by C L Amos
Tom grabbed her hand and thrust it away, “So I was right, you have been lying to us.”
Sasha could hear the chopper land, “Please, Tom, just trust me… I am trying to protect you and your family!!” With that she pushed past him and made her way to the chopper.
Tom let her go and turned to focus on his sister’s sweet innocent face, “I’ll get to the bottom of this Jules, you have my word!” With that he turned and left to see what was happening outside.
Tom covered his face. His farm looked like a warzone, with men in tactical gear and assault rifles running back and forth to set up a perimeter while a second helicopter landed and unloaded a mobile medical center. The man in the white coat and stethoscope was already chatting to Sasha. A moment later she grabbed the doctor’s arm and Tom watched her drag the poor man through the dust and confusion as she led him up to the cottage.
Tom followed them into the cottage and stood off to the side while the doctor examined Julia, then the room was a hive of activity with medical personal bringing in machinery and equipment all which beeped and shunted as they were connected to Julia.
Jim approached him quietly and stood and observed him for a moment before starting the conversation with Tom, “Hi, Tom…look, I know this is all very confusing!” He paused and tapped him on the shoulder, motioning for him to follow so they could talk somewhere a little more private.
Tom glanced over at him, “I don’t really want to leave my sister right now.”
Jim nodded, “Look I understand… this… all the machinery can be very intimidating, but I promise it’s mostly just a precaution, your sister is in the best possible hands and will be up and about before you know it!” He paused and tapped him on the shoulder again, “Please follow me; this is just as important, I promise…”
They stepped outside , right back into the hustle and bustle of the warzone, “Look, Tom, what you see here is purely a precautionary measure set up to protect you and your family… Damien appears to have gone rogue and he is a highly trained military specialist who is extremely dangerous.” He paused for dramatic effect. “You and your entire pack may be at risk, so I am therefore going to strongly recommend that you bring your pack to the home range and confine them to the perimeters my men are setting up.” Jim could see the agitation growing in Tom’s eyes, “I promise you it is the only way we can ensure the safety of you and your pack!”
Tom hit the post of the cottage, “Safety from what, one man? What would he want with our pack?”
Jim smiled inside but kept a calm outer exterior; he was waiting for Tom to ask this question. “Look, Tom, obviously I need to verify Sasha’s version of the story, but she is one of the most loyal and trustworthy people I know. The night she arrived; she spotted an intruder spying on her.”
Tom shook his head, “What intruder? Are you kidding me?”
Jim shook his head, “I wish I was, Tom, but it seems you and your sister have sparked the interest of a very dangerous man known for his dealings with The Faction,” he paused, touched his nose and winked at Tom, “You are lucky that Sasha spotted him that first night outside her window because from what we can tell, he had already been watching your family for quite some time - at least a month or two.”
Tom shook his head, “And how would you know this?”
Jim smiled, “Sasha is a woman of many talents; she flew a couple of recon flights over the farm…” he paused and pointed to the ridge, “… and found his campsite right about there. We found a rubbish midden, sleeping quarters and more importantly, a high-resolution telescope hidden in the bushes.”
Tom shook his head in disbelief, “Why didn’t Sasha say anything?”
Jim nodded again and put his hand on his shoulder to reassure the young man, “It’s my fault; I told her not to say anything to you until we caught him… I didn’t want you and your sister to worry…unfortunately, after the apparent event of last night, it would appear that the risk to your family and pack is much worse than we originally thought, as one of my own men tasked with guarding the property apparently went rogue and caused all the havoc you see around you.”
Just then Sasha came to the door, “Julia is awake, she is asking for you. Tom.”
Tom nodded, “I will be right there.”
Jim put his hand on Tom’s shoulder, “Look, we still need to do a full investigation and I will need to get statements from both you and your sister, but if our initial findings are right, then you need to pull your pack behind the perimeter lines so we can protect them.”
Tom nodded again, “The pack has already arrived, and they will come in when I give the order, but first I need to see my sister and discuss the matter with the elders. One of your men is responsible for this, after all.”
Sasha came out, wine bottle in hand and gave it to Jim… “Here…This is what caused all of this.”
Jim took the wine bottle and squinted angrily at Sasha, keeping his voice low but firm, “Did you guys get drunk? Have I just wasted thousands of dollars on moving men and equipment up here because you two couldn’t handle your liquor?”
Sasha shook her head, “No - boy wonder went to the rubbish skip and pulled it out, it appears he is not the only one who likes going through trash…”
Jim frowned, “I still don’t follow.”
Sasha nodded, “I checked the bottle myself. It has been handled by three people - myself, Damien, and Pete, and the only explanation I can come up with is that stalker boy Pete also rummaged through the garbage just like boy wonder did… only boy wonder got it stuck in his head that Pete and I were an item, but instead of calling you, he decided the best course of action was to ambush me in the bath, drug me and tie me up with my own bear restraints. When I eventually came through, I tried to reason with him, I told him to call you repeatedly, but he refused too … and when Pete didn’t come to rescue me on his noble white steed, he realized how badly he had fucked up! But instead of calling you and freeing me he opted to kill me instead…” she showed Jim the stab marks and her bruised arm and throat, “He actually said the words ‘daddy’s little girl will go bye-bye and then presto I am the favorite’.” She shook her head … “He has seriously lost the plot!”
Jim shook his head, “We will find him, Sasha, and when we do, I will let you exact your revenge. But right now, I need to check in with the control center and see if the perimeter sensors are live yet.”
Sasha grabbed his arm and pulled him close, “Don’t think that I can’t see what you are doing here…How is your little operation going to affect my deal with the High Council? I was promised 20k per head on that wolf pack hovering on the outskirts.”
Jim nodded and smiled; this was the Sasha he knew, “A little healthy competition never hurt anyone… Marcelle and I thought we would make it a little bit more interesting, 20k per scalp delivered and 100k for the fivelings… Open hunting season will start the second we have confirmation of the fivelings’ imminent rebirth.” He glanced back at the cottage door, “You’d better go check your fledglings and make sure they aren’t making plans to fly the coup.”
Jim walked off feeling very pleased with himself; his plan was falling together perfectly, the wolf pack would be under lockdown for easy disposal, and his troops would be hidden along the perimeter waiting for Pete to resurface. He chuckled to himself, and best of all, he was going to kill two birds with one stone… he had played Damien to take the fall for Sasha’s “untimely” disposal, as everyone knew there was no love lost between them and she would still technically get the only freedom he granted to his slaves… Death. Jim was very fond of Sasha and she was by far one of the best operatives he had ever had, but in a year both her and Damien would become fidgety and agitated. Their instincts would take over and they would be filled with one desire, and that would be to mate not for sex but for progeny, and Sasha would be physically mature enough to sire a child. The bottom line was that Jim just didn’t have the time or energy to waste hunting down another rebellious threeling and
her pup, and besides, this mission would be her Opus Magnus…the perfect job to end her illustrious career.
Chapter 6 Reassurances
Sasha walked back into the cottage. She could see Julia was stiff and sore, but even that failed to dent her cheery disposition as she sat teasing and playing with Tom’s hair, trying to cheer him up. Tom’s disposition, on the other hand, had changed significantly, his face pained with worry… this was the first time he had actually felt the true weight of responsibility that came with being Alpha.
Sasha went and stood at the foot of the bed, “How are you guys doing?”
Julia smiled and motioned for her to come closer, “Don’t worry about us,” she looked over at the brother and nudged him, “We thought you were a goner! Who was that guy?”
Sasha walked around, mindful of Tom’s suspicion, and gently took Julia’s hand, “I will do everything in my power to ensure the two of you never have to cross paths with him again!!” She looked up at them, “The two of you saved my life and for that I will be forever indebted to you.”
Tom glared up at Sasha, “Nothing adds up!”
Julia grabbed her brother’s arm and squeezed it, “Relax, we are ALL still processing this… Sasha went through a hell of an ordeal last night, so you need to cut her some slack.”
Toms face relaxed and he took Julia’s hand, “You are right, we are still processing.” He glanced up at Sasha, “I am sorry. I have been blind and selfish and as always my sister helps me see clearly; neither one of you have complained and I have been like a bull in a china shop raging from pillar to post, and butting heads with the people who have been and are ultimately here to help me and my family.” He reached up and gently touched Sasha’s throat, and saw the blue and black bruising looking more pronounced. “He really did a number on you; I am sorry we didn’t arrive sooner.”
It suddenly dawned on Sasha, “How did you know he was holding me hostage?”
Tom touched his nose and grinned, “Now that is my little secret…”
Julia laughed and slapped his arm, “Tom, you are such a tease.”
Sasha feigned a chuckle, as did Tom, but their eyes spoke volumes… they were going to have a long, hard, sobering conversation before this day was through, but Sasha couldn’t worry about that right now. With Julia on the mend she could focus on the two other problems at hand… Damien and Jim. She bent down, cupped Julia’s face gently in her hands and kissed her on the forehead before lifting her head slightly and looking lovingly into her eyes, “You look after yourself…and no more of this hero business! You really had me and your brother worried.” She paused and playfully smiled, “And don’t think that this little stunt is going to get you out of your snake training”
Julia laughed, “The thought never even crossed my mind!”
Sasha stood up and smiled, “Mmm, I bet.” She then turned to face Tom and placed her hand on his strong shoulder, “Bring the pack in … it’s safer for them while Damien is on the loose.”
Tom looked up at Sasha, “Where are you going now?”
Sasha shrugged, “I am going to see if I can spot Damien from the air; the ground force can use all the help they can get at the moment.”
Tom frowned, “I need to talk to you!”
Sasha grabbed Tom by the hand and dragged him into the kitchen for a bit of privacy, “I know you want answers! But not here! And not now! There are too many people around us right now.” She looked him in the eyes and grabbed his face, pulling it towards her and kissing him passionately, melting all the tension away. She broke free and took his hand and placed it between her two breasts, “Feel that; I will do whatever I can to keep you and your sister safe as long as this keeps beating – that is my promise to you!” She raised her left hand and gently stroked his face, “All I ask for in return is that you trust me and give me space to do it… knowing that I only have your best interests at heart.”
Tom’s eyes welled up with emotion. He could see the sincerity in her eyes and could feel the deep desire within her to protect him and his family, and he leant down and kissed her forehead, “I will call in the pack.”
Sasha smiled, “Thank you!” She squeezed his hand, “I must go, the sooner we catch Damien the sooner things can start getting back to normal.”
He grabbed hold of her hand and pulled her back, “Please just be careful… you don’t need to play the hero either!”
Sasha raised his hand to her mouth and gently kissed his knuckles, “I will be! Now go sit with your sister… she is probably dying of boredom already.”
Chapter 7 Two Birds with one heavy stone
As Sasha took to the skies, she heard Tom’s howl and as she looked down at the forest below, she saw the pack starting to move in. She sighed, knowing that at least for the time being they would be safe. She headed west towards the river; this would be the most obvious escape route for an alligator changeling because the trackers would lose his scent as soon as he hit the water. Being a powerful swimmer would also make it easy for him to navigate the river in any direction, finding deep gulley’s and pools to hide in until he was ready to surface again.
She arrived at the river edge just as two sweeper teams prepared to launch the rubber ducks. She swooped down and landed next to them. She called the group leader over, “What’s the status?”
The young officer told her that they had tracked his sent to the edge of the river. He had lost quite a bit of blood and from the erratic tracks, they surmised that he was having difficulty seeing; this had slowed him down significantly and they estimated that he had entered the water within the last five minutes. The two boats were fitted with under water sensors, and one would trawl up stream while the other trawled downstream. Sasha leapt up and caught the breeze following the river downstream. She passed three bends in the fast-flowing water and saw his limp human body, precariously hanging over a rock in the middle of the river.
She hovered overhead and let out a loud squawk, alerting the boats to his position. Within seconds the first boat crew arrived and hoisted his lifeless body into the boat. He was alive but in critical condition, his eyes were swollen shut and his breathing shallow. The skin around the bite mark on his shoulder was black and oozing…somehow some of her venom must have found its way into his open wound. They immediately began CPR; Sasha wanted to protest but this was protocol… at present he posed no threat, and she knew that taking his life now would be a shameful and hollow victory. She landed on a rock nearby and watched as the same medical staff prepped his body for evacuation. He would be flown back to the city under lock and key and that’s where he would stay… no one escaped Jim’s private detention center. Now that just left Jim… somehow, she would have to convince him to pull back. She needed time alone to strengthen the bond with the twins; they were an important bargaining tool with both the Council and the Faction, and she couldn’t afford to lose her upper hand at this point. One of them, if not both, potentially carried the fabled fiveling gene and the key to her freedom.
Sasha arrived back at the cottage and felt a twinge of panic when she spotted Jim and Tom standing in the shade of an old oak tree less than 100 feet from the cottage having a rather serious conversation. She landed high in the branches of the old oak and began to eavesdrop...
Jim shook his head, “The High Council is trying to protect your family.”
Tom stood his ground, “We are a simple wolf pack, why is everyone so bloody interested in our pack all of a sudden? We have stayed in the shadows of the city for years and never once has a High Council member even battered an eyelid in our direction.”
He put his hand on Tom’s shoulder, “You are threelings now. I know Sasha will probably still get to this, but as a threeling you have full rights to sit on the council when you reach maturity - that is why you and your sister are so important to the council and why we will do everything in our power to protect you and your family.
“And since the council shown up in our lives, we have had a stalker in the woods
and a psycho who nearly killed my sister.”
Jim raised his hands in submission, “The Faction is responsible for that. I am standing in front of you offering to keep your family and pack safe at no expense to yourself or your family, but you are obviously too proud or too stupid to realize when someone is trying to help you!”
Tom nodded, “Look, I understand you are trying to help us, and as I told you at the beginning of this conversation, we are grateful and indebted to the Council. That being said we do not, however, want our farm to become the epicenter for a war between the Faction and the Council, and for that reason the Elders and I are requesting that you remove all military personnel from the area immediately.”
Jim wiped his mouth in disbelief, “And what about Sasha… must she abandon your training as well?”
Tom took in a deep breath, “The pack deliberated over Sasha’s role. She is not considered military personnel and for the time being, she is free to stay and complete our training as per the initial agreement. She will, however, be restricted to her new quarters within the main house, and if there are any further incidents, her right to mentor us will be revoked completely.”
Jim shrugged, “I hope you don’t bite all the hands that feed you.” He composed himself, “Look, I apologize, it’s just I feel you are making a terrible mistake. Please, take my card, if you need anything anytime we will be here in a flash.”
Sasha smiled quietly inside and waited for them to move off before swooping down and changing into human form… two birds with one heavy stone called Tom…it couldn’t have worked out better if she had planned it herself.
Chapter 8 Evac
Sasha walked into the cottage. Jim had already called for the full evacuation and everyone was hurriedly rushing back and forth, packing up equipment and moving it into the choppers. Sasha feigned surprise and grabbed Tom by the arm, “What’s going on here, Tom?”