As he reached the end of the hallway, he saw the office with the large windows in it. One man sat inside, his head down, writing in a logbook. Mick walked past him and continued out into the central part of the facility and past the line of vehicles that had carried them here. He could see the doors of the facility open to the darkening sky and prayed that he could get outside and the transmitter could do its thing. It would only take a moment…
“You there!” The voice sounded agitated and Mick froze in mid-step. He slowly turned, trying his best to seem surprised.
“Me?” He pointed to his chest.
“Where are you going?” He saw the man from the office staring at him, his hand slowly creeping down to his thigh holster.
“I was just stepping out for some fresh air, mate. Thought I might catch a smoke and a short walk.” He hooked his thumb over his shoulder toward the door.
“You are not authorized to travel without an escort.” The man’s heavily accented English was easily understood.
Mick nodded and sighed heavily. “Okay, mate. I don’t want to break any rules here. I didn’t know. Nobody said anything to us about having an escort.” He started toward the man then stopped. “Tell me, though, do I need an escort to just stand in the doorway and get a breath of fresh air? I mean, if I don’t go walking off?”
The man from the office stared at him suspiciously for a moment. “Why would you ask this?”
Mick gave him his best smile. “I don’t want to put anybody out, mate. I know you boys have your hands full. Everybody has a job to do, and I don’t want to take anybody away from theirs just so I can stretch me legs.” He pointed toward the doorway. “If it ain’t breaking any rules, I can just stand there and get a bit of fresh air and nobody will be any wiser. I’ll not wander off, nobody has to be my babysitter and we’re all happy. It was just feeling a bit stuffy in my room is all.”
The guard studied him for a moment then nodded. “Do not leave the shadow of the overhead. Stay in eyesight at all times.”
“Of course, mate. I’ll not be a moment. I just needed some fresh air before I call it a night.”
The guard watched him as he strolled toward the doorway. Mick stood in the doorway and took several deep breaths of the cooling night air and stretched his tall frame in the large open space. He had to admit, despite the ruse, it felt good to be atop the mountain and catching a glimpse of the moon and stars before he crawled into that tiny little bed for the evening.
He shoved his hand into his pocket and pulled the transmitter out. Green light. Mick smiled to himself and slipped it back into place. “Of course I’d forget my lighter. Bring my smokes and no light.” He threw his hands into the air for show. Turning back he saw the guard still watching him. “I guess it’s the fates’ way of telling me I should quit, eh?” He began walking back and shot the guard another quick smile. “Thanks, mate, I appreciate it.”
Mick walked easily back down the hallway and to his room. He slipped back inside then quickly pulled the transmitter from his pocket and tucked it back into the bottom of the shave cream can, screwing the bottom on tightly. He actually breathed a sigh of relief as he shoved the contents of the shave kit back into his bag.
“Mr. Simmons, you are going to owe me so big when this is over.”
7
“Bravo Team, report!” Matt sat on the edge of his seat, his eyes scanning the screens above. He turned to the electronics technician on watch and ordered they bring up the helmet cams from Bravo Four. Donnie’s cam came to life and the whole of OPCOM shifted to see the screen. A lone person, dressed in dark clothing, was being observed running from the area. “Who the hell is that?”
“OPCOM, Bravo actual.” Spalding sounded like he was running as he spoke. The overwatch cam shifted and the four operators were seen chasing the fleeing subject, their body heat registering much higher than their target. “We are in pursuit of a person of interest.”
“Person of interest?” Matt turned to Tufo’s chair, expecting a smart assed remark, and felt his guts tighten into a knot as he was reminded once more that his XO didn’t have his back. He shifted back to the screen then nodded to the flight officer. “Get me visuals from the bird.”
“On it, sir.” The flight officer keyed commands into his keyboard that were instantly relayed to the drone operators. Moments later, visuals were fed to the OPCOM screens from the drone circling the area.
“Go low and get me a tight shot of whoever it is they’re chasing.” Matt keyed the coms again, “Bravo actual, Predator is dropping low. We can drop the subject in a matter of—”
“Negative, sir!” Bravo Five yelled through the coms. “The suspect is my sister!”
“Sister?” Matt turned to the communications tech. “Tell me the coms are fried. It sounded like he said, ‘sister’.”
“Affirmative, Colonel. And coms are five-by-five.” The tech adjusted the coms for a brighter gain and to adjust for the higher volume of the operator’s voices.
“Say again, Bravo Five. Did you say sister?” Matt stood and walked to an empty station, keying up Sullivan’s record.
“That is affirmative, sir,” Donovan huffed as he jumped a low fence and spread further to the right in hopes of cutting her off.
Matt scanned his record and saw no mention of a sister. “You have no sister Bravo Five. Has your team been exposed to any gases or foreign substances?”
“Negative, Colonel,” Jacobs reported as he and Lamb spread further to Brooke’s left hoping to flank her. “No exposure.”
“Then would somebody please tell me how the hell this person of interest suddenly became Bravo Five’s sister? And if she is related, why is she running from him?”
Donovan’s cam showed him jumping to the rooftop of a nearby building and running as fast as he could in parallel to the chase. “Long story, OPCOM,” he huffed loudly as he landed and rolled on a flat roof then took off at a dead run, doing his best to keep the team in sight. “She went missing when Five was a kid.”
“Are you kidding me?” Matt grumbled to himself. “So we just go off mission because somebody thinks…” He clenched his jaw so tight he surprised himself that he didn’t snap a tooth off. “Bravo Team, you are off mission!”
“Negative, sir,” Spalding responded. “Mission is complete. All tangos accounted for and ashed.”
“Then why the hell are you chasing…” He forced himself to stop and squeezed the bridge of his nose. “Get me the visuals off that Predator. If we can’t stop them, we might as well assist.”
“Suspect is wearing a hood of some type, Colonel. We can’t get a clear shot of her face,” the flight officer stated.
“Fine. Put the drone in a head-on and have it light up the ground in front of her. See if you can stop her long enough for the squad to catch her.”
The flight officer typed the commands into his keyboard and moments later the camera from the drone indicated the flight corrections. Matt watched as the craft banked, tilting the skyline at a sharp angle then realigning in front of the running woman. When the drone went weapons hot, tracers ran a line across her path causing her to slide to a stop. It distinctly reminded him of someone sliding into second base.
“She’s all yours, Bravo Team,” Matt whispered into the coms. “This had better be worth it.”
*****
“None of us are surprised, Jack.” Pedro rested his arms on his carbine. “We knew as soon as you left that you’d quit with the bane.”
Jack half expected his old teammates to reject him once they knew that he was now a slave to the moon. “So, you aren’t pissed?”
Jimmy shrugged. “Why should we be?” He looked to the other squad members. “You married a wolf, Jack. You’re expecting a…pup? Cub?”
“A baby, you jackass.” Jack elbowed him. “It’s a baby.”
“Jimmy can’t help it,” Gus said. “The Good Lord didn’t bless him with an abundance of brains.”
“Well, I didn’t know if…” Jimmy stam
mered. “Never mind.”
“I just wanted you guys to know up front. I had told Mitchell and Tufo, but I didn’t know if they spread the word or kept it under their hat.”
“It’s not like they announced it, but hell, I think we all sort of expected it.” Pedro slapped the man’s shoulder. “No skin off our teeth, brother. It’s just like anybody else. As long as you don’t go hunting humans, we ain’t got a problem with it.” He shot the man a quick wink.
Jack started to reply with a smart remark when he saw Grimlock wave him over. “Um, excuse me a moment, fellas. The big guy needs something.”
Jack worked his way across the courtyard, wondering how they were going to fit all of the operators into a helicopter with the three gargoyles. As he approached, Grimlock, the large gargoyle, appeared troubled. “Is there a problem, Grim?”
“Not a problem, but something troubling,” his voice rumbled low and deep. “The Wyldwood has ordered the elder warriors back.”
Jack’s face fell as he stared at the oversized ebony gargoyle. “She what? I just spoke with her a little while ago and she said nothing.”
“We just got word.” He pointed to Kalen who was speaking with the other supernatural warriors.
“So, who are the ‘elder warriors’?”
Grimlock inhaled deeply and let it out slowly. “You will be allowed the youngest from each clan. The rest must return.”
Jack shook his head in disbelief. “The youngest? What the…” He gave Grimlock a questioning stare. “Why?”
“It has been seen. She must obey.” Grimlock turned and started toward the crowd.
“Please tell me that you’re the youngest of your clan,” Jack pleaded.
Grimlock snorted and Jack could only assume it was a laugh of some sort. “From the gargoyles you shall be left with Azrael.”
Jack shrugged. “Okay, that’s not so bad. I thought maybe you were sending somebody for me to babysit like a punishment of some kind. I can’t imagine changing a gargoyle diaper.”
Grimlock paused in mid-step and glared at him. “No warrior gargoyle wears diapers.”
“It was a joke, big guy.” Jack patted his shoulder as he walked past him. “Calm down.”
As Jack approached Kalen he heard him trying to explain to the others. “Once you are prepared, I’ll take you back to the Anywhere. You should say your farewells now. The others will be going with Chief Jack and me.”
Gnat picked up his bow staff and handed it to Kissum. “I’d rather use the hammer if you don’t mind.”
Kissum nodded solemnly and pressed the hammer to his forehead, his eyes closed as he chanted something under his breath. When he handed it to Gnat, the procedure was repeated. “I bestow unto you the hammer of our fathers. Use it to defend the three realms and protect the lives of innocents.”
“Would you like to explain to me what the hell is going on?” Jack asked.
Kalen turned and lowered his eyes. “The Wyldwood contacted me and—”
“How?” Jack interrupted. “How did she contact you?”
Kalen’s face wrinkled in puzzlement. “The speaking stone.” He pointed to the bracelet on his wrist. “She alerts me when I am needed.”
“Why didn’t she tell me when I spoke with her?”
Kalen shrugged and lowered his eyes again. “She came to me urgently. All of the elders, the seers, those who have visions…they all saw the same thing.”
“And that was?”
“The darkness comes,” Kalen stated bluntly.
“And so they pull the grand majority of our team?” Jack threw his hands up in the air. “Look, if I’m supposed to lead the group that defeats this darkness, then why is she leaving me with the youngest of the groups?”
“I cannot say, Chief Jack. I can only do what she tells me to do.”
Jack growled low in his throat. “Fine. Great. Superb. So who’s left from this assault team?”
“Me, Gnat, Azrael and you.” Kalen held his head high as he announced the names.
Jack groaned. “A four-man team.”
Grimlock squeezed his shoulder gently, “That is better than a no-man team.”
As Jack stared at the group he shook his head. “Not much.”
*****
Laura paced along the outer edge of the hangar. She didn’t know why Evan hadn’t called back and could only assume that something else had happened. She chewed nervously at her thumbnail and would pause only long enough to glance at the office then return to her nervous pacing.
“Miss Youngblood, you have a call.” She spun so fast that she didn’t even look at the young man waving to her from the office. She trotted past him and pushed through the door.
Laura snatched the receiver from the desk so quickly that she must have seemed frantic. “Evan? Tell me everything is okay.”
“I’m sorry, Miss Youngblood. Dr. Peters can’t come to the phone right now.” She felt her throat tighten at the message. “We sent someone to get him and…” the pause was enough to choke her.
“Is he okay?” She tried to steady her voice but found it cracking slightly as she spoke.
“He will be, ma’am. If you hadn’t called and requested a callback, we might not have found him.” The duty officer tried his best to fill her in, but without knowing the full details of what exactly ailed the doctor, all he could truly tell her was that Evan was on the mend. “We have him on a transfusion of sorts. He says that he should be fine, but he still feels pretty sick.”
“Does he know what caused it?”
“If he does, ma’am, he isn’t saying. He just wanted me to call you and tell you that he’s going to be right as rain before you return. He promises.”
Laura suddenly felt very tired. “Thank you. Please tell him that my thoughts are with him.” She reached across the desk to hang up the phone when Pablo took the receiver from her.
“I take it that Colonel Mitchell will not be coming?”
“I…” she began, then stared at Pablo. “I honestly have no idea.”
“Perhaps you should ask him?”
“They’re on mission at the moment. He isn’t taking calls.” Her voice was barely a whisper.
Pablo nodded and rose from his chair. “My men are preparing for a mission as well. While they are out, I will have to ask that your people remain within the mountain. It isn’t safe outside these walls at night.”
“I understand.” Laura rose and slowly turned for the door. “If anybody calls for me, please, have somebody wake me.” She felt as though somebody had drained her batteries with that call. All of her nervous energy was now gone and her body begged for rest.
“Of course.” Pablo walked her to her room before heading back and going deeper into the facility to prepare for the mission at hand.
Laura tried to second guess what Matt would do now. Considering the circumstances, would he still try to come here to meet with Jennifer? Could he not still meet with her? Would his wolf allow it? She rolled to her side and stared out across the tiny room that she now called home.
Just as he eyes grew heavier and she felt sleep creeping up on her, she heard a light knocking at her door. Fearing that she was receiving another call, she rolled from the narrow bed and quickly answered the door. Jennifer stood outside her room, her eyes cast downward. “Are you lost?”
“Most of the time.” Jennifer gave her a weak smile. “I thought about what you said.”
“And should I book a single, one-way ticket home?” She didn’t mean for her voice to have such a hard edge, but the fatigue had removed the filter from her mouth.
Jennifer shook her head slightly. “As much as I hate that place, no. I’ll go with you.”
Laura cocked a disbelieving eyebrow at her. “Why?”
Jennifer leaned against the doorjamb and stared up at the much taller woman. “Let’s just say, I gave it some serious thought, okay? I mean, I’m not really keen on the idea, but I’m willing to do it to meet my Fated Mate.”
“Don’t
misunderstand me, as I’m thrilled that you’re coming around, but you have to understand, I’m not seeing a ‘why’ in what you said.”
Jennifer sighed and shrugged. “I just put myself in his shoes. Or, rather…I tried to. I mean, he’s in charge of all these people and they just got attacked. The full moon is days away. You said that he’d never leave. Add all that together and put it on one big plate and…”
“And?”
“And I realized that it was time to pull on my big girl panties and do what needed to be done.” Jennifer pushed off the doorjamb and squared her shoulders. “I may hate that place. I may hate the people working there. Hell, I may even hate him and not realize it. But if I want to find out, I need to do what has to be done. Whether I want to or not.”
“And you’re not worried that somebody will try to snatch you up again?” Again, Laura didn’t mean to add as much sarcasm to her voice, but it crept in.
“No. I’m not.” Jennifer crossed her arms and gave her a stern stare.
“What if they’re attacked again?” Laura’s voice softened. “Aren’t you afraid that something might happen to you?”
Jennifer shook her head. “If he’s truly my Fated Mate, he won’t let anything happen to me. He’d take a bullet for me if he thinks that I’m the one.”
“You sound pretty sure of yourself.”
“If you were a wolf, you would understand.”
Laura snorted. “Ah, the old ‘it’s a wolf thing, you wouldn’t understand’ argument.”
Jennifer shrugged again. “Yeah, I guess so.”
Laura peered past Jennifer and noted the empty hallway. “Fine. The Brazilians are preparing for a mission. I’m dead tired and have to get a couple hours sleep. As soon as somebody from the base calls me, I’ll get word to Matt that we’re headed his way.”
“Thanks.” Jennifer turned to leave.
“Hey, do you think Mick will take us the rest of the way or will we need to fly commercial?”
She shook her head. “I honestly don’t know. I can ask him when he wakes.”
Wayward Son Page 10