Special Ops Shifters: The Complete Series Collection (Shifter Nation)

by Meg Ripley

  “How’s the snow?” he answered.

  “Great, if that was the only thing I came out here for,” Garrison snickered.

  “I thought it was, in a way. Flint offered to take this one for you,” Drake reminded him.

  “Oh, trust me. I’ve been getting plenty of skiing in, but that’s because there’s nothing else here for me to do. The local clans have a problem, but I’m grasping at straws trying to figure out the cause. They have no idea what’s happening, so they’re no help at all.” Garrison shook his head. “I’m starting to think this is just a wild goose chase.”

  “The leaders weren’t able to give you any information?” Drake pressed. “No common enemies? No theories? Nobody who’s been attacked but managed to get away?”

  Garrison couldn’t stop his laugh. “The only suspect they’ve told me about is a fucking lake monster named Tahoe Tessie. You know, like Nessie? Next thing I know, they’ll be telling me Bigfoot is asking to join the SOS Force.”

  Drake let out a low whistle. “Wow. Thats... interesting.”

  “Interesting is a very nice way of putting it. Hell, I’m just as likely to be some big scaly monster from the deep as anyone else is.” He turned onto the next road, heading back toward his cabin. “I could always make this mission a little more fun and put in an appearance as Tahoe Tessie myself. I’m sure a dragon doesn’t look much different than a lake monster.”

  “Garrison…”

  “I’m kidding! I’m kidding! But I can almost guarantee you that when I check the footage on those cameras tonight, I’m not going to see anything different than I have already. It’ll just be a bunch of dumb tourists and empty forests. There’s nothing happening here, Drake.” He hadn’t realized until that moment just how badly he wanted to complete this mission. Sure, it was a free trip to Lake Tahoe, and he’d always wanted to go there, but he wanted it to be more than a vacation. He needed to feel useful.

  “But something is happening, or else we wouldn’t have gotten those calls,” the doctor pointed out. “I knew this wasn’t going to be a quick and easy one, and so did you. Maybe you can talk to some of the locals and get a better feel for the area.”

  “Yeah. And I’ll be sure to bring you a Tahoe Tessie t-shirt when I come back.” Garrison had no problem talking to strangers, but the people he’d met so far in the area hadn’t exactly enchanted him. Still, he couldn’t deny that a few casual conversations could be helpful. “I’ll keep seeing what I can dig up, and then I’ll get back to you.”

  “Sounds good. And Garrison?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Make sure you don’t get eaten by any lake monsters in the meantime.” Drake hung up before Garrison could cuss him out.

  Back at his cabin, Garrison stripped off his cold-weather gear and opened his laptop. The live feeds from the cameras were there waiting for him, and he knew when he reviewed the day’s footage that they would show the same images over and over again. The time of day would change, but he would simply see hikers heading out into the woods, tourists smiling and holding hands, and boaters spending a day on the lake. There was nothing remarkable or special about any of it.

  “Lake monster,” he muttered to himself as he skimmed through the film that showed a good view of the lake. “I could be a damn lake monster.” Irritated at his lack of progress and the useless information from the clan leaders, Garrison put his shoes back on and headed back out the door.

  Every day, he’d driven his rental car up the slopes to go skiing. But there was much more to do in Lake Tahoe than strap a pair of skis to his feet and play in the snow. This time, he turned downhill toward the water.

  The December air was chilly, but it hadn’t stopped people from gathering near the waterfront on public beaches. They huddled around small bonfires, talking, drinking, and enjoying the beautiful scenery. Garrison walked casually among them, listening for snippets of relevant conversation. But no one was saying their cousin had gone missing without a trace or even discussing the possibility of some dinosaur gliding under the blue depths of the water. It was all idle human conversation that had absolutely nothing to do with why he was there.

  He was just about to turn around and head back when he spotted a man struggling to drag a small boat out of the water. He glanced around nervously as he sloshed in the shallow water along the shoreline and strained to get the vessel onto the beach.

  Garrison trotted forward, put a hand on the boat, and gave it a good yank. It ground against the sand, no longer at risk of floating back out to the middle of the massive lake.

  “Thank you,” puffed the stranger, taking off his shoe and dumping the cold water out of it. “Now if I don’t die of cold exposure, I can count this as a good day.”

  “What exactly have you been doing?” Garrison eyed the equipment that filled the boat. There was an entire array of cameras, something that he assumed was an underwater microphone, and a depth finder. Several other gadgets he didn’t recognize filled the bottom of the boat as well. His stomach surged as he looked at them, thinking he already knew the answer.

  He looked up when the man didn’t answer and saw the look of fear on his face. Garrison smiled, turning on the charm he always used when giving a bid for a construction job and put out his hand. “The name’s Garrison, by the way.”

  “Lance Briggs, cryptozoologist.” Lance’s hand was chilly against Garrison’s, and his glasses drooped down to the tip of his nose as he began packing up his equipment.

  “You must be doing some important work to be using all this. I don’t think I’d even know how to turn it on.” Garrison gestured helplessly at all the electronics.

  The flattery was enough, and Lance must’ve forgotten about his cold feet. He grinned as he shoved his wireframe glasses back into place on the bridge of his nose. “Oh, I am. I’m going to find Tahoe Tessie.”

  “But people have been trying to do that for years,” Garrison replied, doing his best to sound suitably impressed. He’d spent some of his free time in his cabin researching this nonsense, even though he’d felt completely ridiculous doing so. Still, he didn’t want his disbelief to translate into his own ignorance, especially if everyone else thought this creature might be real. “How are you going to do it? I mean, this is a huge place.”

  “Oh, no doubt about that. Lake Tahoe covers almost two-hundred square miles, and it’s got an average depth of about a thousand feet. I’m not exactly fishing in a barrel, here.” Lance glanced around to see if anyone was listening. “I’ve got some secrets. I really can’t talk about them.”

  “I promise I’m not going to say anything. I’ve always been interested, but I’ve never gone hunting for the monster myself. I don’t really know anything.” Garrison knew this guy was his best bet when it came to Tahoe Tessie, even if he was a nut job.

  “Clearly not, if you’re referring to her as a monster,” Lance replied stiffly. “She’s an amazing creature. I’ve been lucky enough to see her myself.”

  “Really?” Garrison did his best to sound impressed, even though he didn’t believe the man for a second. “You’re so lucky. That’s why I decided to vacation here, actually. Just hoping to get a glimpse.”

  The pseudoscientist opened a padded bag and loaded the camera equipment in it. “I’ll tell you about it if you help me carry all this back to my van.”

  “No problem.” Garrison easily grabbed several of the bags and boxes, not really giving a shit what was inside them or what Lance would have to say about his encounter. He just wanted to get to the bottom of this and rule out the theory of some mythical creature that might or might not be abducting shifters.

  “It was five years ago,” Lance began. “I took a trip here to get away from it all after my wife left me. I didn’t know what else to do with myself. I couldn’t sleep, so I came out walking on the beach. The moon was full, and that was when I saw her. She was gliding just under the surface of the water, moving so easily, like she was flying. I must have gasped or something, because she turned
and looked straight at me. We just stared at each other for a second, and then she was gone. She moved so quickly, it was like she hadn’t even been there.”

  It wasn’t all that amazing of a story, and Garrison thought the encounter could just as easily be the imaginings of a depressed man who hadn’t slept. “That’s incredible. What do you think she was doing?”

  Lance lifted one shoulder as they stepped into the parking lot. “Probably the same stuff any wild creature does. You know, hunting for food, looking for a mate.”

  This caught Garrison’s attention. “A mate? You think there’s more than one?”

  “Oh, no. I didn’t mean to imply that. I think there’s just her. But that doesn’t mean she isn’t looking for a mate. That’s only natural.” He stepped up to a big black van with a giant graphic of Tahoe Tessie emblazoned on the side. With a long neck and paddle-like legs, the creature looked like a placid dinosaur.

  “I’ve got a weird question for you.”

  “Shoot.” Lance opened the back door of the van to reveal even more equipment.

  “Do you think Tessie would ever hurt anyone?” Garrison handed over the bags and cases as Lance reached for them, and he wondered just how many people were out there actively trying to find the creature.

  Lance sighed and shook his head. “That’s like asking someone if their dog will bite. Just because they haven’t bitten anyone yet doesn’t mean they won’t. I don’t know of anyone who’s had their leg torn off by Tessie, and I’m sure that just like any other wild creature, she’d rather stay away from humans if she can help it. But if someone cornered her or hurt her? Then, yeah. That might be different. I used to be a biology teacher, you see, so I do know a few things.”

  “I don’t imagine there’s much money in studying monst—I mean, Tessie.”

  “Not exactly,” Lance replied with a laugh. “Or at least, there isn’t for most people.” He took the last bag and tucked it away in the back of the van before slamming the door. “And there hadn’t been for me for a long time, but I pursued it anyway. Now I can do it full time because I’ve got a patron who’s just as interested in finding her. You see, he’s determined to finally prove once and for all that there’s an unusual creature in that lake, and he’s going to make a big profit off it.” The scientist nodded appreciatively.

  Garrison pursed his lips. “I’d think that’s actually the opposite of what you’d want.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean that if you’re a biologist and if you care about this animal, then you wouldn’t be thinking about the money.” Garrison could hardly believe he was even engaging in this conversation, and yet there he was debating the ethics and morals of monster hunting.

  “Hey, I’m finally getting paid to do what I love. And you should see the plans this guy has. He’s actually going to put her in captivity! That means I’ll get to be the scientist who studies her, the person everyone goes to for questions. The opportunities that’ll open up for me once this happens are absolutely off the register. I mean, I’ve got to find her first, but I’m working on some tracking equipment that should help. There’s no way I’m turning it down.”

  “Sure. If you don’t get eaten first, anyway.”

  It was getting dark, and Lance’s face was now just a series of shadows. “I’m smarter than that.”

  “I hope so. Where are you going to keep a creature that big, anyway?” Garrison gestured vaguely over his shoulder as though the monster was right there on the edge of the lake, listening in.

  “Look, I’ve already said too much. My sponsor isn’t putting much information out there until it’s all official. You know, he doesn’t want to put out more hype than he can live up to. But let’s just say there’s a certain casino around here that’s going to be making money on more than a few bad gambles. I’ve got to go.” Lance headed around the side of his van and got into the passenger seat.

  Turning away from the parking lot, Garrison wondered what the hell he was doing out there. This was the most insane mission he’d ever been on by far.

  A blow of Lance’s horn turned him around again. “Hey, if you decide to go looking for her, be careful,” he said from the driver’s seat before speeding off toward the road.

  It was fully dark now. That hadn’t disturbed the clusters of people on the beach with their bonfires, who were now even more drunk than they had been before. Garrison slipped past them and back to the water. He found a dock, one that stretched far out into the water, and stepped slowly out onto it. The night was moonless, with only the glow of distant house lights reflecting over the water.

  Whoever usually tied their boat there had either anchored somewhere else or was still out there on the water. Garrison stood at the end of the dock and stared down into the murky depths, which were so bright and clear during the day. He had bigger—or perhaps more real—problems to be taking care of than the idea of some fabled beast living in the water, yet it called to him. He sat heavily on the edge of the dock, taking off his shoes and letting his feet dangle. The water was bitterly cold, and yet somehow enticing. It cooled that inner heat that always burned within him, the fire that demanded so much from him and constantly reminded him just how alone he was in this world as the only man with a flame in his chest.

  He glanced over his shoulder and smoothed his hair back, making sure no one was watching. His clothes made the softest noise as he stripped them off and set them on the wooden boards, and he slipped off the dock.

  Even knowing how cold it was, the water was still a shock to his system. He sucked in a breath of air as his body adjusted. Garrison was still aware just how easily he could be seen when the next boat came by, and he ducked under the surface as he made his way toward the center of the lake.

  He was swimming in complete blackness, a frigid blanket that wrapped him up and welcomed him. Garrison hadn’t realized just how appealing it was to go swimming in winter, and he wondered why he’d never tried it before. His muscles relaxed, and the worries of the mission were left at the dock with his clothes as he continued to make his way out. It would be a long time before he ever reached the center of the lake and certainly an eternity before he could get to the other side, but for the first time in as long as he could remember, he had no goal. This wasn’t a construction project to complete so he could move on to the next one. It wasn’t even part of the mission. He simply existed, and it was pure bliss.

  His body shifted almost without thought, his spine lengthening and stretching to accommodate his tail, which swished languidly in the water behind him. Garrison allowed his body to sink a little lower as his wings unfurled. This particular part was normally painful, no matter how many times he’d done it, but the cold water made it pleasant. He flapped them experimentally, grinning to himself as he noted how quickly they made him shoot forward. It was like flying, but easier. He dipped his spiked head in and out of the water, certain now that no one could see his dark emerald scales in the water if they happened by, and he laughed at the thought that some tourist might even think he was Tahoe Tessie.

  But as he experimented with how his body moved in this new place, Garrison suddenly realized he wasn’t alone. He paused, his head just breaking the surface of the water so that his eyes could scan for boats or some random skinny-dipper who’d ventured too far from shore. All was dark and quiet, and yet there was a tingling feeling racing down his spine that told him he wasn’t the only one out there.

  A dark shape slipped past, nothing more than an indication of a life form. Garrison moved his wings to push himself backward, preferring to watch from a distance. But whoever this was, it was someone who moved under the water more easily than he did. They circled around him, undoing his effort at keeping back.

  He caught the flash of a scale, the obsidian color absorbing what little light was available as it shone on a tail or a neck or… was that a wingtip? A head appeared, a head remarkably like his own.

  Garrison’s tongue moved in his mouth, some ancient inst
inct trying to spur him to speak in a language that neither he nor anyone else knew any longer. How long had it been? How did he even talk to someone of his own kind? Was this someone of his own kind?

  The questions raced through his mind, but as the other dragon surfaced, showing him for a moment the curve of her head and the sharpness of her wing, there was something more than speech on his mind. His body was reacting, chemicals rushing in his bloodstream. The other dragon was no longer circling him, and Garrison felt himself moving closer to her. He reached out, wanting to know what someone else’s scales felt like against his claws.

  But the other dragon darted away, creating a series of ripples across the surface of the water. She completely disappeared for a moment, reappearing ten yards away. She kept her body hidden this time, showing only her head as he’d done a moment ago. Garrison had never realized just how mythical he looked from a certain angle.

  “It’s all right,” he finally managed to say out loud, treading water and being cautious not to get too close. Whoever she was—and he couldn’t even say how he knew this thing was a she, but he did—Garrison had to find some way to talk to her. “I’m not here to hurt you.”

  The dragon watched him but said nothing, one long blink eclipsing her bright eye for only a moment.

  Garrison held his breath, his inner fire building and his temperature skyrocketing. He could feel the water around him turn from frosty to tepid, an ashy taste forming at the back of his mouth as he held it in. He dipped his mouth under the water, allowing the cold liquid to seep between his teeth for a moment before he completely exploded. He dared to move only a few inches closer.

  There was a small splash, and then the other dragon was gone.

  “Wait!” Garrison ducked his head under the water, searching through the depths, but it was no use. He couldn’t see a damn thing. He shot forward, reaching out with every limb, expecting to bump into her like one of those pool games kids played. But his hands didn’t touch a scaled hide or a leathery wing or even a stick. He was completely alone once again.