by Amelia Jade
“So when your father took me under his wing, I ratcheted it up several notches, becoming more and more prolific and profitable. I’m not proud of what I did, but at the time I felt I had no choice…” he trailed off as the look on her face registered.
“What the hell do you mean my father took you under his wing? My father isn’t a criminal,” she told him viciously, even as she couldn’t help but remember the gun and knife he had brought to try and kill Jet with.
“Kailee, I know you aren’t stupid, so stop acting like it. Think about this for a moment, about your life growing up, about the way he acts. Hell, think about the way he was today. Did you see any hesitation, any remorse in him as he tried to gun me down and then try to stab me?”
“Neither of those would have killed you,” she said hotly without replying to his original question. She didn’t want to because it hit too close to home with her.
“Unlikely the gun would have penetrated my skin, but the knife certainly could have, and even with the speed at which we heal as shifters, if your father hit one of my arteries, nothing would have saved me. There was real danger there, he didn’t even hesitate when you were nearby either.”
Jet was pleading with her now, but Kailee was beyond reason. Her father had problems, but he wasn’t a criminal. Her heart wanted to burst and she was fearful of pushing on, but she had to know everything.
“Why did he try to kill you, Jet? What was he talking about, stolen money and a mission?”
The hesitation on his face was evident, but he must have seen something within her, something that told him she was strong enough to hear the words.
“At one point I decided that I had enough of that life. I wanted something else, something more. In the city I had lost touch with my bear, between running from the law and keeping it secret from your father, I was rarely able to let him out.”
“Why did you have to keep it a secret? Humanity knows about us now, it’s not a secret.”
“You’ve never come across a single person who didn’t like our kind?”
She kept her mouth shut at that comment. Despite her question, she knew her father harbored ill-will toward shifters. It didn’t make any sense to her since she was a shifter herself. It was a hereditary trait, as far as scientists and practical experience could tell.
Kailee had never known her mother, but nothing that others had ever said about her seemed to indicate that she was a shifter.
“Your father doesn’t know, does he?” Jet said suddenly, a shocked look upon his face.
“No,” she whispered after a moment’s silence. “I never told him. I was at summer camp one year, out alone in the forest because I didn’t like one of the other girls, Lisa Campellini. I got really angry at her, and then out of nowhere my bear emerged. I was thirteen, and I’ve hidden it from him ever since.”
“I’m sorry,” Jet said compassionately, his hand reaching out to touch her but stopping short as she recoiled from his touch. The look of sadness on his face almost tugged at her heartstrings, but she couldn’t get over the atrocious things he had done.
“I had always spent my money every time I had some, until that year. Then I began to hoard it, but it was never going to be enough to flee and start out anew. So I needed more money.”
“So you stole from your own friends,” she muttered, even more disgusted with him than before, which she hadn’t thought possible. It seemed this creature across from her had no morals, no remorse about his actions. He simply did what was best for him and damn anyone who happened to get in his way.
“I stole everything I could and tipped the police off about their actions. Then I fled all the way out here to Bear Bluffs. The place was for sale and in need of some fixing up. Since that day fourteen years ago, I’ve run it to the best of my abilities.”
He sat back, done with his story. She could tell he was leaving out some particulars about his heist and the fallout, but it told her everything she needed to know. No wonder her father had been so intent on finding him, he wanted back his money.
No, that can’t be true. Your father isn’t a criminal. He’s a good man. Distant and not a great father, but not evil like Jet.
Yet, despite her own inner dialog, she was having her doubts about everything. It would just explain too much about her father’s sudden disappearances and late night activities.
Tears welled up and fell, leaving twin streaks of warmth as they fell down her face. With a sniffle, she brushed them away with the back of her hand, forcing herself to remain composed.
“I need some time to think,” she said quietly, turning to go.
“Wait, Kailee.”
She stopped but didn’t turn around, her eyes closed in resignation. Everything was crashing down around her for the second time in her life. What was it with her and men who weren’t what they seemed to be? She couldn’t get away from the liars, those who hid their true personas. It was tiring, to have to deal with this again, so very tiring.
“I’m not that person anymore. Think about the man you worked next to for this past week. That’s who I am. People can change, it’s not impossible.”
She simply shook her head, not willing to tell him how wrong he was. It was pointless, she knew from past experience. With another sigh of disappointment, she left the office and shortly thereafter the bar, behind. It was over, she was through with this chapter of her life. It had barely started, but she needed to have it done.
“I should never have taken that stupid job in the first place,” she muttered to herself as her truck pulled around the corner to her house. She would tell Jet in the morning over the phone that she was done working there. That way he wouldn't be able to convince her to stay.
What the hell?
There were several cars parked outside of her house. She recognized her father’s sports car, but the blue jeep and sleek grey SUV were both unknown to her. She wondered who they might be. Nobody was outside, so her father must have invited them in, which ticked her off to no end. She already had plenty of questions about what he had done earlier and putting up with his uninvited guests was not what she wanted to do now.
Kailee rolled her shoulders to force herself to relax, putting on the false happiness of her good-hostess face. Whoever they were, they were in her house and she intended to be polite to them. After she got rid of them was when she would try to get to the bottom of everything.
***
Chapter Eleven
Jet
Jet wasn’t sure what to do. He had closed the Quencher the day before because of everything that had happened. Never before had he done so, and there were very few occurrences where he could see himself doing so again. Perhaps he would close down for his honeymoon, or for the birth of his kids. Most other events could be planned around the Quencher’s schedule, and he intended to do just that.
So, the very next day, Jet had gotten up and begun his daily ritual. Exactly on time, he had flipped the open sign to the on position and unlocked the front door. He had moved all the chairs back to the floor from the tabletops, he had turned on the cooktop and even begun to prepare several batches of cutlery.
Alone.
Kailee didn’t show up, nor did she call. He knew she was mad at him, but at no point had she ever formally quit work. She was the consummate professional and Jet knew that if she no longer wanted the job, she would have told him and handed in her uniform.
There was nobody waiting for him outside when he unlocked the door, so with the moment of quiet, he pulled out his phone and hit her speed dial button. The phone rang a number of times before going to her voicemail. He found that strange, because she was so obsessed with the thing that unless she was working, she always picked up.
He tried her house phone as well, but that one wouldn’t ring at all, almost like it had been disconnected. Frowning, Jet hung up again, putting his phone back into the pocket of his jeans. This was very unlike Kailee, to the point that his stomach twisted into knots, telling him that something was
wrong.
Jet didn't know what to do. The sinking sensation told him something was wrong with Kailee, but he had no evidence to base that off of. Just because she wasn't answering her phone, did not mean she was in trouble. It could just be that she wasn't ready to face him yet.
So do I go running off after her, closing the Quencher again, just because I think something is wrong?
Just then the door slammed open, startling him out of his reverie as the three power line boys walked in. He barely heard the words they said he was so absorbed in his thoughts. Whatever he was going to do, a decision would have to be made soon, or else he would back himself into a corner with indecision.
"Jet, what's wrong?" Tanner asked, the defacto leader of the group turning away from their customary table to walk up to Jet. The other two followed with looks of concern on their faces. He had to focus on them now as they stood in front of him.
"I think something is wrong with Kailee," he said, making the decision in his head.
Something in Jet's tone of voice must have set them off, for immediately the look and stance of the three changed. Whereas before they had concern in their eyes and ease in their steps, now he could tell they were on the lookout for trouble. The outside pair of the trio stepped back slightly to give themselves more space as they glanced around the room. Fists tightened and muscles flexed as they prepared themselves for a fight.
"What makes you say that?" Tanner was paying far more attention now, focusing in on every detail.
"She didn't show up for work and she didn't call to let me know either. Then when I called her, she didn't pick up either her cell or the house phone. It's completely unlike her, she is professional to the core. If she had quit, she would have told me."
"Do you think her dad has anything to do with it?"
"I wouldn't be surprised if her father has everything to do with it," he said with a growl, emphasizing the word.
It had been fairly easy to pick up that the relationship between the two wasn't great. She had never referred to him as her dad, only as her father and he intended to do so as well. If Jack had been involved, it would be easier for Jet to do what had to be done if he didn't picture him as close with Kailee. At least, that's what he told himself, trying to push that line out thought out of his head.
"I'm sorry guys, but I need to close down again. I have to go after her, to find out what's going on. If something were to happen because I did nothing, or because of how I left things with her yesterday, I couldn't bear it."
"We'll follow you," Dylan said, already in mid-stride toward the door.
"What?" Jet said, blinking in confusion.
"You didn't think we were going to sit by and let something happen to you, did you? Who else would serve us with such dainty flair?" The joke was forced, but Jet appreciated the effort anyway, forcing a small smile onto his face.
"Let's go," he said, not bothering to protest anymore, knowing that it would be useless once the others had decided to help.
The shifter community was a tight one. They often bonded together when help was needed and the law couldn't be trusted. Too many humans still looked down upon the shifters as freaks and mutants, creatures that shouldn't exist. So they tended to drag their feet when an issue was brought up. Although the community surrounding Bear Bluffs was predominantly shifters, it was no guarantee that humans wouldn't find a way to slow down the search for Kailee.
As much as Jet wished that he had been taking everyone on a wild goose chase, his gut tightened the moment he turned onto her street. Something was very, very wrong here. The two trucks pulled up in front of her house with all four men piling out, two from each. Dylan had ridden with Jet just in case something happened to one of the trucks. It was paranoia at its utmost, but crazier things had happened.
"I don't like the smell of it," Devon said as they fanned out, approaching the house slowly.
"I can smell him," Jet said, referring to Jack.
"That's not all I smell," said Tanner, taking a moment to sniff the air deeper, his eyes glossing over as he let his bear come closer to the surface to help analyze the scent.
"I also smell Kailee, another female, and another male. They both are familiar, tantalizingly so. I just can't remember."
Jet was on the main path to the house, but Tanner was on the driveway and making his way around the back of the house. Jet moved over that way to test the air.
"That sonofabitch," he roared abruptly, moving toward the house at a much faster clip. The door shattered under his shoulder as he bulldozed his way inside, his rage climbing to another level within him.
"Jet, who is it? Who do you smell?" The three others rushed in after him, spreading out inside to cover all the angles.
"Tom," he said, his voice as cold as ice and filled with venom.
"As in, Mayor Tom?" Devon asked incredulously, but his voice trailed off as he tested the air again and came to the same conclusion now that Jet had supplied the name.
"The very one, and Sandra was with him."
They quickly searched the house, but it was very evident that nobody was home. Dylan, Devon, and Jet reconvened in the front foyer, but Tanner didn't move from the coffee table he was standing over.
"What is it, Tanner?" Jet asked, a sensation of dread settling over him as Tanner turned slowly to face him. There was a piece of paper in his hand, but he didn't say a word, simply handing it to Jet for him to read.
I have her. I'm going to tern her over to Tom unles you bring all the money you stole down to the old mill. Tom says you no where.
Jet had to reread it a second time, not believing at first that Jack had written it. He had always seemed intelligent enough to write, although looking back Jet wasn't sure he had ever witnessed him writing. It seemed to leave more credence to the fact that something was wrong in Jack's head.
That scared Jet because the mentally unstable could do unpredictable and dangerous things if they were pushed. Jack was still strong for his age, but Jet wouldn't have any issues taking him down, and that went doubly so if he let his bear out.
"Get in the trucks boys, we're going to the old mill north of town," Tanner said before Jet could open his mouth.
He started to protest, to tell them that this was his fight, but the moment he saw the steely determination within their eyes, he let it drop. Instead, he simply nodded his head in thanks before they sprinted for the trucks. Rubber burned as they slammed the pedals to the floor, safety thrown to the wind as they raced out of town to rescue Kailee.
"There's someone else here as well," Jet spoke softly as they exited the vehicles and approached the mill. There was Tom's grey SUV, Jack's sports car, and then another black SUV was also parked out front, decorated with a number of skulls and crossbones on it.
"I've seen that before. We all have," said Dylan. "There were three or four, I didn't care at the time to get an exact count, but they were big guys, all tattooed up with a big city look to them. They were camping outside of town near where we had to take a tree down the other day."
"Jack's hired guns, I'd say. We're going to have a fight on our hands boys. If any of you want to back out now, feel free. I won't hold it against you."
There was only silence as the three other men continued to stride toward the building, ignoring his words. The massive receiving doors were open, but no lights were on. Jet was unsure if there was still any power to the building. They might be fighting in the dark though Jack had to know that the shifters would have a massive advantage if that were the case.
"This doesn't make any sense," he muttered as they walked through the doors.
There, arrayed before them, was a scene that made his blood boil. There was still power in the building because at the very back of the large open area, was a group of people standing in an area of light. As he approached, they stepped back to reveal Kailee, strapped to a metal chair. Her head lolled to one side as she appeared unresponsive. Jack stood behind her, a knife in his hand.
"That's c
lose enough, thief," he called out when the quartet entered the ring of light.
Jet tried to speak, but his bear was in a full blown battle rage already and it took all of his mental strength to keep it contained. His lips pulled back into a snarl as he recognized Tom and Sandra mixed in with the large goons that Jack had brought.
"Did you bring it all? I know you mutant freak types are always lying, so I want to see it!"
The crazed pitch to the voice caused Jet to wince. It was clear now that Kailee was in a lot of danger from the man that used to be her father. Jet looked around, noting the shifting of stances from the other men when he didn't reply. They were ready for a fight.
"What did you do to her?" he called out, desperate to know if Kailee was okay.
"The money, freak."
"Tell me what you did to her, and then you'll have the money."
It was a terrible bluff, but Jet didn't think that Jack would be able to see through it in his current state. If he could, then it would give an insight as to just how competent he was. After a long moment of hesitation, Jack spoke again.
"You don't know?" he laughed maniacally. "Oh, this is too rich. You'll like this, abomination, because it suits you so perfectly! It's bear tranquilizer!" Jack broke down into a laughing fit at that, finding it all too funny.
Jet's blood went cold. Bear tranquilizer could do permanent brain damage to shifters if they were overexposed to it. If he had Kailee since the night before, he would have had to give her two or three shots of it to keep her under this long. At that point, it was up in the air. Kailee would either wake up and be fine within moments as her system finished burning it off, or she might wake up and be unable to control both herself and her bear. That would be a disaster he knew, so Jet tried not to think about it, instead focusing in on Jack, Tom and the rest.
