by Missy Jane
“Who are you, Andor?”
I realized that should have been my very first question.
“Before the division I was an FBI agent for the American government. My alpha saw no reason to waste my skills, so I do a very similar job now.”
“You guys have an FBI?”
“Not quite, but it’s the closest analogy I can think of to explain it in under two hours,” he replied with a grin.
I frowned as he turned and walked toward the door. Then he abruptly stopped and looked back at me.
“How far away are the watch towers from here?” he asked.
The watch towers were set along the wall every twenty miles and gave a view of the entire city on both sides.
“Why?”
“Can I fly from your roof without being seen?”
I considered it. Not only whether it was possible, but whether I wanted him to have that information. I thought of his abilities, and decided he’d get past my security if he wanted to no matter who saw him cross over the wall.
“Yeah, you should be able to at this hour.”
“Great. I have photos of the missing shifters, as well as a few files I would like for you to read. May I return tomorrow night with them?”
“Yes. But you’d better be alone.”
“Of course.”
He walked over to one of my windows and pushed it open, leaning his upper body completely out. He turned toward the building and crawled out and up. I heard his claws on the outside of the building and a visual of him as the eagle flashed in my mind.
“Too damn weird,” I mumbled as I walked over to shut the window.
I peered outside, but all I saw was darkness.
Chapter Four
I woke earlier in the day than I was used to. The sun blared high in the sky, and I knew I had too much time to kill. My shift started at nine and wouldn’t end until sunrise. I realized I had no idea when Andor was supposed to show up. I expected him to wait until after dark, but that would only give him about a two-hour window before I went on duty.
”Not my problem,” I muttered to myself as I stumbled out of bed and headed to the bathroom.
It wasn’t too hard for me to ignore the events of the previous evening as I’d settled into bed for the night. However, as I was in the shower looking at my hands by the light of day streaming in the small window, I couldn’t shake the feel of Andor’s feathers. I closed my eyes and remembered the sensation of running my fingers over the silky softness and I shivered. It was starting to piss me off how attracted I was to him. As a man he’s gorgeous, no doubt about it. But he isn’t a man, he’s a shifter, and I seem to have trouble remembering sometimes.
I finished my shower and dressed, considering why my opinion of Andor was so different from other shifters. He had the same animal eyes, the same feral presence I’d begun to notice in the stronger males. Even if I didn’t know what a shifter was, one look at him would make me wary. So why in the hell was I thinking about him when no other man had created such a reaction in me since my husband? I had no idea, and I was trying not to think on it too hard. I braided my waist-length black hair to keep it effectively out of my face. The only time it ever gets this long is when I forget to have it cut off. I used to be very feminine before my life went to shit. Now I do the least of what it necessitates to keep my body clean and functioning. I don’t think I even remember how to put on lipstick anymore.
There weren’t a lot of things to do around my area of town at this time, something I realized since I actually had some free time. My normal schedule left little daylight for me to enjoy and I spent the evenings reading. I walked into the sun and blinked, holding a hand above my eyes for shade, deciding at once to wander around. I prefer schedules, always have, always will. Wandering aimlessly for any amount of time has never been my thing. But I suddenly had the yen to try it, so I stepped through my gate and gave it a go. It lasted oh, about five minutes, and then I was annoyed and looking for something to do. Before I realized where I was going, I found myself looking up at Castor Laboratory.
The building itself looked like any slab of offices in a normal downtown setting. Sunlight glinted off the tenth-story windows and I stared, wondering why bars covered most of them. I suppressed a shiver and realized I felt uneasy standing in the shadow of the lab. I’ve never been one to rely on superstition, but when my gut decides to scream at me, I listen. I turned to walk away until I heard a familiar laugh on the breeze.
I stood on one side of the lab, around the corner from the main entrance that resembled an upscale hotel in décor and foot traffic. Behind me stood the back entrance for shipping and receiving, also a happening place on this sunny afternoon. As I rounded the back corner Lance came into view a few feet away, standing with his back to me as he spoke to a girl in uniform seemingly on a smoke break. I couldn’t make out what they were saying, but I could read Lance’s body language from a mile away. He was working it for all he was worth. I suppressed a laugh and walked away to find some food.
I only made it two blocks before I heard someone shout my name. I turned toward the voice with a frown, which deepened when I saw who it belonged to.
“Hey, Bruce, what’s up?”
I tried to sound friendly but failed. He didn’t seem to notice.
“Where’re ya headed? Goin’ for lunch?” he asked, as enthusiastic as a puppy.
“No.”
“I am, wanna join me?”
“No.”
I turned away and began walking, fully expecting him to take the hint. He didn’t.
“So, where ya goin’? Mind if I tag along?”
“Bruce, I don’t know where I’m going, and yes I do mind.”
“Aww, come on, sweetheart. You shouldn’t be walking all alone. I can keep ya company.”
Bruce was one of the few men in my unit who actually tried to flirt with me. Most of the others knew I’d beat them in a fair fight, regardless of body mass. I’m five-eight and have what I like to think of as a Barbie on steroids look. I’m not saying I’m Wonder Woman, hell in certain outfits you can’t even tell I have muscles. But I have trained in hand-to-hand combat as well as jujitsu for the past two years. I’m nowhere near the best, but so far I’m better than most of the men around me. I also refuse to take shit from any of them. I don’t scream sexual harassment, but I let them know pretty quickly what isn’t going to fly. Some don’t use the sense god gave them.
“Bruce, I want to be alone. Go away.”
“You’re always alone, Alexia. That just ain’t good for anyone. Come on, baby, let’s go grab some lunch.”
I stopped abruptly and Bruce walked right into my back, pushing me forward a step. I whirled around and glared at him as he tried to keep his balance without touching me.
“Whoa, sorry, baby. I didn’t mean to—”
I grabbed him by the throat.
“If you call me baby, honey, sweetheart or anything else that isn’t Alexia again I’m going to knock you on your ass! Got it?”
He stared at me for a second, too surprised to speak.
“Uh-huh,” he gasped, as I tightened my grip.
Luckily for Bruce, he was smart enough to not try and pull away. I glared at him and calmed myself. We’d made it as far as the pub and there were people watching us. I cursed under my breath and let him go.
“What’s wrong, Alexia? I just wanna have lunch with you,” he said, sounding too pitiful for words. I was even more tempted to deck him.
“She already has a date for lunch,” said a voice in the small crowd.
We both turned to see who it was and my jaw dropped. Andor strode out of the crowd and walked towards us at a leisurely pace as if he had all the time in the world. He was dressed in a tailor-made, dark brown business suit. His long hair was pulled back into a thick braid, and he wore custom sunglasses.
I shut my mouth, with effort, as he stepped up beside me and stuck his hand out to Bruce.
“Andy Olson, an old friend of Alexia’s.�
�� Bruce shook his hand and gave his name and rank as if Andor should be impressed. He didn’t appear to be. “Well, as you can see Alexia already has a date for lunch, if you would excuse us.”
Andor didn’t bother to wait for a reply as he grabbed my hand and pulled me in the opposite direction. I allowed it for the sole purpose of getting away from Bruce as fast as possible. As soon as we rounded a corner and were out of sight, I stopped and pulled my hand away.
“What the hell was that?” I asked.
Andor stopped and turned to face me with a frown.
“My apologies, Alexia, I thought he was bothering you. Did I misunderstand?”
He sounded so calm it just made me angrier.
“No. You didn’t misunderstand. What the hell are you doing here in the middle of the day?”
“I must travel north this evening so I had to come earlier than expected to give you the information I mentioned last night. I’m sorry to show up without warning.”
I took a deep breath to calm my rattled nerves.
“You just walked through the checkpoint?”
“Yes. I have my ways,” he said quickly as I opened my mouth to ask how.
“I’m sure you do,” I muttered with a frown.
“Here is the information.”
He held out three small round discs in one hand, each about the size of a half dollar. I took them and looked at him with a raised brow. Andor smiled and reached into his jacket. I tensed and took a step away, placing my hand on my gun.
“I’m giving you the device to use those, Alexia,” he said calmly.
I nodded, but remained on alert. Andor pulled a small metal device from his jacket. It looked like a digital voice recorder I’d had in college, except it was slimmer than most cell phones.
“Place a disc in here and point it at a blank wall or surface. Then press this button and an image will appear. The arrows will allow you to move through the information.” I took the device from him and slipped it into my pocket with the discs. “Someone is coming, I must go now. I will be gone for three days then I will come see you again to discuss any new information. Do you have any questions?”
“No.”
“Fine. Goodbye, Alexia.”
Andor turned and walked away and I watched him, feeling a little upset we didn’t actually have a lunch date.
“I must be losing my mind,” I muttered under my breath, before I remembered he’d probably hear me.
I heard people walking toward me and I turned around. It wasn’t anyone I knew, and they were too busy talking to each other to notice me. I looked back toward Andor, but he was nowhere to be seen. I sighed and shook my head, then went to find something to eat.
After a quick lunch, I returned to my loft to view the discs. It took three hours for me to read through all of the information Andor had given me. I don’t know what I’d been hoping for, perhaps some sudden insight into the world of shifters. Maybe I thought I would be able to see something obvious to me that had eluded him all this time. Whatever I was hoping for, it wasn’t there, and by the time I was done I had a ton of questions. I made notes, wrote down my thoughts and questions for Andor and took a nap. I dreamt of golden eagles and the softness of feathers against my skin.
Chapter Five
I was early for my shift as usual. When you live and breathe the job there never seems to be a problem getting there on time. When I climbed onto the wall Kotori was on duty, smoking a cigar and looking like a snake about to strike. His strong cheekbones and black hair announced his Native American heritage to every eye that gazes his way. I once asked him what his people thought of the shifters, considering their mystical ways. He laughed at me and said he never asked his people, since they were all dead.
“Hey, Kotori, what’s up?” I asked as I tried to slide past him.
There was more than enough room for three people to walk abreast, but he stood dead center, somehow taking up all the room and refused to move for me, ever the hard ass.
“Excuse me,” I said as I bumped into him.
He grabbed my right arm and pulled me to his chest. I stiffened, but didn’t dare go for a weapon. That’s what he wanted. No, Kotori and I had played this particular game too many times for me to allow him to trap me in the familiar corner. If I went for a weapon it was like giving him permission to go for one too. I might be faster than him, and I might not. I was never curious enough to find out.
“Let go of me, Kotori,” I hissed between clenched teeth.
“What’s wrong, Alexia? You don’t like being touched by a man?” he whispered in my ear.
This was his usual question. Why is it any time a woman is strong enough to compete with the men they assume she’s a lesbian? Assholes.
“Of course not, Kotori. If only a real man would touch me, I would be perfectly happy,” I replied with a grin.
He gave a short chuckle and released my arm, taking a drag on his cigar.
“There ain’t shit going on tonight, Lexi. I was hoping you’d provide me some entertainment before the end of my shift.”
“Sorry to disappoint, Tori, but you’ll get over it.”
“Heh, yeah I guess.”
He looked away from me and threw his cigar butt to the ground on the Circe side.
“You’re early,” he said as he turned back to face me.
“Yeah, so?”
“So, you know Jack hates it when you show up this early for your shift. You always interrupt his fun,” he said with a knowing grin.
“Shit,” I muttered, as I turned away from Kotori and started running along the wall.
“Don’t tell him I said anything,” he called after me.
“I never do, you bastard,” I hollered back over my shoulder.
Jack had been our immediate superior according to rank my entire two years on the wall, and we all hated him. He was an asshole plain and simple. If anyone ever asked anything of him he would do the opposite out of spite, and he loved to inflict pain. He got off on it. One of his favorite hobbies was to pick up unwary shifters and torture them under the guise of “interrogating” them. Now I know it might seem odd I would be running to save a shifter from torture, but Jack had a particular taste I never agreed with. He liked young boys.
The first time I caught Jack in the act, I was torn between my hatred for shifters and my morals as a decent human being. I’ve never believed in torture. I just kill what needs to die as quickly as possible. My moral dilemma lasted all of five seconds and I punched Jack square in the face. The men on duty with me freed the shifter and sent him back over the wall. As far as I know they dumped him in the red zone where he was most likely to be found. I don’t even know if he is still alive.
Jack was pissed when he woke and he threatened to have me discharged. I laughed in his face. My record is squeaky clean while his is so mud-splattered I don’t know how in the hell he walks around free. He knew it was an empty threat as well as I did and he shut up about it. No one mentioned it and it happened again, and again. In my two years on the wall I’ve rescued eight shifters from Jack’s clutches and I’m getting pretty damn sick of it.
I ran into the red zone and straight to the guard tower at its center. There was a guy at the door, but when he saw me coming he turned and walked off in the opposite direction. There I was, with big strong men who fought shifters and human criminals every day surrounding me, and I was the only one with the balls to stop a fucking child molester. Most of the others argued shifters didn’t count and therefore I shouldn’t waste my time and energy. I tried to listen to them sometimes, I truly did. But if you’ve ever looked into the big round eyes of a child shifter you would understand. They might have been bred from monsters but monsters they are not. Not yet.
I burst through the door and pounded up the steps, taking them two at a time. I wanted to draw my gun, but knew it would be a bad idea. I drew my sword instead. At the top of the stairs, another guard stood facing me.
“Hey, Sean, what’s wrong? You man en
ough to tie them down but not to watch what he does to them?” I asked angrily.
He gave an exaggerated sigh.
“Whatever, Lex. You know I’m just following orders,” he replied.
“Yeah, the perfect little soldier. Move out of my fucking way.”
For a moment, I thought he might fight me. He gave me a look that said he was sizing me up. However, Sean and I had sparred before and he isn’t a fan of pain. He stepped past me and walked down the stairs to the door, raising his radio to his lips. I watched until the door shut behind him. I took a deep breath and strode into the room.
The first thing I saw was blood. There was a lot of it, and in the middle of it all stood Jack naked from the waist up. His chest and arms were covered in blood, as if he had dipped his body into it and tried to bathe. My stomach tried to rebel at the sight and smell and I froze in my tracks. Jack had a whip in his hands that had been black when he started, but now it was crimson and dripping.
“My God… You son of a bitch,” I whispered.
Jack heard me and looked up, his smile slipping away.
“What the hell are you doing here, Lex? It’s too early for your shift,” he said calmly.
“You know me, ever the overachiever.”
I looked at the heap at Jack’s feet, and that was all I could call it, a heap. It no longer resembled anything that ever lived, human or animal. The ropes were still on his hands, but he had long ago fallen from whatever Jack had him tied to. He wasn’t even moving any more.
“Jack, what have you done?” I asked, unable to keep the trembling from my voice.
“Done? Ha-ha, I did what you do best, Alexia. I killed it. I killed it and it screamed for me until its last breath. It sounded human at first, but near the end… Near the end it sounded like a cat.”
He started laughing. He laughed until tears streamed down his face, cleaning tracks through the blood, and all I could do was stand there staring at him. He was still laughing when Lance arrived with a half dozen other men. Jack let them take him into custody, all the while laughing.
