Shiftless: Tuatha Series Book 1

by Linton Bowers

  “We are. At the. Three Quarters. Mark,” She said a little too loud. There was no doubt in my mind that she was hurting.

  “Miranda, I know it is a lot to ask, but could you help the Doctor?”

  “That’s a good idea. She sounds like she is about to die,” My wolf thought back to me.

  The ringing of steps on ladders picked up in tempo as Miranda rocketed past and up to get to Doctor Nguyen. The good Doctor let out a gasp when Miranda reached her. There was a brief exchange of whispers which I couldn’t make out but some sounded angry. Then the resuming of the monotonous clanging as Doctor Nguyen and Miranda continued. I cut off the flow of energy from Miranda to me so she could carry her new burden.

  “This hot little number with her tight body is not a burden in my book,” Miranda thought to me. “I should have done this earlier. Can we keep her?”

  I chuckled. “We will see.”

  Chapter 35

  Doctor Nguyen opened the hatch at the top of the ladder and we all piled out. The hatch was on a raised platform of concrete that was six inches wider than the man-hole sized hatch. One by one we crawled away dropping the foot to the forest floor then dropped onto our backs. No one spoke as we all took some time to rest and catch our breath.

  Laying on the soft dirt in the cool night air gave me a chance to think. At first my mind went to the problems I faced and how my Tua and I would get out of them. Which led to thoughts of Cassie, the very attractive young woman laying a few feet away from me. That led to thinking of what Tabitha and Miranda said while climbing.

  That was where things took on a less productive tone. I pictured the three of us taking time to ourselves after the hardships of this damned place and having a naked day. Or maybe even a naked week. Spending all day and night naked with my wolf and serpent sounded like heaven. Of course in my little mental fantasy Cassie and Izzy decided to drop by and thought it rude to not be wearing the uniform of the day. It would only be natural for our two friends to want to take an active role in…

  A roar in the distance shattered the fantasy playing out in my head.While the broken pieces of it fell around me and dissipated I sat up. Miranda groaned and sat up as well. She was too my right and Tabitha to my left.

  “Oh man,” Miranda said. “I was really getting into your little fantasy, Terry.”

  “Me too,” Tabitha added. “Can we do that when we get back?”

  “Oh hell yeah,” Miranda said. “We are so doing that when we get back to the base. I wonder if we can get … Oh Tabby, look. Terry is turning bright red!”

  “Keep it down,” Doctor Nguyen hissed. I can not be the only one of us to have heard that roar. They are out there and probably looking for us.”

  “You really think they’re looking for us?” I asked. Doctor Nguyen sat across the hatch from me and I had to push up a few inches to look her in the eyes.

  “Yes, without a doubt. The subject …”

  “My name is Cassie! Call me the subject one more time!” Cassie’s skin flashed a greenish hue and her eyes took on a golden color for a second.

  “I am sorry, my dear. I meant no offense. I was simply stating it as they see it. I will never address you as anything other than your name,” Doctor Nguyen said. “Nevertheless, we must move. Do you have transportation?”

  “We came in a car and it is a few miles from the ruined building,” I said.

  “In what direction?” The doctor asked.

  “South,” Izzy answered. “We parked to the south of the building off highway two eighty seven.”

  “Ah, good. We are east of the building but the distance to where you parked shouldn’t be too much more. I suggest we go now.”

  As if the fates were listening in another roar echoed in the distance, but I thought it was closer than the last. I rose to my feet and everyone else followed suit.

  “Do you know the way, Izzy?” I asked. She nodded. “Good, you mind taking the lead?”

  Without answering Izzy started walking and the rest of us followed. I sped up to walk next to Doctor Nguyen. Cassie walked between Izzy and us, and Miranda, and Tabitha took up the rear.

  “Stay sharp and keep your heads on swivels,” I sent to my Tua.

  “Someone has been watching war movies,” Miranda thought back.

  “Avatar,” I sent. “I can’t do war movies. I always feel shitty about the people killed on both sides of the conflict.”

  “Awe,” Tabitha gushed. “Our Terry is so sensitive.”

  “Doctor,” I said ignoring that last comment. “What is Cassie?”

  Doctor Nguyen flashed me a look of annoyance before letting out a sigh. “I suppose that was going to come up sooner or later. Our young Miss Cassie is a collection of parts used to create something this world has never seen.”

  “Like those mixed up Lycan creatures we fought?” I asked.

  “Not exactly. Those are combinations of other creatures and while they were used to help refine the process what we did is different. With those creatures we took larger pieces and grafted on the DNA for them. Like adding bat wings to a wolf, or spider fangs to a bear.”

  “You put spider fangs on a bear?” The hairs on my neck shot up at the thought of a werebear opening its mouth and two big ass spider mandibles popping out.

  “I don’t rightly know. It is possible, but I was just giving examples of what might have happened. The point is, Cassie has had her entire DNA chain rewritten so that she becomes something new. Instead of taking one animal and altering it we took the person, in this case Cassie, and used what we learned from the splicing to totally rewrite a new DNA sequence. Cassie is something new that has never been seen on this world.”

  ‘“That is fascinating, but what is she?” Miranda asked.

  “I would like to know too,” Cassie said. “What the hell am I doc?”

  The doctor let out a sigh. “You are the future of your kind, lycanthropes that is. In you we created …”

  The underbrush to our left exploded out. Something heavy and small slammed into my side knocking me into Doctor Nguyen. Somewhere in front of me there was a scream, but I couldn’t see from whom as my face was covered in Doctor Nguyen’s hair. A grunt and a roar came from behind me.

  “Get off of me you oaf!” Doctor Nguyen scream from her position on the floor and under me. I pushed myself up push-up style and once again something hit me in the back flattening me. I fell back onto Doctor Nguyen knocking the breath from her.

  “Sorry, Doc,” I said as I rolled off of her. I didn’t like my chances of successfully rising up.

  Something dark flashed in the corner of my vision. “Down!” I shouted. Then I did as I said falling flat on my back. A ball of fur flew past just inches from my face. A small spike protruding from the ball carved a furrow along the bridge of my nose. “Shit!”

  I jumped to my feet not wanting to just lay down and wait for another ball of furry to come and get me. As I stood another ball did fly at me, but my reflexes were a hundred times better than they were before Miranda came into my life. I leaned to the right and the ball passed so close I felt fur brush against my left arm.

  Two more fluff balls flew at me from the same direction as the last. They were at navel height so I jumped kicking my legs out in a splits. The creatures flew by underneath me giving me a few feet of distance between us. When my feet touched down another flew at me. This time I decided to go on the offensive I lifted my right hand and caught the fur ball like it was a basket ball I had just palmed. Unlike a basketball this thing had thorns.

  Tan spikes with brown tips protruded from the back of my hand. I shook my hand as I screamed but the thing was stuck to me by those damnable spikes.

  “Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!” I shook my hand in an attempt to shake the thing loose. All I managed to do was cause the creature to unfurl itself from a ball.

  I turned my hand and arm so I could get a good look at it. It was a couple feet tall and looked like a furry armadillo. Instead of plates of flesh armor on it's
back there were spines. As I gawked at the little fucker it growled and hissed.

  “I’ve had enough of you,” I snarled. With my freehand I grabbed one of it's clawed feet and yanked the creature off my hand. Then I spun it over my head and threw it with all my might. A satisfied smile touched my lips as I watched it arc up and out of sight.

  A rustling in the brush to my left caused me to react. I dove forward and rolled back to my feet. Another armadillo fuzzball streaked through the area I vacated. Catching them was a no go, so it was time to switch tactics.

  The ground was littered with cast offs from the surrounding trees. Among the leaves and bark there were twigs and branches that had died as a result of breaking free of their trees. I found a thick branch relatively straight that was four feet long.

  The next furmadillo that flew at me was hit baseball style with my makeshift bat. Because it was a creature of flesh I didn’t get the crack that usually accompanied the striking of a baseball, but the thing took off like a rocket. Two more quickly followed being launched into the wild blue yonder.

  After a few minutes of waiting and listening I deemed the skirmish to be over. My fingers opened allowing the stick to return to the home I had plucked it from.

  “Bravo,” Miranda said.

  That was when I realized I was the only one standing. My Tua, Doctor Nguyen, and Cassie all lay around the hatch with their heads propped up on their elbows. None had moved to help deal with the great fuzzball threat.

  I chuckled. “You guys comfy?”

  “Not a day spa, but it's okay,” Izzy said. Miranda and Tabitha’s heads slowly turned until their eyes locked on Izzy. “What?” The were turtle asked.

  “You go to the day spa?” Miranda asked. “You?”

  “Uh, yeah?” Izzy shook her head. “What's the big deal?”

  “I would have thought the gun range more your speed for a relaxing afternoon,” Tabitha said.

  “Yeah, what she said,” Miranda pointed at Tabitha.

  “Going to have to agree with Tabitha on this one,” I said.

  “Just because I kick all the ass doesn’t mean I don’t like to feel like a pampered princess from time to time,” Izzy said.

  “All the ass?” I asked.

  “That’s what I said,” Izzy replied with a shoulder shrug.

  “What about the fuzzballs just now?” I asked.

  “What good are you if you can’t handle my light work?” Izzy batted her eyelashes at me.

  I couldn’t help but to laugh at that and the thought of this tough girl going to the day spa. Naturally our moment was spoiled when Doctor Nguyen cleared her throat.

  “If you kids are done, I believe we should leave before we are swarmed by a large group of lycanthropes.”

  It felt good to laugh and joke with my Tua. After the ordeal underground I felt we needed that time to enjoy each other, but Doc Nguyen was right.

  “Yeah, you’re right, Doctor. We need to get moving,” I said.

  There were grumbles from everyone except Cassie, and Nguyen of course. Cassie looked around constantly and the look on her face made me think she was going to bolt at any second. The fuzzballs must have frightened her and the thought of more creatures coming must have her on high alert. While being ready was good I knew a constant flow of adrenaline from your fight or flight response being active was no bueno.

  “Hey, Cassie,” I said as I put my hand on her shoulder.

  Chapter 36

  My head snapped back and my body locked up. I saw flashes of people in hazmat suits standing over me with a harsh white light shine down from above them. Then there were people in scrubs and surgical masks and pain. So much pain. Liquid surrounded me but I could breath. Something strapped to my head kept the air flowing, but I felt dizzy, oh so dizzy.

  I fell down on my ass hard and felt like I just ran a marathon. Cassie was on her knees in front of me crying with her head in her hands and her golden hair hanging in front of her face like a curtain.

  “... You okay? Terry?” Miranda was next to me but her words were muffled.

  “Huh?” I asked as I looked up at my wolf.

  “Are you okay, Terry?” She repeated and she didn’t sound so far away now.

  “I think so, but I saw…” I looked over at Cassie. I saw what she went through. But how?

  “Cassie?” I said as I rose to my knees and shuffled over to her.

  Just before touching her again I hesitated. I didn’t think contact with her would spark the same result, but I wasn’t sure. Something in me felt like my thoughts were correct. What I did know was that she was hurting and I wanted to make the pain go away. I let my hand settle down gently on her shoulder. Cassie jumped but that was it.

  “What was that?” Cassie asked me before I had a chance to pose the same question.

  “I don’t know, Cassie,” I said as my gaze landed square on Doctor Nguyen. “But I am going to find out. Give me a second, hun.”

  Doctor Nguyen had moved away and had her back to me with her arms crossed as I came up beside her. “Hi Doc,” I said in a pleasant voice.

  “Terry,” she replied.

  “I was wondering if you might be able to give me some insight into what the fuck is going on?” I asked keeping my tone mellow even though I was pretty upset.

  “What exactly are you experiencing?” She asked me then held up a hand. “Please, it is so I can give you a satisfactory answer.”

  I let out a sigh letting go of the retort she had stopped before I could start. “I can sense, Miranda and Tabitha through a bond we share,” I said. My connection to Izzy was not something I was going to divulge just yet. “And somehow to a smaller degree I can feel Cassie.” I crossed my arms. Unlike the doctor’s guarded expression I was all about hostility.

  “Tabitha is the serpent, yes?” She asked.

  “That she is, Doc.”

  We used a fair amount of her DNA to complete the work we did on Cassie. I suppose that could account for the feelings you are getting. Though, I would like to explore that farther and this connection you share with the wolf and serpent,” Doctor Nguyen said.

  “I don’t know about that,” I replied.

  Doctor Nguyen turned to face me. “Tell me what you plan to do with Cassie, please?”

  “I haven’t thought about that beyond getting her away from here. Get her back to her family, I suppose.”

  “A noble goal,” the Doc said as she nodded. “The problem is that she has no family. Most of the people taken, and yes I know how we came about getting our subjects, have no family. Cassie was vetted to ensure she met our needs before we performed the procedure on her. So you see, she has nowhere to go. Before we took her she lived on the streets. Has done so since she was fourteen and now she is getting ready to turn nineteen. So what will you do with her?”

  “Considering her age, I think I will give her the choice of what she would like to do.”

  “I would like to offer an alternative,” she said.

  “I’m listening.” It was my turn to face the doctor.

  “Allow both Cassie and I to stay in your compound. As I said what we have done has never been done. I believe she will need to be monitored for some time to ensure there are no unforeseen consequences.”

  “First off, my compound,” I made air quotes, “is not mine to say you can stay or not.”

  “What’s mine is yours,” Tabitha thought to me.

  “Same,” Miranda added. “Which makes you a rich man, Terry.”

  I didn’t feel it necessary to share that. “And secondly, I don’t trust you, Doctor,” I said.

  “That is more than fair. But I ask for her sake, and in the interest of full disclosure I want to know more about you and your … collection, of lycans,Terry.”

  “And what makes … “

  “Please!” She interrupted me. “Allow me to finish. I am sure my experience in studying lycan kind will be a great boon to you and your … um, pack?”

  “Pack will work,”
I said. “Tell me something, Doc. Why did you work for these fucks?” I asked.

  “You are we aware that lycans keep their existence a secret?” She asked and I nodded. “As such, research into their kind is non-existent. This facility and program were the only options available to me. What's more, I know some of the other scientists involved. The ones I am speaking about are heartless bastards that get as much enjoyment from inflicting pain as they do from gaining knowledge. I wanted to be in a position to limit their ability to cause harm.”

  “So you experimented on kidnapped runaways for altruistic reasons?” I asked.

  “No, that I did for science. I am not asking you to absolve me of my sins. I am asking for the means to take care of Cassie. And if you are willing, to let me continue to improve upon my knowledge of lycans through observation and benign experimentation.,” she said.

  “You seem like a smart woman, Doctor. So I am sure you can see the reasons I don’t trust you. In fact,” I continued cutting off the response I saw coming. “Cassie is the only reason I am even entertaining this idea. If not for her we would have left you here to your fate. But she is an issue and the last thing I want is to see her keel over dead because I kept her from you. So I tell you what,” I shifted my weight to my right foot and pointed at her without uncrossing my arms. “You get Cassie to agree to your proposal and we will work out a probationary situation.”

  “I agree,” Cassie said as she rushed up to us. “She was right when she said I don’t have anyone or anything. Tabby has been talking with me and she said it would be cool if I stay with you guys.” Her eyes locked on mine and I saw steel and resolve there.

  Without looking away from Cassie I addressed the doctor. “Looks like you lucked out, Doctor. Welcome aboard.”

  “Thank you, Terry, and you as well, Cassie. I promise that neither of you will regret this decision,” she said.

  “I hope not,” I replied. “Come on you two. We should get going before we get caught out in the open with our pants down.”

  “Wait,” Cassie said. “Can I have a moment?”

  “Sure, what can I do for you?” I nodded to Doctor Nguyen as she walked by with a grin on her face.