Return of the Phoenix - 01

by Heath Stallcup

  When Nadia’s mother took a seat next to Nadia, she motioned for Jack to sit as well. He repositioned his chair at the table, and though Nadia was still stifling her sobs, her mother ignored her emotional state. “Mr. Thompson, when a natural born wolf first encounters their mate and they attempt to shift, they bypass the Halfling state and shift into the form of the full wolf,” Nadia’s mother stated rather plainly.

  “Okay. And this means what exactly?”

  “Under normal circumstances, natural born wolves are mated only to other natural born wolves,” her mother said with what could only be described as a distaste in her mouth. “However, it would appear that somehow the Fates decided to throw my daughter a certain…’twist’ when choosing her mate.”

  “Again, I guess I’m not quite following—”

  “You are her mate, Mr. Thompson,” her mother declared. “I don’t know why, or how, but somehow, the natural order of the universe was upended and my daughter was mated to you.” Jack could almost detect a snarl forming in the corner of her mouth.

  “Now, hold on a minute,” Jack said, throwing his hands up in his own defense, “Yeah, I kissed her. I mean, who wouldn’t? She’s freakin’ gorgeous. And she was naked and sitting in my lap…”

  “Not that kind of mating, Mr. Thompson!” her mother practically shouted. Nadia cringed when her mother raised her voice. Her mother cleared her throat and gathered herself. “Wolves mate for life, Mr. Thompson. Since you are not a natural born wolf, you do not have to follow this precept. You could choose to abandon any call of nature and simply walk away and no harm would come to you.”

  Jack nodded his head. “Okay. So, what’s the downside?”

  “Nadia is not so fortunate.” She pulled her daughter to her roughly, yet in an embrace. “She is a natural born wolf. She is bound by the laws of the wolf. Once she is mated, it is for life. Her heart will love no other and her body will be surrendered to no other willingly.” Then her mother glared at Jack, “And should she ever be taken physically by force, it would kill her.”

  Jack’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head. “You gotta be fucking kidding me?!”

  “No, I am not. I am deadly serious,” her mother growled. “For a natural wolf, the mating is literally a life or death proposition.”

  Nadia sat up and sniffled. She cleared her throat and looked at Jack. “There are other things involved with the mating that you should know, Jack. I couldn’t expect anybody who is unfamiliar with our ways to simply accept it or to…”

  “Tell me what I’m getting into.” Jack said.

  Nadia was shaking her head. “You don’t understand what it entails. It means a bond that is stronger than life itself. It is more than a human marriage or even the sharing of—”

  “Tell me, Nadia,” Jack said. He used the walking stick and stood from the chair. As he worked his way around the table to Nadia, he pulled the chair next to her out and sat so that he could hold her hand. He peered deeply into her eyes and then held her face. “Tell me everything. I need to know it all.”

  Nadia’s mother stood up and lifted her chin high. “Perhaps once you are fully informed, you’ll reconsider your position, Mr. Thompson.”

  Without looking at the bitch, Jack said, “Somehow, I doubt it.”

  *****

  Both squads had been pushed to their limits, and before their day was done, they checked in with the team doc for one last checkup. They drew blood and ran scans and checked heart rates and reflexes. It was getting to be routine, but it had to be done to make sure their augmentation routines didn’t need tweaking.

  When the doc let them go, they all went to the locker room then hit the showers. The hot water went a long way towards washing away the dirt, grime, sweat, and stress of a long day of training.

  “Yo, Spanky,” Lamb shouted over the sounds of the others cracking wise.

  “Yo, yourself.”

  “Hey, when you guys were new, did you train as long and hard as this or did they ramp it up because of what happened to the other squad?” Lamb asked.

  “Honestly?” Spanky responded. “I think it’s a little of both.”

  Popo added, “Yeah, I think maybe we trained as hard, but not so much on the tactics. It was more physical training.”

  “So, you guys went for twelve solid from the get-go?” TD asked.

  Dom thought a minute. “Maybe not at the very first. But it wasn’t long after the augmentation kicked in that the trainers kicked it up to that. I’d say maybe a week?” The others nodded.

  “I think they started you guys out full bore because we need two squads ready ASAP.” Spanky added.

  Gus asked, “Had the squads ever lost a member before this? I mean…like a single person or something?”

  Apollo answered, “This was our first fatality. And to lose a whole squad like that…man, it was tough.” They were all quiet for a moment as the original squad members reflected on their fallen comrades and the new members realized the possibilities. “It’s worse than losing a brother. It was like losing half your family.”

  They all nodded and the Padre offered up a silent prayer then crossed himself.

  “Well, you got me now to watch your back,” Sanchez told Apollo with a wink. Apollo cracked a toothy grin and winked back.

  “Oh, for the love of Pete…” Marshall muttered. “Get a room!” he laughed.

  Dom laughed and asked, “Yo, Apollo, I gotta know something, man. How in the world can you fit that monster into such a little—”

  “Hey!” Sanchez barked, pointing a finger at Dom. “Privileged information, pendejo!” The other members all laughed and ribbed Dom for pissing off their resident Latina hothead.

  “Well, hell, I was just curious!” Dom laughed. “I mean, Christ, we could cut his cock off and stuff it into a uniform and stick a helmet on its head and people would think it was a soldier!” he laughed.

  “And it would still be smarter than you!” she added.

  “Ooh, burn!” Jacobs shouted tossing his soap at Dom. The others joined in with catcalls and insults at Dom and ribbing him for his stupid comment.

  “Apollo, you gonna let your woman cut me to ribbons like that, man?” Dom asked.

  Before he knew what happened, Sanchez swept his leg and laid him out on the shower floor. She stood over him holding a bar of soap in her hands threateningly and glared down at Dom. “I’m nobody’s woman!” she shouted. “I’m my own person, and I belong to nobody!” she was shaking and she was pissed.

  Dom’s eyes were big and his arms were raised to show he was disarmed. Slowly he brought his hand over to the bar of soap and with one finger, he placed it against the soap and slowly pushed it away from his face. “Please, Sanchez. Be careful where you point that thing.” His face was deadly serious. “We wouldn’t want it to go off, now would we?”

  Her face went blank and she stared at him sprawled on the floor, looking scared shitless. The rest of the members in the shower were dead silent. Slowly a smile cracked on her face. It spread to Dom’s face and they both broke into laughter. She lowered her hand to him and helped him off the shower floor.

  She leaned into him and gave him a slap on the back. “Sorry about that,” he muttered.

  “Yeah. I’ll get over it,” she said.

  “Just so I got this straight…Apollo’s your bitch…right?” And they both started laughing again.

  *****

  Franklin insisted that Matt show him the operations center again. If they were going to be including high altitude air support in the form of drones, Franklin wanted to be sure that the command center would be able to support it. At least, that was what he told Mitchell. Mitchell assured Franklin that the Operations Control Center was as state of the art as he could make it within the confines of the military supply chains, but Franklin asked that he indulge him.

  When they entered the command center, Mitchell flipped on the lights and the computer screens booted up. Hard drives whirred to life and flat screens dropped down
from recesses in the ceiling. Mitchell stepped up to the platform and motioned for Senator Franklin to follow him. “From here, we can follow our squad’s actions, maintain communications, triangulate the combat grids, transition from satellite to helicopter based video feeds…and hopefully soon, we’ll be able to add the drones to the mix. This is the nerve center of the operation when our troops are on the ground.”

  Franklin nodded, a smile spreading across his face. “Excellent.” He walked across the control center, running his hand across the different keyboards and looking at the different screens. He looked back at Mitchell. “And all of this equipment is up to date? You aren’t in need of anything newer?”

  Mitchell reflected back to the attack. He knew exactly what they needed, but he also felt that it would never be approved. “We could sure use a dedicated satellite.”

  Franklin’s brows rose slightly. “Satellite?”

  Matt sat in the command chair and hit a series of buttons. “Senator, we’ve had to make do with borrowed satellites from other agencies, and even then, at their discretion, and those were so out of date that they failed us in the field.” While Matt’s attention was directed to his keypad, Franklin slipped the USB from his pocket and inserted it into the side of the computer station where he leaned. He did his best to keep his body in front of his actions so that it would be hidden from the colonel’s view. He waited to feel it vibrate, indicating that the preloaded software had done its job and could safely be removed. It felt like it was taking forever.

  Matt looked up at the overhead screen and indicated toward it with his chin. “If you’ll notice the video feed here. This was taken when Second Squad was in Texas. We borrowed a piece of sh…a much older satellite that did not have microwave capabilities. We felt fortunate that it had IR capabilities.” Matt fast forwarded to where the heat signatures faded in and out of view. “As you can see, we couldn’t keep a track on our squad members because their body temperatures were nearly identical to the outside temperatures.”

  Franklin tried to pay enough attention to at least interact in the conversation. “Could it not at least show them in…what is it called? A bird’s eye view?”

  “IRL. Real life, no. That camera wasn’t strong enough. We had to stretch the bird to its maximum to get this pixilated infra-red view,” he said. “If we had an updated satellite…hell even an old Cold War spy satellite…and get it repositioned into a synchronous orbit over North America we could make do. Surely there is one satellite that could be spared from one agency for this mission?”

  Franklin continued to stare at the screen and observed as the bright red, fast moving tangos came into the scene and attacked and shredded the commandos. He hadn’t realized he held his breath during the attack until it was over. The vibrating USB in his hand almost made him jump. He slowly pulled the small device from the side of the computer and slipped his hand into his pocket. “I can’t imagine what it must have been like to watch that happen and feel so…helpless,” he said.

  Matt watched Franklin stare at the screen, and for a moment thought the man may actually have a heart. “It was the hardest thing I’ve done since assuming command,” he said softly.

  “Matt, I will do everything in my power to see to it you get your drones and a dedicated satellite,” Franklin said, coming to his full height. “If I have to shake down every federal agency that has one, we’ll find one that fits your needs and get it put into service for your use only.”

  “We would truly appreciate it, senator.”

  “I think I’ve seen enough, colonel.” Franklin stood and turned for the door. “I’ll do everything I can. Of that, you have my word.”

  Before either of them could make a move for the door, the lights in the command center shifted to red and began flashing. Franklin froze. “What is that?”

  “Security breach.” Matt answered. “Wait here, senator. It may not be safe.” He went for the door and shut it behind him. Stalking down the hall, he pulled his two-way from his belt and called for Laura. “Sitrep.”

  “Security breach, sir.” Laura answered.

  “I’m aware of that. What do we know?”

  “Unauthorized computer access,” Laura said, sounding out of breath. “Geeks are on it.”

  “Location?”

  “OPCOM,” she responded. Matt spun to a stop. Fucking Franklin! I knew that bastard was up to something!

  “Security to OPCOM. If they encounter Senator Franklin along the way, detain him!”

  “Yes, sir!”

  Matt made it back to the operations center and kicked open the door. Franklin was nowhere to be found. Matt turned back out the door and encountered a security team coming up from the way he had just come. “Find Senator Franklin. Do not let him leave!”

  “Sir, yes, sir!” they shouted and took off at a dead run.

  Matt went into the operations room and accessed the internal security cameras. It didn’t take him long to find Franklin. He was making his way past the elevators and towards a stairwell. The elevators would have automatically shut down when the security breach happened. Mitchell picked up the phone and dialed topside security. He notified them that the good senator was heading up through the south stairwell. Meet him at the top and then escort him back down and to Mitchell’s office. Let the son-of-a-bitch get winded taking five floors worth of stairs trying to make his escape.

  Mitchell picked up his two-way again. “Laura, get Evan and meet me in my office. Topside security should have Franklin any moment now and will be escorting him back down.”

  “On our way, sir.”

  Mitchell made his way to his office, thinking the entire way. Franklin may be a United States Senator, but he broke the cardinal rule. Any breach of security here, and his ass was toast. Mitchell was authorized to use any force necessary to determine exactly what occurred and to what extent the damage was. And, if he deemed necessary, he could make Franklin disappear. But considering he was a senator and sat on the Oversight Committee, he had damned sure better be able to prove that the damage was irreparable.

  Mitchell approached his office to find Laura and Evan standing outside his door. Both looked very nervous as Matt opened the door and ushered them in. “Did he discover Evan?” Laura asked.

  “He’s the one who breached the computers,” Matt answered. “I don’t know why, I don’t know how, and I have no fucking clue if he had help. But I do know that he will not be a cooperative witness against himself.” Matt turned to Evan. “Do you have anything in that lab of yours that will get this son-of-a-bitch to talk and tell the truth?”

  Evan thought for a moment. Then he smiled. “I think I have just the ticket.”

  “Will it hurt him?” Laura asked.

  “If you mean, will it turn him into a vampire, then no. Will it turn him into a drooling mass of political crap…well…only for a little while.” Evan smiled. “In fact, while he’s under, he’ll be extremely susceptible to suggestion.” Evan wiggled his eyebrows.

  “What do you mean?” Matt asked.

  “I mean, that as long as you don’t go crazy with the suggestions, you can come damned close to brainwashing him while he’s under.”

  “And he won’t remember a thing?”

  “Nope. He’ll totally forget the last twenty to twenty-four hours,” Evan stated. “Just, please, if you do make suggestions, try not to get too crazy. If the suggestions are too far from the norm for him, it acts like a short in the wiring and causes them to get...wonky.”

  “Wonky,” Matt repeated. He looked at Laura. “Must be one of those big-time science type words.”

  “Exactly!” Evan exclaimed.

  “Go get it ready. He’ll be here shortly and I have a feeling we’re going to have to dose him up pretty good with that stuff.”

  “On it, boss. Back in two shakes.”

  Matt paced his office while Laura watched Evan from Matt’s window. Matt caught movement from the window on the other side of his office and watched the security detai
l drag a kicking and screaming Franklin back towards his office. “Here the bastard comes now.” Franklin tripped and did a face plant. The security patrol had handcuffed him. Matt chuckled. The sanctimonious bastard has it coming.

  Shortly there was a knock at the Colonel’s door. “Come!” and the guards entered with a very disgruntled looking Senator Franklin in tow.

  “I demand to know the meaning of this!” he screeched.

  “You know exactly the meaning of this, Franklin.”

  “That’s SENATOR Franklin to you!”

  “How about traitor?” Laura said through gritted teeth.

  “I never—”

  “Enough!” Matt yelled. The anger was seething from him and for just a moment, Franklin almost wet himself. “Have a seat, senator.”

  “I was just leaving. Before your apes tackled me!”

  “Before you committed espionage, you mean,” Laura added.

  “Laura. I’ll take care of this.”

  Evan approached the door with the hypodermic in his hand. “Ready, colonel.”

  “Franklin, you have one chance to tell me what you did before I make you tell me.”

  “I did nothing. I have no idea what you’re talking about. I demand that you allow me to leave. I am a United States Senator and…”

  “Do it,” Matt said.

  Evan took the senator by the arm and plunged the needle deep into his tricep.

  “What the hell was that?” Franklin screeched.

  “A little something to help you tell the truth,” Matt stated.

  “You can’t do that! You can’t…you can’t…you…wow. I feel… I…I feel…” Franklin shook his head slowly. “The room…is fuzzy.”

  “Put him in the chair before he falls and hurts himself. Again,” Matt ordered. The guards half dragged the Senator and placed him in the chair. They uncuffed one of his hands and ran the chain through the back of the chair and reconnected his wrist.

  Matt walked over to face Franklin. He slapped him gently across the face to get his attention. “Hey! Are you still with me?”