Casey broke the lock on the male’s cage and opened the door, offering a hand to help him climb out. The lynx staggered out, barely able to stand upright on all four legs. “Take your time, man. If need be we’ll carry you out of here.”
In the corner, the female yowled, twice, and scratched at the wire cage.
“In case you didn’t get that, that means let her out.” Asia’s smile lit her tired face. Casey broke off the lock and both of them assisted the female out of the cage. Instantly, she shimmered into her human form.
“Oh my God that feels good.” Her voice was raspy and she didn’t appear at all bashful. She resumed her pacing, but this time on two legs. “Who are you guys? What took you so long?”
Questions tumbled out of her as her eyes darted around the room. Michelle threw her coat to her and the young woman quickly shrugged into it; it covered her body to her knees.
“Thank you. I’m Kennedy. Any of you familiar with were-cats?”
“I am a were-cat and so is he,” Asia said, pointing at Casey. “So is he.”
The other were-cat still struggled to walk on his four legs.
“Can you shimmer?” Casey stood next to him, steadying him. “I don’t think the people who worked with you knew your true identity.”
The were-lynx attempted a shimmer and managed to produce human hands and arms. Long, thick claws appeared on his hands. His arms were so muscled and enormous they probably wouldn’t completely bend.
Michelle gasped, then instantly wished she could take it back. The were-lynx yowled in what sounded like agony when he saw his hands and arms. He flexed his fingers and his biceps. A frightful glare filled his eyes.
Asia put a hand to his hunched shoulders. “Remember, I told you we wouldn’t know what would happen until we tried. It’s okay. We’ll help you.” Her voice was nothing but soothing and assuring, convincing that she would keep her promise.
Suddenly William Carter came crashing down the stairs, dragging Walker with him. “Isn’t this special. My son and his friends taking an interest in my work.”
“You left out a word, Father,” Jackson said. “You meant to say diabolical work.”
Carter ignored Jackson and turned to Casey. “Son, you don’t understand what’s going on here.” His nostrils flared and he pointed to Michelle. “Probably because this young woman has poisoned your mind.”
Casey slitted his eyes and pinned Carter. “I’m not your son.”
He turned his back on Carter and gave Michelle a wry grin. Somehow, she knew he was telling her to let it pass for now. The clock was ticking and they needed to get out of the building. She read all that and somehow he’d made it very clear. She’d have to talk about that with him sometime.
Carter’s raucous laughter echoed maniacally around the room. “You’re right. But your father is just as much a part of this project as I am. It’s a family affair.” He pointed to Kennedy. “Casey, meet your little sister.”
“What?” Kennedy’s chocolate eyes went wide. “I don’t have siblings. My parents are dead, killed in a car crash.”
Casey whirled around to face Carter. “Don’t listen to him, Kennedy.” He pointed a finger at Carter. “He’s full of lies. And Carter, I know about my dad. Just shut up.”
He turned back around to help the pained were-lynx.
Asia continued to talk softly to the distraught were-lynx. More and more of his human self appeared as she talked him through successive shimmers.
Jackson stepped up to distract William. “Dad, why are you saying these things? Why are you conducting this research? I’m not going to let you continue with it.”
Carter shoved his fingers through his thin, gray hair, a muscle in his cheek twitching. “You’re not going to let me continue?”
His voice was eerily calm. It sent shivers through Michelle, because he was verging on rage, not calm. She saw Walker lying on the floor, dazed and beaten, heard the anguish from the male were-cat, the anger from the female were-cat, and saw Casey’s somber face as he reeled from the harm Carter dealt in, and tried to keep a lid on her fuming emotions.
Certain things had to happen for this rescue to be a success. Containment popped up first. All the cats had been removed and were now safe in her house. But what happened right now in this room could make or break their efforts to stop Carter’s plans.
While Jackson kept Carter’s attention on the far side of the room, Michelle sidled to the door at the top of the stairs and twisted the deadbolt knob to lock it. No one else would be able to crash this party, she thought to herself. She knew no one had brought a gun. They couldn’t do much to threaten Carter into submission, so getting him tied up was probably not going to happen.
Her entire body craved to just get out of there, with the two former lab subjects, and get them to safety. Lara would be able to address their health issues.
Jackson’s voice grabbed her attention. While the father and son yelled at each other, Walker had scooted toward Lara and Casey, so at least he was out of range of more beating from Carter. What could she do to progress the escape?
Then Carter’s words permeated her thoughts.
“You’re listening to the wrong people, Jake.” Carter’s eyes flashed anger and contempt. “And so is your friend. That woman is destructive. Do you know how much that boy has suffered since the trial?”
Jackson planted his hands on his hips, eyes wide. “It’s unthinkable to me that you side with a rapist, then to make matters worse, attempt to steal Michelle’s house, all because that boy, as you call him, is the son of your friend.”
Nausea threatened to shut down Michelle’s heart. The words coming from Carter’s mouth stabbed her gut, and her mind started treadmilling, an inner dialogue that assessed her part in creating pain for Darrel.
That can’t be, she thought. He hurt me. He got acquitted. “What kind of suffering are you talking about?” she yelled.
Jackson and William stopped fighting and all the air in the room got sucked out.
William didn’t miss a beat. He pointed a long, thin finger at her, accusingly. “Darrel has been depressed, unable to work, hardly able to leave his home. All because you seduced him into having sex and then cried rape. I told you I’d make you pay,” he raged. “I’ll take everything from you, just as you stole everything from Darrel.”
Michelle stared at him, speechless. His soul was so corrupted he didn’t even realize the truth. But a niggling thought in the corner of brain wondered. Had William Carter done something harmful, though perhaps not meaning to, and suffered shame too overwhelming to tolerate? Was that the bedrock of his destructive ways?
“So you think Darrel is misunderstood? That he didn’t mean to hurt me?” It took all her remaining strength to offer his messed up mind a tiny bit of understanding.
Instantly ill at ease, Carter ran his hand through his hair and clenched his fist. “Don’t psychoanalyze me!”
She studied him for one nanosecond, realization seeping through her that many years ago a young Carter had felt hurt, betrayed, and misunderstood. And he’d closed his heart.
“You can steal my house. You can make a wedge between Casey and me. It won’t work. Darrel has made his own suffering.” He might take everything from her, but he couldn’t touch her peace or sense of herself unless she let him.
The thought hit Carter’s face, and the truth registered for a moment, then dropped to the floor. “Shut up!” he howled.
“No, you shut up.” Jackson leaned close to his father’s face. “Michelle is not going to lose her home or anything else that is important to her. Work is in progress right now to charge the mortgage broker and title company you used to cause a problem with her ownership.”
Michelle’s heart skipped in her chest. This was news to her.
William screwed up his face and stared at Jackson. “What are you talking about?”
Jackson chuckled, a cryptic, sad sound. “People care about injustice and they care about Michelle. She’s not losing her property. You
’ve accomplished nothing. And this drug trial, that could put a bad mark on my company, is going to be sorted out. You’re not going to get what you want.”
Carter’s face contorted, as the reality of Jackson’s words pierced his ego. Michelle screamed, as William reached for Jackson’s neck.
“No, he’s your son!” she hollered.
A flash of half-man, half-lynx screeched by her and grabbed William in his massive arms. His face, now human, bore long fangs and was blotted with patches of fur. His human legs were bent and deformed and ended with enormous paws with deadly claws.
“You did this to me!” The man’s voice came out raspy and filled with rage.
William screamed. Asia grabbed the man’s arm and pleaded with him to release Carter, but he batted her away like a gnat.
Jackson and Casey yanked at Carter, trying to pull him from the man’s grip. Kennedy stood screaming, and Michelle wasn’t quite sure if she sided with the were-cat or was simply screaming in shock.
Chaos and vengeance and fear filled the room like thick smog. Michelle ached for all parties involved in the mess Carter had unleashed with his projects. She didn’t have the heart to try to hurt the were-cat, but she couldn’t stand by and watch Carter’s death, either.
“Stop! You don’t want to do this!” Her eyes trained on the were-cat. He took one glance at her and in his eyes she saw his sorrow at his inability to resist the raw and raging animal inside him that William had made him into.
While William stared wide-eyed, the man turned back to him, pulled back his claws above his own head, then ripped out William’s throat.
“Dad!” Jackson grabbed his father and eased him to the floor. Blood gurgling out of his mouth and the ragged tear at his throat, William looked into Jackson’s face, pleading.
“I love you, too, dad.” Jackson’s tears slipped down his face, while the life in his father’s body left.
Chapter Seventeen
The room was silent, except for the sobs coming from the were-man. All strength ebbed from his body. Asia went to him, lowering him to the floor.
“I’m so sorry this happened to you.” She seemed to know something Michelle didn’t.
“His name is Adrian. He is twenty-six years old. He is a social worker. Adrian, these are your friends.”
Adrian coughed convulsively, as Michelle, Jackson, and Casey greeted him.
Michelle’s heart nearly stopped. She felt Adrian’s essence weaken down to a small dot, a light inside him just bright enough to glimmer behind his brown eyes. The drugs and the captivity had taken a toll and he wouldn’t survive.
Weakly, Walker crawled to him. “I’m so sorry, Adrian.” He spoke the name reverently. “I didn’t know you. But what I did was wrong. I’m so sorry.” He hung his head and put his hand on Adrian’s.
“I could tell you didn’t like what you were doing,” Adrian whispered. “Thank you for helping me get out of here.”
Michelle gritted her teeth to dam her tears. “Yes, let’s get him out of here.” She put her arm around Kennedy’s shoulder. The girl flinched, still in shock.
Casey and Ben lifted Adrian and carried him to the stairs as Michelle led Kennedy up and unlocked the door. Walker leaned on Asia and followed the line through the halls, up the stairs, and out the front door to Casey and Asia’s cars. None of the guards did anything but stare at them, obviously still dazed and confused.
She’d overheard Jackson call Ben. He would take over the investigation, but first off, he’d see to William Carter.
Everything in Michelle wanted to get Adrian out of this death space and back among good people. Since the others had taken her Jeep, she rode in Asia’s car, Adrian lying in the back, moaning and coughing.
“Hang on, Adrian, please hang on,” she begged.
Minutes later their two-car caravan pulled up into Michelle’s drive. She climbed out of the car, knowing there wasn’t much time left.
While Jackson and Casey carried Adrian to the backyard, Asia gathered the others. Michelle kneeled beside him, putting her hand to his.
“Look up, Adrian. You can see the moon and the stars.”
He drew in a sharp breath. The moaning stopped. His eyes glistened in the light from the sky.
“It’s so beautiful.” His voice came in raspy determination.
Michelle turned over his deformed hand. “Feel the grass, breathe the autumn scents in the air.”
A very soft, rumbling purr came in spurts from his throat.
“Look around.” The other were-cats strolled up to circle him with his own kind. Behind them stood Ben and Sterling, Jackson and Lacey, and Walker and Kennedy.
Asia, her brown eyes glimmering from her furry brown face, stretched out beside him. She chuffed and rubbed her head against his arm.
The silence of the night wrapped them in a rarefied moment that would be his last. Adrian closed his eyes. “Thank you. Thank you all,” he whispered. “I’m at peace.”
Michelle’s heart throbbed as she watched Adrian’s body sink against the ground. The peace he emanated soothed her sorrow and the love the others gifted him with in his final moments sent chills through her body. This sad end to Carter’s experiments came with gifts of love and peace she couldn’t ignore. These beautiful beings, lynx and human, were the kind of creatures she wanted to be with.
• • •
Lara wanted to do an autopsy on Adrian’s body, so Ben arranged for an EMT he worked with to transport him to the vet clinic, with promises to keep quiet. He was a good buddy, so Ben trusted him. Walker welcomed the opportunity to share what he knew about the research. Soon, Adrian would be buried in the field beside Michelle’s house. After they’d all tended to the cats, they gathered in Michelle’s living room and relaxed after the emotional and physical ordeal.
But Casey had something to deal with before he could relax. He slipped into the bathroom and closed the door, leaning against the wall. Resolved, he punched in the phone number for Agent Callahan, already prepared to do his job as colony leader.
“Casey, good morning.” Callahan’s voice on the other end of the call elicited cringes in Casey’s body. “You’ve got news?”
“I’m sure you’ve heard about William Carter’s death.”
“An accident. Is that true? What do have for me?”
“It was an accident. I think the police think they have their candidate. They think Walker is responsible for leaving the cage door open. Negligent homicide.” Casey tapped his finger on the bathroom wall.
“What do you know? I know you got inside. I’ve been watching you.”
“I did. But I can’t tell you anything about Carter’s death. Carter actually played me. I didn’t learn anything I can share with you.”
“Don’t know anything or won’t share?” Callahan’s voice rose an octave. “I’ll have you behind bars faster than you can spit if you’re holding out on me.”
“I don’t have any solid proof, but I can tell you that I got rumblings of other plans. I doubt they’ll close down because Carter is dead.”
“Other plans?”
“I told you, Carter played me, so I don’t have anything further to share with the FBI.” Casey didn’t like lying but in this case, he had to withhold any information that would reveal the were-cat population to the government. “Look, I did what you requested. You have nothing on me.”
“I’ll be watching you, Mitchell.”
As Casey hung up, his mind was already on other things. How to lead the colony from here and, most of all, a possible relationship.
He walked into the room the others had gathered in, and picked up the conversation.
“I’m very sorry about your father, Jackson.” Michelle’s voice sounded sincere and Casey’s heart lurched for her. Her kindness and empathy were extraordinary. “I appreciate you sticking up for me, too.”
Lacey rested her head on Jackson’s shoulder and rubbed his arm. “It was an awful thing for you to see, babe. I’m so sorry.”
Watching everyone from across the room, Casey struggled with finding adequate words. “We’re all sorry, man. You deserve better.”
Jackson quirked his head to one side and sighed. “My dad made his own bed. I wish it had been different, but he made choices that hurt a lot of people. It came back to bite him.”
No one laughed. The room roiled, thick with sadness and dismay.
“I am nervous about possible retribution from this gang, The Nexus Group, that he was a part of,” Casey added. “And there’s the matter of my dad’s participation in Nexus’s operations. We’re not superheroes taking on all the bad guys in Laurelwood, but this project has revealed a malevolent factor in town and we’ve been put in its crosshairs. We have to consider our choices, get in deeper or take our chances and not get involved. But for now, let’s call it a night. I don’t have to remind you to stay alert, it’s second nature to us. But the menace isn’t gone. Pay attention.”
As everyone headed toward the door, Lara suggested Kennedy stay with her and she would check her health. Casey’s nerves jangled trying to process the possible existence of a sister he didn’t know he had, but he wasn’t about to reject her out of hand, either.
“Look, there are a lot of things to sort out about you, but it’s not going to get done tonight.” Tentatively, Casey put an arm around Kennedy’s shoulders. “If it turns out we’re related, well, lucky me. Either way, you belong with us, but I imagine you have people already?”
She shook her head. “I don’t want to talk about any of that right now.” But she reached up and wrapped her arms around Casey’s neck. “Thank you. And thank you for not leaving me in that awful place.”
As everyone left, he turned to Michelle. “Can we talk? You’ve been through so much for so long. I’m not sure it’s fair to ask you to trust me. To love me.”
She took his hand and pulled him out of the doorway. Her hand on his sparked life into his heart. She reached around him and closed the door, all the while eyeing him.
He stood there, waiting for an indication of what was in her mind. Vulnerability felt like shit in times like this, he thought. His life was in her hands and she didn’t even know it.
Secrets Page 20
