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

by Bobby Brimmer

“Really? Is that an elf thing?”

  “Yup. Part of the pointy ear package.”

  “Interesting. I’ll admit I don’t know very much about elves. I’ve only met two, and they weren’t a talkative bunch.”

  “The dark elves rarely are,” he said.

  “You weren’t kidding when you said you read my file. I’m flattered, but what’s the deal?”

  “You’re just a unique addition to the GHOSTs. Most agents spend years working towards this life. You just sort of stumbled into it.”

  “That I did. Although staked my way into it might be more appropriate.”

  “Ah yes, the vampire. An impressive feat. Especially for someone unacquainted with the supernatural,” he said.

  “Eh, you hear things.”

  “I suppose. Although, after seeing the way you dodged my shot, I understand why they pushed to get you on the team.”

  “Not that impressive, you got me with the second.”

  “But I should have hit you with the first. It’s no easy feat to make me miss,” he stated.

  “I guess I just got lucky.”

  “I doubt that.”

  “Either way. I’m sure you won’t be the last person to take a shot at me.”

  “You do seem like the type of guy people want to shoot,” he smiled.

  “You have no idea.”

  I delivered the line straight face and he couldn’t help but laugh. After a bit I joined in. There was something weird about this kid and I couldn’t place my finger on it. Almost as if he was familiar, although for the life of me I couldn’t remember meeting him before. My curiosity was piqued, and since he knew so much about me, I figured it was only fair he returned the favor. It was time to ask a few questions.

  “So, since you are already so well acquainted with me, how about you share a little? Let’s start simple. Why don’t you start by telling me about elves? I assume they are not all the same.”

  Vector nodded in agreement and glanced around searching for a place to sit. He looked at the pommel horse and shrugged, leaping from a standstill to land upon it. Crouching down and balancing on his toes, he took a pose that reminded me a lot of Spiderman. Then, he turned to face me and started speaking.

  “That is correct. Although, for simplicity’s sake, you can pretty much break elves down into two categories, surface and subterranean. The dark elves, or Dökkálfar as grandma calls them, spend the majority of their lives underground. They are adapted to this lifestyle, with eyes that pierce the dark and their gift for manipulating shadows. I believe you got to see this first hand,” he said.

  “You mean when they filled the barn with darkness? Yeah, I was given a very nice demonstration of that particular ability. Not a big fan.”

  “Most aren’t. The world below the surface is cruel and dangerous. They must be strong and cunning to survive. They often venture to the surface to raid villages or capture slaves. With very few exceptions, they are beings of pure evil.”

  “And they occasionally do work for hire?”

  “While rare, it is not unheard of. Elven society, especially below the surface, is matriarchal. So, it is not uncommon for young male warriors to rebel against their subservient status and flee to the surface. Their skills make them appealing mercenaries for anyone who can afford their price. Thus explaining the two warriors you faced in the Veil,” he nodded.

  “They were impressive warriors. Happy to hear that they won’t be a common occurrence.”

  “I gotta be honest. Until I saw you move today, I wondered at the validity of that report. Dark elves are fearsome warriors.”

  “You know me, Mr. Lucky.”

  I smiled and gave Vector a thumbs up. He wasn’t buying it.

  “So, enough about our deep cousins. You wanted to know about me. We call my kind the Ljósálfar, which basically means elves of the light. While we have exceptional vision, we cannot see in the dark. The manipulation of shadows is also not our gift. But surface elves possess a much deeper connection to the magic of the universe. Some of us can even see how it flows in the world around us.”

  “You’re talking about manna? Kara explain a bunch of that to me.”

  “Yes and no. I think of it more like the matrix of life. There is a weave or connection between all living things. Some of us are gifted with the ability to see that.”

  “So, basically you’re a Jedi?”

  “Sure,” he laughed, “If that makes it easier. I can see connections in the world around me that others might not notice,” he smiled.

  “If that what you meant when you said you calculated all the ricochet angles?”

  “Partially. A lot of that was just quick math in my head. But my connection to the universe and the world around me helps a great deal.”

  “So, you’re a genius elf who can sense the force?”

  “One way to put it,” he grinned, “Obviously, like all elves I possess exceptional agility and hand to eye coordination. Proportionally, we are stronger than humans and we heal as fast as you do.”

  “Copycats. How about the ears?”

  “A reality for all elves. As is the aging.”

  “How does that work? You said you were only a bit older than me.”

  “That is correct. Elven aging is almost identical to human aging when we are born. It isn’t until a dozen or so years later that we enter something similar to your puberty, except we don’t get a growth spurt. That is when our aging slows to a crawl. It will probably be seventy five to a hundred years before I seem to be in my early twenties. An ancient elf would appear to you to be around forty years old,” he frowned.

  “I can understand the downsides to immortality. But at least you don’t have to worry about old age.”

  “True. But being a thirty year old who looks fourteen…”

  “Twelve.”

  “…or twelve. It makes some things in life tiresome.”

  “I bet. Forget buying alcohol and driving, dating must suck.”

  “You have no idea,” he stated.

  “So, what’s your story? How long you have been with the GHOSTs?”

  “About seven years now. I was recruited to help start Team Eleven.”

  “And you trained your whole life for this?”

  “I was raised, for the most part, by my grandmother. She was determined that I would do great things. I’m not sure she agrees with where I have applied my talents,” he smirked.

  “In your defense, you do have your whole life ahead of you.”

  “Very True,” he laughed, “How about you? Would your parents have been proud of what you’re doing?”

  I sighed and tried to keep a light and happy expression on my face, but I wasn’t succeeding. Vector noticed quickly.

  “Sorry, I shouldn’t have…”

  “Don’t worry about it. I was asking about your life, it’s only fair. I think they would approve of how I am using my talents now. I’m not sure it’s enough that they would forgive what I did before this.”

  “We all have to live with our choices,” he said.

  “Yes we do.”

  “Can I ask…what were they like? Your parents.”

  The question shocked me a bit. But since he mentioned being raised by a grandmother, I wondered if he never knew his own folks. Unfortunately, thinking about my past had fouled my mood. No good would come from talking about my parents, especially to a guy I hardly knew.

  “Maybe another time,” I said.

  He nodded and the expression on his face made it clear that he knew he pushed too far.

  “Do you need me to show you to your quarters or anything?”

  “No, I’m good,” he said.

  “Okay. Then I guess I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  With that he sprang off of the pommel horse and performed a double front flip in the air before landing next to me. I gave him a mocking clap and he returned it with a bow. Vector nodded and patted me on the arm as he walked past. I waite
d for him to gather his stuff and head out before I moved. He waved as he left the gym and I nodded in return. I stood there a bit, thinking about my folks. Like most kids, I spent time worrying about whether my parents would be proud of me. Sadly, I’d never know. But somewhere, deep down, I liked to hope that they would appreciate how I was using my skills. I mean, come on. How many parents would have been able to tell their friends that their son is using his ninja training to throw werewolves? Not many, I bet. I tried to let that thought bring a slight smile to my face and battle the bad mood I felt coming on. It didn’t seem to be working.

  CHAPTER 8

  After my conversation with Vector, I felt restless. So I spent a few hours in the gym and then the weight room. By the time I hit the showers and finally headed home, it was almost midnight. I let Vlad drive and in lieu of conversation, we listened to some Benny Goodman. The sunroof was open, letting a bit of the fresh summer air creep in. The moon was almost full and its brightness was casting a nice glow over the night. I let my mind wander on unimportant things for the entire ride.

  A short time later we backed into my garage and I sat there staring ahead as the door slowly closed. Once the song finished, I pulled off my dog tag and draped it over the rear view mirror. It seemed like the safest place to keep it. I watched it dangle back and forth a bit before I finally got out of the car.

  My house has a spacious two-car garage, but because Vlad is the jealous type, he is the only vehicle I have. I stepped out and watched the overhead light dance across the golden floor. My wallet would love to tell you that it was paint or something synthetic. But, even though gold was a soft metal and a pain to maintain, this was the real thing. When I first brought him home, I was really worried about Vlad being comfortable. Back then he was stuck in my garage most of the time. On the plus side, as a dragon, he loved to nap. So, boredom wasn’t really an issue. Although, I thought it only fair that he was comfortable in his “cave”. If dragons preferred to sleep on gold, then I’d be dammed if mine was going to be short changed. Vlad always tried to play it cool and act as if he didn’t care, but I knew that he appreciated the gesture. I patted him on the hood as I said good night and heard the subtle shifting and creaking sounds as he settled in.

  Now, don’t go thinking that being a GHOST agent is some high-paying gig. As I may have mentioned before, I am fairly wealthy. My father had been a brilliant man and he was well paid for his scientific expertise. He also knew a thing or two about investments, which allowed him to roll quite a bit of money into my trust. But it was my mother who decided that the money needed a purpose. Or, I guess more accurately, she felt that I needed a purpose. While she supported me as I sought out vengeance for my father’s death, she clearly wanted me to do something more with my life. So, she gave the fund a name. It is called Ninjahero. Clearly she wasn’t going for subtlety. Sadly, I never got to discuss her actual intentions before she was taken from me. But as I told Vector, I think that my current life would have made her proud.

  My house is a decent size. It’s a two-story affair with a large basement that I had converted into a workout room. There was a spacious living room, huge kitchen, cozy dinning room, a den, and a library on the first floor. Upstairs there were five bedrooms, including my master suite. Having grown up without much in the way of luxury, I really didn’t have any idea what to do with all this space. In fact, I’d purchased the house completely furnished. Very few of the items in here were actually mine. My life never really lent itself to sentimental possessions. The house suited my purposes though. It was close to work, had enough land that my neighbors weren’t right on top of me, and the wooded area in the back provided a great deal of privacy.

  Just inside the door there was a security scanner, a little bigger than a paperback book, at about shoulder height on the wall. I placed my hand on the pad and watched the blue light examine my palm and fingers. There were a series of beeps before the system recognized me, secured the house, and informed me that the system had not been compromised. It was very high-tech, overly fancy, and probably completely unnecessary. But considering the actions of my past, and my current job, I figured it didn’t hurt to be a bit cautious.

  It’s important to note that no security system takes the place of keeping your wits about you. Clearly, I was still letting my mind wander, because I was halfway through the living room with my shirt up over my shoulders before I realized I wasn’t alone. My first instinct was to continue on as if I didn’t know they were there. Lull them into a false sense of confidence and strike at the opportune moment. But I wasn’t in the mood to play games right now. I stopped in my tracks, pulled my shirt the rest of the way off and tossed it on the couch as I turned to face the intruder. They were in a dark corner and although there was a fair amount of ambient light in the room, they’d found a nice concealing shadow. I gave a smug smile and did my best to look where I assumed their eyes would be.

  “Clearly, I overpaid for my security system.”

  “It would seem so,” she said.

  Hearing Erika’s voice was the last thing that I expected. I relaxed my stance a bit and let my smile take a more friendly turn.

  “Visine agreed, which is why he upgraded it for me before he left.”

  “Remind me to thank him.”

  “What are you doing here?”

  She didn’t answer, but instead started to step forward. She moved out of the shadows slowly, the dim light from a nearby window illuminating her body as she walked. The light rose with each step, at first showing me her bare feet and ankles. Then I saw long, firm, and defined legs that still managed to keep their feminine shape. As her hips came into view, I had trouble catching my breath. Her personal grooming habits allowed a reflection of light to reveal her excitement level. I was mesmerized as the darkness retreated and continued to unveil her beauty.

  The light danced across her belly and showed the outline of her abs, defined, but not overly so. They had just enough shape to scream “sexy”. While her breasts were a bit larger than one might imagine on such an athletic frame, they were not big. Shapely and firm, they were accented nicely by small, perky nipples. Her shoulders were strong without being overly muscular and the lines of her long neck were captivating. For the first time I could remember, her hair wasn’t in a braid and it hung loosely down her back. But even her magnificent body paled in comparison to her face.

  Her round chin was smooth and flowed effortlessly into her strong jaw line. Full pouty lips curled up into a devious smile. The light showed off her high cheekbones and strong narrow nose. As she swayed back and forth her small round ears poked out from behind her flowing hair. But, it was her eyes that captured me. They were a little big and very dark. It felt as though she could see right through me. I was lost in the moment and I could hardly catch my breath before she crossed the room. I managed to squeak out my question a second time right before she reached me.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “Don’t you want me here?” she asked.

  Before I could answer, she pressed her chest against mine, and my brain shut down. The firmness of her nipples was suddenly the only thing that I could think of. I stood completely still, afraid to move. I’d spent a lifetime hitting on just about every attractive woman I’d ever met. But here and now, having Erika come on to me so strongly, I found myself overwhelmed.

  She was only a bit shorter than me, so she had no trouble sliding her nose down my cheek and across my chin, taking in my scent as she did. Pushing up onto her toes, she pressed her lips into mine and the world started swimming. My arms started moving of their own accord and found the small of her back, pulling her mouth further into mine. Time had no meaning in that kiss. Our lips were perfectly in sync, moving as though they were made for each other. Goosebumps covered my body and I almost shivered at her touch. Small moaning noises of pleasure started to rise up out of her throat. I didn’t even realize that we were moving backwards until my butt hit the wall. The kiss varied from forceful t
o soft as our lips occasionally parted to let our tongues brush against each other. My head was in a daze and it took everything I had to take a breath. This seemed very un-Erika like.

  “Something isn’t right.”

  “It’s your pants. I can fix that.”

  She had my belt undone and my pants unbuttoned before I even realized what was happening. I just barely caught her hand before she could slide it down my underwear. She gave me a dangerous smile before playfully biting into my neck. It felt amazing and I lost my grip on her hand. Again, I had this nagging feeling that something was wrong.

  “We shouldn’t do this.”

  “Feels to me like you want to,” she whispered.

  This time it was me who let out the groan as she took control of the situation. Having faced countless challenges in my life, I found it odd that stopping Erika right now felt like one of the toughest. To be honest, I didn’t want to stop her. Every fiber in my being wanted to keep going. But there was this suspicion in the back of my head that if I continued I would be taking advantage of her. I couldn’t explain it. We had both been hinting for weeks that this is what we wanted. So, now that she was ready, why was I fighting it? What was wrong?

  “I think,” I shivered, “That we should slow down.”

  “Are you sure?” she kissed into my ear.

  “Yes. I think. Please.”

  “Fine. You can watch for a bit.”

  Then she sauntered back to the couch and slid down, her legs spread wide. Slowly she licked her fingers and it was clear where she was going from there. I was almost positive it would destroy what little resolve I had left, so I sprang forward and grabbed her hands at the wrists. Unfortunately, my unsecured pants slid down and I was leaning awkwardly on top of her as I did it. Even as I tried to keep my distance, she was able to bite onto my lower lip.

  “Why are you doing this?”

  “Because I want you,” she said.

  It was in that moment that I finally noticed the look in her eyes. Something seemed off, as if she wasn’t completely conscious. I was hard to tell for sure in the dim lighting of my living room, but I had a feeling this was the thing holding me back. In the hopes that I might gain a better idea about what was going on, and perhaps even change the mood in the room, I decided to brightened things up.