BestTace

by Jana Leigh

  She never would have guessed that something had gone wrong with her plans. So far, everything had proceeded according to schedule.

  The next day and night went as expected. The zoo had been understandably upset and she had to take a few more hours than she originally thought to calm them down. Who would have guessed they would be this upset? True, they had lost a total of forty mated pairs; she just couldn’t get worked up about it so it was a good thing she was such a good actress. The rest of the day had gone right on schedule and she was at least happy about that. The officials had been also a little upset that she was leaving so soon after the mishap, she was sure they would continue to try and talk her into giving them more animals, but she explained that she had other pending diplomatic visits before returning home and could not possibly delay her timetable. Thankfully, they had not pressed the issue. She would have hated to have disappeared; it would have raised too many eyebrows.

  She was once again in the jet, and now flying into Denver. She was quite pleased that Julio had granted her wish and let her fly the plane. It cheered her up after her schedule being messed with; she’d had to cancel an entire morning of shopping to deal with the zoo’s board of directors. At least she could feel like she was soaring over the clouds while in the cockpit. Her skin was beginning to itch for a change. She frowned a little; since she was a teenager, she had not felt this unsettled. Something was bothering her eagle, and she did not have enough time to analyze it. The pilot came forward and her thoughts were quickly changed when he said they were approaching Denver.

  She could see the lights in the distance and she grinned. It was beautiful in the night sky, the lights of the Front Range sparkling and welcoming her. She was going to love her new home. Bama wanted to clap her hands in glee at the thought of the following fall. She would be settled into her job and on the first snow she would curl up in front of the fire and watch it fall from her condo. It was never too early to plan, she thought, it may only be April, but she would need to shop for boots and coats. What fun she would have!

  The plane bumped to the ground and she was jolted out of her thoughts, finally she was here in Denver, Colorado. It seemed like an eternity until they taxied to the hanger for private planes. Thank goodness her mother planned ahead far enough to lease the hanger for at least the next year. She would probably not need the plane that much but you never know when a quick trip to Chicago or New York for shopping would be required. In the morning Julio would be ferrying a new jet for the Aerie back to Venezuela, so by tomorrow evening, he’d be home with his wife and this plane would be at her disposal. “Julio, when you pick up the new plane in the morning, please get me some referrals for hiring a local ground crew and mechanic.”

  “That will be no problem, I’d be happy to, Bama. I’ll email you the names and contact information.”

  Thanking the men, she stepped out into the crisp, night, mountain air and smiled. She was here. The excitement of starting this new venture was surely going to keep her awake tonight. The car she arranged pulled up to the small private plane and a large man stepped out. She had gone with a shifter company and was pleased they had sent such a strong looking man to drive her. He would need it to get all of her bags.

  Bama smiled and went to sit in the car and wait to be driven to her new condo. She’d already looked it up on the internet. It was beautiful, she only hoped the doorman would be waiting as she requested, the driver may look big, but he would probably not wish to carry her luggage to the top floor, even for a large tip.

  She watched as the driver tied the trunks to the top of the car and shrugged when he grunted and pulled. Soon they were on their way and she looked around the city with excitement. Denver had many of the shops she was looking forward to visiting. Of course, New York would have been an amazing place to shop as well, she was happy that the biggest stores had branches here. She would not have to suffer at all. In fact, they had an amazing mall close to downtown where many of her favorite shops were located.

  She planned to visit them soon, maybe by the weekend; she would not be settled until she’d purchased a few things for her condo.

  Like most female eagles, her home was her nest and she was obsessive about having it just perfect. She was always making changes to the art and accessories of her living spaces. She never kept the same look for longer than a few months. She often changed wall colors or upholstery or drapes. Lately she’d become very interested in bedroom designs and hadn’t been happy with her sleeping rooms in some time, something always seemed to be missing, her king sized bed suddenly felt too small.

  Finally, she arrived at her building and she looked up and grinned. The doorman came out and opened her door, holding out his hand for her to get out. She planned on tipping him well for knowing how to treat a woman, and for continued good service.

  Some doormen just opened the doors and stood there bored. This older gentlemen actually led her into the building and assured her that her bags would arrive in the condo shortly.

  She looked around the large foyer and saw the restaurant that was there and the small boutique, and a salon spa combination that also shared the bottom floor. Bueno, she would get her hair and nails done in the morning before her meeting. Taking the key out of her purse and holding up the instructions, she walked to the elevator. The realtor had sent everything she needed to get into her new place. The ride up was smooth and she loved the gold accents inside the elevator. When she stepped out into the hallway, she sighed. Only two condos stood on the upper floor. Hers and the one owned by the elderly woman who owned the building. She went to her door and opened it.

  Lovely, she thought when she saw the furniture and décor of the room. Of course, she would have to change something in order to make it feel like her nest. Little things like her paintings and furniture throws. It was in deep brown and green, the effect reminded her of the outdoors, but she would need a little color. The earth tones were pretty but not totally her style. She longed to throw off her clothes and soar over her new home, looking for things she wanted to visit when she was in her other form, but for now she had to settle for looking out the large floor to ceiling windows that surrounded her.

  She looked around the condo and with every room found herself more and more pleased with her new home; once again it was the bedroom that seemed to be missing something. Still it was worthy of her, she thought and decided to take a picture with her phone and send it to her mother. Not right now she thought as the doorbell rang. She needed to get her things inside and then make her plans. The building may be wonderful, but she had to make sure it was also secure.

  Bama waited as her trunks and bags were brought in and smiled to the men who carried them. She gave them a generous tip so they would help her in the future. Many of her shopping days turned into piles of packages.

  Tomorrow was a big day. She was going to be meeting with Braden of the Old Council at an office downtown. Braden was supposed to be acting as a liaison for her and provide introductions to the New Council. She pulled several outfits she wanted out of her largest trunk and made sure there were no wrinkles in them. She would hang them all up, in case she changed her mind on what to wear. She knew herself well and liked to keep her options open. Of course, she had to look her best.

  She smiled and looked at the bright, blue suit she had chosen first. Her silver shoes would look amazing with it and of course, she had to accessorize her bag and jewelry to match. She then pulled out a silk dress in case the weather turned warm. She chose three additional outfits with mix and match separates, found all the shoes and bags that went with them and then chose the rest of her matching jewelry. Then of course, she had to go through and find stockings and lingerie to go with each outfit too. When she was done, she smiled. The outfits hung in the large walk in closet that had actually sold her on the condo. Well that and the owner allowed her to make modifications. There was a secret room between the back of the closet and the living room on the other side.

  It was a com
bination panic room and walk-in safe. She’d sent eagles from her old army unit to come up and put it in. She immediately checked that it was to her specifications.

  Then she stored all her valuables, tools, and electronics. Her mother had said that Braden had sounded erratic and demanding the last time they’d spoken. So she decided that rather than straight diplomacy, she’d put her other skills to use and check out the situation with and eagle’s eye.

  Bama went into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. Damnit. She was going to have to use a mask over night to take the dark circles from under her eyes. She’d been burning the candle at both ends and it was starting to take its toll on her. And she was not done yet. Tonight she would have to scope out where she was supposed to be tomorrow, but first a little ‘me’ time.

  She went into the bedroom, dragged her personal bag into the bathroom, and opened it.

  She started with her hair. She loved the short spiky look her white hair had, but sometimes if she was not careful it could look like a Mohawk, she hated that. All harpies had cowlicks at the top of their heads, like their eagle’s long crown feathers. She kept her human crown short like the rest to blend in. All shifters had to make sacrifices to hide their identities, this was hers. She would need a trim soon. So she brushed it and moussed it, her hair required daily conditioning and her personal hair supplies to look this good. Bama leaned over the counter and looked closely at her eyes. She had pansy eyes, dark in the center then a deep yellow raptor iris surrounded by a thick unusual shade of purple that outlined and highlighted the iris. Her mother said it was because of her royal ancestors. She didn’t care about that, it made her very unique and she loved it.

  Bama pulled out her night cream and rubbed it around her eyes, cleaning off the light make up she had applied earlier in the day. She had an olive complexion due to her Spanish lineage and she smiled. It looked amazing next to her white hair and light eyes; she had always been complemented on the stark difference. Her Harpy feathers had gone to a mixture of white gray and black now that she’d reached full maturity, luckily her human side remained platinum blonde for another forty to fifty years. Her full, naturally pink lips combined with her sharp blade of a nose and high angled cheekbones made her face seem regal.

  People had called her beautiful and she thanked them but didn’t really believe it. They hadn’t seen her with a naked face and blemishes, she had. She supposed she was just used to it, sometimes she liked her looks, and sometimes she didn’t. Besides she hadn’t earned her looks they were inherited from her ancestral mix. The harpy eagle people weren’t Aztec, or Mayan or Incan or even Spanish. Their territory ran roughly from 30º

  north of the equator to 40º south and so encompassed all three ancient peoples as well as many lesser known Amazonian tribes and other now extinct peoples. Bama’s blood ran from royalty on both sides; her Indian and her Spanish conquistador ancestors.

  Their culture was rich and unspoiled, so she tried to live up to it and have fun with it.

  Amazon princess jokes were favorites with her younger siblings. She was thankful to her parents for making sure she and they weren’t shallow or snobbish, no reality shows or endless nights clubbing and drinking, in fact, many of her girlfriends loved to hang out with her because she was a good friend and listener. Oh and she always gave them great tips on clothes, make up and of course, shoes. The best perk in her eyes was that her looks combined with her job as ‘Cultural Attaché’ made great camouflage for her covert military duties.

  She leaned back and smiled, her height was due to her mix of Spanish genetics and Eagle royalty, she stood six feet tall in her stocking feet. And unlike some tall women, she flaunted it by wearing three and four inch heels. She enjoyed food and refused to diet, keeping her shape with exercise. She had been trained in the ancient martial art of Capoeira and felt the need to work out and keep her techniques sharp. So her form, though well rounded, was quite firm.

  Her abuella liked to quote an old friend of hers, Teddy Roosevelt, who often used the old proverb ‘speak softly and carry a big stick’. So Bama spoke softly and her skills were the

  ‘big stick’. Finally getting all of her things arranged on the counter just the way she liked, she sighed and went back to the bedroom.

  Before she got into her favorite silk pj’s and robe, she had to finish her reconnaissance.

  Tomorrow, she would finish unpacking her clothes and see about finding a maid and selecting a laundry service; she was so excited to see the city. Before she went to sleep, she would remember to check her messages and take those pictures.

  Even though she was tired, she took the time to pull out her map of Denver, finding her building and the one where she’d be going tomorrow. It was nice being on the top floor of the 16th street condos. There was a roof garden, which would make it easier for her eagle to take off and land. Her military training made sure she never went anywhere unprepared so even though she was tired, she wouldn’t shirk her duty.

  Bama always preferred to know the lay of the land, it was an eagle trait; she was ready to check out her knew office. She already had plans to the building and a set of skeleton keys. It had taken a little longer but she also had gotten hold of the security codes used by the cleaning crews. People didn’t think of the cleaners and they had access to every room in the building. She quickly removed her clothes and stepped into her roof garden to call forth her eagle.

  Her mother taught her never to go into a new situation without being prepared. Show no emotion if things were wrong and no excitement if things were exactly as she wanted them. Braden had assured her that she would be happy, but she did not take things on face value.

  Her mission was clear, Braden would introduce her to the New Council, and they would build a liaison. Bama was not stupid though, her last conversation with Braden had struck her as a little odd, not having met the man in person she had shaken it off and promised her mother she would behave. Now, she would go and make sure that things were on the up and up. No one would ever know she had been in the building.

  She swooped and hung in the cool air, savoring the feeling of being able to stretch and spread her wings. The building came into view and she dove quickly for the rooftop. It was exactly how her men had mapped it out for her, she saw as she landed. She had carried a small pack in her talons. She pulled out the ballet flats and black tracksuit quickly pulling it on. The tracksuit had Velcro on the sides so she could quickly pull it off if she was in a hurry while running and then shift. She made her way into the interior of the building, making sure that no one saw her. Nice, the offices were very well organized and seemed to be exactly as her mother had expected. Good, no interior security cams, the electronic plans were correct. The small motion activated cameras she had wanted to place in all the sprinkler heads for that ‘bird’s eye view’ of each room hadn’t arrived yet. So she’d have to come back and place them Friday night, while the wolves were all out, howling at the moon.

  So much for worrying about the mission, Bama went back to the roof and shifted again.

  Just one more thing and she would be back in her apartment and sleeping. It was an address that her hacker group had found for her. No one, including her mother had been able to figure out what it had to do with the New Council. It was on the other side of the city from the Denver Pack headquarters. It was not even in the list of assets for the Denver Pack or the New Council. She had done her research on every person she would come into contact with. As far as she could tell, the address had only been mentioned once in an email from Braden to someone named Roarke.

  She flew quickly through the high buildings, when they began to get lower and darker she frowned. It was in the warehouse district. She flew low enough to see the street signs and then turned in circles until she saw the right building. It was large, the biggest on the block. And it was the only one lit up this late at night.

  She swooped lower and circled the building looking for a place to perch. She found a ledge on the building a
cross focused on the windows. An older woman paced and talked wildly with her hands to a younger, pretty blonde. The blonde may be pretty but she looked like a bitch with the sneer she was currently wearing and way too much make up on her face, someone needed to give this chica some beauty tips. Bama turned her head and wished she could hear exactly what they were saying; only bits and pieces were coming through loud enough for her to hear.

  “Reggie…..Alpha….soon,” the old woman said.

  “Quin…mine...Cami…dead,” the younger said. “Crazy old woman…Braden…not listening.”

  The older woman paused and glared at the younger, “Lola…never...Alpha.” Well this was fun, she wished she could get them to play charades, it would be quicker than trying to figure this shit out, too bad she had never learned to read lips. She finally gave up, thinking that soon she would make sure she met these women; she would just have to come up with a plan to get in the warehouse. She flew up quickly when she saw wolves walking around the corner. She was not sure why there was so much security for one warehouse, it didn’t look like anything but a storage area turned into apartments.

  How odd. She flew around the building to look from the other side. Through one of the windows, she could see cots set up and more shifters roaming around. It looked like this was some sort of training facility. Why would it not be listed with the Denver Pack? The only training facility she knew of was the one in the mountains. Her geeks had found great satellite pictures of the camp, it looked amazingly organized. This place looked a little sleazy.

  She would have to make calls when she returned to her condo. She flew a few more rounds then set off for home. There was one more thing she could do tonight, she sent out a mental call, soon flocks of pigeons were circling overhead as birds often do. She sent them mental images of the building and the people she’d noticed inside. For the next few days, if these wolves went anywhere, they would be seen. She told the flock where she could be found, they would bring the images to her. Then she took off back to her condo. When she landed in her garden, she sighed and shifted back. Quickly grabbing the clothes she had laid out, she went into her bedroom and pulled out her cell.