Or spent a really great night with that general’s aide.
So he just waited in the cafeteria, along with other Alpha Force members who were also eager for their part of the meeting to start—like shifters Seth Ambers, Jock Larabey, Colleen Hodell and Marshall Vincenzo, and nonshifting aides Noel Chuma and Rainey Jessop.
But they weren’t alone playing with their breakfasts and speculating about what was to come. Oh, no, some of those damned USFT guys were there, too. Jason didn’t know all their names, but they sat at their tables eating, drinking juice and coffee and, undoubtedly, gossiping, since they sent a lot of glares toward the Alpha Force folks, who only glared back.
And the meetings today were supposed to somehow promote accord and working together?
Good luck.
For fun, Jason decided to stick a baiting knife into the tense atmosphere. He stood with his cup of coffee and went to the row of dispensers to top it off with some hotter brew. Instead of returning to his original seat, he sat at the USFT table and gave a smile of utter innocence. “Hey, you guys going to the all-hands meeting later?”
“Yeah,” said a woman whose ID tag said she was Lieutenant Swainey. “We’ll be there.” She said nothing more at first, but Jason continued to stare at her smoothly attractive African-American face with his goofy yet challenging smile. “Will you?” she asked, as if she had decided to follow his unspoken instructions.
“We sure will. I’m looking forward to hearing how we’re all going to work together like one big, happy family.” He widened that faux smile.
“You’re the guy who works on cars, aren’t you?” asked Lieutenant Brown. He was a big guy who’d apparently either chosen to wear his camos tight or he’d been beefing up his body since acquiring his uniform.
Jason wouldn’t want to get into a physical altercation with the muscular lieutenant. But a battle of wits? Anytime.
“That’s right,” he responded. “You have one that needs work?”
“No, but I heard you did a pissant job of fixing your General Yarrow’s.”
That brought a titter from everyone else at the damned USFT table and nearly made Jason stand up and tip it onto their fat little laps.
But some of those from his own table now stood behind him. This could get out of control really quick.
He thought then of straitlaced, by the book—almost—Sara. What would she think if he primed the atmosphere here so that nothing could be accomplished at the later meeting?
Hell, he figured the meeting would be worthless, anyway. No need for him to cause any additional ill feelings right now. So instead of accusing these guys, or someone in their unit, of sabotaging General Yarrow’s car, he simply said, “Yeah. Unfortunately, it was too far gone to be saved. Fortunately, the general survived.”
“Yeah, fortunately.” Brown’s tone made Jason want to slug him.
“I need more coffee,” Jason said, standing. The Alpha Force members who’d joined him looked surprised.
Hey, he’d gotten a reputation not only for talking out of turn but acting that way, too. Sometimes. When it didn’t threaten his ability to stay in Alpha Force and therefore out of prison.
But these folks didn’t really know him. And if he’d surprised them this time? Well, hell. That felt good...and he knew he’d do it again.
* * *
The preliminary meeting of the topmost officers stationed at Ft. Lukman was nearing its end.
It had taken place at the front of the base’s assembly room, even though they all could have fit into General Yarrow’s sumptuous office.
Sara understood why that hadn’t happened. Her CO hadn’t wanted to make it appear to the other general, Myars, that he intended to take charge.
But it had become crystal clear nearly immediately who had not only the power here, but the knowledge and intelligence to get these people talking—and to prepare for the larger upcoming session, too.
She couldn’t help wondering where Drew’s “cuz” was but forced herself to cast all thoughts of him aside.
Two of General Yarrow’s subordinates who were the local officers in charge of Alpha Force were inevitably present: Drew Connell and Patrick Worley, who was back on base temporarily but due to leave again that afternoon.
General Myars had a couple of his immediate reports present, as well: Captains Samantha Everly and Rynton Tierney.
Sara recalled her brief discussion with Samantha the night that Jason had been in such bad condition while shifted. The captain seemed less animated now, although she undoubtedly tried to take her cue from her commanding officer. Today, the clip holding her light brown hair was at the nape of her neck instead of on top of her head.
Sara was more interested in watching Rynton Tierney, who held a similar position to hers with the other general. He appeared less engaged than Samantha listening to the conversation. In fact, he seemed more inclined to watch the Alpha Force members from across the narrow aisle between the seating areas. Did he know, or just suspect, that some of them were shifters?
The two generals’ initial conversation was standard cordial B.S., with Hugo Myars commenting on how well Greg Yarrow looked despite his ordeal the other day.
Greg, similarly, asked Myars about his trip here and how things were going with him at the Pentagon and Ft. Lukman.
Useless stuff. At first.
Sara noticed with relief that General Yarrow looked a lot better than he had even on his arrival yesterday. Maybe it was because he was no longer pale, but his lined face was florid beneath his dark hair as he faced off with his counterpart about what they intended to do at the later meeting.
General Myars looked ten years younger than Greg, despite the fact his hair was sparser and its short style displayed strands of gray within its brown. Maybe it was because he was stockier. The flabbiness of his cheeks shoved out most wrinkles. He was taller, too, though part of that height was due to the exaggerated heels on his military boots.
But once the polite initial conversation was ended, he seemed ready to shout and storm and do anything he could to rattle General Yarrow.
Including insult his subordinates.
Both generals sat at the front of the room, beyond the tiers of chairs holding underlings like Sara. She couldn’t hear all they said when they lowered their voices for more serious conversation—and wished, for once, she had a few of the enhanced senses of Alpha Force members who sat with her in the first row of seats. They must have heard it all.
With the little she did hear—and the animosity emanating from Myars—Sara had a hard time staying silent and not jumping in with her own opinions and accusations. One or more of these people may have been the ones who’d ruined Greg Yarrow’s prized car—and tried to injure, possibly kill, him.
Damn them.
She wouldn’t ask Drew or Patrick what they heard when the two men’s voices were lowered. But if Jason had been here? Well, even though she had to stay away from him personally, the bond they’d started to forge would have allowed her to ask him.
After five minutes of the heated, low-voiced exchange, Greg stood and looked at the members of the small audience.
“Here’s what we decided, ladies and gentlemen.” He glanced at Myars, who stood quickly beside him. “General Myars and I will each introduce our units briefly to the entire group when everyone is here and seated.”
“We’ll describe again what sets our units apart from each other, and from all others in the military,” Myars added.
“Then we’ll describe the joint maneuvers we intend to hold here,” Greg continued, “demonstrating those special skills to one another and seeing how we can work together—because we’ve been primed about a very special, critical mission that the government intends to send us both on. That’s why USFT was sent here, to where Alpha Force is stationed, to see if we could join forces and get the kind of result our government needs.”
“I’m sure we can work together, sir,” Samantha Everly said immediately, undoubtedly kissing up
to her CO. “USFT can do anything—even if it involves danger...and weirdness.”
She pointedly shot a glance toward the other side of the aisle, where Sara sat with the Alpha Forcers. Apparently, Samantha had a pretty good idea of what special abilities the other unit had.
Sara wished she knew what skills above and beyond standard the USFT members had. If they behaved this way with shapeshifters, Sara suspected their abilities were more similar to what was considered normal, even if they were somehow enhanced.
The all-hands meeting definitely promised to be interesting.
Especially because...everyone in both units was expected to be there.
Including Jason.
And his offbeat sense of humor.
Sara had a feeling that whatever the USFT’s special abilities, if Myars, Samantha or anyone else in that group decided to diss Alpha Force and its highly unique capabilities, some members of Alpha Force would reciprocate in kind.
Jason, in particular, would get a kick out of making fun of them.
That was neither professional nor military, Sara knew. But even tamping down all memories of the night they’d shared, she couldn’t wait to see Jason...and hear his reactions.
Chapter 13
Jason entered the administration building near the assembly room at least fifteen minutes before the session was to begin.
He wasn’t alone. The other Alpha Force members he’d been with were there, too, talking and joking in the concrete-and-tile foyer till it was time to enter the room.
Jason often hung back when forced to attend meetings. Alpha Force might be an exceptionally good job for him, but, hell, it was still the military.
Only today was different. He was interested in what this session was about.
What were the special skills of those damned USFT members that made their higher-ups consider them appropriate to train, then deploy on a major assignment, with Alpha Force?
What was the point of basing them here, at Ft. Lukman, then waiting weeks before holding this kind of assembly to inform the groups what their respective future roles would be?
How had the earlier meeting gone—with the two generals?
With Sara’s presence.
While waiting, his group linked up almost as if under orders to do so, ignoring the similar gathering of their rivals. Nemeses?
Jason wasn’t the only Alpha Force member who mistrusted them.
“You ready?” Colleen broke into a conversation among Noel, Jonas and Rainey, who were trading humorous suggestions on how best to act like a shapeshifter’s aide. They’d kept their voices low. Even if a lot of the other Alpha Forcers here could hear them, the damn USFT guys would stay oblivious.
Jason looked around and saw that the door to the assembly room had been opened. Sara glanced out before turning and walking back in.
“Showtime,” Jason acknowledged. He kept his pace slow enough not to look eager to get inside. His habits were known here, including his lack of enthusiasm for meetings. No use changing that now and triggering any speculation.
There’d be plenty of speculation about the truthfulness, and completeness, of whatever they were told in the meeting.
The USFT group had noticed the open door, too, and headed in that direction. Jason turned enough to inhale their scents—standard shower soap and deodorants and the usual, but also more, caused by emotions. Sweat from fear? Heated by anger?
What the hell did they have to be angry about?
But their filing through the door was accomplished politely as they allowed others through first.
In the crowd, it was harder to scan the place to locate Sara. Yet it was almost as if he had a direct link with her—her light citrus scent, her connection with General Yarrow. All Jason had to do was check the front of the room for the two generals, and there was Sara standing, unsurprisingly, at Yarrow’s right arm.
The two COs stood by chairs facing the crowd. Each gestured toward where they wanted everyone to sit.
There were a few seats left in the first row. Jason despised being up front—but it was the only way he’d get to be near Sara. He took one of those seats and waited.
Not long after his entrance, the room was apparently filled with all who were expected. Sara returned to the door and closed it. She turned before heading back to her seat, looking into the crowd.
She met Jason’s eyes. She blinked then chilled her expression.
He nodded coolly, as he would toward any acquaintance, even a superior officer. Even so, she sat down in the last remaining seat in the row, which happened to be directly at his left.
Yes! But he didn’t look at her.
The meeting began. General Yarrow took a step forward, placing himself a little closer to the crowd than General Myars. Myars tried to join the other man until General Yarrow’s glance made him stop.
Interesting. Jason had been curious about their dynamics. Would Myars continue to take a more minor role?
“Thanks for coming, everyone.” Yarrow raised his voice so it projected over the crowd. Conversations in the ten or so sparsely occupied rows of seats all stopped. He waited a moment then continued. “I know there’ve been a lot of questions you’ve all had over the past weeks, especially since the Ultra Special Forces Team arrived at Ft. Lukman. I am fully aware, and proud, that both the members of Alpha Force and USFT have been highly vetted and know not to talk about anything they know is confidential, and that has led to some...let’s just say suspicions and lack of camaraderie around here. That was part of the plan. We wanted to see the reaction.”
Murmurs circulated through the audience. Jason knew the other Alpha Forcers could pick up what was being said as well as he did. In fact, they were among those commenting, or swearing, or both, about the so-called plan.
Most had found seats near the front of the crowd, which meant that the USFT folks hung out mostly farther back.
Seth Ambers, in the second row, stood and saluted. “Permission to speak, sir?” The guy who looked like a moose, or at least a football player, would have dwarfed the general if they’d been closer. But Seth, a medical doctor as well as a shifter, was completely gentle...with those to whom gentleness made sense.
“All right, Seth,” Yarrow said.
“I’m sure I’m speaking for everyone here when I say that we all really hope that the purpose of this meeting is not only to formally introduce the two groups, but also to explain the plan, and why we were allowed to get together with our counterparts before but not do much more than say hi.”
Myars took another step toward the seats and scowled. His mouth was open as if he intended to berate Seth for daring to even suggest that the plan was anything but perfect.
But General Yarrow turned, blocking Myars as smoothly as if it had been choreographed.
Jason grinned. He used his peripheral vision to look sideways at Sara and saw her brief smile, too—although it quickly disappeared.
But General Yarrow was a peacemaker as well as a fighter. He said to Seth, “That’s exactly what this meeting is about. In fact, I request that General Myars tell us all about USFT, why it is so ultra special. I’ll then explain a bit about Alpha Force, and then together we’ll outline the training exercises we plan here—and the mission on which most of you will be deployed if all goes well.”
Jason leaned forward in his seat. So did most of the others in Alpha Force. This was what they’d all wanted to know.
“Okay,” Myars said. “The Ultra Special Forces Team—you’re all exactly what that name describes. You’ve proven it before. And whether or not you work directly with...Alpha Force—” his tone sneered, though his face remained visibly blank. Jason glanced at General Yarrow, whose eyes had narrowed, but he, now seated, said nothing “—you will prove it again.”
* * *
Sara wanted to yell at that general for not acting wholly professional. For insulting Alpha Force with his tone and attitude.
Instead, she just clamped both hands into fists.
&n
bsp; And glanced sideways at Jason. His hands were fisted, too.
Almost involuntarily, she looked at his face. Didn’t smile, but nodded her head in acknowledgment that he, too, was riled—but also acted professionally within military protocol.
He, on the other hand, shot her a very quick grin then looked at the two generals once more.
At least General Myars finally got into what he was supposed to talk about: what USFT was all about.
“All members of the unit had to pass some very tough tests. For example, their eyesight is far better than most people’s.”
Sara had noticed that none wore glasses except sunglasses, but she’d just assumed some wore contact lenses. Apparently not.
“Plus, they’re highly trained in all special forces skills. Most important, they are the most elite of all snipers.”
Myars went on to explain the extent of their vetting, their initial training, their ongoing perfection of their skills.
In other words, they’d been selected as the best of the special forces best. Some had been Navy SEALS. Some had been Army or Marines Special Forces. Some had been Air Force Special Ops.
Now they were all members of the Ultra Special Forces Team.
When he was done, the members of that highly skilled unit stood and cheered themselves. To be polite, Sara rose and found that the Alpha Forces joined her to applaud the others.
Then it was General Yarrow’s turn. “I don’t think it’s a huge secret here, but all of you USFT folks were also chosen because of your security clearances, and understanding of clandestine operations and how to stay quiet about them.”
Sara heard quiet muttering behind him. She couldn’t make out what was being said, but knew that the shapeshifters in the room would hear it.
She was glad when Jason bent toward her and whispered, “Here’s what was said: ‘Oh, yeah. They’re going to feed us that line again. Shapeshifters. Yeah, right.’”
“You know,” General Yarrow said, “I heard someone comment but my ears aren’t good enough to hear what was said. Drew, did you hear it?”
Major Drew Connell was also in the front row, a few people down from Sara. He stood—and repeated what had been said, verbatim. “The shifting members of Alpha Force also have enhanced senses while in human form,” he said coldly, looking at the back row where Lieutenant Cal Brown sat.
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