Snake Charmer (Shifter Squad Book 6)

by J. C. Diem

  Mark slowed then pulled off onto the track that led to the camping area. Smoke rose from the peak of the hill, signaling that Aiden and his pack were here. We drove around to the back of the mound and parked next to Aiden’s truck. Their motorbikes were gone, but three more pickup trucks were lined up in their place. Four should be enough to cause the distraction that we were after.

  Kendricks pulled in beside us and eyed the vehicles coldly. He was no doubt making note of the license plates. We weren’t about to tell him that the plates on Aiden’s truck had been switched. The others probably had been as well. Aiden was being cautious, which meant he and his pack might be able to survive this night after all.

  We climbed out and the pack descended from the camp to meet us. Zeus eyed the werewolves and the agents with equal distrust. Mark made the introductions and Patrick casually strolled over to stand next to me. Cortez studied his potential rival with a thin smile. Neither man stood a chance with me. If they did anything stupid like try to fight for my affections, I’d pull my gun and shoot them both. Kala subtly rolled her eyes at their childish rivalry.

  “This is the plan,” Kendricks said as Mark unrolled an enlarged photo of the building and grounds that he’d printed out. Spread out on the hood of our SUV, it showed an overhead view of the entire EERI compound. “I want you and your people to draw attention to this area,” the squad leader said to Aiden and pointed to the southern and eastern sides of the compound. “Fire some shots at the guards, throw a Molotov cocktail or two over the fence then hightail it away as soon as they start to follow you. We’ll move in and extract Agent Bailey then rendezvous back here at dawn.”

  Aiden studied the photo then nodded. His pack craned their heads and shuffled closer so they could take a look at it. Aiden had only one question. “When do we head out?”

  “We’ll be leaving in five minutes,” Kendricks replied. It would take us several hours to reach the compound and it would be nearly dark by then. “Follow us to the base then split off when I give you the signal. We’ll continue on to the north. Wait for full dark before you move in and draw their attention away.”

  At Aiden’s nod, his pack scurried off to gather the items they’d need to make some Molotov cocktails. There were plenty of empty bottles at their campsite to choose from. All they’d need was some flammable liquid, a strip of material for a wick and a lighter and then they’d be in business.

  Mark stepped over to shake the alpha’s hand. “I’d advise you not to return here when you’re done,” he whispered quickly and so quietly that no human could have heard him. “It would be far safer for you to head to one of your more distant properties and lay low for a while.” With that warning given, he spoke at a louder volume for Kendricks’ benefit. “We really appreciate your help with this.”

  “Don’t mention it,” the alpha responded. His eyes turned stony at the warning and he shot a dour look at Patrick for divulging private information to us.

  Patrick hunched his shoulders at the silent reprimand. He lingered next to me as everyone headed for their vehicles. “I probably won’t be seeing you for a while,” he said.

  “I guess not.”

  He smiled, but it wasn’t happy. “I thought I’d never see you again when you disappeared from the base that day. I’d been trying to work up the courage to ask you out, but I never got the chance.”

  His intensity hinted that I was the reason why he’d been out drinking and had had a fight with the werewolf who had bitten him. It made me feel ill to realize I might be the reason why he’d become a shifter.

  “One thing I’ve learned is that fate can be unpredictable,” I said. “You never know where it will take you or how much it will mess with your life.” Some of my bleakness came through despite my efforts to curb it. “It wasn’t a good time for me to date anyone back then and it’s even worse now.”

  He put a hand on my shoulder and I thought he was just going to give me a hug. Instead, he leaned down and tried to kiss me. My body reacted instantly and I took a step backwards before his lips could come into contact with mine. I’d hoped my tone reflected that there could never be anything between us, but obviously not.

  “Well, I guess that answers the question whether I’d ever have a chance with you,” he said with a wry look. He flicked a glance at Cortez and narrowed his eyes. “Still, I’d have more of a chance than a mere human would.”

  Knowing he was the brunt of an insult, the sniper smirked. Clearly, he’d seen my reaction to the kiss and thought he was a better candidate for my attention than Patrick. If the sniper tried to kiss me, I’d have the same reaction. My bond with Reece wouldn’t allow me to be with anyone else. Maybe that would change after it was severed, but I wouldn’t know until after the dreaded deed was done.

  “Let’s move out,” Kendricks barked. Cortez gave me a wink then jogged towards their truck.

  “Ah, to be young, beautiful and admired by many,” Kala said and slung her arm over my shoulder.

  I sent her a sardonic look and pushed her away. She was only three years older than me and she was far prettier than I was. “Is it my turn to drive yet?” I asked Mark.

  “I was wondering when you’d ask.” He threw me the keys and I poked my tongue out at Kala in childish triumph.

  “Try not to drive us over a cliff, Rexina,” she said mockingly.

  I took it as the insult it was meant to be and appealed to our boss. “Mark!”

  He held his hand up at my automatic protest at the hated title. “Play nice or I’ll send you both to the naughty corner.”

  Narrowing my eyes, I sent a command to Zeus. He obediently trotted over to Kala and his mouth engulfed her hand. She yanked it away and stared in disgust at the saliva that coated it. “Eww!” She pointed a dripping finger at me. “That isn’t fair!”

  I laughed in glee as I climbed into the driver’s seat. “Alpha’s don’t play fair,” I told her as she wiped the goo onto a handkerchief that Mark handed her. “We play to win.”

  Mark looked at me strangely as he pulled his door shut. “Who taught you that?”

  “No one,” I replied. “I guess it’s just instinct.”

  Kala held the handkerchief out to Mark, but he declined to take it. Knowing him, he probably had a spare tucked away in another pocket. Zeus curled up on the floor next to Kala rather than squeezing into the cargo area. She glared at him, which apparently had no effect on him whatsoever. I couldn’t see him since he was sitting right behind me, but I could feel him and he was happy.

  Since I knew where we were going, I took the lead and Kendricks followed in our wake. Aiden and his pack brought up the rear. The armored truck almost seemed to loom over us in the rearview mirror.

  “I have a feeling the O Squad’s methods are somewhat questionable,” Kala said. She’d moved to the middle of the seat and was sitting forward so far that she was practically up the front with us. Zeus shifted so he could lay his head on her foot. She absently bent to pat him, already forgetting that he’d annoyed her just a few minutes ago. Her tolerance for his company had improved vastly since he’d first become part of the team.

  Mark’s mouth pinched into a thin line at her probing question. “It’s already above your clearance level to know they exist. I can’t tell you anything more about them.”

  “What did you tell them about Flynn’s disappearance?” I asked.

  “The truth. I told them he disappeared while we were searching the area for clues about whoever is controlling the snakes.”

  “We have to make sure we reach Flynn first,” Kala said. “We don’t know what shape he’s going to be in. We have to get him out of there before they see anything that they shouldn’t.”

  Mark nodded. “I agree. We’re very lucky they’re allowing us to join them.”

  “They’re just used to dealing with normal humans, aren’t they?” I said. “They need us to deal with anything out of the ordinary.”

  He inclined his head again. “Kendricks is aware that we w
ill be far more likely to identify a non-human threat than anyone in his team.”

  “They’re planning on killing Aiden and his pack once we’ve rescued Flynn.” Once I said it out loud, it seemed even more ominous. “He said they don’t leave any witnesses behind. That apparently includes allies as well.”

  “Unfortunately that’s how the O Squad operates,” he said heavily. “We have our specialties and they have theirs.” He’d told us everything he was cleared to and he wouldn’t say anything further.

  “Which one would you choose?” Kala asked me cryptically.

  Baffled by the abrupt change of topic, I glanced back at her for a second. “What are you talking about?”

  “Between Patrick and Cortez,” she explained patiently. Mark shook his head and took his tablet out of an inner pocket of his jacket. He couldn’t escape from our conversation, but he could at least pretend that he couldn’t hear us.

  “If you and Patrick were human rather than werewolves and Cortez wasn’t some kind of PIA assassin,” she continued. “Who would you choose?”

  “Neither,” I replied immediately. I’d already met and had fallen for my ideal man. There was no room in my heart or in my imagination for anyone else. I turned the tables on her. “In the same scenario, who would you choose between Cole and Kendricks?”

  “Both,” she replied with a wicked laugh. “Preferably at the same time.”

  Mark muttered something beneath his breath and I shook my head incredulously. I had the feeling she wasn’t joking. If Mark hadn’t been present, I’d have asked her some nosey questions out of sheer curiosity. One slipped out before I could stop it. “Have you ever actually…?” Thankfully, I kept the question far too quiet for Mark to be able hear me.

  She nodded, smiling widely. “Oh, yeah. Just once, but it was unforgettable.” She spoke just as softly as I did.

  A flush of embarrassment crept up to my hairline, but it somehow didn’t surprise me to hear that she’d had a threesome.

  Four hours later, I slowed down as we neared our destination. Kendricks’ arm came out of the window and he waved to Aiden. The werewolves veered off immediately and continued to head eastward. Two of their trucks would swing around to the south when it was time to begin our rescue mission. The sun was low in the sky, leaving us with only half an hour or so before it would be fully dark.

  At Mark’s nod, I took off again. We made a wide sweep around to the north of the EERI base. The lights in the compound were already on. They both illuminated the building and ruined the guards’ night vision. Our vehicles were raising a cloud of dust, but it would be nearly impossible to see now that it was dusk.

  The base was only a short distance from the ancient mountain range. I found a thicket of straggly trees and parked behind it. There was barely enough cover for our SUV let alone the O Squad’s truck. It was doubtful our vehicles would be spotted. Clearly, the guards and whoever else was in the base had no idea they were about to be infiltrated.

  “Did EERI really think they could snatch Flynn away from us and that we wouldn’t try to find him?” I asked Mark as Kendricks pulled up next to us.

  “I doubt it,” he replied. “They know as much about the PIA as we do about their organization. They must have heard about our squad’s reputation.”

  “Then they must be aware that we’re going to tear them a new…” Kala rethought what she’d been about to say at Mark’s sharp look. “Never mind,” she said instead of the word that had been on her mind. “Surely they’re prepared for our arrival?”

  He shrugged then opened his door. “We’re about to find out.”

  Zeus scrambled out after Kala when she opened her door. I locked the SUV out of habit and handed the keys to Mark. Stay here and guard the area, I said to Zeus. Let me know if anyone approaches our cars. He gave me a woof of agreement and took up a position near our SUV. I didn’t want to leave him behind, but we had no idea what we’d be facing once we were inside. It seemed safer to leave him here than to take him with us.

  Kendricks’ men leaped out of the back of the truck and hefted heavy backpacks over their shoulders. My backpack carried my sniper rifle, a spare handgun and plenty of ammo. Kala hadn’t bothered with a backpack. The pockets of her cargo pants bulged with ammo. She had her Colt strapped to her thigh and a spare gun in the small of her back.

  Kendricks drew Cortez and me aside. “Once the bikers draw the guards away, start picking off whoever is left.”

  We nodded and split up. I headed right and Cortez went left. We were spaced about three hundred yards apart from each other. His scope came equipped with night vision. Mine didn’t. If anyone looked through my scope, they’d quickly figure out that I wasn’t normal.

  I took my time to assemble my weapon, but I was still speedy. A sporadic breeze hit me every now and then as I lay down to wait, but it wouldn’t hinder my aim. We were only a thousand yards away from the compound. The battle ahead was going to be almost too easy even for a sniper with normal skills and abilities let alone an efficient killing machine like me.

  ₪₪₪

  Chapter Nineteen

  We’d timed our arrival perfectly. The sun sank below the horizon moments after Cortez and I were in position. Right on time, four trucks sped towards the base. Their headlights were off and they came from the east and south as instructed.

  Aiden and his people followed their orders to the letter. They waited until they were near the fence before they lit several Molotov cocktails and flung them over the barrier. Flames burst to life and an unlucky guard went up like a torch. Screaming and yelling, Aiden and his pack switched their headlights on. Shots were fired at the guards who ran to assist their injured colleague.

  An alarm went off from the compound and more guards boiled out through the front doors. A mixture of cars and jeeps were parked in a lot next to the building. Thirty men split into small teams of five and hurried over to the jeeps. A gate was opened remotely and they went on the chase as the pickup trucks full of werewolves took off.

  With the crowd now thinned out, Cortez and I started picking off the remaining guards. Panic set in among the EERI employees when our shots rent the air and lifeless bodies fell to the ground. Ducking and running for cover, they had nowhere to hide from us. Calmly and methodically, I put a bullet through the heart of everyone who came into sight in my scope.

  More guards exited the building and we cut them down as well. I was aware of Cortez glancing at me more than once during the bloodbath. He was good, but I was much better. Reloading quickly and efficiently, I took down twice as many men as he did. I didn’t miss a single target. My focus on the task became absolute and I was only distantly aware of Kala and Mark behind me. I trusted them to have my back in the unlikely event that we were to come under attack.

  When all of the guards were down, Kendricks sent some of his men to cut off the jeeps that had turned back when they realized that their base was under siege. Automatic gunfire sounded and I looked away from the bright flare of light when one of the vehicles went up in a ball of fire. The last thing I needed was for my night vision to be ruined now.

  Mark watched the action through binoculars as Kendricks deployed his men. Once all of the jeeps were destroyed and no fresh troops came from inside, the leader of the O Squad signaled for us to move in.

  Kala and I flanked Mark, making sure he didn’t trip in the darkness. I kept my rifle ready to fire if any more guards came into view.

  We reached the fence and I felt the power coming off it long before we arrived. One of Kendricks’ men pulled a device out of his backpack and aimed it at the barrier. The low hum of electricity died and the agent quickly cut an opening into the wire. We ducked through one by one and entered the compound.

  Breaking my rifle down, I stashed it in my backpack and pulled my Beretta. Kala pointed when a new guard appeared at the door. Before Cortez could lift his rifle, I aimed and fired. A hole appeared in the guard’s forehead and he slumped to the ground.

 
Mark glanced at me in warning as the O Squad made sounds of amazement. Cortez moved in close enough to speak into my ear. “How did you do that?” he asked in a low voice.

  “Do what?” I asked as if I hadn’t done anything out of the ordinary.

  “He was easily eight hundred yards away and there’s barely enough light to see him.” There was only one bulb near the backdoor and it shed a weak light, for a human. To me the target might as well have been lit up with neon lights. “That was an impossible shot for a handgun without a scope. Not even your father could have pulled that off.”

  “I told you she was good,” Mark said mildly. “Only the best can become a member of the TAK Squad.”

  Cortez looked at me as if he was seeing me for the first time. He was only just realizing that I might actually be more dangerous than he was.

  Kala leaned forward to speak to him past me. “Agent Bailey and I are the trackers. Can you guess what Lexi’s job is?”

  They all knew we were the Track and Kill Squad and that meant I was the killer of the team, as far as they knew. He swallowed audibly and moved away. She was just messing with him, of course. We were all hunters as well as killers. It was in our DNA.

  “Is there a problem, Cortez?” Kendricks asked quietly.

  “No, sir. I was just congratulating Agent Levine on an excellent shot.”

  “Keep your distance from her,” his boss warned. “I don’t want you to get attached to her and compromise your job.”

  “Believe me, that won’t be a problem, sir.”

  A small smile crossed my lips as we reached the backdoor. I was pretty sure I’d just destroyed Cortez’s interest in me. There was nothing more emasculating to a man than a girl who could out-shoot him. I’d seen it happen often during my years of mingling with mostly male soldiers at the shooting ranges that I’d frequented. Their swagger was quickly replaced by sullen disbelief when I always performed far better than they did.