Tessa spoke up for the first time as if she had been waiting her turn. "We want you to know who we are and hopefully then we can better gain your trust. Please believe me, we mean you no harm whatsoever." I noted Tessa's natural beauty at that moment. She wore no makeup, not that she needed it with her perfect complexion and olive skin tone. She had dark eyes and medium length black hair pulled back in a low ponytail. She was definitely in top physical shape and looked ready to punch someone's lights out if threatened.
"I am an ex-CIA agent. I did a lot of undercover work out in the field. I'm excellent at tracking and hunting. I also happen to be a whiz on computers and am able to gain access to places I really shouldn't have access to anymore." Tessa gave me a sly grin after that statement.
Last but not least, Zac took his turn telling his super summarized personal story to me. "And like Tessa, I'm also known for my awesome tracking skills. I am an ex-Navy SEAL and have always been up to a challenge. I blend in to my surroundings and have superior hunting and survival skills." With that, Zac casually leaned back in his chair, crossed his muscular arms, and waited for someone else to take the lead. He was tall with very short dark brown hair and was undeniably good-looking. He obviously spent a great deal of time working out, training, and doing who knows what to create and maintain this perfect body. There was no doubt in my mind he would use his body as a deadly weapon should the need arise.
Now that everyone had their chance to speak directly to me and plead their case, I felt an opportunity to sneak in a few words. "Okay…nice, interesting group of people you've got here but what dire situation do you keep referring to? And more importantly how can you possibly think I can do anything to help?!"
Chapter 2
Situation
Eli cleared his throat, fumbled with the buttons on his shirt, and prepared himself to launch into the next segment of my induction into their secret world. "Kara, you and your family went on a vacation down in Kentucky about a month ago, correct?"
"How would you know about that?" I questioned.
"Well, I take that as a yes," he responded. "Remember, earlier I mentioned we had been watching you, so we do know quite a lot about you and your family. That trip down to the Kentucky Lake region was a pivotal point in what's happening here and why we brought you onboard right now. We couldn't believe the coincidence of you going directly to the very area where all the trouble is and where we'll be heading soon. We've tried to figure out how that was possible. Dominic and I came to the conclusion that because you both have psychic abilities and are within a few miles of each other, you were subconsciously or unconsciously homing in on or drawn to Dominic. Or he could have been picking up on your brain waves. Since he has been mentally checking in on you anyway, a connection had been established between you two, even if you were not aware of it."
I did not like the idea of Dominic keeping tabs on me and diving into the depths of my mind. I glared over at him as he looked sheepish and guilty. How much did he truly know about me? It made me sick to think about it. I chose to sit quietly and continued to listen.
"Either way," Eli spoke excitedly, "you must have unintentionally plucked that exact location from Dom's thoughts and then made that suggestion to your parents for a family trip. While you were in Kentucky, you appear to have made some kind of psychic or physical contact with our acquaintance, Daniel Taylor. Your mind was drawn to him, since he also has a type of psychic ability and has been very upset lately. He's emitting a type of energy that you naturally picked up on. This triggered your series of dreams about him. We were planning on your ability of mental persuasion to eventually assist us with his problems. But you have already made the contact and things are heating up. It is time to tell you what is really happening.
"Are you ready for this? Daniel Taylor is a werewolf - but a good one. He is not bad or evil."
Dead silence in the room.
Everyone was staring at me waiting for my reaction. I blinked. My head shook back and forth. "What?!" I whispered.
Dominic reeled me back in and explained, "This all relates to one of my assigned FBI investigations. The government is completely aware of the existence of werewolves (among other things we can chat about at another time) and tries carefully to cover it all up. Everything had been pretty calm for a period of time but Eli knew there was trouble brewing in Kentucky. So, he created this covert operation and handpicked each of us to work together and try to help Daniel resolve the disputes within the werewolf packs. If the wolves draw too much attention to themselves, the government will step in and things will get messy. Daniel's pack has had a lot of disagreements about how they should be allowed to live their lives. A small renegade group had decided to split off from Daniel's pack and have become rebellious, careless, and dangerous to animals and humans. He is at a loss on how to control the "big, bad wolves" - a little pun there if you will."
Dominic's breathing was very shallow as he tried to contain his anxiety when he spoke. "Everyone would like to find a resolution before it becomes a total killing spree. I suppose that sounds pretty bad, doesn't it? But Daniel is being threatened by Stephen (one of the bad wolves). He warns that if Daniel does not back off from interfering with the new pack's lifestyle, he can expect a war. Daniel only wants their race to coexist peacefully with humans and to keep their true identity under wraps. You can imagine the consequences if the general public knew about werewolves. They would be hunted, captured, killed, and who knows what? Daniel has been spending a lot of energy covering up the accidents that have occurred in Kentucky mainly stemming from Stephen. So, enter our little group here - The Liaison - to intervene and neutralize the situation. That's it in a nutshell."
I thought, "I don't suppose you're making this all up, huh? Or that it's some science fiction movie you want me to be a superstar in? Or maybe I'm under the influence of some drug you injected in me? Or perhaps this is all a nightmare and in ten minutes I'll wake up?" I wished with all my might that it was. Wouldn't that be awesome though if I was being interviewed for some fabulous movie part...What was I thinking?! Then reality hit me upside the head and I knew by their behavior and stares that this was for real. No joke. I stated, "This is crazy. So you're telling me I am actually dreaming about a werewolf named Daniel. And I'm supposed to miraculously get into his thoughts and convince everyone to be good little werewolves?"
"Actually," Tessa joined in, "you need to get into Stephen's head because he's the bad guy…or wolf. If he's better able to control his emotions and feelings, then his aggression and wild behavior will also be under control. Hopefully, if and when he is under control, the werewolves' lives will return to normal, or what would be considered normal for werewolves. We don't want to kill any of them, if that can be avoided. But Stephen has gone off the deep end. We are positive he's murdered at least one human, if not more, even though it seems that he was provoked with that particular incident. He was backed into a corner, and we know what happens with animals when they are cornered. He was trespassing on some farmer's land and was caught in the act of mutilating and eating one of this man's cows. The hillbilly had his gun with him and took a shot at Stephen but because Stephen was in the shape of the werewolf, the human had no chance. Stephen was just too strong, too fast and agile to get hit by the bullet. He attacked and killed the farmer."
Zac had barely said a word except for his introduction. Suddenly he explained, "The majority of werewolves really do want to fit in with humans. There aren't that many of them and in order to survive they must lay low and keep out of the public's attention. They look like us when in human form. They eat the same foods we do and try to behave like us. But Stephen going on the hunt for landowner's livestock is definitely not something he should be doing. When they turn into werewolves, they are much larger than a regular wolf - about twice the size. And watch out for their power, strength and speed when they're in werewolf form. They can be dangerous, even deadly. We've kind of nicknamed them "good wolves" and "bad wolves" - the good wolves
are really great, cool people to be around. I say "people" at times because they don't shape shift into wolves very often since they feel they don't need to or have to for the most part. They blend in. They are really smart and creative, too, I might add.
"But then as we've mentioned, there's Stephen. He is totally out of control and barely cares at all about his actions and the effect they could have on his race. There are about five bad wolves that formed this new pack about a year ago; although by far, Stephen is the worst of the bunch. Like Tessa said, it's Stephen first and foremost that we want to focus our attention on by getting his emotions and aggression under control."
"Kara, that's where your skills are needed," Eli smiled tenderly at me. "We are hoping to save a unique race of beings before they self-destruct and either start killing themselves off or exposing themselves to society and causing harm. People could die if we don't step in and attempt to help. Dom wants to practice some psychic techniques with you and see what you're capable of doing. Hopefully this will give you proof and convince you of our situation."
I sat on the edge of my chair leaning forward with my pointy elbows digging into the table, hands on both sides of my head. I didn't know whether to speak or not. Everyone else had kept talking, filling my head with more and more information that I was supposed to take as the absolute truth. There was no way they were making this up. Why would anyone make this up? No one was threatening me. No one had hurt me. I remembered my dreams of Daniel. He did seem so real. I was drawn to him for some reason. I felt compassion and concern for him and didn't want him to be hurt or killed. My present life was totally at a standstill. I had nothing going for me. Still, I would miss my family and friends and was worried how they would handle my sudden disappearance. Eli said they would make it look like I ran away or some other scenario that we could work around. I bet Tessa would have a hand in that deception with her computer skills and past CIA experience dealing with people.
"I'm in," I mumbled, completely surprised at the ease at which I plunged into this new world. This whole new way of life. "Not that it seems I have much of a choice having been abducted and all."
Dominic looked as if he wanted to hug me. I could have probably used a hug right then and there. Eli smiled broadly and nodded his head in approval. Tessa and Zac gave their positive looks of encouragement. I sighed. "I'm still terribly confused about many issues here. I have so many more questions and don't have a clue which one to ask first."
"Why don't we take a break and I'll give you a tour of this place." Dominic volunteered. "I prepped a room for your stay here. I'm sure you want to check it out. And by then it will be getting close to lunch time. Everyone could meet back in the kitchen at noon. How's that sound?"
Eli responded, "That's a good idea. Dominic, continue to fill Kara in on anything she wants to know. We each have a lot of work to do especially if we're heading down to Kentucky Lake soon."
Everyone stood up, stretched and started filing out of the conference room. Tessa approached Eli and promptly stated she needed to finish taking care of my unusual disappearance to the outside world. I figured that one out accurately. Tessa to the rescue.
Dominic smiled sincerely at me and glanced in the direction of the door, which instinctively gave me the indication he was ready to be my tour guide.
"As Eli said," Dom started off, "this place was built in the 1950's. It hasn't exactly been kept up over time. Basic maintenance to keep it from completely falling apart and that's about it. Zac has been handy with some remodeling where needed."
We walked down a long, narrow, dimly lit hall. The walls and ceiling looked like that institutional pale green with the paint peeling off in some areas. It was cool and clammy.
"Eli said something about being under Silver Lake? A missile silo?" I asked.
"We aren't under the lake right now. But near the lake is a hidden hatch that leads down into the silo area. That spot then connects to a tunnel that travels several miles underground and shoots off to other missile silos and leads to this facility here. Zac rescued you from the car, brought you down into that silo area and hopped on a little four-wheeler and zipped on over here, a few miles from the lake. We've tried to make this place more like a home but outfitted it with anything else we need in dealing with this mission. Well, here we are: your home away from home!" Dominic held out his arm, gesturing for me to walk inside.
"Hmm…not bad." I absorbed the look and feel of the room. It reminded me of an old-fashioned hotel room which was not necessarily a bad thing. It was relatively clean and seemed to have all the amenities, including a TV.
"Except for a bathroom." Dominic replied. I hadn't said that thought out loud. He had just read my mind. Oh, great. This was going to take some getting used to. Dominic's face turned bright red as he looked down at the floor.
"Sorry about that." He went on, "I naturally gravitate towards people's thoughts and feelings. I should have warned you about me beforehand. Not that there's anything that needs an actual warning! It's not like I'm dangerous or anything. Well, I am telekinetic, though, and once in a blue moon things go flying off in the wrong direction than where I had intended them to go…but most of the time I've really got it under control!" His eyes were pleading for me to understand. Poor Dominic looked like he was going to wet in his pants.
I decided at that point I really liked Dominic. He made me smile and laugh and there was a sense of calmness from being around him. If I truly was getting as involved in this endeavor as they led me to believe, then it was high time for a little experimenting. Why not, right? After all, Eli said we needed to test my skills. At that moment I focused my mind to totally zone in on Dominic and mentally asked him, Where are you taking me next?
He casually answered, "I'd like you to see where all our rooms are, then off to the kitchen." He stopped suddenly and quickly turned to look at me.
Give me an answer with your mind, silly! I'm testing myself. I winked at him and gave him a big smile then completely concentrated on his thoughts.
Well…can you hear me now? He joked without moving his lips.
Using my mind, I replied, Yes. Yes, I can.
I could actually read his mind. Totally amazing. It came so easily to me. Had I always been able to do this and just been closed off to the possibility, the reality of it?
Yes. Dominic flatly stated in my mind. He returned to regular speech, "Well, we can cross that test off the to-do list. Aren't we just moving right along! The next part of the mind-reading is distance. But I have a feeling you won't have a problem with that."
"What do you mean?" I countered.
"You've been having those dreams, right?"
"Yeah, but I had no clue they were about a real live person! Or should I say werewolf, for God's sake."
"Kara, they aren't dreams. Well, they are and they aren't. You're asleep when this happens to you, so in that regard it is considered a dream. But you made a psychic connection with Daniel when you were down at that resort and now it's as if you two are communicating while you're snoozing. On his end, he thinks he's having recurring dreams about some stranger, just like what you were thinking was happening to you, until we shot that theory all to pieces when we informed you otherwise. This isn't the werewolf we had intended for you to help, but seeing that Daniel is so disturbed, you can very likely help him, too, and maybe all these connections will be a great benefit."
"You believe I can actually be sitting here awake and make this mental connection with Daniel?" I couldn't comprehend being able to accomplish something like that.
"Don't demean yourself. That is counter-productive. You have to believe you can do it. And obviously you can because you are doing it while sleeping, so why not while you're awake. The bad boy, Stephen, is going to be a different story. We do NOT want him to be aware of you plopping happy thoughts into his head because I can imagine he'd get pretty ticked off. And since he's already not the happy camper, we don't need to provoke him anymore. I'm going to openly allow you ac
cess to my glorious brain and see how well you can implant a feeling or thought and how I react. See, if a person is totally aware that you're trying to mess with their brain, they're guarded and probably any thought manipulations aren't going to work. But I'm going to accept what you're trying to do and we'll see what happens from there. Fun, huh?!" Dominic had said a mouthful.
I had an idea, "What if I unexpectedly try messing with your brain on my own without telling you first? You wouldn't be on guard then." I smiled almost seductively. Wow, what was I thinking?
"I…I guess…I would prefer being forewarned," he stuttered, obviously self-conscious. "Although I see what you're getting at because if I don't know when you're going to do it, it would work better. I think, though, since we've talked about it now, I'm already on guard in a way, if that makes sense."
Yes…we'll see. I purposely thought the words as I stood there with a mischievous look on my face. A look of anxiety appeared on his face. I almost laughed out loud.
We walked down the hall just a few feet and Dominic stopped, pointed to different doors and said, "That one is my room, then there's Zac's, Tessa's and Eli's rooms. All the rooms are tiny, but at least we were able to each have our own private room that way. You were already in the huge bathroom. And, yes, we all have to share it. There are a few other rooms we'll get to later. Another twenty feet and here's the kitchen. Not bad, if I do say so myself. Especially since I'm the cook."
"You've got to be kidding me! You can cook, too. Unbelievable." I took in a deep breath and thought how much I hated cooking. Well, at least I wasn't going to go hungry with this group.
Chapter 3
Experimenting
We walked into the narrow kitchen, trying to keep from bumping each other's elbows. Dominic started working on a simple lunch for the group...our group. I had to start thinking in those terms that this was a tight-knit group of people that I now belonged to. I couldn't believe all that had transpired in a matter of a few hours. It felt like days had passed already.
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