by Jools Louise
Sherman nodded again, then gestured to Cracker, and passed on the message, before they all fanned out again. He just hoped that his friend kept it together. He needed him to keep his cool, or someone could be hurt. They had, with Ryder’s help, done a recce of this place, a military-grade drone flying above and taking heat and photographic images, then relaying the intel back. Some more digging had revealed it was owned by a front company, shielded by a lot of layers, and led right back to Sherman’s stepfather, Daniel Steadman. There was evidence that payments made by the gang member in New York were being sent to Daniel’s company, and that he had made regular visits to this address over the years. A paper trail of invoices and purchase receipts showed that the company had paid for medical equipment, food, utilities, and electronics, plus mining gear. A link between the labs in Idaho and this place in the heart of the Colorado Rockies had been unearthed, and Sherman had a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach about what they’d find here. God only knew the cult and their stooges didn’t let morality stop them from making a profit. Who knew what victims they had here, or what state they’d be in?
Ryder gave a hand signal, perfectly visible with their shifter vision, and they moved forward en masse. Searching for trip wires and other possible surprises, they got closer still. Ryder held up his hand, urging them to stop. Hunkering down, the crew sniffed the air, studying the terrain carefully. Another signal, and they lay down instantly. Not a moment too soon. The front door of the cabin opened, and a man stepped out, flashlight in hand. He scanned the area, shrugged, and then returned inside. The intruders remained in place, silent and still.
Ryder moved, signaling for the others to hold their positions, and crept closer. Sherman watched him bring his wrist to his lips, and figured he was messaging his squad. Sherman jumped when something brushed by him, tall and clad all in black. Eight figures followed, and despite Sherman’s enhanced hearing, he barely heard them move. The elite squad had earned their name. Glancing over at Cracker, he saw the man’s equal surprise, and smiled to himself. At least he wasn’t the only one.
Ryder’s unit surrounded the cabin, then a flash of light lit the area, followed quickly by a second. Sherman ducked his head, blinking. The elite troops lay flat, blending into the ground when the front door was wrenched open again, the man scurrying onto the porch. Sherman stared beyond him, his vision returning, and saw an emaciated woman lying on a bed, her arms chained to the posts, looking lifeless. Beside her sat a man, who turned in surprise when Ryder and his men swiftly attacked. They took out the man on the porch, and within seconds had gained entry to the cabin, searching each room in turn with brutal efficiency. Only a handful of guards were in there. In less than five minutes, they shouted the all-clear.
That was Sherman’s signal to move, and he ran for the cabin. The woman was someone he recognized, although in her present state, it had taken him a while. She was someone he’d thought to never see again. Kathleen, his mother. The man who was now held tightly between two big shifters was someone believed to be dead. Daniel Steadman, his stepfather.
Sherman gave a loud roar, right in Daniel’s face, wanting to rip the man’s head off, but restrained himself, pleased to see the fear in the man’s eyes. He calmed and went to the bed, dropping to his knees, staring in horror at a woman who resembled a skeleton, skin and bone, her eyes deep craters in her thin face. “Mom?” he choked out, and saw her eyelids flutter.
“Sherman?” she whispered hoarsely. “I must be dreaming, son. I thought you were dead.”
“No,” he gasped, taking her hand gently in his larger one. “I just got out of prison, a few weeks ago. I’ve been there for a long time. I have a mate, his name is Chaz. And I live in Sage, Wyoming. I’m a mechanic. My god, what happened to you?”
“Let me take care of her,” Murphy said gently. “She’s severely dehydrated and malnourished. I need to get her to a hospital, quickly.”
“Don’t you fucking touch her,” Daniel roared, struggling suddenly. “She’s mine! You have no right to take her. She’s mine!”
Cracker stepped up to Daniel and backhanded him viciously, silencing him. “Pipe down, asshole,” he snarled, baring his fangs. “She needs help.”
Daniel shifted suddenly, leaping at the bed. He hit a wall of muscle, furred and fanged, and was knocked back to the floor. A second blow from Cracker knocked the man out. While Murphy worked urgently to get an IV line into Kathleen, Sherman’s friends carted Daniel off outside. Sherman stayed with Cracker and Chaz, who kicked Daniel as he was carted off.
“This is your mother?” Chaz asked, looking worried.
“Yes,” Sherman choked out.
“They’ve been starving her to death,” Cracker said, looking equally upset.
“No,” Kathleen said, swallowing hard, her voice cracking with the effort to speak. “I went on hunger strike. They told me…that you had died, several weeks ago…in prison…you…and all of your friends…and I refused to help…anymore…refused to cooperate.”
She closed her eyes wearily, and Murphy took her pulse, looking concerned. “She’s okay,” he said a moment later, and they all sighed with relief. “She’s just exhausted, and hanging on by a thread.”
“The guards are taken care of,” Joe declared as he entered the room. “You may want to take a look at what’s in the next room, Sherman.”
Sherman frowned, not wanting to leave his mother, but followed Joe after a moment’s hesitation, Chaz close behind. A teenager of about fifteen lay in a cot, strapped down and looking terrified. A collar was wrapped around his neck, spikes along the inner rim lying against his neck. His skin had been rubbed raw by the brutal device. An IV line was attached to his wrist. On the floor was an unconscious guard, with a hypodermic in his hand. It looked as though the guard had been about to stick the syringe into the kid’s arm.
A second cot contained another boy, this one about twelve or so, in the same condition, his thin frame malnourished, and his eyes were wide with fear. He wore a spiked collar, as well. Yet another cot sat beside the wall, with an even younger child lying there, this one about ten years old or so. On the opposite side of the room, three more cots sat in a line, containing three more children, these ones approximately eight, six, and three years of age.
Sherman studied them all, and noted that their eyes were the same color as his. A deep caramel brown. The same as his mother’s, as well. He noted other features that were similar, and he felt as though he was looking at living pictures of him as a child. They looked practically identical to how he’d looked at various stages of childhood.
“Hi, guys,” Chaz said softly, smiling. “Meet your big brother, Sherman.”
They all gazed at Sherman, looking awed by his massive presence.
Sherman shot Chaz a startled look, and nodded. Yes, they appeared to be his brothers. Which meant that his mother must have borne more children…six of them, while he was in jail.
“Let Ryder and his men deal with this,” Chaz said quietly, gripping Sherman’s arm firmly. “They’ll find out what’s what, without being emotional about it. These boys need our help more than Daniel needs you to rip his face off.”
Sherman snorted, and sent his mate a droll look, not surprised that Chaz had read him so well. He had been about to fly outside after the monster that appeared to be behind this setup. “I won’t go after him,” he said, kissing Chaz gently on the lips. He heard a giggle, and looked at one of the youngsters, who immediately wiped the smile off his face.
“This is my mate, Chaz,” Sherman said, smiling. “What’s your name? I’m Sherman.”
“We’re not allowed a name,” the little boy replied, looking as though he’d like to suck his thumb, but not able to since he was strapped down. Sherman went closer, to loosen the straps. “I’m Five. We’re numbered in the order of our birth. That’s One, Two, Three, Four, and Six. Mom has a secret name for us, but we’re not supposed to tell anyone.”
Chaz looked shocked, and went to help get the boy
s’ fastenings off. Sherman held in his anger, not wanting to alarm the boys any more than was necessary. They looked scared enough.
“Guys, we’re going to go back for some stretchers,” Joe said, keeping his voice and expression calm. Sherman sensed the anger in him, though, and knew there would be a reckoning when they interviewed Daniel.
“I think I can walk,” the young boy known as Five said, sliding from his cot when Sherman lowered the sides, only to stumble and collapse when his legs gave out.
“Hey, kid, I don’t think your legs agree with you,” Sherman replied, lifting the boy into his arms. He smiled teasingly, and the boy grinned, nodding. He still wore his collar. “Do any of you have a key to those things?” he asked, pointing to the iron band.
“On the guard’s belt,” the eldest boy said hoarsely, looking relieved when he was freed from the restraints, and the IV taken out. “He was going to kill us, inject us with poison or something. I tried to fight him, but he strapped me down, and then my brothers.”
“Sweetie, they’re all taken care of,” Chaz said gently.
“Did you check downstairs?” the boy asked.
“Downstairs?” Sherman asked carefully, feeling that sickness in his stomach again. This was a one-story structure.
“There’s an old mine tunnel below the cabin. John and Rafe are checking for any booby traps underground, along with Mick and Jay,” Joe said, nodding, his dark eyes fierce. “That’s why we need stretchers…there are casualties.”
“Not like in Sage?” Chaz asked, horrified.
Joe nodded grimly. “Yes, exactly like in Sage.”
“They took over a dozen down there, two wolverines, five wolf shifters, and five cheetah shifters,” the teenager said, sitting up carefully with Chaz’s help. Joe retrieved a set of keys from the guard, and tossed them to Chaz, who unlocked the collars on each of the boys. “There may be others, but I don’t remember, it’s been awhile.”
Cody came through, his face grimy, his eyes showing sadness and a burning anger as he stared at the boys. “Joe, I need to talk to you,” he said.
“Are they okay?” the teenager asked. Cody shot him a startled look. “Are the people downstairs okay?”
Cody hesitated a moment. “They’re alive,” was all he would say. Sherman knew that meant they were in a bad way. “There are eight wolverines, a dozen wolf shifters, and five cheetah shifters. Oh, and six bears.”
“Bears?” Chaz asked, shocked. Bear shifters had been extinct for decades.
“There’s a separate entrance to the mine,” the teen said, getting unsteadily to his feet, wobbling a little. Sherman went over to steady him, letting his brother lean on him. “Thanks…bro,” he said, with a slight smile. “I can show you, then you can get them out more easily.”
Cody shook his head, smiling at the boy. “No need, we found it. John’s getting the door open as we speak.” They felt a rumbling beneath their feet, and Cody rolled his eyes. “He wanted to do it quickly.”
“You let him loose with explosives again?” Chaz asked dryly, knowing all about John’s history with blowing stuff up.
“It’s his birthday tomorrow,” Joe said, grinning. “And he doesn’t want a party, this is the next best thing.”
“He likes explosives?” Sherman asked, hearing Five’s giggle again, and smiling at the kid. He liked the fact that despite the horrors that had occurred here, the boy was not cowed completely.
“He loves explosives,” Chaz said, grinning. “He’s offered to be in charge of the fireworks display for the Shifter Games, but Rafe’s told him that ain’t gonna happen.”
Joe laughed at that. “Rafe has a little more finesse,” he said. “Maybe John can make tea.”
“He sounds like fun,” Five whispered. “What’s the Shifter Games?”
“Where we have races, for fun, and then a big party afterward,” Chaz replied. “When we get back home to Sage, you can meet Alfie, he’s the main event coordinator.”
“We’re going home with you?” Five asked, wide eyed.
“Do you want to come home with us?” Sherman asked, a little hesitantly.
The boys all nodded, even the shyer ones. “Is Mom coming, too?” The eldest boy asked.
“Once we get her stabilized, we’ll get her back to Sage as soon as we can,” Joe said, nodding. “If you guys can hold the fort, I’ll help coordinate the retrieval operation.”
Sherman nodded, and they watched as Joe and Cody left. “Can we go and see Mom?” Five asked.
“Let me go and see if that’s okay,” Chaz said, and went next door. Sherman heard him speaking to Murphy, then a relieved sigh, before he returned. “Your mom is awake,” he said, smiling with relief.
Three of the boys were fairly steady on their feet and with a little help were able to walk next door. The teenager, Five, and the youngest sibling, named Six, needed a little more assistance. Soon they were all sitting around the bed, Kathleen lying propped up on the pillows, her arms and legs unstrapped, and an IV dripping nutrients and fluids into her through a tube. She looked much brighter, even in the short time since they’d been there.
“Joe gave her some of his blood,” Murphy explained. “And I did the same. Our patient’s feeling a little more lively,” he said, smiling at Kathleen.
“Wow,” she said weakly. “I never thought I’d see all my boys together, in one room. This is so nice.”
“Mom,” Sherman said, his voice cracking as he spoke. He grasped her hand, rubbing his thumb over her skeletal fingers, seeing the purplish green veins under her translucent skin.
“Sherman,” she replied, her eyes soft as she looked up at him. “Daniel told me you’d died, and I refused to believe him. He threatened my boys, and I told him that if he hurt them, I’d kill him. One of the other shifters, a wolverine, helped get word out, but then he was sent down into the mine. I haven’t seen the poor man since. That was a month ago. The ones downstairs were guarding the boys and I at one point, but they never hurt us. The shifters all have families, and Daniel used that connection to force them to come here. Those shifters defended us, stopped the worst of the beatings, and then ended up being beaten themselves.”
“What kind of help were you giving him?” Chaz asked tentatively, fairly sure he knew. She looked at him, a stark look in her eyes, similar to one he’d seen to when Douglas had spoken about servicing men at the lab. Chaz nodded, to show he understood. “You won’t ever have to help with anything like that again,” he said firmly, seeing her eyes lighten again.
“I know,” she said, blinking back tears. “Thank you for coming, I thought we’d all die here, and I’d never see my boys again.”
“Kathleen, it sounds as though our help has arrived,” Murphy said, glancing toward the front door. “We’ll get you out of here just as soon as we can.”
“There’s a computer, in the locked room, through there,” Kathleen said, pointing to a closed door across the room. “It should have some details about his operation here, and who gains from it.”
Murphy nodded. “I’ll get Rafe onto it,” he said. “After you’re all on your way to the clinic. We need to get you well again, so you can catch up with your family.”
She nodded, blinking tiredly. “I’d like that,” she said, and then closed her eyes, falling asleep swiftly.
“Your mom is really weak,” Murphy said. “I’m going to do everything I can for her.”
“She was like a mom to me, too,” Cracker said, sighing heavily. “It would be unbearable if we lost her for a second time.”
“Joe’s blood is kind of special,” Murphy said as he draped a second blanket over Kathleen. “If anything’s going to help her, it’s that.”
“Special?” Sherman said, frowning.
“He can heal people,” Chaz cut in. “His DNA will give Kathleen a boost, get her immune system working.”
“He has magic blood,” Five said, still snuggled in Sherman’s arms. “Can we get some, too? I want some magic blood, too.”
Sherman grinned at him. “We’ll ask when we get home,” he said. Then he frowned. “I don’t know where we’ll put everyone, though.”
Pace entered the property, his face streaked with dirty, his green eyes glittering vividly in his tanned face. “When you’re ready, we’ll get these guys out of here,” he said. “The stretchers are here for those who need them, and we have Ryder’s troops to help with getting everyone back to the vehicles. He has a helicopter on its way for the more severe cases, a chinook which can take multiple casualties. The shifters in the mine are in a bad way.” This was said with a telling look at Murphy, and a slight nod to where Kathleen lay, gaunt and still.
“I’ll get her ready,” Murphy said, nodding.
“We’re going to go in a helicopter?” Five asked excitedly.
Sherman shook his head, kissing the boy on the cheek gently. “No, love, just Mom. She needs to get some more medicine, quickly, so Murphy will travel with her and the other more serious cases to Sage. We’ll take a road trip, instead. We can stop for breakfast on the way home. We can administer some basic first aid for you guys, and we have some portable IV’s we can set up for the journey, once we get out of here.”
“Is Mom going to live?” The oldest boy asked worriedly. So far, only the two had spoken, the others too shy or traumatized to speak yet, although they seemed to be relaxing now that they knew they were leaving soon.
Murphy looked at Kathleen, his eyes sad. “She’s been through a lot, and her body has started to shut down,” he replied honestly. “She’s a fighter, though, so I’m putting my faith in her spirit to live.” He looked at Sherman and the six boys in turn. “She has a lot to live for, now.”
“I want Daniel to die,” the teenager said fiercely. “He did this to us. He’s a monster. If she dies, I’ll kill him with my bare hands.”
