Obsessions: A Monster Squad Novel 7

by Heath Stallcup

  Mitchell cleared his throat and nodded to Jack. “Chief, I think you can shift back now.” Jack’s Halfling turned and stared at him then back to the clock. In a brief golden glow, Jack shifted to his human form, his bodysuit now hanging loosely from him, but slowly starting to pull back to its original size.

  Jack stretched, his body popping as he groaned. “You really should consider putting bunks in here.”

  “Had some for a short while. My wolf kept destroying them.”

  Mitchell walked to the door and waited for the time lock to open them. He saw Jenny stir on the floor, her soft moans from laying on the cold surface pulling at him.

  Jack waited at the door and pushed it open as soon as the locks clicked. “I have something I need to do. I’ll catch up with you.”

  Mitchell was picking up the clothes outside the cells as he turned to Jack’s retreating form. “What’s so important, Chief?”

  “I think I know where Thorn might be.” He took the stairs two and three at a time and disappeared.

  Mitchell slipped on his boxers and pants then hung his shirt over his shoulders. He scooped up Jenny’s clothes and stepped into her cell. She was just sitting up slowly, the cold concrete having stiffened her body as much as it had his. He handed her the clothes she had tossed out of her cell and turned his back to allow her to dress.

  “I, uh…I wonder how our wolves reacted last night?”

  She placed a hand on his shoulder and turned him around to face her. “We’re wolves, Matt. Nudity means nothing to us, remember?”

  He tried to avert his eyes as she turned him to face her. “It’s not…I mean, I…” He exhaled hard and turned his gaze back to her, their eyes meeting. “It’s more out of respect, Jenny.”

  She reached up and caressed his cheek. “That’s very sweet. But after last night, I don’t think you need to be so bashful.” Her smile made him tingly inside, and he felt like a teenager again. Someone had released butterflies in his stomach and words couldn’t form in his mind, much less in his mouth.

  “After…last night?”

  “Our wolves accepted each other.” She smiled sweetly at him and then began dressing. Matt didn’t want to look at her, but his eyes soaked in every inch of her body as she slipped back into her clothing.

  “Uh, what…how do you mean, ‘accepted’?” He rubbed a hand through his hair and stared at her. “Did we…I mean, are we…”

  “Are we mated?” She laughed gently and shook her head. “No, we’re not. But it isn’t from a lack of trying. I think those silver bars worked a little too well.” She pointed to the burns along his shoulders and the backs of her thighs. “I remember just enough to know that our wolves tried though.”

  “I am so sorry.”

  “Don’t be.” She worked her bra back on, and Matt had to turn away, the butterflies fluttering in overtime. “It’s natural.”

  “It may be natural, but…I mean. I thought that ‘we’ had to accept each other. I mean…” He trailed off, unable to find the right words.

  “Our wolves are part of us, Matt. They know what we truly want, even if we aren’t sure.” She pulled her shirt on and slipped in next to him. “All I know is that I remember the dreams after I slept. Our wolves were together and they were happy.”

  “Does that mean we’d be happy together?” He truly didn’t understand, but he wanted to so desperately.

  “As long as we don’t mess it up, I think so.” She turned and headed for the cell door. “Are you ready?”

  Matt squared his shoulders and nodded to her. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

  *****

  Donovan held the rifle in his hands and inspected it. “Sniper rifle. What do you want to bet that once we trace it, the rifle will have come from South America?” He handed the rifle to Spalding who gripped the weapon so tightly in frustration that he feared the stock might break.

  Lamb appeared from the small building. “Looks like our shooter was in the rafters and fired from under the roof overhang. This part of the wall is missing. We’d never have seen him.”

  “Not with a suppressor on it.” Donnie pointed to the end of the barrel. “Bravo units couldn’t have spotted him.”

  “Neither could the drone.” Jacobs studied the ground where a set of boot prints went off toward the chain link fence. “Looks like he exited this way.”

  “Donnie, you and John track him. See if he’s still on foot or if he scavenged a vehicle. Radio back if you find anything.” Spalding turned to Jacobs and Lamb. “You two, back on security detail for the clean-up crew.”

  Spalding watched as the two sets of operators broke apart and went in separate directions. He waited a moment then stepped inside the building. He stared up into the rafters where the shooter had laid in wait. Jumping up into the overhead, Spalding suspended himself across the rafters and peered out through the missing gable. He had a clear view of the entire yard. The shooter could have taken out any of them at any time…yet, he’d chosen to only shoot Apollo.

  Spalding watched as his men provided security to the clean-up crews and considered the situation. Either the shooter had a personal axe to grind against Apollo or was under orders from somebody who did. Could Sheridan have given an order prior to shifting? Wouldn’t that mean that at least some of the men under Sheridan’s command were human and not wolf?

  Spalding slipped down from the rafters and walked out of the small building. “Too many questions, not enough answers.” He turned and headed out to the main yard. He paused as he noticed the clean-up crews placing Apollo into a body bag. He watched as the men zipped the bag shut then lifted the body and placed it into the back of a truck.

  Spalding vowed to find out who was responsible, even if it took destroying every last wolf at Simmons’ disposal.

  *****

  Kalen lay in the dark and stared at the ceiling, sleep refusing to return to him. He placed his hand back against the cinder block wall and tried to feel the leather clad woman on the other side. All he could feel was the cold cement under his fingertips.

  He rolled to his side and tried to force the thought of her from his mind. Why had these thoughts invaded his mind like this? He had never been so attracted to a female before that it left him distracted. Was it her skill? Was it her flippant attitude? Was it her defiance?

  He sighed and rolled to the other side, unable to get comfortable. He ground his teeth together and fought to force the female vampire from his mind. He tried to think of anything else. His brother Horith. His homeland. The many battles he had fought. Nothing could completely remove her. When he thought of his home, she would be lurking behind a tree, waiting for him to spot her. When he thought of the battles he had fought, she was there as well, fighting alongside him. When he thought of Horith, she always invaded his mind, sitting atop him, unzipping her top, and biting with such speed that it shocked him.

  It frightened him.

  It shook him.

  It excited him.

  Kalen sat up and went to the sink once more. He ran the cold water and splashed it across his face. He snapped on the light and stared at the reflection in the mirror, water dripping from his sharp features. Turning his head, he looked to the area on his neck where she had bitten him in his dream. He wasn’t surprised that nothing was there. No matter how real the dream felt, it was still just a dream.

  Kalen turned and opened the door of his room. He turned down the hallway toward the bathroom and ran into Brooke, heading the opposite direction. She wore the same shocked expression he did at that moment. “Apologies. I was just…” Kalen pointed behind her. “The lavatory is there.”

  She blushed and averted her eyes. “Yes. The ladies room is…” She pointed behind him.

  Kalen nodded slightly and stepped out of her way, allowing her to pass. She stepped past him and disappeared through a doorway. Kalen watched her and felt a pang in his chest as she strode purposefully through the hallway. He turned slowly and made his way to the restroom. Once inside,
he pulled a towel from the rack and stripped off his robe.

  Stepping into the shower, he turned the water on hot and let the steaming water beat his skin until it shone bright pink. He couldn’t help but wonder why she acted the way she did in the hallway. It seemed so out of character for her. She actually blushed when she saw him. He chuckled to himself as the water beat his skin.

  Kalen slowly lifted his eyes and stared at the tiled wall. She blushed? Why would she blush? What could possibly make her react in such a manner unless…

  He turned quickly and shut off the water, toweling off absentmindedly. He dropped the towel in the basket and slipped his robe back on. He slowly approached her door and held his hand up, ready to knock. What am I doing? He stepped back and stared at the door. Slowly, he retreated the short distance back to his own room and opened the door. He stepped inside and sat on the edge of his bed. How could he ask her what he wanted to ask? Did you have the same dream I had? He snorted a short laugh to himself as he realized how ludicrous it would sound.

  Kalen turned off the light and lay back on his narrow bed, staring at the ceiling in the darkness. “Surely she didn’t share the same dream as I did…did she?”

  He rolled over and stared at the block wall he shared with Brooke. He raised his hand and placed it gently against the cold cement. “Did you?”

  On the other side of the wall, Raven lay in her narrow bed facing the block wall she shared with Kalen, her hand pressed to the concrete block. “Did you?” she whispered in the darkness.

  *****

  Lilith stood and paced slowly, inspecting those who had already arrived. She cocked her head to the side and whispered to Samael, “Why would some of them take the bodies of women?”

  “Women have power and position in this day. Those who can serve a purpose have been taken.”

  Lilith nodded and continued walking between the rows of her legion. Satisfied, she turned to Samael, “How many more are coming?”

  “About half.” He lowered his voice and pulled her aside. “They’ve taken bodies of people in key positions in order to expedite your rise to power.”

  Lilith purred as she rubbed against him. “I like the way you think.” She turned and glanced back over the crowd. “I suppose there are presidents and politicians out there?”

  Samael shook his head. “This is an army, my love. We have soldiers, police, those who can operate military machinery and those who can get us access to weapons. We don’t need politicians.”

  She pouted and leaned against him. “Politicians can simply hand us over their lands. Armies have to fight to dominate.”

  “And they are an army. Fighting is what they know.” Samael squeezed her bottom. “They would be outed quickly if they tried to emulate a politician, but a soldier?” He shook his head.

  “Very well.” She turned and he watched as she made her way back to the warehouse office. “Have somebody notify me when the rest of my army arrives.”

  Samael nodded to Gaius. “You heard your queen.”

  Gaius dropped to one knee and bowed. “As she wills, so shall it be done.”

  Samael turned and followed Lilith into the office. He stuck his head back out and looked to Gaius. “Bring us water and wine. We’ll be thirsty soon.” He gave the man a wicked smile before shutting the door.

  2

  Mark stepped out of the OPCOM and leaned against the wall, his thoughts turning to the past when he and Apollo had interacted not only as coworkers, but as friends. He tried to shake off the anger he felt as the images replayed in his mind. He knew that Apollo had turned against them. Hell, he was the reason he had been attacked and infected. But still…it just didn’t seem right that somebody should shoot the man like that.

  Had it been in the heat of battle and he had been injured, that’s one thing. If he had been tagged for a body bag and taken out by one of the squad members, that was another. But to be sniped once the dust had settled? That was chicken shit. If you’re going to drop a guy, do it face to face.

  Mark pushed off the wall and felt the pangs of hunger tearing through his midsection. He made his way down to the chow hall and absentmindedly filled a platter, his mind still replaying the events of the night. As he sat alone in the furthest corner, he continued to replay the events. His body went through the motions of stemming his appetite without ever truly tasting the food or remembering what he had eaten.

  He pushed the platter away and stared at the stack of bones, a momentary lapse in memory causing him to question where they originated. He sighed heavily and leaned back in his seat, his mind playing back to the battlefield. If all of Simmons’ men had shifted, then who fired the shot? Surely this Simmons character wouldn’t trust humans to work alongside his wolves? Mark scratched at his chin as his mind raced. If not another human, then who else could have…he shot from his chair and practically ran from the chow hall.

  “What’s your hurry, Major?” Hammer asked as he darted past him.

  “I need to make a call.” Mark skidded to a stop and turned on the man. “Any idea what time it is in England right about now?”

  *****

  Rufus hung up the phone gently and turned to Foster. “We have our audience. The gypsy witch will see us.”

  “Hooray for us.” Paul stretched on the bed and flicked at his nails. “And you truly think this witch will tell you the truth? What is to prevent her from lying to you for shits and giggles?”

  Thorn called his valet and ordered his bags readied. Preparing a cognac, he spoke to Foster absently. “She will speak truly. It is her way.”

  “How can you be assured?”

  “She is sworn to her sister. That sister is Viktor’s mother, and if Viktor has arranged the meeting, then she has sworn an oath to him to serve my purpose honestly. Viktor will have seen to it.” Rufus sat down gently and sipped at the cognac.

  “You put an awful lot of trust on an awful lot of maybes.” Foster slid his legs off the edge of the bed and shook his head. “I fear I will never be as trusting as you are, brother.”

  “I must be.” Rufus stared deeply at the snifter of cognac, his mind playing out possibilities. “My fears are not with whether Angelica may lie to us. My fears are with if she tells us the truth.” He turned and faced Foster. “Then we will have to face Damien and possibly the demon whore Lilith.”

  Foster snorted with derision. “He shall answer the call of his maker or be undone.” He stood and marched to the door separating the rooms. “And as for Lilith, if she has truly been reanimated, then we shall do the world a favor and shred her heart once more.”

  Thorn watched as his brother marched purposefully back to his room and prepared to leave. His own valets entered and began packing his belongings while he contemplated the future. If Lilith was once more walking the earth, surely they’d know. Wouldn’t they? She would have made her presence known the moment she became whole.

  He swirled the cognac in the snifter and sipped at it, his mind considering the numerous possibilities. If Lilith was once more amongst the living, their safest course of action would be to allow the Monster Squads to deal with her. If he could only know for sure one way or the other.

  “Monsieur Thorn, your belongings are ready.”

  Rufus looked up and nodded to the valets. “Very well. See them to the car.” He drained his snifter and placed it back on the tray. “Notify my brother that I’ll be waiting downstairs.”

  *****

  Jack sighed heavily into the phone. “No, I don’t know where he might be staying. I only know that the Council demanded that they meet on the full moon and that—” He pulled the phone back and rubbed at the bridge of his nose. “Yes, I understand that was two nights ago for you, but he may still be in town.”

  Lieutenant Gregory reached for the phone. “Chief? Can I give it a try?”

  Jack shrugged and handed the phone to the junior officer. “Give it a whirl.”

  “This is Lieutenant Gregory with Team Four. With whom am I speaking?”
Jack watched as the man jotted down the name. “Captain, we’ve been asked to coordinate with Team Two in trying to apprehend a wanted fugitive who has stolen classified data and attempted to build what we believe is a Doomsday weapon. This person of interest had an appointment in Geneva yesterday evening and we have reason to believe he may still be in the area. All we are asking is for you to send some of your people to check it out. If he’s vacated the area, we’d appreciate the feedback. But if he’s still in the area and you can apprehend him for us, we’d be very much in your debt.”

  “It ain’t gonna work.” Jack leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms behind his head. He stared at the ceiling and shook his head with frustration.

  “Thank you, Captain. You can call me back at this number, day or night. I truly appreciate your cooperation in this matter.” Gregory shot Jack a smirk as he hung up the phone. “He’s got spotters in the area, and they’re going to hack the local hotel registries to see if Thorn signed in under his own name. If anybody from the States checked in with an entourage, they’ll check it out and get back to us.”

  Jack leaned forward and stifled a smile. “How in the hell did you…”

  “You catch a lot more flies with honey than you do with vinegar.” Gregory shrugged.

  “I was using honey!” Jack stood as Gregory stood and left the room. “I was! I know how to use…” He stammered after the man’s back. Jack fell back into his chair and chuckled. “I don’t care if you used black strap molasses, as long as they’ll cooperate.”

  *****

  Matt opened the door to his office and stopped dead in his tracks. Laura stood so quickly that he nearly jumped. “Ms. Youngblood.” He nodded to her then slipped behind his desk and poured a cup of coffee. “I suppose I have you to thank for brewing this?”