No Choice

by Mel Todd

  Charley gave him a solemn nod. JD bent and picked him up, walking back towards the hummer. “I threw in some of my t-shirts just in case. Would you like to wear one? Might be a tad big.”

  “I’d like that.”

  McKenna watched them walked away and then saw another sheriff’s car pull into the clearing and braced herself. This would take a while, and she needed to make sure they didn’t think she was crazy, it would undermine her story.

  Even if I am turning into a schizo like mom.

  [You are not suffering from schizophrenia, but now is not the time to explain.]

  Chapter 39 - Finders Keepers

  With news reverberating through most of California, and the shock waves starting to ripple through the rest of the world with the plans for the kidnapped children, businesses are stepping up. The ability to plant GPS trackers in children that would stay through their shifts and enable tracking globally has lost much of the resistance any idea like this faced even a few months ago. The idea of their children being taken and brainwashed to use for other purposes has most parents ready to allow this. And while I understand the fear, I have two younger children myself, where does it end, this ability to track people? What happens when you get older and don't want to be tracked anymore? Can it be put in without approval? The questions begin to stack. But I am glad they found the children, and that the only damage that has been reported is to their innocence. ~ Harvey Klein Guest

  McKenna went white and stayed that way through the next two hours of questions, showing them the room, transport to the hospital, rape kit, and finally being allowed to shower in the hospital room.

  “We still have a lot of questions but go home Officer Largo. There isn’t anything else at this point that can’t wait.” The Sheriff, and older no-nonsense woman named Michelle DeSoto said. “You know this is going to blow up for the next few weeks until something else comes up to distract people. But at this point you know how to keep your mouth shut, and I’m not going to insult you by giving you any of the bullshit. Go home, get drunk, do something. You need to seek counseling, but in my limited opinion your own house is the best place for you.”

  “Thank you.” McKenna glanced over to Charley, who sat on the bed in the hospital room. “The rest of the kids?” Toni had come by with Jamie and Jessi to say goodnight and promised they would be over to her house the first afternoon she was home. Jessi and Jamie hugged her tight, and then Charley before they left. He hadn’t said much just staying with her. When they had to do things to McKenna, like the rape kit, he stayed with JD, but otherwise he refused to leave her side.

  “Their parents picked them up, everyone except Mr. Davis here. The address we have on record for his parents is vacant.” McKenna watch his shoulder flinch at that, but he didn’t look surprised. “Child social services should be here shortly to take him.”

  The slapped look on Charley’s face didn’t even register before the word, “No,” burst out of McKenna’s lips.

  Sheriff DeSoto looked surprised. “He has to go with someone, he can’t stay here, and we have no idea where his parents are.”

  “He’ll stay with me. I have room.”

  “I’m afraid that won’t be possible,” a new voice said as a skinny woman walked into the room. Her hair in a tight bun, her pinched lips, low heels, and professional skirt hit every stereotype McKenna had ever run across both as a police officer and a kid in the foster system.

  She’s one of those that think kids being happy is secondary to everything else.

  “Why not?” McKenna asked even as she saw Charley curling in on himself, his head ducking between his shoulders, looking tiny and scared in JD’s huge shirt.

  “Yes, I’d like to hear that too,” JD said as he walked back into the room, a tray piled with food in his hands.

  McKenna eyed the food. She'd eaten more in the last few hours than she would have eaten in a week and finally thought maybe she had approached stable. Shifting into that half form, warrior form, seemed to be harder on her than into the cat.

  Even so, both she and Charley reached to grab something to nibble on, while the social worker drew up in affront.

  "In order to foster a child, you must pass strict background checks, so we can make sure the child is in a safe environment. He will need to come with me and stay in an emergency residence until we can find a foster family to place him with." Her officious tone was that of someone who used her power to make sure people obeyed, and McKenna had to fight to swallow the food with me. "Come with me, child." Her voice imperious as she glanced at her notebook.

  "No."

  JD and Charley glanced at her as she said the word, her voice mild almost. Sheriff DeSoto looked like she didn't know if she wanted to duck and cover or get popcorn to watch the show.

  "Ms. Largo, you don't get to tell me how to do my job. The child will be coming with me, in fact he should have been remanded to our custody hours ago."

  "No."

  Charley had by this point crawled up on the bed with her, and sat leaning against her back, not hugging her but she could feel his body heat. She almost pulled him into a hug but finished eating what was in her hands as the social worker puffed up, her face and neck mottling red and white.

  "Now see here, I am going to do my job, and you – "

  "Do you know who I am?" McKenna asked, even as she had a brief internal war with herself about what she was about to do. It was a short fight, and Charley's body leaning into hers killed most of her protests before they began.

  The woman's tirade stuttered to a halt as she looked at McKenna, still in a hospital gown, JD in his kilt, and Sheriff DeSoto in her uniform. The woman looked like she had decided to watch the train wreck and leaned back against the wall arms crossed, a smile hiding at the corners of her lips.

  "Yes, you're the shifter cop." She stuttered a little as she said it.

  McKenna smiled, and the woman flinched back. "Excellent. Then imagine your supervisor's reaction, the mayor's reaction, the governor’s reaction, when I call a press conference and explain to them exactly how a child was removed from my custody to get dumped with strangers. After he had been kidnapped, forced to perform for drug dealers, watch someone get whipped half to death, and then have to attack and watch me kill someone to save a little girl, his friend." The woman had grown paler and paler, the red leeching out of her face. "I'm sure there are any number of reporters that would kill to have an exclusive on that story, especially if I was willing to show them all the scars I got protecting these children. So, I think you need to decide if you are going to leave this child with me, or if you are going to try to force him to leave and watch me destroy you and your department. Because I can guarantee I'll be on the phone with the press before you make it out of the hospital."

  By the time McKenna was done, the woman made the eggshell white walls look full of color.

  "I see. I believe you have a compelling argument. Why don't I go get the paperwork for you to be declared a temporary guardian until the courts locate his parents." Her words tumbled out faster and faster as she backed out the door, then turned and fled down the hall.

  JD choked on his laughter looking at McKenna with sparkling eyes. "Way to be a bitch, I'm impressed."

  Everyone in the room cracked up, and DeSoto pushed herself way from the wall. "I have to say I enjoyed that. Francine is a bit too fond of paperwork and rules for my taste." She tilted her head looking at McKenna. "Would you have really done that?"

  "Yep. And given Charley the address to my house." She smiled sardonically. "He can turn into a wolf, I don't really think that woman could have kept him thirty seconds after they walked out of this room." She glanced down to smile at Charley. "Did you really think I'd let anyone who didn't want you, take you?"

  He shrugged, burying his head into her hair. She'd noticed the kids had slightly more animalistic emotional tells now but hoped it would fade with time. But either way she didn't really care.

  "JD, if you'll take Charley to
get the car packed up. I'm going to change then we can head to my house. You have anything he can sleep on? I've only got one bed at the moment."

  "Not like I'm leaving you two alone. You know damn well the press is probably already there. I've got a camp mat and sleeping bag for me, we'll make up the couch for Charley."

  "Good." Exhaustion hit her like a giant hand and she had to fight back the wave of dizziness. "Scootch. Let me get dressed in private for the first time in way too long."

  Everyone flashed half humorous half uncomfortable smiles at her and left her alone for a moment. She wondered if she was crazy keeping Charley, but the idea of letting that waste of a human to take him with no consideration of what he'd already been through made her stomach churn. It hadn't been an option. With a sigh she forced herself to her feet and started pulling on the clothes JD had left for her. She could hear him and Charley talking in the hall.

  Smiling she pulled on clothes. They'd tested her and the dead rapist for STD's and she still needed to wait for that result. She couldn’t get pregnant, she’d made sure of that when she turned twenty-one, so as long as the idiot didn’t have HIV or something, she’d probably be okay in the long run. At least physically. She’d deal with the rape later. When she had time.

  That only left… her mind shied away from it as she finished dressing, the bra feeling odd after so long without one, and didn't fit correctly anymore. Another thing to deal with - later.

  Ready to go home she pulled open the door and stumbled to a halt as a voice whispered through her head.

  [We do need to discuss this, and relatively soon, Commander.]

  Epilogue

  "We must beware the devil in our midst. This ability to change is not a gift, it is a reflection of the evil in our souls, our beasts that care not for the word of God, and spit on his promise to us. I implore you, fight the demon in your body, forsake the way of the animal and remain true to the promise God made to Christ, to allow all his children into heaven. For only the children of God will make their way into heaven, not the animals of the forest. These animal forms are temptation and sin wrapped up in one. If you were weak enough to be so inflicted I implore you to resist, and stay human, turn your back on the beast within." ~ Popular TV Televangelist

  The crisp white linen suit looked off yellow in the overhead fluorescent light. An older man, with a touch of silver at his temples the only marring of his dark brown hair, leaned back watching the news story playing out on all the channels. No close ups of the bodies were being displayed due to their 'gruesome demise' but the names of the identified were displayed. Including one Alfonso Jones.

  He finished watching the special report, then clicked mute on the TV. Pulling out a key from his waistcoat, he walked over and unlocked a file cabinet. Pulling open a drawer with 'Tax Returns' on the little card in the window, he pulled out a ledger. Moving back over to the desk he flipped it open and scrolled down until he came to a name – C-Tac, Alfonso Jones. With a neat, deliberate movement he drew a line through that name.

  Steepling his fingers for a minute he looked over the numbers, a small moue of distaste crossing his face. Then he picked up his business phone, flipped off all geolocator tags, opened an IP randomizer, then pulled up the VoIP app, and dialed a number. It rang once, then a young man's voice answered.

  "Yes, boss?"

  "Mister Jones' experiment has failed, most spectacularly I might add. Please find someone else to cover his territory and see his people are reassigned or dealt with. I'd like to have you double check the books before you send them on. It occurs to me he had a bit too much free cash."

  "Immediately. But I would offer, C-Tac didn't use. So, any extra he always sold."

  "Ah. Interesting. He had promise. Please get any video he had. Utilize the police contacts as needed. I believe he had at least one cop he sold to."

  "Of course. Anything else?"

  The man shot a look up at the TV and frowned. "Yes, please prepare a dossier on McKenna Largo. I don't know how much he might have let slip and at this point I believe she has proved she is a dangerous woman."

  "Will do."

  The man hung up, wiped the call from his phone, deleted all the apps, then reinstalled them. As he waited he put the ledger away. He noted on his calendar to do a full wipe of the phone in a week. Then he turned to the speech he had to give that afternoon. His audience always liked something relevant to the current state of the world.

  "The power of children. Yes, I think that will do perfectly." He began to write in clear elegant long hand as he worked out his thoughts, and the message he wanted to convey.

  Authors Note:

  I hope you enjoyed book one of the Kaylid Chronicles. This series has a lot more in store for McKenna, JD, Toni, and the kids. Visit my website at www.badashpublishing.com to sign up for my newsletter and find out about the next books coming out in this series.

  You can pre-order New Games on Amazon soon!

  Happy reading!

  Mel Todd

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Mel Todd has three cats, none of which can turn into a form with opposable thumbs, which is good. If they could do that they wouldn't need her anymore. Writing and trying to start her empire, she decided creating her own worlds was less work than ruling this one.