by Sarah Noffke
“Well, maybe I want the boring job of staking out in front of Kaleb’s family’s house,” Kris said.
Mika ground his pointy teeth together. “Stay out of cases that you aren’t assigned to.”
“Is it because I’m a woman?” she said, her hand now on her hip. Her large eyes seemed to challenge Mika, to provoke him to tear her in two.
“Yes, it’s because you’re a woman, and also because you’re my thief. However, remember that I don’t owe you any information on the subject,” Mika said.
“If I’m your thief, then let me go steal Kaleb for you,” she said.
“You really think you can catch and bring in a werewolf? Have you looked in the mirror?” he said, casting a glance at the slender woman.
“And let me get this right, Morgan can because he’s a man and so much stronger than me? We are both invisible and can employ that to our advantage,” she said, pulling up the other hand so both were on her hips.
“When the hell did you start thinking that I counseled employees on what they wanted? You do as I say or you will disappear and not because you’re invisible,” he said.
Kris regarded Mika with a cold stare that was soon replaced by a wicked grin. “I didn’t realize when I took the role as your research specimen that it was an until death do us part gig,” she said, not at all flustered by his threats.
“I’m really demonstrating an astronomical amount of patience right now, but that will not last another minute,” he said, pressing his fingernails into the palms of his hands as he balled up his fists.
“Sounds like I should disappear then,” Kris said before flashing another smile and flickering until she faded away. Mika heard her footsteps on the Oriental rug as she exited.
Kaleb was getting desperate, Mika knew, stealing and acting out. The aggression of the wolf was surfacing, making a previously calm Mormon boy a monster. Everything had gone to plan. Now Mika just had to get his hands back on his experiment and implement the brainwashing which would ensure the werewolf followed orders.
Chapter Thirty-Two
“Time traveling into the future is strictly against Lucidite laws as it can create holes in the fabric of time.”
- Lucidite Employee Manual
“Oh, so there’s the lost dog who got left behind,” Rox said, shaking her head, her knee-high boots making a click-clack sound on the linoleum of the infirmary.
Connor looked up from the book Adelaide had left with him—well, actually she had dropped it on a bed ten down from his and said “Fetch.” Still, after he climbed out of bed and used an extraordinary amount of energy to get the book, he was glad he’d spent the effort. The Dream Traveler Codex was a wealth of information. He’d spent the entire night reading and finishing the book, which had been written by the Head Official of the Institute, Trey Underwood, the head of the science department, Dr. Aiden Livingston, and the head strategist, Ren Lewis. Trey and Dr. Aiden had come by to introduce themselves and welcome Connor to the Lucidite Institute. Trey had a tender look of genuine sensitivity when he said, “If you need anything while here then know my door is always open to you.” The guy who looked too young to have a PhD, Dr. Livingston, had requested Connor come to his lab to have tests run. When Connor asked why, obviously put off by the idea of being poked after months of treatments, Aiden said, “Can’t fix you unless I know what exactly you are.” The idea that Connor could return to normal, not be a werewolf anymore, was the first ray of golden sunlight he’d experienced in months. But then a fear quickly set in.
“You won’t take away my power as a Dream Traveler, will you?” he had said to Aiden
“Whatever happens will be your call. We don’t consent for others at the Institute,” Aiden said.
“Where is Ren Lewis?” Connor had asked, wondering where the third person who wrote the Dream Traveler Codex was. Trey and Aiden only exchanged nervous glances, Aiden having to look down at Trey, who sat frozen in his wheelchair.
“Ren isn’t here anymore,” Trey finally said, a strange expression masking his face. Ren Lewis had been the main author of the Codex. It was strange to Connor that he’d leave the Lucidite Institute.
“Trent Reynolds is our current head strategist,” Trey had continued to say. “But Adelaide is the agent in charge of your case.”
Now, not only did Connor know who he was after reading the codex, but he knew he’d somehow been converted to an ancient and secret race. How had he never heard of these people? According to the book, he’d been a non-gifted Middling before the conversion; he’d been the other race.
Connor blinked up at Rox, the memory of his conversation with Trey and Aiden washing to the background of his mind. “Who are you?” Connor said, wondering why the men at the Institute appeared polite and the girls, at least Adelaide and this girl, were full of attitude.
“I’m the lovely lady sent to retrieve you,” she said. “My name is Rox.”
“Like the stones?” he said.
She shook her head. “No, like short for Roxanne. Now, come on, Connie. Follow me.” Rox then turned on her heels and trotted out of the infirmary.
Connor, who hadn’t been outside of the infirmary yet, sped forward, realizing his strength was returning.
“Where are we going?” he said, following Rox into a long hallway. The overhead lights shimmered off the stainless steel walls and made the carpet sparkle, like it had a shiny sheen interwoven into it. “Where am I?”
“Earth,” Rox answered with a loud laugh. The girl pushed her short blonde hair behind her ear and gave him a light smile.
“Thanks,” he said flatly. “Where’s this place?” He pointed to the ground.
“Oh, the Institute is under water, hence the lack of windows,” she said, clicking a button next to a door. The placard read Scapes Escapes. The door receded into the wall at once and Rox strode forward into a dark set of rooms, partitioned by glass walls. The space was lit by blue lights overhead, which were much more pleasant to Connor’s eyes than the bright lights in the corridor. He’d always preferred the dark, but more so now that he was a werewolf.
“Oh good, you’re able to complete simple tasks,” Adelaide said to Rox, not covering up the grimace on her face.
“I can do all sorts of things,” Rox said, dragging out the seat next to another guy and pulling herself up to sit at a conference room table.
Adelaide rolled her eyes at this and turned to face Connor, who stood lamely in the entrance to the conference room. “Hello, Connor. You and I have already had the displeasure of meeting,” she began. “This is Zephyr Flournoy,” Adelaide said, indicating the guy with silver and black hair. He looked young and old at the same time. “This is one of your fellow werewolves who left you behind to rot in that awful cell.”
“Thanks, Adelaide,” Zephyr said, his voice deep. “You really know how to promote good relationships from the beginning.”
“No, I don’t,” she said like he was being serious.
Zephyr stood and extended a hand to Connor. “Welcome, man. And I’m genuinely sorry that you weren’t broken out with the rest of us. If I would have known—”
“It’s fine. I was asleep when it happened,” Connor said, his eyes studying Zephyr. Another werewolf. He’d been locked up with them, but he’d never really talked between the bars to another one. Most were drugged so heavily that anytime he called out to them they only mumbled unintelligible words in reply. Now it was strange to look at the man before him and know he was like him. Half man and half wolf. And also an artificial Dream Traveler.
Zephyr simply nodded and took his seat, but Connor sensed that there was still a weight in his eyes. A burden. Leaving Connor behind didn’t sit well with this guy, but why should he care? They had all been prisoners. Every man for himself, right?
Adelaide, who stood pointing at the seat next to Zephyr, said, “Now sit, boy.”
Connor shook his head but took the seat, already feeling the exhaustion creep back into his head. He’d need to rest prop
erly tonight. No more reading.
“We now know that the organization responsible for turning you into puppies is called Olento Research,” Adelaide began. “I can’t dig up a permanent location on them, only on their sister company, Parantaa Research. I’ve sent spies to infiltrate that organization and learn as much as I can. The owner is a man named Mika Lenna—”
“The man in the silver suit,” Connor said, the figure popping into his mind’s eye.
“I’m not aware of his fashion,” Adelaide said, shaking her head at him. “I do know that he’s a well-known humanitarian. He has more money than God and gives away a great deal of it to charity. Furthermore, the pharmaceuticals he produces are lifesaving drugs that are revered for their innovative properties.”
“So you’re saying we can’t go directly after Mika without bringing heat on us?” Rox supplied.
“Good, she’s not as dumb as she looks,” Addy said, almost as if to herself.
Connor looked between Adelaide and Rox, neither girl showing any emotion. “We have the lab location. Can the Lucidites use that evidence and report this to the authorities?” Connor said, and as the question fell out of his mouth he immediately regretted it. Firstly, because he realized what an elementary approach it was. And secondly because of the look of obvious disappointment covering Adelaide’s face.
“Who are these authorities that you think we should call?” she said, pinning her hand on her hip and looking to be humoring him now.
“I don’t know, maybe like the police or the US government,” Connor said.
“Right,” she said, drawing out the word. “We already have the dumb FBI sniffing around the case. The last thing we need is a bunch of uppity suits screwing up my case.”
Adelaide had to be young, like early twenties. However, she didn’t act that way. Maybe at times, when she wasn’t trying, a rogue emotion of fretfulness slipped through her demeanor, but otherwise she was steadier than most. And she carried herself with an authority Connor hadn’t witnessed in a girl. She was bossy, but not in a bitchy way. More like in a “go fuck yourself and see if I care” kind of way. “Oh, so the FBI are involved already,” Connor said.
“Yes, you’ve already met the agent assigned to the case,” Adelaide said, waving a hand in Rox’s direction. “FBI agent by day and hooker by night.” She then turned to Rox, a mock look of awe on her face. “How do you do it? You must simply be exhausted from the double demands. Maybe one day you’ll make enough money hooking that you can quit this beat cop business.”
Rox, who was pretending not to hear the insult, lifted her hand and eyed her lavender nails as she smacked her gum.
Adelaide, obviously hoping for a proper response, turned to Connor with a grimace that was probably meant for Rox. “You did read the Dream Traveler Codex, right?”
“Yeah, last night,” he said.
She raised an eyebrow at him. “Sorry there weren’t more pictures in the book. I’m sure that’s the kind of books you’re used to. However, if you in fact read the book, then an intelligent person would deduce that the Lucidites are the most powerful organization on this planet. And—”
“I actually did gather as much but—”
“Con-Boy, don’t interrupt an adult,” Adelaide said. She was younger than him, he thought. Probably a foot shorter and seventy-five pounds lighter. And yet, his mouth slammed shut. It was actually quite the strange situation for him, since he usually would have had an insult ready to volley at someone so abusive. However, he was out of his element. His eyes swiveled to Zephyr, who was sitting straight-backed and chewing on the end of a pen and suppressing a grin. “Now as I was saying, the Lucidites are overseeing this case. FBI is only involved on a consult basis. We are currently keeping eyes on Parantaa Research and trying to find the headquarters for Olento Research,” Adelaide said.
“I have experience tracking and with covert missions,” Zephyr chimed in.
“Do you want me to pat you on the head?” Adelaide said, not missing a beat.
“I was insinuating that I could be assigned to investigate Mika’s organizations and the man himself,” Zephyr said.
“Offense intended when I tell you that your experience as a private in the Army isn’t needed here,” Adelaide said, picking up a leather-bound book. She didn’t open the book, but instead just held it.
Zephyr coughed. “I’m fairly certain that you’re aware I was a captain in the Special Forces,” he said.
“Same thing,” Adelaide said, waving him off before opening a file in front of her. She handed a page to Zephyr and then one to Connor. “Do you recognize this guy?”
On the page was a black-and-white profile image of a guy around age eighteen. Fear coated his face, which made sense because at his feet was a slouched man on the ground. The slope of his nose and the roundness of his chin instantly reminded Connor of a kid from the labs. He’d seen him led to his cell multiple times, usually handcuffed with his head down from the drugs.
“I think… maybe…” Zephyr said, rubbing his temples, his voice unsure.
“Yeah,” Connor said with confidence. “He was held a few cells down from me.”
“Why are you so sure when Captain Special Forces has doubts?” Adelaide asked.
“I don’t know,” Connor said, but he did know. The drugs they had them on hadn’t worked as well on him. He had probably more of a vivid memory than most being held in the lab, which was a curse. This was one of many times he wished he hadn’t done so many drugs. The others were always sedated unless they changed. The beasts always broke through the drugs, which was probably how they were all able to escape, leaving Connor behind.
“We believe that to be Kaleb Magner,” Adelaide said, gesturing to the picture in Connor’s hand. “He went missing seven months ago, about the same time as you two. However, he’d gone on a walkabout or journey or whatever rich boys with few life experiences in the dumb United States do. His family hasn’t heard from him since and they are located in Salt Lake City, where this photo was taken. The store clerk he attacked said that the small guy had more power than he thought was humanly possible. Kaleb picked him up and tossed him through the air.”
“He must have been scared,” Zephyr said, his eyes on the photo before him.
“Why?” Adelaide said plainly.
“Well, we have heightened senses, speed, strength, and endurance in our human form, but also not really. Usually, I’ve noticed that adrenaline will trigger it. Or I have to intentionally turn on the skill,” he said.
Connor had spent the last month in a cage and wasn’t sure if this was true for him, but he expected he would soon learn once he’d recovered.
“And how is this different from when you’re in werewolf form?” Adelaide asked.
“The power is there. My senses and strength are automatic,” Zephyr said, then he looked to Connor. “Is that right?”
“Yeah,” Connor said, remembering being the beast and everything being effortless.
“Well, Kaleb is hanging out in Salt Lake City and we need to get to him before Mika does. I know for a fact that he’s trying to track down his dogs. He put a lot of effort into creating you all and will want you back,” Adelaide said.
“But why did he create us?” Zephyr said.
“That, I don’t know yet. We need to learn more about this man who hides behind his do-gooder company. Something tells me he isn’t the polished humanitarian he tries to portray,” Adelaide said.
“Salt Lake City isn’t small,” Connor said, remembering spending a night there after doing hallucinogens in the desert. “How are you going to find him?”
Adelaide tossed a file at him. “That’s where you come in. I have an idea, but I want you two to tell me how dogs think. Tell me where he’s going after robbing a convenience store and how we can catch him. I’m pretty badass, but I don’t have super speed nor anyone on my current staff with that power. Unfortunately, I’m going to rely on you two to help me bring in this runt from your litter.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
“One of the main goals of Olento Research is to create technology related to time travel. This could revolutionize the world.”
- Olento Research Employee Manual
Kaleb slipped the bills into the metal drawer, keeping his eyes low. The ticketing agent on the other side of the glass typed on the keyboard, taking too long to process his requests.
“Do you want to upgrade to—”
“No,” he said in a hush, pulling his hood more on his head.
She swiveled her eyes up and regarded him for a moment. “There are a few stops between this station and Los Angeles—”
“That’s fine,” he said, cutting off the woman who wore a paisley scarf tied around her slender neck. An urge he’d never experienced before pulsed through his body. It was unnatural and yet coated in instinct. It told him he needed flesh, wanted hers. The change was going to happen soon, he feared. That was the reason for the unhealthy desires. He’d have to travel out of the city that night, a safe distance for the “attack” to happen.
“You’ll change buses—”
“Can I just get my ticket?” he said, scratching his cheek, then his eyebrow.
The printer chirped before a thick paper slipped out of the machine. With a pursed expression the woman tore it off, taking her time. Instead of handing it to Kaleb she folded it at the top along a line of chads. Then she pulled off the excess and tucked the ticket into an envelope. Her tongue ran across the flap where the glue sat and then she pressed it shut, handing it to Kaleb with a smile. He twitched with a new anxiety as he took the ticket. His sole thought was that he was grateful glass separated them or the woman might be dead or in a strange position right then. A primal urge he’d never felt before coursed through him. It was sexual and violent at the same time, two emotions that he thought were mutually exclusive before. Actually sex had been a taboo subject in his home and at the age of eighteen he was still a virgin, but he was certain that wouldn’t last long. Not with the beating of his pulse in his groin.
