Web Master (#8 Shifter Squad)

by J. C. Diem

  Blow drying my hair, I dressed in my usual white singlet and tiny pink sleeping shorts then stepped into the bedroom. Zeus had taken up a spot near the end of the bed, placing himself between us and the door. I wasn’t about to let him wander the grounds alone. I wanted to keep him close to us until we were gone from here. He opened an eye, wagged his stump of a tail then promptly went back to sleep.

  Reece’s reaction was far more intense. His stare was hungry as I crossed the room and climbed into bed with him. I didn’t try to fend him off when he reached for me. We shared a kiss that started out tender and quickly turned scorching.

  “I’m sure you’re giving the security guards a thrill right now,” Flynn drawled, reminding us that we were under surveillance. He spoke too quietly for the guards to be able to hear him.

  We could pull the covers up so they can’t see us, Reece suggested hopefully.

  Seriously tempted, I sighed and pulled away slightly. I can’t. Not when I know they’re watching us. Having Kala and Flynn right next door was also a major turn off.

  The guards would probably take bets on how long it would take us to finish, Reece thought darkly. I descended into a fit of giggles and he pulled me against his side. He patiently waited for my laughing fit to pass. Now that our minds were entwined so tightly, he was aware of my strange sense of humor. It was just one of the things he loved about me.

  “I do, you know,” he said to that thought.

  “Do what?”

  “Love you.”

  “I know.” I’d never been more certain of anything. I was more grateful than I could ever express that he was now mine. “I love you, too.”

  “Crap,” Kala muttered and reached for a tissue. “I hate it when you two get all gooey.” She sniffed back a sob then blew her nose.

  “You’re a sentimental fool,” Flynn murmured fondly.

  “I wonder if Mark and Ava are naked yet,” she said after she had herself under control again.

  Reece had an answer for that question. “They’re just talking.”

  “How do you know that?” she asked suspiciously.

  “We can hear them,” I told her. “They’re right beneath us, two floors down.” The walls were much thicker than normal, but we could just hear them.

  “What are they saying?”

  “They’re talking about someone that Ava used to know,” Reece told her. “Her name is Heather. I think she was her sister. She was killed by a rogue shifter a decade ago and Ava tried to hunt the weretiger down on her own. Mark was hunting the guy as well. He apparently saved Ava’s life. Since she already knew monsters existed, he told her about the PIA. She joined up and has been indebted to him ever since.”

  “She feels more for him than just gratitude,” Flynn said. “I’m pretty sure she’s in love with him.”

  “Why wouldn’t she be?” Kala said. “Mark is a catch. She’d be crazy not to want him.”

  Her abrupt change of attitude confused me. “I thought you didn’t like her.”

  “I don’t dislike her. I guess I’m jealous because she’s prettier than me.”

  “No she isn’t,” Flynn scoffed. “You’re both beautiful, in your own way.”

  “Aww, thanks, bro.” Her affection flowed through the wall to him.

  “We should try to get some sleep,” Reece said. “We’re going to have a long day tomorrow.”

  “Yes, Dad,” both Flynn and Kala intoned at the same time. I was hit with another laughing fit and did my best to muffle it with my hand. Reece sent me a stern look, which I ignored completely and snuggled against his side. I knew his annoyance was just pretense.

  I could almost hear a groan of disappointment from the watching security guards when they realized there wouldn’t be any naked action in our room. Closing my eyes, I listened to Reece’s strangely slow heartbeat and succumbed to sleep.

  Reece was already up and was shaving in the bathroom when I woke the next morning. I wasn’t disappointed that we hadn’t been able to share the intimacy that we both craved. There would be plenty of time for us to have sex later, or so I hoped.

  “Is everyone awake?” Mark called out from his room.

  “Yes,” we chorused.

  “Good. Breakfast will be ready in ten minutes.”

  “A little more warning would have been nice,” Kala muttered and scrambled for the shower.

  Ten minutes later, we’d showered, dressed and had packed our bags. We left our rooms to find Ava standing beside Mark in the hallway. She was presumably going to escort us to breakfast. She wore a navy suit today, breaking from the usual somber black and gray. “I hope you all had a pleasant evening,” she said politely. She and Mark would make a good match, I realized. They were both so proper that it was almost painful.

  “Some of us did,” Kala grouched and rolled her eyes at Reece and me.

  Mark sent her a narrow glare that bounced right off her without any discernable effect. “I trust I didn’t miss anything important last night?” he asked as we followed Ava downstairs.

  “Viktor D’Ath paid me a visit when Flynn and I took Zeus for a walk,” I said.

  Ava almost missed a step at that. She sent me a startled look over her shoulder. “The necromancer was able to get through our wards without us being aware of it?”

  “It looks like it,” I shrugged. “I think he was teleported in and out by the same person who was controlling the ghost and the zombie.” The wards only worked when someone passed through them. Teleporters could bypass them completely.

  “I’d love to know what their end game is,” Mark said almost to himself. “They tried to discredit you, but for what reason?”

  “Maybe they want the Board to turn against her so she’d have to leave the PIA,” Kala said. “Maybe they want to offer Lexi a job.”

  She’d meant it as a joke, but Flynn sent her a strange look. “I think you might be on to something there.”

  Mark came to a stop and the rest of us followed suit. “What do you mean?”

  Flynn often had insights that escaped the rest of us. We all wanted to know what truth he’d gleaned this time. “They took Viktor along with the golem heads because he’s a necromancer. What if they need Lexi on their side as well? Maybe one corpse raiser isn’t enough.”

  “Do you think their plan is to raise an army of zombies?”

  Flynn shrugged, suddenly unsure of himself. “I don’t know. If so, why do they need the golems?”

  “Maybe they’re going to raise more than one army,” Kala suggested. “Maybe they’re going to use the undead as well as the golems. Zombies are almost as strong as shifters and they don’t feel pain. They’d be effective warriors.”

  “How dangerous can two golems really be, though?” Flynn asked. “We managed to take them down easily enough.” That was true, but we hadn’t managed to keep them imprisoned for long. No one needed a reminder of that.

  “What if they’re planning on creating more of them?” I pointed out. “For all we know, they might create hundreds of golems. Each one could have the ability to control different animals.” That thought sent a chill down my spine. Humans wouldn’t stand a chance against an army of stone golems and the animals that they could control.

  “It sounds like one person is creating the golems,” Flynn reminded me. “Surely he’s limited in the number that he can make. Laurylayne said he has to give up part of his soul each time he makes one and that he’ll become more and more evil each time.”

  “I’m pretty sure he’s already pure evil,” Kala said. “He probably doesn’t care if he loses whatever is left of his soul.” On that despondent note, we resumed our trek to breakfast.

  ₪₪₪

  Chapter Thirteen

  Ava led us down to the ground floor then headed deeper into the mansion. We followed a series of hallways that eventually took us to a dining room. A long table took up the left side of the room. It was large enough to seat thirty people. A buffet table had been set up to the right. A wide variety of
food was on display.

  “Outta my way,” Kala said and elbowed her way to the front of our group. “If I don’t get coffee in the next five seconds, someone is going to lose their head.”

  Ava shifted away slightly and I wondered if she knew what we were. If her sister had been killed by a rogue shifter, then she’d be understandably wary of our kind. Only the Board were supposed to know about our dual natures, but it seemed that at least one other person was aware. I was amazed she was able to be near us without running and screaming.

  “Kala’s bark is worse than her bite,” Mark said and touched her on the shoulder reassuringly. He frowned at Kala, who sent him a sardonic look at his choice of words. Rolling her eyes at his silent reprimand, she became engrossed in filling a plate with food.

  A bowl full of dog food had been placed on the floor beside the buffet table. Someone had been smart enough to place a protective layer of plastic over the carpet. Zeus scarfed the food down, leaving the usual mess behind. Still hungry, he eyed the buffet. He was tall enough to be able to reach up and snatch the closest dish.

  “Don’t even think about it,” I warned him. Sending me a sullen look, he told me he needed to go out. “I’m going to let Zeus outside,” I said to the others. “Make sure you leave me some food.”

  “I’m not going to promise you anything,” Kala said as she heaped a second plate full of pastries. She’d already filled a mug with coffee and had downed half of it.

  I had no idea how to get to the kitchen from the dining room, but Reece came to my rescue. He had an uncanny sense of direction and never seemed to get lost. I followed the route he sent me and it took me straight to the kitchen. I let Zeus out and told him to stay close. Putting his nose to the ground, he gave a low woof and took off.

  I retraced my route to the dining room by following my own scent rather than relying on my memory. I loaded up a plate with toast and pastries and took a seat across from Reece. He’d thoughtfully poured me a mug of coffee. We took our usual seats with Mark sitting at the head of the table and Kala to his right. Flynn was on his left and I sat next to Kala. Ava had left the room. I wasn’t sure if Kala had spooked her away, or if she’d already eaten.

  “Did you and Ava have a nice time last night?” Kala asked. She smiled and revealed blueberries stuck in her teeth.

  Shuddering at the unsightly image, he nodded. “I haven’t seen her for a few months. It was nice to catch up with her.”

  “Did they ever catch the weretiger that was responsible for killing her sister?” I asked.

  Mark paused in the act of taking a bite of toast when he realized we’d overheard them talking. Knowing we were being listened to and that someone was watching us through the cameras, he recovered quickly. “Yes. I caught up to the rogue a few weeks after Heather died.”

  “Why did he turn bad?” Kala asked. She wasn’t a tiger, but they were a similar species.

  “Why does any shape shifter turn rogue?” he shrugged. “He consumed human flesh either on purpose or by accident. As you know, once they’ve tasted human meat, they always come back for more.”

  The idea of eating a person revolted me to the core and I’d never understand why shifters strayed. “I wish I knew why that happened,” I said. “I doubt humans are much tastier than animals. They probably taste worse due to all the junk food they eat.”

  “Maybe it’s part of the curse,” Flynn suggested. “If they eat a person, they’re doomed to turn evil.”

  It was hard to pretend to be human, but I forced myself to think of our kin as being a separate species from us. “Do you really believe shifters are cursed?”

  “It’s one theory,” Mark responded. “No one really knows for sure.”

  We took our time to eat, since we were under surveillance. Even Kala paced herself rather than shoveling food down like she was afraid she’d never eat again. I still ate more than I used to as a human, but not as much as I had before my mother had converted me. Being part-vampire had changed me in several ways. I was stronger, faster and could now take energy from drinking blood. While eating human flesh held no appeal for me, their blood was definitely tasty.

  Flynn shook his head when Kala finally sat back with a sigh of contentment. “Are you sure you’re full?” he smirked. “There’s still some food left.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with having a healthy appetite,” she said in self-defense. “Besides, I’ll burn it off quickly enough.” We didn’t even need to exercise to burn calories. Our bodies just melted them away automatically. All shifters had a high metabolism.

  We were just finishing off our second mug of coffee when Ava returned. Her timing was too impeccable, which meant we were indeed being watched. “The Board is ready to see you now,” she informed us.

  Mark’s shoulders were tense as he pushed his chair back and stood. He kept his concerns to himself, but he didn’t seem very optimistic. We followed Ava through the labyrinth of corridors to the Boardroom. Once again, all eight foreign Board members were watching us from their screens. Their expressions were even more somber than they’d been yesterday.

  Cromby watched us without expression as we lined up in the spotlight. While I couldn’t read his face, his scent was tense and nervous. “After much discussion,” he began gravely, “we have reached a unanimous vote. The TAK Squad will be given any and all resources that are at our disposal. You’re going to need it in order for Agent Levine to fulfil the task that Fate has set for her.”

  Mark blinked at their abrupt turnaround. Last night they’d accused me of being a traitor. Now they were ready to give me their full support. “I didn’t expect to receive your cooperation so easily.” He kept his tone carefully neutral.

  “I was contacted by one of my sources last night,” the British Board member informed us. “She has ties to a coven of witches and they had an urgent message for me.”

  “What was the message?” Kala asked in her usual blunt fashion.

  “She said that death is coming for all mankind and only Agent Levine can stop it.” Her eyes shifted fractionally. I wished she was here in person so I could smell what she was feeling.

  Something wasn’t right, but I didn’t want to say anything in case my suspicions were unfounded. All eyes turned to me. I felt the weight of their stares and their expectations bearing down on me. “I don’t supposed they gave you a clue about what I can expect?” I said hopefully.

  “Unfortunately, no. That was all they had to say.”

  “So, what do we do now?” Kala asked. “We have the PIA’s resources behind us. Do we try to hunt down every EERI employee on the planet and wipe them all out? We’re not even sure if they’re really the ones behind the coming Apocalypse.” Fate hadn’t been very forthcoming with who our enemy was.

  “We do not have any other leads, so this is our recommendation,” a man who looked and sounded Chinese said. “We have located some of their facilities in the United States. You will be given the necessary details before you leave.”

  “Thank you,” Mark said, taking the hint that our meeting was over and that we’d just been politely dismissed.

  ₪₪₪

  Chapter Fourteen

  Ava escorted us from the room and closed the door. She led us back to the side entrance that would take us to the garage. “I’ve emailed you all the information we have on the EERI facilities,” she said to Mark. “Good luck.” She placed a kiss on his cheek then headed back down the hallway. Mark watched her go until Kala pointedly cleared her throat.

  Flushing at being caught staring, he preceded us down the path and into the garage. Zeus trotted from the trees and crossed the lawn to join us. I wasn’t at all surprised to see our bags were already inside the SUV. Our headquarters had their own version of a Cleanup Crew and they were as efficient as always.

  “Where to?” Reece asked when we’d all settled into our seats.

  Mark took his tablet out to peruse through the information that Ava had sent him. “It’s going to take me ho
urs to read through all this. Head to Washington for now. We’ll stay at a hotel until I have a clearer idea of what we’re looking at.”

  I assumed our closest base was in West Virginia. It was understandable that he wanted to avoid it. None of us wanted to return to the place where we’d come so close to losing Reece to his pack forever. Just thinking about how he’d been imprisoned by his own mother made my blood boil. Since we were so close to them, maybe we should finish what I’d started and wipe out the rest of his pack.

  I don’t want their blood on our hands, Reece said in response to my thoughts. You took your revenge on Gareth for what he tried to do to you. Nina effectively lost both of her sons in one day and she doesn’t have a successor. When she dies, her pack will find someone else to lead them. That’s punishment enough for a control freak like her.

  Aren’t you at all tempted to take over her position? His fondest dream had been to rule a pack of pure blood werewolves.

  That dream became obsolete the day I met you, he said. You’re all I need. As long as we’re together, I’m happy. The Shifter Squad are my pack now.

  My heart melted at that admission. With our minds so tightly entwined, I knew he was speaking the absolute truth. We were a motley crew, but we were a family. Our ties were stronger than mere blood.

  This was my first trip to Washington, D.C. I stared through the windows as we entered the city. Traffic was bad enough to slow us to a crawl. Reece impatiently wended his way through the streets to the hotel of Mark’s choice. We didn’t pass any interesting buildings or landmarks. So far, the city was just another concrete jungle like any other.

  Mark had booked us rooms while we’d been driving. Our SUV was appropriated by a valet and the doorman opened the door for us. We stepped inside to find the décor was classy with a black marble floor and maroon wallpaper. This place was more expensive than anywhere I’d been before. Strangely, paintings of dogs, cats and other domestic pets adorned the walls. They seemed out of place compared to the opulence around us.