Laura squared her shoulders and stepped further into the room. She laid a gentle hand on Crystal’s shoulder. “How’s he doing?” Her whispered voice seemed unusually loud in the quiet room.
Crystal started in her chair and tried to sit up, her body protesting as she moved from what appeared an uncomfortable position. She sat, blinking at Laura, her mind unable to comprehend that Laura had spoken to her without screaming. She cleared her throat and nodded. “He has his good days and his bad days.” She stole a glance at his sleeping body. “Today isn’t a very good day for him.”
Laura squeezed gently at her shoulder and sat beside her. “I can sit with him if you’d like to walk around a bit. Maybe get some air.”
Crystal sat forward and stared at Jim sleeping in the bed. Her eyes watered slightly as she stroked his hand. She finally turned to Laura and slowly stood. “Thanks, I’d like that.” She turned past Laura and paused, unsure exactly what to say. “He’s missed you the most, I think. He’ll be very happy to see you when he wakes up.”
Laura patted her hand then turned to her father. She slipped into Crystal’s chair and took her father’s hand in her own. “I’ll keep watch while you stretch your legs.”
Crystal watched her for just a moment then turned for the door. “I’ll bring back some fresh coffee.”
Laura gave her a soft smile and nodded then turned her attention back to her father. As soon as she heard the door shut she leaned forward and brushed a stray hair from his face. “Well, don’t you just look a mess.” She didn’t bother to whisper this time.
Jim Youngblood’s eyes cracked open and he stared at his youngest child for a moment before recognition struck him. His eyes flew open and his bottom lip quivered as he reached for her. “Punkin.” She wrapped her arms around him and dared not squeeze too hard. Her breath caught in her throat as she felt his bones for the first time in her life. The realization that her daddy wasn’t superhuman sunk in and she refused to face his mortality.
“I missed you, Daddy.”
“I missed you, too.” His weak body let her go, and he lay back in his bed, eyes threatening to cry. “You look good, kiddo.”
“Yeah, if you count road grit.” She sniffed back tears and ran a hand through her hair absently. “I wish you had told me how bad it had gotten.”
Jim shook his head. “You had things to do. Important things.”
“Yeah, right. Nothing’s more important than you, you know that.” She sat back in the chair and studied his face. When had he gone so grey?
“So how are things in…where are you working? Oklahoma?”
“I was. I just resigned that post.” She averted her eyes, knowing that he wouldn’t agree.
“Why would you do that? Are you pregnant?” The hopeful tone was unmistakable.
“Daddy!” She swatted at his hand and shook her head. “You know better than that.”
“You can’t blame an old man for wanting to see his grandkids before the end comes, now can you?”
“Crimeny, Dad, you aren’t dead yet.” She stared at him then glanced toward the door.
“One foot in the grave, Punkin, the other foot is slipping.” He shot her a crooked grin. “I’ve come to terms with it. I’ve lived a long and fruitful life. I have no regrets.”
Laura shifted in her chair and glanced at the door again. “Dad? What if there was a cure?”
“Punk, we could play the ‘what if’ game all day, it won’t change anything. I’m too far gone. All they can really do is try to manage the pain now and…”
“But what if there was?” She shot him a serious look. “Would you take it?”
He cocked his head and shrugged. “Are you serious? Of course I would. Nobody wants to die, Punk. Not really. But it’s a moot point, because there isn’t a cure.”
“What if the cure had…side effects?”
Jim mustered his strength and sat upright a bit more in his bed. He turned and stared at his youngest child and narrowed his gaze. “What are you doing?”
“I’m just asking…what would you be willing to put up with if it meant beating this?”
“Are you being serious?” She noted the hope in his eyes, and it crushed her heart. She hated the idea of waving an ‘out’ for him only to drop a bombshell on him…attach a rider that he probably wouldn’t believe.
Laura averted her eyes a moment and felt her head nodding. “Yes, Daddy, I’m being serious.” She looked back to him and she felt the hot tears run down her cheeks. “It’s real, but there’s a catch. A big catch.”
“Like how big? Do I have to sell my soul to the devil or join the Masonic Lodge or something?”
“Daddy, I’m being serious.”
“I am too. I don’t know if I trust grown men who ride little bitty cars in those parades.”
“Those are Shriners and they do good things…why are we even discussing this?” She threw her hands into the air. “You always do this to me when I want to talk about something serious.”
“I’m trying to put you at ease, Punk.” He shifted slightly in the bed, and his face couldn’t hide the pain. “Just spit it out, sweetheart. If the price is doable, then I’m all for paying it.”
Laura sighed and leaned in closer to him. “I need you to be open minded about what I’m about to tell you.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Laura reached into her bag and pulled out the vials. She set them on the table beside her. “These can cure you.” She turned and stared at her father. “But there is a catch.”
*****
Mick had finished utilizing the gym and worked out much of his frustrations. He had received no answers to his prayers and his anger and frustration continued to build until he needed to exhaust himself or do something foolish that would get him into trouble. His muscles burned from the workout and his sinuses felt defiled from the scent of wet dog that permeated every inch of the place. He showered and changed and was hoping to put as much distance between himself and the lower levels as he could when he saw her.
Jenny didn’t notice him lurking in the shadows, and yes, he was lurking. As soon as he spotted her, he dropped back to where he couldn’t be seen and stared at her. She was smiling and seemed happy. She had her hair pulled back into a simple pony tail and it made her appear younger. He slipped further into the shadows and watched her as she went from place to place, simply touching things or stopping to stare, her smile broadening with each new experience.
Something inside of Mick changed as he watched her. He no longer sulked. He was angry. Somehow…he knew. He could sense the difference in her. Before she arrived, she was apprehensive, frightened and wary of what returning to this place would do to her gentle psyche. Now, she darted from place to place, as if studying every inch, trying to get to know it as well as she could. The people she met were so open with her, treating her as though she were the Queen of the Dogs.
Mick felt his heart tearing itself from his chest. He knew. Somehow, he felt it as he watched her flit from place to place, her exuberance growing with each new experience.
She had mated with him.
Mick felt his legs go weak as the realization struck him and he all but collapsed. His breath came in ragged gasps and he stared up into the darkened corners. “Thanks for nothing.”
He pulled himself to his feet and squared his shoulders. He had to know for sure what his heart already knew. His mind had to hear it come from her before he’d allow himself to accept it.
He stepped from the shadows and walked slowly toward her. She didn’t notice him at first as she studied a bulletin board as though it were the most important thing in the world. Mick approached her from behind and stood with his hands behind him, a gentle smile painted across his features. “You seem awfully chipper today.”
Jenny turned and at first, her face went through a dance of emotions. Happy, confusion, anger, betrayal, confusion again and finally, happiness. She nodded to him. “Yes. Yes, I am feeling quite chipper today, thank you.
”
“So I guess your fears of returning to this place are gone?”
She nodded as she turned back to the bulletin board. “Surprising, isn’t it?” She placed a hand under her chin as she studied the board. “Did you know that whenever they get a ‘hit’, they first place it here until it’s verified. Then the squads are rallied and sent out to deal with it. Amazing really, how this place operates.”
“Truly,” Mick replied absently. He glanced at the bulletin board and then at the notices to either side of it. “So, do you plan on staying for a while or will we be leaving anytime soon?”
Jenny turned and shot him a quizzical look. “Leaving? Why on earth would I do that?”
“Well…I just…” Mick cleared his throat. “I mean, you were going to come here just to meet the man who claimed to be your fated mate. Now you’ve met him and come to terms with your fears.” Jenny nodded, her eyes still roaming the notices on the board. “I just thought that since you came and your dragon was slain, we could be on our way.”
She froze and allowed his words to sink in. Slowly Jenny turned and gave him a look that he couldn’t identify; or, perhaps, he didn’t want to identify. “I’ll not be going anywhere, Mick. Matt and I are mated now.” She narrowed her gaze on him and shook her head. “It’s forever.”
Mick felt as though he couldn’t breathe. A huge weight had been placed over his chest and he simply could not force enough air into his lungs. He actually staggered back a step and stared at her as the blood rushed out of his head. “You…you’re…”
“We are mated.”
Mick swallowed hard and stepped back again, his head nodding slightly. “Yes, yes, of course you are.” He turned slightly and nodded to her, “If you’ll excuse me.”
Jenny had already turned back to the notices and was working her way down. She didn’t notice, nor care that Mick had excused himself.
Mick staggered away and found a corner to lean on. Why had her words struck him so? His heart knew already…why did hearing them have such an effect on him? He pushed away from the wall and forced himself toward the elevators. He had to get away. He had to get outside. He needed air. The walls were suddenly closing in on him and he had to get out.
*****
“What do you mean they left?” Little John paced the training area then turned and punched the door to the CQB trainer. “Nobody thought to tell me that she was leaving?”
Donnie stepped between him and the door exiting the training area. “Hey, big guy, nobody told us they were leaving. They just all walked outside and then left through the big rock out back.”
“The big rock?” Little John threw his hands into the air.
Spalding had been leaning against the wall allowing the operator to vent before stepping in. “That’s enough.” His voice was quiet, even and low.
Little John turned on him. “Excuse me?”
Spalding pushed off the wall and stepped toward the towering man. “You heard me. That’s enough.”
Little John squared his shoulders and looked down at the much smaller man. “Who are you to tell me that?”
“I’m your Team Leader.” Spalding stared up into the man’s eyes, his jaw squared. “I’ve given you enough leeway on this. You throwing a tantrum and punching stuff isn’t going to change anything.”
“Well, you sure as hell haven’t done anything to help in the matter, now have you?” Little John crossed his arms over his massive chest. “You were the one telling me to cool off, to give her time, that she’ll come to me eventually. Well now she’s done run off and I may never get another chance to…”
Spalding struck out so quickly that John didn’t see it coming, but the hand that struck his chest pushed him back firmly. “I said, that’s enough, and I meant it.”
“Why you little…” John started to step forward when Lamb and Jacobs stepped in front of him, blocking his path.
“I really wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Lamb warned.
“Not a smart move,” Jacobs added.
Little John glared down at the two men and ground his jaw. “Like you two will stop me?”
“No. I will,” Spalding said softly. “If you don’t calm yourself down and start thinking reasonably, you’re grounded.”
John shot him a wide eyed stare. “What?”
“You heard me.” Spalding stepped forward and gently pushed Lamb and Jacobs out of the way so that he could stand in front of Sullivan. “John, your sister is part of another team. That entire team left out on a mission. She didn’t just up and leave, to disappear into the night and never return.” John took a half step back and looked to Donovan for verification. Donnie simply nodded. “She will return. And how do you think she’s going to react to find out that her little brother went off the deep end because his sister left without leaving a note pinned to the refrigerator?”
John sighed and his shoulders slumped. “Point made.”
“No, I don’t think so.” Spalding stepped closer and lowered his voice. “Look, I know that she’s your sister. But somehow you have it in your mind that you’re the big brother and she somehow needs you to protect her. You and I both know that’s not the case. She’s a decade older than you, even if she doesn’t look it.”
John opened his mouth to say something when Spalding held up a finger. “I’m not finished.” He turned and motioned to the other men in the squad. “These are your squad mates. They’re here to cover your ass in the muck and they expect to be able to count on you in a pinch. Right now, you don’t have your head in the game. You’re too wrapped up in Brooke.”
“I just need her to…”
“I’m not done yet, rookie.” Spalding turned to the door and pointed out the splintered wood. “You get a little upset and your first instinct is to strike out. That’s not the level head I thought I was taking on here.” Little John lowered his eyes and nodded. “And, word is that it’s going to be a long while before Carbone is replaced. And since Jack isn’t rejoining the squads, Major Tufo mentioned putting us back into two seven-man squads. That means somebody from First Squad will most likely be joining us. I do not want anybody coming into our squad and thinking that we have a loose cannon in our ranks.”
“Especially one the size of a Buick,” Lamb muttered. Donnie offered up an ‘amen’ and Little John could do little more than nod.
“Understood, boss.” John exhaled hard and met his gaze. “Would an apology help?”
“It damn sure wouldn’t hurt.” Spalding slapped the man across the shoulder. “But for now, we have drills to prep for. I need you to get your head back in the game.”
Donnie nudged John to get his attention. “Keep in mind, bro, she’s been out there on her own for this long, kicking ass and taking names as a vampire assassin. Now she has a whole team to help cover her back.”
Little John shrugged. “I guess you’re right.” He shouldered his weapon and turned toward the broken door for the CQB trainer. “Weapon, check. Armor, check. Head in the game, check.”
“Alright, you dogs, let’s do this,” Spalding shouted. “Stack up.”
*****
Gaius stood at attention as he reported to Lilith. “We have teams transporting the devices to different areas across the country. Other teams in other countries are dispersing with their devices and caches of them are being strategically placed so that strikes can be quickly coordinated with the least amount of down time.”
“Excellent, Commander.” Lilith turned and pointed to the map on her wall. “Show me the locations.”
Gaius stepped forward and made six circles, each covering major cities. “We have trusted strongholds or properties held by the human hosts that have adequate security for keeping the devices safely hidden until needed.”
“And how will our forces access these devices if they are locked away?”
Gaius held out an electronic keypad lock. “They all are unlocked by the same code. Anywhere in the world one of us should pick up a new host, we can go to a w
eapons cache, gain access, and lock up behind us, securing the facility for the next.”
Lilith smiled as she palmed the lock. “Excellent work, Commander.”
“What is he doing here?” Samael growled as he entered the office.
“Giving me an update.” Lilith tossed the lock to Samael. “Such a simple little device, but it will help us so much.”
Samael stared at the device with disdain. “Too simple.” He crushed the lock in his hand and let the pieces fall to the floor. “Anybody could get past something like this.”
Gaius stiffened and stared straight ahead. “Perhaps a god such as yourself, but not a human. And not without great difficulty.”
Samael snarled at the Roman then turned and marched to the wine casks. Lilith fought back the smile tugging at her mouth. She turned to Gaius and nodded, “Back to your duties, Commander. Let me know when the devices are all delivered and properly stored.”
“Yes, my queen.” Gaius bowed and quickly disappeared.
“He reminds me of a rat,” Samael muttered as Lilith slid next to him and wrapped her arms around him. “Vermin that needs exterminating.”
“He was hand-chosen to lead my legion, remember?” she purred.
“By who?” Samael spun on her, the wine spilling from the cask.
Lilith laughed as she fell into the chair beside him. “By you, my love, by you. You chose this legion to serve me centuries ago, remember?”
Samael growled low in his throat as he glared at her. He lifted the cask to his mouth and drank greedily. “I’ll never trust him.”
“And he knows it. You frighten him.” She lifted a leg and rubbed her foot teasingly against his large muscular thigh. “He knows that only you can give him the true death.”
Samael turned slowly and stared at her. “And you, my love. You are his queen. You have power over the dead, remember. You could extinguish his life as easily as I.”
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