

  “Okay, I’ll text you when we go in, and I’ll call you with an update when we’re out.”