Into The Shadows (The Shadows Trilogy Book 1)

by Claremarie

  Walking hand in hand with me using the other to hold Ax's leash we cross the busy New York streets. Stopping at a coffee vendor getting two large coffees Kyran gives the barista the money and we carry on to the park. I let Ax off, and he runs off jumping around and playing but keeping a watchful eye on me at the same time. We sit on a bench, and I lean backward closing my eyes breathing in the fresh air, relaxing to the sounds of happy dogs barking and playing, my wolf is content too. Kyran and I don't need to speak it's all in our heads and emotions, he’s at peace right now knowing I'm relaxing but once I'm at work he’s going straight to his father to help with the search for PHS and The Government.

  Thirty minutes later it's getting too cold to stay out much longer, so I call Axel over clipping his leash back on, and we go home putting my thumb on the front HES panel door as it reads my fingerprint then clearing me we enter. Kyran goes straight for the kitchen I read from him that he wants to make me breakfast I unclip Ax from his leash and walk to the glass balcony door opening it letting him outside.

  Kyran serves me up two large pancakes with a glass of orange juice telling me to eat as much as possible and while I'm drinking, Kyran states that any pregnant woman would need her calories but a pregnant wolf? Well, she needs double that, and so far I haven't been getting any. I hesitantly take a bite then another and soon I'm wolfing it down, no pun intended followed by my glass of orange juice with a happy sigh and a burp. Only now realizing I have an audience of Kyran, Axel, and Una who all look amused at me and pleasantly surprised I'm eating with gusto.

  "Thought we could walk to work together and catch up" Una explains her being here.

  "But you seem to be in a pretty intense love fest with the pancakes and juice so perhaps I should come back another time" she adds on laughing, and Kyran growls.

  "Oh shush you, yes you Tarzan I'm yours," I say to him teasing, standing up going off to get dressed for work and not to throw up, this time, I must say it's rather nice.

  I'm walking through Woodlands Creek with Una and Axel on my body disguised as a tattoo, but there's a beautiful gray wolf with green eyes following close by insisting on watching me until I get to work.

  "How have you been? Sorry, I haven't been there since you got the news, but I haven't been in the best form" I tell Una full with guilt.

  "Don't be sorry Ave you had a lot and still do have a lot going on and I understand that plus you weren't well at all, so I don't blame you. If you weren't there cause you didn't care that's different but it's not that at all so we're cool, honestly if I were scared for my baby's life I would be a little preoccupied too." Smiling in relief of her understanding I hug her, and we link arms catching up on things mainly her and Rick. She tells me everything is going well between them but still early yet, adding on that the first time they slept together was the day after she and her brother Tobias found out about being Chimæra. Una also tells me that she can only change into her husky and Tobias into his lion so no new developments. I haven't missed any significant events in her life easing the guilt I was feeling.

  Chapter Fourteen:

  Danger Arises

  * * *

  Three months later. I'm walking around work with a very on show baby bump wearing a black light t-shirt to keep cool even though it's only March. John calls me into his office asking me to sit down and I'm expecting him to say he wants me to go on maternity leave, I get ready with a refusal.

  "Ava, I’ve been thinking long and hard I was going to wait but decided I want to tell you now not when the day I die comes whenever God decides it's time." I sit up straight caught off guard by this, worried as to what the hell he's going to say next I hold my breath in nervous anxiety. I’ve always loved John like a second grandpa.

  "I have rewritten my will, and I have left Blue Starr to you. I know you will take good care of it and make it an even better bar and restaurant. I hope you'll accept it when the time comes?" He asks unsure. I'm stupefied, stunned in my chair looking at John and of course, I will take good care of the place with love and honor I think, and then I tell him this.

  "Good cause I would like to sign over part ownership now to you as a partner then you will inherit the rest in my will, how do you feel on that?" Again I just stare in shock, to be offered a business at twenty is just outstanding meaning I have a career now.

  "Are you sure you want to do this?" I ask making certain he’s sure, and he nods happily so I agree, John opens up a drawer on his desk table pulling out the paperwork marking it with an X where it needs my signature, I sign A. J. Lewis.

  Exiting the office, Una looks up from her table where she's taking an order with a customer and obviously my face must be a mix of shock and elation because she frowns a little. After she brings the order to Ben our chef, she heads my way asking what's going on when I tell her, her eyes bug out in excitement then stalls saying.

  "Oh crap you're my boss now, aren't you? You know all my getting out of work tricks" she mutters pulling a half-hearted disgruntled expression then smiles in genuine happiness for me.

  "We can celebrate tonight over at yours, me with wine, you and baby with water" Una adds while patting my belly, there's very few who I allow do that and they are all family. The rest get their hand nearly chopped off, and kudos to people who ask first not just thinking my stomach is a right to be touched. This topic gets me all fired up and been a cause of outrage over the past three months telling my family that strangers and people I hardly know touch my belly. Una sees my annoyed expression and immediately smiles.

  "Thinking of how you get angry at people touching your bump without asking again aren't you? She asks, nodding I take a deep breath to calm down. It takes little to get me going these days.

  A lot has changed in three months. We found Richard Kelly and our pack, including others around the area wanted in on the mission to collect him for questioning. They found Richard at the warehouse I was taken to months ago and after a gun fight between the wolves and his men Gabriel took Richard down and he was put in a jail cell. He was escorted to ANYCHQ to try to get information from him willingly about what he’s done to past paranormals and who they were, but he wouldn't speak. It's in our wolf's nature to take out anyone who's a threat to our species, after all the harm and torture Richard had done to our kind over the many years we didn't pity his life. As Alpha it was Gabriel's job to kill him but because Kyran is my mate and Richard kidnapped me, it's wolf law that Kyran gets the kill if he wants it but he shared the task with his dad. Richard shouted in his final moments,

  "Cut the head of one snake another will grow." Some will argue that we’re no better for taking Richard out but there's a big difference in that we don't enjoy it, we do it to protect others, and it's a part of our wolf's nature. With Richard's threat hanging over, our victory wasn't entirely sweet but it's helped my nightmares and some or all our focus shifted to finding The Government.

  A week after Aaliyah's eighteenth birthday, she and Riley found out they are mates and began dating, but she isn't ready for a wedding just yet and would like to wait until she's twenty at least like me. Aaliyah and Riley had the mate bond and did the mating ceremony a week ago. In paranormal law, both are now mated and married with neck scars to prove it but in human law it means nothing.

  Tobias and Avery also fell in love two months after I found out I was pregnant, it was quite surprising at first, but they make a cute couple and seem happy so yeah a lot has changed. There's now only two months to my due date on 25th of May 3001. Last week at my sixteenth pregnancy week ultrasound Kyran and I found out we were expecting a baby girl.

  I begin to turn towards the bar Kyran comes through in my head with an urgent demand to get home immediately, and I freeze on the spot listening to him.

  "Something has come up I have sent Riley to get you since he was the closest and he'll get you back here safely. He should be there now," Kyran tells me. I feel someone touch my arm from behind me and gently turns me around patting my stomach, knowing it’s family th
e touch is comforting. I'm still frozen in terror so my wolf takes over scenting it's Riley who's near our pup letting him close, and I fall willingly into my brother-in-law's arms needing the reassurance he can provide the scent of pack and family. I hear Riley tell Una and John I need to be home straight away for my safety and begins walking us out, and Una follows along getting permission to leave work from John.

  Arriving home to a pacing Kyran, a fearful mother, mother-in-law and father, worried sisters; Aaliyah and Avery, scared twin brothers, grandparents and calm looking father-in-law Gabriel but I can read his emotions and fear for me, his granddaughter and his son are palpable in the air. Kyran stops pacing turning to me as I enter taking me in his arms and kissing me briefly on the lips before helping my waddling body to the couch, and everyone spreads out on the sofa sitting ramrod straight where we all listen to what's going on.

  "Honey, we're going to get straight down to it. Your dad and I were at work when something happened. Remember the protocol we have set in place by a group of trusted friends to alert us if your name ever came up in The Government’s database or any whispering of you and our family? Today there was a hit of a live video recording caught of you on a drone a few months ago. You were using your empathy power, to us, we know that's what you were doing when you stopped that man from committing suicide by walking in front of the bus but to others, it's suspicious and worth looking into". Mom tells me in particular but speaking to everyone.

  "You should have said you got caught, we could have erased it, and the fact that the power can't be seen on the outside is why it took a while to move up the rank database. Only now has the recording been recognized by The Government who expressed interest in you in some meeting he had with the board today" Dad tells me gently, and I pat my baby bump protectively.

  "I didn't know I was captured, or would have said so," I say in a wide-eyed panic.

  "Don't worry we're close to cracking this and finding out everything we can about Clark Taylor the person we all know is the leading government man who calls the shots. Personally, I prefer the term President over Government, but he doesn't deserve that title. I have a guy Joe Riddy coming here to talk us through things and explain a few elements we've been up to and what we found" Gabriel tells us, and he should be here any minute now. There's a buzz on our HES Josh the receptionist clerk is heard coming through the speaker when Kyran gets up to answer it.

  "There's a Joe Riddy here to see you, sir," Kyran informs Josh to allow him up.

  Joe walks in with an equipment carry-on hung over his right shoulder wearing a long brown jacket and black shoes. He puts his carry-on on the dinner table getting his laptop out and another screen I haven't seen before. Taking off his jacket he’s got on a white shirt and black trousers. He’s quite young around early twenties, shaggy brown hair, brown eyes with glasses and a 5'6 thin frame.

  Everyone is unsure what to make of this guy who just walks in with no greeting and sets up his devices. We all look at each other, and at Joe with a mixture of what the hell expressions then he begins to speak like this is an everyday thing which makes me wonder maybe it is for him. Gabriel is just amused by the scene with arms crossed the only one standing and leaning against a corner wall.

  "Organization was the key here, the best way to keep track of everything. I created a profile of what we knew about The Government and what we've already found out, filling out a form of everything we knew about Clark Taylor already and adding the dots with the new information that was discovered. In the beginning, there was a lot of blank areas on the profile" Joe tells us while doing various things on his laptop turning his attention to the other device.

  "What’s the screen you have? Haven't seen one of those before?" I ask Joe curious.

  "Oh, this?" he asks picking it up and typing on it.

  "It's a machine I made from various devices and built a 3D Hologram cause I thought, hey why not?" Joe says, and the hologram appears in the air with different search engines, documents and other types of information I have no idea about, but it looks kind of cool.

  "Had never needed to find someone or an enemy before so we began to think of this as a crossword puzzle," Gabriel says, pointing to himself, Kyran, Riley, my Dad, Addy, Augy and grandpa Austin. We did the research while the girls, he gestures to my Mom, Mollie, Aaliyah, Avery, Una and Grandma Abby worked on keeping Ava and the baby safe he finishes.

  "And the easiest way to complete this puzzle was to go through it once filling in the blanks for everything we knew. And then we went back, used those answers to help us finish the more difficult areas" my Dad explains looking quite proud of himself, a judge he is but an inspector not so much so I'm happy to see him look pleased he could help with the technical side of things.

  "You'll be surprised how much information you can find out about someone when you start assembling known data or other times it will provide a bridge to another piece of data that can point you to your target" Joe picks up the conversation while typing.

  "Like what?” I ask intrigued and trying not to be so tensed.

  "Known data consists of hard facts such as First, Middle and Last Name, Date of Birth, Social Security Number, High School attended, College attended, Known previous addresses," Joe adds sounding a little distracted.

  "Want me to name more?" Joe asks, and I nod wanting to understand how it’s done but realizing he can't see me I tell him to explain more.

  "Military Service, Employment History, Names of relatives, Addresses of family members, known friends and associates all those are the main ones" Joe finishes.

  "Known data consists of hard facts, so then we needed to assemble what's called assumed data which is more subtle. It includes making notes about things that your subject, in this case, Clark Taylor may have said to you or someone else about where they would move to if ever had a chance, or what college he wanted to go to. These are just examples for ordinary people". Joe tells us all, as we’re listening with a keen interest on how he found Clark Taylor.

  Mom goes into the kitchen to make us all coffee and sandwiches while Joe continues explaining the more basic steps he took in finding as he calls him our target. He’s all too eager to help us track him down wanting Clark Taylor brought to justice hating the violence he represents just as much as we do and scenting his honesty we trust him.

  "People who are purposely hiding, like deadbeat parents and debtors, and those in law can be downright difficult to find because they employ all sorts of tricks to remain hidden like having their telephone service listed in someone else's name, or using a false name and Social Security number, you get the idea. Joe explains, and mom comes back a few minutes later with a tray with cups of coffee and goes back to make sandwiches with Aaliyah and Avery helping her. Trying to get up so that I can help too, but I'm told to sit by Avery and decide to use my energy on what Joe is saying rather than wasting time arguing with her.

  "Then we tried quick search techniques using Internet search engines, email directories since there are billions of e-mail addresses in use. We also sought after federal public records. The U.S. Government maintains some public record databases as well, but the chances he would be on any of them are very slim since he's the man behind the government but was worth a shot." Dad adds on taking a gulp of his coffee.

  "But sometimes things slip through the cracks and these searches are fine for ordinary people you’re looking for but for people like The Government, it's child's play but ruling all searches out is how to start then go up the ladder to the real big boys. Phone and computer hacking, GPS tracking, hacking into the government system for files and things like that, now I have to stop I can't share much more secrets in how I operate it’s similar to bro code " Joe adds.

  Mom, Aaliyah, and Avery come back over with plates of ham sandwiches for everyone and beef with onion for me, my favorite and I grab one eating it fast as I'm so hungry. I'm at the stage in my pregnancy where I'm mostly over the morning sickness but still get hit with bouts of it now and
then. Training is impossible to do because my bump is too big now but mainly because Kyran won't dare touch me in that capacity. I get weak, I get tired and trying to stand up on my own is a feat in itself but I'm also the happiest I’ve ever been.

  I think over all of what Joe and the guys explained to us, and I'm fascinated by it, it's rather complicated to me so mainly I just nod.

  "So what do we know?" Una asks looking like me not entirely following, and I yawn loudly without meaning to which brings attention to me.

  "Sorry please continue," I say wiping my leaky tired eyes trying not to yawn again.

  Joe stands up tapping on the screen then flicking his hand and the information on his screen appears in the air in 3D Hologram, and he starts telling us what he found pointing to each item as he goes along then swipes over to the next.

  "There are five board members who run our country, the first leading man is off course Clark Taylor nicknamed The Government then we have Clark's daughter Haley Taylor. The third is Thomas Grant, the fourth is Nichols Gates, and last is Julia Healy," Joe says very proudly since as far as the nation goes no one knows their names except Clark's. This is groundbreaking news. With names to investigate we will be closer to stopping him, we're not foolish to think this will stop the paranormal kidnappings but hopefully, make a difference or at least make them pause long enough for us to fight back effectively.