“I’m not like you. I’m a wolf. Wolves mate for life. Once we’re bound…”
“I know,” he hissed. “It’s forever. You’ve told me.”
Laura leaned forward and had to yell to be heard, “Hey, what do I punch to make international calls? I can’t get through to my people.”
Mick held his hand out and she handed him back the brick phone. He punched in a series of numbers and then handed it back to her. “I set it for North America. Just dial as though you were calling from your house or cell phone.”
“Thank you.” She sat back and began dialing again.
Jennifer watched her a moment then reached a tentative hand out to Mickey. “I’m hoping that this is all a mistake. But I need to know.”
Mick simply nodded but he took her hand and squeezed it gently. “I’ve got your back either way.”
“Put me through to Colonel Mitchell.” Laura had to yell to be heard over the sound of the engines. She waited just a moment before he came on the line. “Yes, sir, it’s me. And yes, I’ve made contact.” Although Jennifer couldn’t hear both sides of the conversation, she could almost guess what was said. “It’s really a long story, Colonel, but the short end is, I’m on my way to Brazil with Miss Simmons. She’s agreed to meet with you but only on neutral ground. I thought Pablo’s would be good. Close to what she considers home, yet somewhat familiar territory for you.”
Jennifer cringed at the idea of being anywhere that the man might have any kind of advantage but a deal was a deal. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, trying hard not to let her emotions get the better of her.
“Yes, sir. We are en route now. If you can get away to meet us then…yes, sir, I do realize the full moon is right around the corner, but I’m sure if you let Pablo know then he can…no sir. I didn’t know that,” Laura sighed and rubbed at her eyes. “Well, sir, it is Brazil. There should be plenty of space for you to run wild. Either that or we could tranquilize you.”
Jennifer raised a brow then realized what Laura was getting at. The full moon, the man would need to shift. Nobody would be safe.
“Copy that, sir. I’ll pass it on. See you soon.” Laura punched the end call button and handed the phone back to Mickey. “He said he’ll be on the first transport to Brazil but it has to wait until after the full moon. In the meantime, he’s going to make a few calls and get things set up so we’ll have transportation, room, and board when we arrive.”
“And what about the full moon?”
“He’ll deal with that first. He wants to be able to give all of his attention to you after he gets here. Talking with you is the most important thing to him.”
Jennifer felt the air physically thicken after Laura made that statement. One look at Mick was all she needed to know why.
*****
Apollo stepped out to the parking lot and pulled his cell phone out. Dialing Sheridan’s number he waited for the man to pick up. “That was quick.”
“Yeah, well, shit’s getting real here.” Apollo looked around the parking lot to ensure that nobody was watching him. “I got the coordinates for the island. They was right there in the computer like you said.”
“Excellent. Have you decided if you’re going to stay or come with us?”
“I’m going with you. My boys are going on an op with Jack on the full moon. They’ll be out of the country at that time.”
“You don’t say?” The tiny little gears in Sheridan’s mind were racing.
“I’m thinking that would be a perfect time to hit that island stronghold of theirs. Flatten it. Level it to the ground.”
“I couldn’t agree more.” Sheridan sounded pleased. “In fact, a two pronged attack might be in order.”
“How’s that?”
“Our new benefactors have an axe to grind with your ex-employers. I think we’ll let loose the dogs of war and wreak a little havoc with them as well.”
“You mean you want to hit the squads here at home at the same time?”
“Why not? Odds are, most of them will be in the field, right? You said that some of them would be out of the country with Jack, so…what better time than when they’re at their weakest?”
“What good will it do if we hit them when there’s nobody here?”
Sheridan tsk’d at him. “You’re not thinking militarily at all, Apollo. We need to denigrate them. Knock the wind from their sails. Rub their noses in it. Destroy their morale. What better way to do that than to strike while they can’t defend their stronghold and level their home base? Give them no ‘home’ to return to?”
“You do realize that this facility is a lot bigger than just some rusty old hangar, don’t you?”
“And you do realize that we have more than just a small handful of disgruntled ex-employees. Trust me. When the time comes, we’ll have more than enough personnel and firepower to burn their base of operation to the ground.”
Apollo smiled broadly. “I like the way you think.”
*****
Matt hung up the phone relieved to have heard from Laura and excited that things were finally coming together. He couldn’t help but smile at the thought of finally getting to talk with the elusive Ms. Simmons, and it completely amazed him that Laura was able to set up the meeting so quickly. He only wished that the timing had been better. The full moon was simply too close for him to risk a trip that far.
His wolf tugged at his insides, and Matt could almost feel the anticipation, the joy…the elation that their reckoning was so close at hand. He sat quietly and did his best to calm his nerves, to calm the beast within and found that the wolf had reverted to an over-excited puppy. The energy flowing from it was endless.
With an exasperated sigh he pushed away from his desk and headed to the gym. Maybe he could burn off some of the excess energy before he became a nervous wreck.
Passing by Mark’s office, Matt stuck his head in the door. “Laura checked in.”
Tufo looked up from his computer and nodded to him. “Did she have anything?”
“Actually, she did. She located and made contact with Ms. Simmons. They’re on their way to Brazil. Apparently she didn’t want to come back here for obvious reasons. Laura said that she’d meet on neutral ground so we’re going to meet at the Brazilian squad compound.”
“Makes sense. When do you leave?”
“Not until after the full moon.”
Mark pulled his reading glasses off and gaped at him. “After all this time you’re not going to rush down there and…I dunno, sniff each other’s butts?”
“Jeez, Mark, could you be any more uncouth?”
“So couth me,” he snickered. “Seriously, though, why aren’t you hauling tail down there…literally? You’ve been chasing this little gal all over the world.”
“The full moon is just too close. I want more time. I don’t want to rush this.” Matt searched for the right words. “I know this is a total fustercluck, but this girl is important to me.”
“She must be. You shot her in the head,” he deadpanned.
“Exactly.” Matt let that word hang for a moment, catching Mark off guard. “See, this is why I need to use kid gloves. I need to do this or my wolf is going to drive me bananas. But the human side of me…” he trailed off, unable to find the words.
“Say no more. If some crazy bitch ate my wife and kids and then somebody told me I had to marry her? I think I’d eat the business end of a .45.”
“Blunt like a bulldozer.” Matt turned to leave.
“Hey, I’m nothing if not honest.” Mark stood and caught Matt’s eye. “Look, I can’t imagine what you must be going through. I remember what we went through to track her down and drop her. Remember? I was there. And for somebody to twist the situation around on you like this? I think it sucks. Totally.” He placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “But I want you to know that I’m here for ya if you need me.”
“To say I told ya so?”
“Naw, that comes after. For now, I’m here to help you get
buried enough in the situation that saying ‘I told ya so’ will have more meaning.”
“You’re all heart.”
“Yes, I am, aren’t I?”
“Remind me to return the favor someday.” Matt smirked as he turned to leave.
“No way, buddy.” Mark shook his head. “You couldn’t pay me enough to get sucked up into your supernatural soap opera.”
“Like I said, all heart.”
Matt turned to go but Mark stopped him. “I need to ask you something. I know you’re distracted with this deal with Laura and the Simmons woman, but…” he paused to consider how best to approach the subject. He knew that Apollo was the senior squad leader and one of Matt’s favored operators. “Have you noticed anything different with Apollo?”
“You mean lately or…?”
“Yeah, lately. I know he had a rough time getting over Maria’s death and some of the psych guys have even questioned if he should be in the field, much less being a Team Leader. But his behavior over the last week has just been strange.”
Matt stepped back into the office and shut the door. “How so?”
“Well, he came to me about one of the new recruits. He had reservations about the guy. Said he was ‘too efficient’ at killing, or some such. Then he was one of the first to volunteer to help Jack, but just a little while ago when I asked him about it, he said he was going to stay back and help out here because things get wonky on the full moon.” Tufo scratched at the stubble on his chin and shook his head. “Doesn’t that sound a little off to you?”
Matt considered what Tufo was telling him. If he were honest with himself, he’d admit that with everything going on, personal problems with Apollo were a minor inconvenience and he didn’t really want to consider the possibility. But what Mark was describing sounded minor considering what the guy had gone through in the past six months.
“I really don’t know, Mark. All things considered, his losing Maria, Dom being kidnapped, the battle in the desert, making vampires our allies…I can see how that paradigm shift could change anybody.”
“No, I realize that. I’m not saying we haven’t all seen some pretty drastic changes. I’m talking just recently. Like in the past few weeks?”
Matt had to be honest. “I haven’t noticed.” He lowered his eyes in shame. “But then, I’ll be the first to admit, I’ve been distracted.”
“That’s understandable, too.” Mark went back to his desk and plopped into his chair, rubbing hard at his eyes. “Maybe it’s fatigue, maybe I’m getting worked up over nothing, maybe…” he shrugged. “Maybe I’m just worrying about nothing.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t go that far.” Matt leaned against his desk and picked up the autographed baseball from its stand. “I’ve come to trust your gut feelings. If you think something is off with him, maybe we ought to have him check in with the docs?”
Mark reached around him and plucked the ball from his hand. “That’s a team autographed, 2004 World Series Red Sox baseball, thank you.”
“Pfft.” Matt waved him off. “I’d understand your concern if it was a Yankees ball.” Matt had no interest whatsoever in baseball, but he knew it would send Mark’s blood pressure through the roof to even mention the ‘damned Yankees’. Especially after having touched his coveted baseball.
“Out!” Mark shoved him from the corner of his desk. “Out, out, out, out…now. Before I chop off something that won’t grow back.”
Matt laughed under his breath as he was physically pushed out of the office. “Don’t forget about Apollo,” he muttered to the slamming door.
*****
Jack went through the dual-purpose tactical uniforms that he’d had developed. Once he’d taken over as commander of the Lycan forces, he knew that they would need something other than simply their skin to operate in. Lycans are formidable warriors, but even the best warriors could use lightweight body armor.
Jack had worked with the same textile manufacturers that developed A4 and a new material that was heavier, but with more stretch was tested. Although slightly loose on a human frame, once that person shifted to their Halfling form, the material became very much like a form fitting body suit. Molded leather and Kevlar gave the ‘uniform’ a bit of an armor effect to help deflect blows, knife attacks and small caliber weapons fire.
By attaching reinforcements at the hands and feet, the body suit was guaranteed not to ride up the arms and legs and helped disguise those wolves with lighter colored Halfling forms. The first time Jack saw it in action he had to stifle a laugh. The words, ‘Werewolf Ninja’ came to mind, but he didn’t dare say it aloud or his men wouldn’t adjust to it.
Now that he would be required to escort Rufus and his dimwitted brother to Geneva on the full moon, Jack intended to make full use of the body suit. He donned the uniform and tried it on under a loose fitting tear away suit. Pulling on the suit and then shifting allowed him to see just how restrictive the body suit might be. He was pleasantly surprised that the leather and Kevlar armor plates fit well under street clothes and molded to his Halfling form quite nicely. He tested his range of motion and found that he had more than enough mobility.
Satisfied with his dry run, he shifted back to human form and began packing away the body suit until it would be needed. He wished he knew of a way to fit weaponry to the suit, but there would be no way to conceal it, nor could he guarantee that his Halfling form could handle them properly. He had always counted on brute strength while a Halfling.
A knock at the door caught his attention and he quickly answered it. Mueller stood just outside in the hallway and Jack opened the door wide to allow him into his and Nadia’s private quarters. “I was just trying the body suit. It felt pretty good.”
“Glad to hear that. We spent a lot of time testing it.”
“Yeah, but I never tried one on. I just wanted to get a feel for it before leaving out for Geneva.”
“Yeah, speaking of Geneva…” Robert trailed off, leaving the sentence unfinished.
Jack tossed his things into a go bag and turned to the younger man. “Something on your mind, Bob?”
“Why are you leaving me behind, boss? I thought I was your Second?”
Jack tossed the bag into the corner and began pulling on his BDU uniform. “You are my Second, Bob. That’s why I need you here.”
“No, you don’t need me here. Anybody could run this place while you’re gone. Nothing ever happens here.”
Jack paused and gave him a serious look. “You don’t get it, do you? We’re walking into the Lion’s den there, Bob. There’s a very good chance that they’re setting a trap for us that even I can’t second guess. We might not be walking out of there. I need you here to carry on if I don’t make it.”
“If you don’t make it, then Thorn doesn’t make it. I’m still not needed here.”
Jack’s mouth formed a tight line. “You and I are Thorn’s people now. If they decide to take him out, they may not stop there. They may well take out everybody associated with him. That’s me, you…Barbara. Do you really want to leave her and Bobby’s fate to the Lycans if something should happen to both of us?”
Robert considered the possibilities and shook his head. “No, I guess not.”
“I didn’t think so.” Jack finished pulling on his boots and laced them. “That’s why I need you here. If we’re lucky, nothing happens, we meet with the council, they see things our way and we come home. Easy-peasy.” Jack finished dressing and stood up, meeting Robert’s gaze. “But if I’m wrong and the shit hits the fan? You’re going to want to be here. For your family if nothing else.” He pulled Robert close and lowered his voice. “If we don’t check in at the appointed times, you pack up the family and get the fuck out of here, you read me?”
“Roger that.”
“I’m serious, Bob. No heroics over a pile of rocks on a sandy island. It’s not worth it. Order an evac and get as many people out of here as you can.”
“Where would we go that they couldn’t find us? I mea
n, you’re talking about the council here.”
Jack shrugged. “I’ll be dead, I won’t care. Go back to the squads and tell them what happened. You know Colonel Mitchell would love to have you back.”
“I guess we could.” Robert scratched at his chin then finally smiled.
“What are you grinning at?”
“Nothing. I just…well, I was afraid you’d lost confidence in me.”
Jack gave him a wide eyed stare. “Wow, Barbara’s right. You really are dense.”
“Thanks, boss.”
*****
Jay Wolf walked from the shop back to his house and paused at the rear door. I wonder if… He stepped to the corner of the house and peered past the bushes that lined the fence. He couldn’t see the dark sedan that had been so out of place earlier. Satisfied that the vehicle was gone, he tried to shake off the peculiar feeling that he was being watched.
He went back to the rear door of the house and stepped into the kitchen. “Hi, home, I’m honey.” His booming voice reverberated through the empty rooms. He looked around the dim kitchen and was rather shocked that none of the kids or Lisa yelled at him for being so loud. “Well ain’t that just a hell of a thing.”
He marched into the living room to see why the house seemed so silent and was stopped dead in his tracks. His wife was bound and gagged, her eyes wide with fear. None of the children were to be seen but two large men dressed all in black and wearing balaclavas stood on either side of her, weapons drawn and held on her. “What the hell is—”
“Mr. Wolf,” the voice came from his side and Jay fought the urge to snap his head around, his eyes glued to Lisa’s frightened form. Slowly he turned his head and found a third gunman standing in the hallway. “As long as you cooperate, your family won’t be harmed.”
“Exactly why am I supposed to believe you?” Jay hissed through clenched teeth.
The third gunman slowly strode down the hallway, a short barreled rifle pointed at Jay’s middle. “You can believe me or you don’t. Cooperate and you all live. Don’t cooperate…” The black clad man shrugged.
Homecoming Page 22
