by Неизвестный
"This job is simple surveillance, boys. The client wants his business watched. He's been having some supply issues over the last few months, and he suspects one of his employees."
"Supply issues?" Cort asked, getting right down to business. "Can you be any more specific?"
"Some very sensitive chemicals have gone missing," Dane replied. "If it was just a few items, he'd chalk it up to petty theft, but the client believes that one of his employees is somehow transporting these chemicals out of the facility without him knowing. He wants to know who."
"Shouldn't this be a police matter?" Boone asked. Cort nodded his head in agreement. He was a little confused as to why they would be watching a business for theft instead of the police. It didn't make a whole lot of sense.
"Normally, that would be true, boys, but in this case the chemicals in question are used in some of their research. It has very few uses beyond that. For someone to be stealing these chemicals, they either have to be setting up their own research lab or using it for illegal reasons. The client would like to try and settle this in-house before bringing the police in."
Cort sat forward in his seat. "What sort of research?"
Dane shrugged. "I didn't ask, and neither should you."
Cort desperately wanted to roll his eyes, but he knew if he did, Dane would probably reach across the desk and punch him. Dane didn't take ridicule well, not that Cort was doing that. It was just hard to explain that to someone when they had their hand wrapped around your throat, lifting you off the ground by several inches.
"So, basically," Boone said, "the client wants us to watch his business and find out who's taking this chemical out of his facility?"
Dane nodded.
"And when we find out?" Boone asked.
Cort grinned. Boone had said when, not if, as if their finding out who was stealing wasn't even an issue. Cort was inwardly pleased that Boone had so much confidence in their ability to complete their assigned mission.
"Report back to me," Dane replied. He sat forward on his desk, leaning on his arms as he eyed both men intently. "Under no circumstances are you to engage the target. Find him, document, and report back. Nothing else."
Cort raised on eyebrow in query. That was an unusual order.
"Is that clearly understood?" Dane demanded.
Cort was confused by the order, but he nodded anyway. Dane didn't usually tell them just to find a target without some sort of investigation or something. However, if that's what Dane wanted, that's what Cort knew he and Boone would do.
Colonel Dane Jrogen had been good to both him and Boone when they were serving under him in the military. He had been good to them in civilian life, too. Cort couldn't think of much he wouldn't do for Dane.
Dane handed Cort the folder from his desk, then leaned back in his chair. "I expect hourly updates. The moment you find the target and document, get your asses back here, and I do mean the moment. This is a time-sensitive issue, boys."
Cort flipped the folder open and read over sheets of paper inside. The top paper was the address of the facility and mission details. The rest of the papers seemed to be employee sheets, listing personal stats, employment data, and pictures. It was a basic business dossier.
Flipping the file closed, Cort handed it to Boone to look through. Boone had a photographic memory. Once Boone read the dossier, he'd remember everything in it. It was a very impressive ability to have and certainly made Cort's work a little easier. It had also saved both their lives on numerous occasions.
"Anything else, boss?" Cort asked.
"Just one, you're to report to me and only me. I don't want you talking to anyone about this, not even the other guys. Got it?"
Cort nodded even if he didn't understand why Dane was being so secretive. They had been working with Dane and the others in their crew for several years. They didn't usually keep secrets from one another, often discussing their work details over dinner. It helped them brainstorm.
"Yeah, sure, Dane," Cort replied, still confused but willing to do whatever the job required.
"I know this all seems pretty strange to you, Cort, but I have my reasons."
"You don't have to explain things to me, Dane," Cort replied. "If you want us to keep this secret from the others, then that's what we'll do."
Cort was surprised by the hand that Dane thrust through his blond hair. If he didn't miss his guess, Dane was nervous about something or at least tense. Cort wasn't sure he had ever seen Dane anything but totally controlled.
"Dane, is there something more we should know?"
Dane shook his head. "Not at this time." Dane took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I wish I could tell you more, boys, but I can't. This is a very sensitive matter, and I'm trusting you both to do exactly as I ask."
Cort and Boone nodded. Cort glanced over at Boone and saw the a confused look on his face. He felt the same way. Dane was always secretive, but he was being even more mysterious than usual. It made Cort nervous.
"Go on, get out of here. You have a mission to get ready for," Dane said, waving his hand at them in a dismissal wave. "And boys, watch your backs. If anything seems a little odd, it probably is."
Cort gave Dane one last curious look, then followed Boone out of the office and down the hallway to their room. He shut the door and leaned back against it. "Did that seem a little weirder than usual to you?"
Boone shrugged. "Who can tell with Dane? He's always doing weird shit."
Cort guessed that was true. He walked across the room and pulled clothes out of his dresser to get ready for tonight's mission. He sat down on the side of his bed and began pulling his clothes off.
He just couldn't shake the idea that something else was going on, something he and Boone didn't know about. It sent a tingle up his spine and made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He pulled his white cotton shirt over his head and traded it for a long-sleeve black shirt.
Cort paused in pulling his black camouflage pants on to stare over at Boone. "You don't think this could have anything to do with Dane's search for his daughter, do you?"
Boone stopped buttoning his pants to stare at Cort in shock. "At a research facility?"
"Yeah, I guess you're right." Cort finished pulling up his pants and zipping them. He grabbed a small box from under the bed and set it on the mattress. He grabbed several knives from the box and placed them in different hidden spots throughout his outfit.
Cort joined Boone at a large cabinet. He waited for Boone to unlock it, then grabbed his guns and put them in the two shoulder holsters clamped around his body. He put two more handguns into the hidden holsters in his calf-high black boots.
Cort and Boone checked over their surveillance equipment, the earpieces, cameras, and night goggles. Once they were assured that everything was in good working order, they headed out.
* * * *
Cort rolled his head a little, hearing a small crackle noise as his neck popped. He hated surveillance. It was a hurry up and wait type of job, and that was just what he and Boone were doing, waiting.
So far, they had watched the four-story brick building empty of most of the people who worked there. By Boone's estimation, just a few people remained inside, a single researcher, a couple of research assistants, and two security guards.
Since nothing seemed out of place with the employees who had already left, Cort could only surmise that the people who remained were the ones they were looking for. They just had to wait until they came out, document, and report back to Dane.
"Do you smell that?"
Cort glanced over at Boone. "Smell what?"
He watched Boone crinkle his nose in distaste. He smelled something that he didn't like. Cort sniffed the air. At first he didn't smell anything. Then a strange repugnant odor wafted to him. Cort found himself crinkling his nose much like Boone had.
"What the hell is that?" he asked, glancing quickly around the area outside the truck they sat in.
Boone shook his head. "I don
't know, but it stinks. It almost smells like…like wet, dead dog."
Cort couldn't agree more. It did smell like wet, dead dog. He had never smelled something like it, and he had smelled a lot of disgusting stuff. The smell seemed to be getting stronger by the minute.
Cort was just about to open the door and step out to look for the source of the smell when he was hit with an overwhelming amount of it. It was almost claustrophobic. It filled the tiny cab of their truck until Cort felt like he might puke.
"Cort!"
"I smell it, too," Cort choked out through the hand he held against his mouth.
"No, someone's coming up the driveway."
Cort turned and glanced down the small road that led from the main street to the research facility. He could just make out two headlights heading in their direction. Luckily, their truck was parked back on a small side road that was essentially hidden by trees.
A large black sedan drove up and parked near the entrance to the building. Two men climbed out of the front of the vehicle. One man walked around to the passenger side of the vehicle. Cort saw another man climb out of the backseat.
"Hand me those night binoculars," Cort said to Boone, holding out his hand. He could see pretty damn well without them, though. In fact, he was surprised at how well he could see. Cort glanced down at his watch to assure himself of the time.
It was only nine o'clock at night. It was dark outside. None of which explained to Cort why he could see so well. Grabbing the night binoculars from Boone, Cort looked through them, but that just made his vision worse. He could see better without the special night vision binoculars.
He tossed the binoculars down on the seat between him and Boone. "I think these damn things are broken. I can see better without them. Are you sure you checked them before we left?"
"Hell yes, they were working," Boone replied. "I'd never bring broken equipment on a mission, Cort."
Cort could instantly tell that he had offended Boone. He raised a hand in a placating gesture. "I know you wouldn't, Boone, and I'm sorry I suggested that you would. It just seems a little strange to me that I can see better without the binoculars than I can with them and they were made for seeing in the dark."
Boone was silent for a moment as he looked out the front window. "Yeah, I see what you mean." Cort could hear the uneasiness in Boone's voice as he chuckled. "Cort, I can count the pulse beats on that guy's throat, and he has to be standing at least a hundred feet away."
Cort looked to where Boone pointed, amazed that he, too, could see the tiny pulse in the man's throat beating away. A cold chill worked its way up his spine. Something was going on here, and Cort didn't like it one bit.
A sudden scream broke the silence around them. Both Cort and Boone tensed as they took in the scene in front of the research facility. One man walked toward the building as if he had nothing in the world to worry about. Another stood by the sedan as the third man hauled something from the backseat.
Cort watched in disbelief as a woman was pulled from the vehicle. Her head flopped back as if she was unconscious. Then another scream rent the air. The woman suddenly began to struggle against the man holding her.
It wasn't until the man took a few steps away from the sedan that Cort realized who the woman was. Before he could even tell Boone of his discovery, Boone was out of the truck running toward the trio.
"Well, shit!" Cort swore as he jumped out of the truck and ran after Boone. As another scream of agony spilled out into the night, Cort increased his speed. Dane was going to kill them both, but Cort didn't see any other option. The woman who the men held was the one they had left alone in the motel room.
Cort raced across the parking lot, mere seconds behind Boone. He ran so fast he almost passed the trio standing there. He came to a screeching halt and jumped on the nearest man. He didn't care why they were holding the woman. He just knew that it had to be stopped. She was screaming as if she was in agony.
As he swung at the man holding her, he saw Boone hit the other man out of the corner of his eye. Cort felt the pain in his knuckles as his fist connected. He was already swinging again before the sound of bone crunching beneath his fist faded away.
Cort knocked the man he was fighting to the ground then turned and grabbed the woman up in his arms. He prayed that no one had guns, but that thought died when the hard ping of a bullet hitting the car next to him rang out.
Cort ran with the woman cradled in his arms. He could hear Boone still fighting behind him but knew he needed to get the woman to safety before he could help Boone. She had to be his first priority.
Reaching the truck, Cort opened the door and set the woman down on the seat. He ran his hands over her shoulders and arms, then her torso, and finally her legs. He could see red patches marring her skin in several places, but most of them seemed to be concentrated around her wrists and arms as if someone had been restraining her.
"Do you hurt anywhere?" he asked softly, not wanting to scare her.
When she didn't answer, Cort looked up at her. His eyebrows rose in surprise. She was unconscious again, her head leaning back against the seat. Well, that wouldn't be a lot of help. Cort reached up to shake her awake when he heard more gunshots.
Fearing for his partner, Cort pushed the woman to the middle of the seat and buckled her seat belt. He took one last look at her, realizing that she was still dressed as she had been the night they met, then shut and locked the door.
Cort carefully made his way back to the edge of the parking lot. His eyes shot back and forth as he looked for Boone. A slight movement to his left caught his attention. Cort narrowed his eyes as he looked closer.
A dark shape was inching around a row of cars. Cort watched for another moment, then cast a quick glance toward the building. He could see one man on the ground. He wasn't moving. The other two men were staring out at the parking lot.
Cort looked back to the figure moving around the cars. He squinted trying to get a better look. For a moment, he thought it was Boone but it wasn't. It couldn't be. Suddenly, the figure moved, and Cort could see it. His mouth dropped open in shock.
It was Boone. He looked almost half man and half beast. But that can't be right, Cort thought. He'd known Boone for almost twenty years. Boone wasn't nearly as furry as the...the thing standing before him.
A spike of fear shot through Cort when the creature turned toward him. Cort watched in morbid fascination as the thing before him grew a long snout like a dog, pointed ears sprouted from its head, and a bushy tail grew from behind. Hair covered the beast from head to…well, paws?
"Boone?" Cort whispered.
Chapter 3
Boone felt an excruciating pain shoot through his entire body, unlike anything he had ever felt in his life. He had been lost in the jungles of South America and tortured for three weeks by rebels in the Sudan. He had been shot more than a few times. He had even had his ass and groin waxed once for an old girlfriend.
Nothing had ever hurt this bad. Boone felt like every bone in his body was breaking at the same time. He was positive he was also being skinned alive, but when he looked down at his arm, it was covered in dark red fur.
Boone opened his mouth to cry out. A low growl came out instead. Boone blinked. When he lifted his hand to cover his mouth, he noticed that it was also covered in fur with long, lethal-looking claws at the ends. Fear unlike he had ever known flooded Boone. What in the hell was happening to him?
"Boone?"
Boone lifted his head and looked over to see Cort standing a few feet away. Boone couldn't tell if the look on Cort's face was one of horror or disgust, especially since everything seemed to be in black and white.
"It's okay, Boone," Cort said softly. He held a placating hand out in front of him. Cort took a hesitant step toward him. Boone felt the need to sniff the air, so he did. He could smell Cort. It was a friendly, familiar scent, a calming scent.
There was also the faint stench of wet, dead dog. It made the hackles on the back of Boon
e's neck stand up. He didn't like that scent. It was a bad scent. Boone didn't know how he knew that, but he did. Wet, dead dog meant very bad things.
Boone growled, jerking in surprise at the sound that came out of his mouth. He glanced at Cort again. Boone felt panic start to build in him. He tried to call out to Cort again, but nothing came out but a low, guttural growl.
He took a step toward Cort, lifting his hand out to him. Just as Cort lifted his hand in response, a loud yell sounded from the other side of the parking lot. Boone looked past Cort to see two of the three men they had tangled with pointing in their direction before they broke into a run. They were headed right toward Cort and Boone, guns in their hands.
Boone went to jump in front of Cort, instinctively knowing that in his present state he was stronger, more powerful than his friend, until he turned and saw him. Boone's eyes widened in shock, his mouth dropping open.
He wasn't looking at Cort, at least not the Cort he knew. The creature that stood before him stood nearly seven feet tall. Muscles rippled under medium brown fur. Long canine teeth stuck out of a short, wolfish snout. Large hands clenched, claws clinking together.
"Cort?" Boone tried to ask. He was positive the creature before him wouldn't understand, but he had to try anyway. When Cort turned to look at him at his word, Boone was stunned. "Can you understand me?"
"Of course I can understand you, ya moron," Cort growled. "Do you think I'm stupid?"
Boone shook his head. "No, but I'm not sure you're Cort either."
Cort just cocked his head to one side, looking totally confused.
"Dude," Boone said, waving his hand at Cort, "you have fur and a snout and ears and a tail and—"
Before Boone could continue, a loud ping sounded near them. Boone turned just in time to see the back window of a nearby car shatter. It was only then that he remembered the men running toward them with guns, guns that they aimed at Cort and Boone.