G.H.O.S.T. Teams (Book 2) Shifters

by Bobby Brimmer

  You see, the first time I brought Vlad in here everything went crazy. Turns out that his dragon spirit sets off our magical security system. I asked someone to clear Vlad with security, but I was told that such a thing was “impossible”. I’d assumed they were just blowing me off. But it turns out that if they cleared Vlad’s soul, it would open up holes in the security system that a dozen other threats could exploit. Even with the vast resources and powers at the disposal of the GHOST organization, they had no way to safely allow Vlad on the premises.

  But the day after I saved the world, I drove him right into the parking garage. There were no alarms, no flashing lights, and not even a hint that he shouldn’t be there. The security guards freaked out. They started checking the system, convinced that something must be wrong. When I approached, I was asked to wait while they checked everything out. They even called my boss upstairs and demanded an explanation. Needless to say, my boss didn’t take too kindly to their tone and he let them know it. I was however ordered up to his office immediately to explain how Vlad was doing what he was doing.

  You see, what they told me was true, from their point of view anyway. The GHOSTs didn’t have the ability to safely clear Vlad with security. But, after saving the world, Visine and I found a nice bar to drink away our pain. Somewhere between hammered and coma, Merlin showed up to thank us for freeing him. He said something to the effect of being in our debt. Now I am guessing that he was actually using it as a figure of speech, but between the alcohol and our excitement about being alive, Visine and I took it as an invitation to make a wish.

  Visine got some never-ending bag of beer and I got Vlad cleared with security. Maybe it’s not how you would have used your wish from the most powerful wizard that ever lived, but Vlad is my friend. No one understands how Merlin did it, but as far as GHOST HQ is concerned, Vlad is supposed to be there. The security guards, however, still didn’t like me. Especially after the ass-chewing they got for the way they handled things with the boss.

  As Erika and I walked by, I gave a friendly wave to the guards and Vlad even honked his horn to say hello. I’m sure it goes without saying that they were not amused. But it’s the little things in life that make me happy. As we got onto the elevator, we saw the team van pull in and we knew they’d be right behind us. In anticipation of Kara’s request, we headed down to the infirmary. I didn’t mind doing things to help my team feel useful. Plus there was often a doctor or nurse on shift that was easy on the eyes. We took the elevator down to sublevel two and turned into the first door on our left.

  Sickbay was a large sterile looking space. There were beds along each wall, an office in the back, an MRI and X-ray room next to it, and various pieces of equipment scattered about. Almost everything was white or cream colored including the doctor’s lab coats. At the moment there were no patients inside. Erika and I sat on the first set of beds and waited for someone to head on over.

  The doctor on duty was someone I had seen a few times, although I couldn’t recall her name. Luckily Erika chimed in before I took a guess.

  “Hey Tanya, how are you?” Erika asked.

  “Good, Honey, how are you two feeling?” Tanya replied.

  Tanya stood about five-foot-ten before her heels. She had long black hair pulled back into a ponytail, and dark eyes. Her skin looked smooth and tan and she always greeted us with a warm smile. She was in her mid-forties, but it was clear from her figure that she took care of herself. A tan blouse and medium length blue skirt were hidden under her lab coat and her shoes were a soft shade of pink. Although she clearly looked Mediterranean, she spoke with a slight southern drawl. The latter was probably the reason that she called everyone “honey” or “hun”. I didn’t mind though. There was a sweetness to her.

  “We’re fine. Just a few cuts and scrapes,” Erika smiled.

  “I don’t know what she’s talking about Doc, I only came down here to stare into your eyes.”

  “Honey, you wouldn’t know what to do with me if you had me,” Tanya smirked.

  Erika started to laugh, and Tanya joined in. I couldn’t help but smile. Tanya always gave as good as she got. Some of that southern spunk I guess. She drew the curtain between our beds so that Erika had a bit of privacy and then started looking her over. I hollered out the occasional offer to help, but they humorously dismissed me and made it clear where I could stick my help. Once she was done with Erika she asked me to remove my shirt and pants and started cleaning my wounds. It was a precautionary step to make sure the magic didn’t seal in anything that shouldn’t be there. I was sitting on the bed in my underwear when Kara walked in. As she walked by, I playfully raised my eyebrows a few times and she laughed.

  Once the doc was done, Kara started mumbling and waving her arms about. Slowly but surely, a blue light started to glow around her hands. Then she would wave them over us each in turn. I could feel the pain fading as she passed her hands over my body. A few more passes and my scrapes and cuts were almost completely faded. By tomorrow you would hardly know I had been hit. Erika was also feeling better. We both got dressed, thanked Tanya, and headed upstairs with Kara. Apparently Dutton, the boss, had sent word down that he wanted to meet with us all before we started paperwork and such. So we headed up to the fifth floor and walked down that long hall.

  There were a couple of doors on each side, the last on the right leading to a conference room that we had used a few times. At the end of the hall there was a pair of large double doors that led to the boss’s office. But, just before you got there, a reception area seemed to fade into view on the left. There was a simple desk and receptionist whom I lovingly referred to as Ms. No Nonsense. Her long brown hair was pulled tight into a bun and her face had sharp features that reminded me of Margaret Hamilton…the Wicked Witch of the West. She wore a dark brown jacket over a peach shirt and had black-rimmed glasses. As always, her thin lipped smile looked menacing and before I could say a word she spoke up.

  “Mr. Dutton will see you now,” she said.

  Freddy and Danny had been waiting on the little couch and chairs and they stood to follow us in. The double doors opened of their own accord, as they always did, and revealed an enormous office that struck me as a little over the top. Everything was oversized and looked expensive. Hefty wooden bookshelves were set into the walls and deep red curtains and warm lighting kept the mood rich, but not dark. Various oversized leather chairs were scattered about, two of which sat right in front of the boss’s desk. Dutton’s desk was huge, completely made of wood, and it had that stained and glossy old-world feel. There was even a decorative quill pen on top.

  The man himself sat in a high-backed leather chair and leaned his elbows on his desk, a cigar in his mouth, and a grimace on his face. He wore a light tan jacket and matching vest over a white shirt and maroon tie. Although he was sitting now, I knew that Dutton was a bit shy of seven feet tall. The man was built like a muscular Andre the Giant. He had dark brown skin and even darker eyes. His head was bald and his face was clean-shaven. Dutton was somewhere in his fifties, but he normally scolded me with the energy of a much younger man.

  Thanks to the oversized furniture and the unknown gentleman’s diminutive stature, I hardly noticed the second person in the room. Shortly after we had all shuffled in, he hopped up from one of the chairs in front of Dutton’s desk. There was a fluidity to his movements and a precise muscle control that I noticed instantly. He stood maybe a bit over five-foot tall with fair skin and stark white hair down just past his shoulders. He appeared young, maybe twelve or thirteen, and I noticed a pair of wooden pistol-handles peeking out from under his jacket. He looked me right in the eyes and smiled.

  “You must be Bruce Chang,” he stated.

  As a white man named Chang, I always appreciate someone saying my name rather than questioning it. His voice was high and it fit right in with his young look. He was skinny, but not scrawny, having a wiry frame. His black slacks were tucked into tight knee high brown boots. He wore a plain dress sh
irt and skinny black tie under his olive drab jacket. The coat had double buttons down the front, on the shoulders, wrists and pockets. It looked like some fashionable British motorcycle jacket. But even with its form fitting nature, he clearly used it to hide the pistols he carried, one under each arm. There was a strange look in his eyes, almost as if he knew me. I didn’t think we’d met before, as I assumed I would remember a white haired twelve-year-old.

  “Am I famous already?”

  “You’re known in certain circles,” he replied.

  “Agent Richardson is the tech specialist for Team Eleven,” Dutton added, his voice boomed, slow and confident as always. “He is in town delivering your tags, but since you are still short a team member, he will be joining you on your current assignment.”

  My team couldn’t hide their excitement at the mention of our tags. I’m sure I’d find out what they were soon enough, but at the moment I cared more about this strange young man who was to join us in the field. Before I could start asking questions however, Danny spoke up.

  “Mr. Dutton sir, do you have our tags with you?” he asked.

  “They are downstairs being charged. You will all have them soon enough,” Dutton replied.

  “Thank you sir,” Danny squealed.

  I raised an eyebrow at him but he didn’t care. Nothing was going to wipe that smile off of his face. The rest of the team also seemed quite pleased at this turn of events. Before everyone ran downstairs to check under the Christmas tree, I figured we better find out a bit more concerning our temporary team member.

  “Agent Richardson is it?”

  “It’s actually Hunter, Hunter Richardson,” he replied.

  “Hunter huh? I’m sure we’ll find something more fitting.”

  “If you say so,” he replied, raising an eyebrow.

  “You any good at what you do?”

  “I’m above average,” he replied.

  Freddy decided to chime in, “Mr. Richardson is being modest. I have read several of the case files concerning Team Eleven. In fact, I recall last winter…” I cut him off.

  “How about you let the kid talk, Freddy.”

  My voice was low and I never looked over, but Freddy took the hint and went silent. Hunter and I were sort of locked onto each other, a sizing up ritual among warriors. The little guy didn’t seem in the least bit intimidated, and in fact looked perfectly relaxed standing in front of me.

  “He’s right, we’re pretty awesome,” Hunter said.

  “Are you now?”

  “Well, I am sure you have heard what they say about Team Eleven?” he asked.

  “What’s that?”

  “We’re so good, they gave us number one twice,” he winked.

  That one brought a small smile to my face. But no matter how much I enjoyed his wit, I wasn’t taking someone untested into battle with nothing more than Freddy’s say so that he was good.

  “While I can appreciate your double-oneness, I’m not comfortable taking you into combat until I know you can handle yourself in a fight.”

  “I have been doing this for quite a few years you know,” he said.

  “That seems unlikely at your age.”

  “I’m a bit older than I look,” Hunter stated.

  “That’s good, because you look twelve.”

  “Come on, with the tie I can easily pass for fourteen,” he smiled.

  There was a small pause as some of the team started to giggle. Against my better judgment, I was starting to like the kid.

  “Richardson is an accomplished field agent, Chang,” Dutton added.

  “And you made it clear that team safety is my responsibility.”

  I almost thought I saw the hints of a smile on Dutton’s face as if he hoped I wouldn’t take his word for things. But he didn’t add anything else to the discussion before Hunter spoke up.

  “It’s all right sir,” Hunter called back over his shoulder, “I’m happy to prove my worth to Mr. Chang.”

  “You can call him BD, we all do,” Danny added.

  I gave Danny an unappreciative look, but it did little to wipe the smile off of his face.

  “The Black Dragon, right?” Hunter asked.

  I frowned at the kid as I replied, “Right.”

  “Sorry, it’s just that your file is an interesting read,” he finished.

  “Good to know.”

  The kid was smart enough to sense that I didn’t want to discuss my nickname any further. Dutton, as was his way, just watched the interaction. I hadn’t known my boss for long, but one thing I knew for sure, he really enjoyed watching how people reacted to each other. It seemed to be his technique for sizing everyone up. Hunter took the break to change topics.

  “Now, before we go any further, I feel as though I am being rude,” he started, looking at the rest of my team, “As I said, most people call me Hunter and it is a pleasure to meet you all.”

  “It is an honor to meet a member of the esteemed Team Eleven. My name is Froedrick Blair, but the team has affectionately taken to calling me Freddy. We consider it a great privilege to have you working by our sides,” Freddy replied.

  “The honor is mine,” Hunter replied with a small head bow.

  The rest of the team introduced themselves with a little less flair. I was thankful.

  “Kara Tremont. Nice to meet you,” she said.

  “Erika Blackstone,” she nodded.

  “And I’m Danny Frost,” he said.

  “Again, it is great to meet you all. I am sure everyone is eager to get downstairs, but Mr. Dutton and I were just discussing the latest intel we have received from Team Four. I think you will all want to hear this. Especially considering all the shifter fights you have been dealing with lately,” he said.

  “Please continue,” Freddy said.

  “Thank you. It looks like we have two Reds in town,” Hunter said.

  “Fascinating,” Freddy replied.

  As I glanced back at Freddy, I noticed a bit of tension in Erika’s body. I didn’t know what a Red was, but it seemed clear that their mention struck a nerve. Maybe that was the part of her past that she didn’t want to share. That, of course, made me want to know a little more about these Reds.

  “What’s a Red?”

  Hunter looked ready to explain, but Freddy beat him to the punch.

  “If I may?” he asked.

  “Of course,” Hunter said, gesturing towards Freddy as if he was handing him permission.

  “Thank you,” Freddy started, “It’s probably best to start at the beginning…”

  I couldn’t help but sigh. “Is this something we should sit down for?”

  “Perhaps we should get comfortable, there is a lot of pertinent information to share,” Freddy smiled.

  “Of course there is.”

  I heard a bit of a snicker slip out from the team behind me. Freddy was unfazed and very excited to share. Dutton however, had apparently seen enough of our interaction.

  “Feel free to use the conference room,” he said, gesturing with his head.

  “Thank you sir,” Freddy replied.

  We all started shuffling through the single door, next to the main entrance, the kid and me bringing up the rear. I leaned towards him and lowered my voice a bit when I talked.

  “I blame you for this.”

  “Relax. How long can he really prattle on?” Hunter replied.

  I couldn’t help but laugh, “Welcome to Team Thirteen, little buddy.”

  CHAPTER 4

  The conference room was a decent size, with a large wooden table dominating its center. There were nine chairs down each side and one on each end, although you could probably fit a few more if needed. A large screen TV hung on the far wall and there was a small bar to the right of it where people could get tea, coffee, and water. A second door in the room led out into the hall directly across from Ms. No Nonsense’s desk. We all grabbed seats, Freddy at one end of the table and Danny taking the other end to make himself feel important. The girls s
at next to each other on one side and Hunter joined me on the far side of the table. Once we were all settled, Freddy stood up, too excited to sit, and began to explain the Reds.

  “The first recorded sighting of the Reds dates back to just before the Crusades. A group of young ladies in red hoods were found hunting lycanthropes in Estonia. They were said to…” I cut him off.

  “Wait, stop, stop. Are you really about to tell me the story of Little Red Riding Hood?”

  “I was not about to recite that tale, however, as you know, most fairy tales are based on some facts. For instance…” Freddy tried.

  “Nope. No tangents. I never should have asked. Back on topic.”

  “Very well,” Freddy nodded, “As I said, these young ladies were hunting lycanthropes. Now, obviously these were no ordinary young women. They are blessed with great strength, speed, and toughness. They also possess the ability to see in the dark and seem to have an uncanny knack for spotting shifters, even if those shifters are in human form. What’s truly fascinating however is their skin. First, while it looks perfectly normal to the casual observer, it actually gains an unusual quality that gives it similar properties to that of silver,” he said.

  I looked over at Erika to see how she was reacting to this tale. She seemed to be uneasy at the telling and if I was reading her body language correctly, she was almost huddling close to Kara for support. There was obviously some connection here and judging from Freddy’s description, I was starting to think I knew what it was and why she skipped the silver gloves. In the interest of understanding more about Erika, I actually gave my attention back to Freddy.