by NB Blackbell
"Thanks for the sandwiches. They are so good. What room are you and John in?" Faith grabbed the empty plate. "Room two zero nine. I'll drop this off in the kitchen on my way back to my room." Before heading out the door, she looked back and said, "Oh, I saw the video. I couldn't believe it! Either the cops ignored that man, or they didn't see him at all. Either way, something is not right." Jasper walked over and turned on the television before plopping onto the bed. It was nice to have the distraction, although they seemed to have the shows on a loop lately. It was probably so they could make it home before the curfew, but she guessed with everything going on, they were lucky to have the entertainment to distract them. Lying on the bed with the remote in her hand, she flipped through the channels and found a movie to keep her busy for a few hours-till she had to step back into reality.
Jake, who finally awoke after a long sleep, was brushing his teeth when he heard a knock at the door. Laying his toothbrush down and then rinsing his mouth, he quickly headed to the door. "Hey, John, come in." Both men walked over to the table by the window and took a seat. I would offer you a coffee," said Jake, "but I don't exactly have a coffee machine." John laughed, "Yeah, I'm not used to it either. I wanted to speak to you about your experience down by the mayor's office. You say it had your face at first?" Jake took a deep breath and leaned back. "Yes, it was the strangest thing I had ever seen. It was like looking in the mirror, and I'm sure he saw me. That's probably why time paused while he changed into a woman. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I probably wouldn't have believed it. In my line of work, this is crazy talk." Jake laughed. John leaned forward and put his elbows on the table. Taking a deep breath and with a giant sigh, he continued, "This is so much to take in. I know you guys are not crazy, and some of my men have seen some weird stuff and have been too fearful of coming forward lest they are seen as crazy. But, damn! How does one take this all in?" Jake nodded, "I totally understand you. What do you do for a living?" John looked at Jake. "I do construction for Morrisons." Jake sat up straight and looked him in the eyes. "What if we set up traps for them? We can set up video cams in different places and set up a video in the board room to follow it. Who knows what we'll see or catch? And maybe that way we can see who is who. I think we can also get one set up in the police station too if we are careful. My ex-girlfriend is the coroner there." John sat up, seeming very interested in what Jake had to say, "That's a great idea. I can grab the cameras and videos and set up today. Can you contact your ex and see if she wants to be a part of this?" Jake nodded, "Yes, I'll do it later. We should set up a camera by the wharf, by the mayor's office, downtown on Main Street, and perhaps in the square too." Getting up from the table, John glanced over at Jake. "It's a plan. Tomorrow morning, we'll put it to use. Let me know what your ex says." Heading to the door, Jake heard him mumble, "See you later, Jake." Pulling out his phone, he looked up Loretta's number. It had been months since they spoke, but they were not on bad terms. Sending her a text, he wrote:
"Loretta, it's Jake. I need to see you as soon as possible. We need to talk about what's happening in the city. Meet me at the Georgia Hotel. I'll be waiting out front at about three p.m."
Laying the phone aside, he looked out the window. The city still had so much life in it, but it made him wonder how much of that life was lived by shapeshifters? It was hard to know who was who. I mean, if he could see someone look just like him and then like someone else the next minute, how could he ever trust that he knew who he was speaking too. The phone buzzed. It was a text from Loretta:
"Hi Jake! Yes, I'll meet you there at three. I'm glad you messaged me."
Jake quickly sent her a message:
"Okay. See you then."
Three p.m. came, and Jake sat on the ledge next to the window of the hotel. It was beautiful out today. There was a refreshing breeze coming in from the ocean. Loretta pulled into the parking lot, giving a small wave to Jake, she jumped out of the car and headed over to Jake. "Hey, Jake! Beautiful day, isn't it? Why are we meeting here? How come not your house?" Jake looked at Loretta as she took a seat next to him. She was as graceful as ever. "I'm not staying there for now with everything going on. Matter of fact, a lot of people are not staying in their homes. Can I trust you with some information?" Loretta nodded as a grave look spread over her face. Jake took her hand. "We may not be together, but I consider you, my friend. Or, at least I hope we are. You know all the deaths you deal with daily, and all the missing people? Well, we have information about that." Loretta's body posture changed as she sat up straight, listening to what he had to say. "Not just me, but many others have seen something. It may be a little hard to believe, but it is very true. I have proof, so please believe me when I tell you there are shapeshifters among us."
Loretta's mouth fell open. She was quiet at first, but after a few minutes, she took a deep breath and asked, "You say you have proof? Can I see it?" Jake stood up and pulled her up. "Yes, I was hoping you would ask." Both walked into the hotel past security and headed to the board room. John was sitting at the table, pulling out video equipment. Taking a moment to look up, he asked, "Is that the ex?" Jake nodded, "Yes, this is Loretta. Loretta, this is John." Loretta smiled at him before turning her head to the board. She stood there for the longest time, looking through everything. Jake took the time to talk to John while Loretta absorbed the information.
"So, these are the cams that we're going to put up around the city?" John nodded, "Yup. Just have to figure out how to install them without being seen." Loretta looked over at the guys. "Wow! How did I miss all this?" John looked over at her. There is more. Look at the video on that camera." She grabbed the camera and headed over to the table where she could sit and watch the video. It took approximately thirty minutes, but when she finished, her mouth fell open, as if she was in shock. "I'm not sure what to think of this… all of this. I work with them every day. Either they are involved, or they didn't see that guy. Looking up at both John and Jake, she asked, "What do we do?" Jake lay his hand on her shoulder. "It will sink in, but meanwhile, it's better you know so you can stay safe. Maybe you can help us." Sitting up, she rested the camera onto the table. "How can I help? Laying his hand in front of himself, he responded, "We're going to put up cameras all over the city, and we would like to put one in the police station. We need to make sure there are none amongst us, and that folks coming in are who they say they are." Loretta nodded, "I can help you there. Half the time, the force is out on the road, and I'm there all alone. It would have to be small though, one they wouldn't notice." John nodded, "I think we can do that."
After a lengthy discussion, Jake walked Loretta to the door. "Thanks for all your help," he said politely. "You know, you can stay here if you want. It would be safer for you to be in a group." Loretta sighed, "I have to be there in the middle of it all, and after finding out what I now know, I'm not sure I want to be. I have to be, though, but I think tomorrow after work, I'll grab my stuff and join you guys here. I'll have to keep an appearance up at work for a bit just to keep an eye on things." Reaching over, she hugged Jake, then turned and headed to her car, "Later, Jake."
Jake turned and headed back into the hotel. He felt that they had made progress, and, for the first time, felt like they had the advantage. John was still sitting at the table. Larzo sat at the table with him.
Larzo was his runner, one who helps find what the group needs. Of course, he had his own group who did what he needed, always following the line of command. John looked up at Jake, "This is Larzo. He’s my main man. He can find anything we need." Jake reached out his hand to shake his hand but noticed he looked puzzled. Larzo looked over at Jake, "I've been all over the city and not once did I ever see anything like what was on that board. How could I miss something like that?" Jake sat down and explained, hoping to ease his mind, but deep inside, he felt the same way. The three-spoke for a while about what needed to be done, then headed off to their rooms.
After a long night, Jasper and Isabel headed down to the
board room and found both John and Jake working hard to set up the video equipment. Jake had Loretta on the phone, trying to get the camera just right. She managed to get it right in the central part of the station in the middle of an old bookcase that they hadn't stopped to notice in years. Loretta walked across the floor and waved. "How about now? Do you have a good visual?" Jake looked over at the camera. "Yes, that's perfect." Loretta looked around. "I have to go. I think I heard someone coming." Jake hung up and put his phone away. Looking up at the girls, he said, "Morning. We'll fill you in after we finish." John looked at Jake. "Another one is complete."
The girls turned and headed towards the kitchen. Jasper shook her head, "It's too early to try to understand any of that. All I know is he's been busy with John all night and then again this morning. They must have figured out something." Isabel smiled, "Good. Perhaps we'll get to go home soon. Until then, we need to find something to do around here to pitch in. I can't handle another minute of sitting around waiting." Faith was at the counter in the kitchen. She was cutting up vegetables for soup, "Morning. I'm making soup tonight." Isabel smiled, "Do you want some help?" Faith paused, "You know, that would be great! How about you finish dicing while I start cooking the meat?"
Isabel was pleased that she found a way to keep busy and help the group. Jasper grabbed a coffee and headed back to the room to see Buddy and Nookers. Thank goodness, the room was a decent size. It made it easy for the two to run around and wrestle without harming themselves. Jasper filled their bowls and changed the pee pad she had laid down for the puppy. She wished she could take Buddy out but knew it was not safe. Perhaps soon, Jasper thought. Dropping down onto the bed, she lay thinking about the first thing she would do when the city was deemed trustworthy again. Hmmm, maybe I'll go to the cafe and write. Well, after I walk Buddy, that is." She laughed to herself.
Chapter Five
Two days had passed by, and time felt as if it stopped. Jasper was at the point of not knowing what to do with herself. A lot had happened over the past two days. Cameras were set up all over the city. Luckily, some group members had shops, which made it easy to put up a camera that would monitor the streets and the areas surrounding it. Domains like the square, the mayor's office and surrounding areas were a bit harder, but they managed to get a few up in those public areas. Areas like the supermarket and the hardware store were accessible since the owners were involved. This way, they had an inkling of how safe it was to go and do a food run. Isabel had found her niche in the kitchen with Faith, and Jake and John were notably busy while trying to pulling the plan together. Marcy and Beth helped keep things organized so that it was easier to keep their heads where they needed to be. Jasper was feeling frazzled, and a bit discouraged by now, with nothing to do. She had done nothing but eat, sleep, and laze around the last two days.
Tossing her slippers on, she travelled down to the boardroom. This was it, she was going out of her mind with boredom. As Jasper entered the room, she noticed they had one end set up for monitoring the city. The closer she got, the more she started to recognize all the areas they had set up. "What's this?" she asked perplexingly. Jake glanced up, "Oh, hey there! We now have visuals all over the city." John poked his head out from under the table where he had been securing all the cords.," Oh, hey there, Jasper. Don't go anywhere. I need to have a word with you. I have an urgent task just for you."
Jasper, feeling a little puzzled but excited at the same time, suddenly felt relieved. Pulling out a chair, she sat down next to Jake. "This is cool. Who knows what we'll see on here?" John sat down next to her. "Do you know how to work all this stuff?" Looking at him, Jasper grinned, "Isn't this just simple computer stuff?" Both guys started to laugh. John put his hand on her shoulder. "Yes, it sure is. I'm putting you in charge of monitoring it, and while you are doing that, you can train some of my men and women on how to spot these shapeshifters. Are you okay with that?" Jasper took a deep breath. She finally felt she had a job, and this one she was good at. "Yes, I'd love to do that." Patting her shoulder, John got up from the chair. "Okay then, if you don't mind, I'll leave you two in charge of this for a bit." John left the room. Bumping into Larzo in the hall, he said, "Great job on getting it all set up. Do me a favour and thank your people for me. Will you?" He then turned and continued down the hall.
Jasper got comfortable in her chair. There was so much to watch. Swiftly glancing over at Jake, she smiled and whispered, "Thought I was going to go crazy with nothing to do. Was this your idea?" Jake smiled, "Yup. I came up with it a few nights ago, and it was actually your idea if I'm truthful. You captured that guy on camera, and it was outstanding evidence, so I thought it would be a great idea if we set up cameras everywhere. It would help us see what we would normally miss. I'm sure this will prove beneficial." Jake pointed to the top left screen. "Look. Loretta set one up in the police station, and this one next to it is her personal one. It's a pen in her pocket. I thought that was brilliant. Don't you?"
Jasper was so enthralled. She gave a quick nod and kept trying to find a way to keep her eyes on every single one of the monitors. "Do you want coffee?" Jake asked. Jasper mumbled, "Yes, please, and a cookie if there is one." Jake laughed and headed to the kitchen. He was a bit tired from all the work they completed, but he felt incredibly proud. As Jake entered the kitchen, he could hear humming. Peaking around the corner, he saw Isabel. Jake's heart started to beat faster as he watched her from outside the kitchen. He loved the way she hummed to herself and how she danced around when she thought no one was watching. Everything bout her was perfect in his eyes. It was nice to see her so relaxed, and that she felt safe enough to still enjoy her day. She was like the mother bird to everyone, always trying to take care of everyone, and he knew inside she carried everyone's stress. Sneaking into the kitchen, he grabbed two cups and filled them with coffee.
Isabel turned around fast, "Oh, you frightened me." Jake snickered, "I didn't mean to. I was trying not to disturb you." Isabel grabbed one of the cups. "Is this for Jasper? If so, she wants cream and sugar in it. Oh, and I made you guys a sandwich." Jake smiled as he reached over and brushed her hair off her face. "I missed you all morning, I'd rather be here with you. We did get it accomplished though, the cameras are up and working." Isabel grinned, "I missed you too, and I am proud of you. So we can see the whole city now?" Jake nodded, "Most of it, only where we were able to get the cameras."
Isabel wrapped her arms around him and laid her head against his chest, "That makes me feel a lot safer. Jake clutched her chin gently and pulled her face closer. His mouth lightly touching hers, his warm breath covering her lips around as he kissed her. " Leaning in, she fell into his arms, forgetting everything else, but just for a moment. Taking a deep breath and slowly pulling away, he smiled at her. "You drive me crazy, you know that, right?" Isabel smiled, "I know. Hold on, I'll get Jaspers coffee." Jake watched her as she walked over to the coffee machine, "Thanks. Oh, and she wants cookies with her coffee. Are there any?" Isabel reached into the cupboard and pulled out some cookies. Laying a few on her plate, she smiled.
Jake headed to the door but not without turning around just in time to see Isabel humming and dancing once again. Jake was heading down the hall towards the board room when he noticed Marcy coming down the hall. She raised her hand to wave to Jake. "Hi, I was just walking by the board room, and I noticed the setup you guys have. That's going to come in handy. Don't you think?" Jake grinned, "That's what I'm hoping for. Smiling, he continued to the board room, feeling happy that this idea had become a success. Jasper was deep in thought as he laid the food tray down next to her. Startled, she looked up and exclaimed, "Oh! Hi. Glad you're back." Jake sat down next to her and got comfortable. After all, this was their spot for the rest of the day. Isabel made sure you got lots of cookies. Have you seen her lately? She is relaxed working in the kitchen. Jasper glanced over at Jake as she grabbed a cookie. She's always cherished the kitchen." Before Jasper could say another word, something caught her eye. It was Lor
etta's hidden camera. She was speaking to someone. Jasper watched closely. It was Police Chief Bob Marshall. Or was it?
Jasper sat up straight and started hitting Jake's arm to get his attention. Pointing to the screen, she blurted, "Jake, look!" The Chief's eyes were flickering silver ever so slightly but enough that both Jasper and Jake didn't miss it. "Oh my god! I don't think she sees it, Jake." Jake refused to look away. "No, she doesn't, and let's keep it that way. She's safer not knowing right now. Jasper jotted down on paper the track number and the time slot on the video and put it aside for John and the others to see. "I wasn't expecting to see that, but it explains a lot."
A few hours had passed since the two had been monitoring the screens. They saw a few things and recorded it on paper so they could keep track of their findings, but so far, they had not recognized any other faces. They had screenshots, though, so even if they couldn't identify them personally, they would still have a picture of their faces. As the printer slowly spit out the images, Jasper turned around just in time to catch John walking by. "John!" she shouted. Ducking back to look in the room, John's eyes widened. "There's something you got to see!" said Jasper excitedly. John hurried over to the table.
"Did you see something?" Jake picked up the pieces of paper and handed them to John. "Have a look. Oh, and there's something you have to see on the video. When he turned on the video of the police chief, John's jaw hit the floor. Pulling out a chair, he sat down. "Can you play it again? This time pause it when you hit that spot. I require a better look." Leaning back, he put his finger against his lip. It was going to take more than a moment to absorb this one. The police chief was, in fact, a shapeshifter, and this time he saw it with his own eyes. This was dangerous. "The main man who keeps our city safe is one of them. They run our city, and if they want to take us out, no one would ever know. "Does Loretta know yet?" Jake shook his head no. "Not sure it would be wise to tell her. As long as she doesn't know, they won't have any idea that we know. Besides, if she knew, I'm not sure that her poker face would get by without being detected." John nodded. I agree. "Let's keep her safe. We'll just keep our eyes on her in case she needs us. I wish there were a way to find out if there have been any witnesses to any of this. I figure there has to be a list at the police station, but I don't know how we would ever get our hands on it, especially now that we know the Chief is in on it." Jake picked up his phone to text Loretta: