Special Ops Shifters: Dallas Force: The Complete Series Collection (Shifter Nation) Page 33

  “Seems to me like Ben is trying to make a point about shifters being different from the rest of the population. It’s a pretty standard tactic for extremist leaders. They have to find some way to encourage you to cordon yourself off from the world. I still feel like we’re missing something here, though.”

  “I wish I knew what that was.” Erica pushed the remainder of her breakfast around on her tray. “I’m not liking anything I see here.”

  “What do you think is going on?” Jack knew something was amiss. Dozens of people didn’t just get to do a few household chores and a little maintenance in exchange for three square meals and a solid roof overhead. “It’s more like a hippie shifter commune than a terrorist cell.”

  “To the naked eye, yes,” she agreed. “I was really looking for anything fishy from Ben himself, and of course I got nothing. It was the same way with all the other people here, except for that guy Ben just took off with.”

  “I was going to ask you about that,” Jack admitted. “I could tell something was going on with that guy. What do you think his deal is?”

  She gave a short laugh of frustration. “I wish I knew. I like to think I’m pretty good at what I do, but so are people who try to overthrow the government or make some pointed political statement. They’ve spent their entire lives covering up their true motives, and that’s often reflected in their psychic energy. The only thing I can say for sure is that he’s up to no good.”

  Jack rubbed his jaw. “Ben said he was a mechanic. I wonder if that translates to a bomb engineer.”

  “I don’t know. But I do think we should enjoy our day, just like Ben wants. I say we split up and get as much information as possible. Your brain is geared more toward engineering, so I’ll leave it up to you to map out the buildings and figure out anything you can about how they work or what might be hiding here. I’ll work on the people. Someone’s got to know something.”

  Jack’s mouth twisted. “I don’t like it.”

  “If you’d rather rub elbows, then have at it. I just think we’d be using our best assets the other way around.”

  He cut his hand through the air. “That’s not what I mean. I don’t like the idea of splitting up. This place is pretty big, neither one of us is completely familiar with it yet, and the only communication we have with the outside world isn’t one we can use right now.”

  Now the resistant look in her eye had nothing to do with acting. “We haven’t seen any actual threats, and I shouldn’t have to remind you that I’ve been through plenty of training. I’m more than capable of taking care of myself.”

  That may be true, but it was hard for Jack to see her that way. She’d been soft and welcoming the previous night. Erica was a woman to be treasured and protected, not thrown out amongst a group of potential terrorists. “You don’t understand. I know you’re capable, but with what I am… what we did… what I feel…” He searched for the right words and cursed himself for being so emotionally wrapped up in this. Jack was a logical man, and matters of the heart always came second after matters of the mind. With Erica, though, the line blurred to the point of disappearing. How could he explain his incessant need to protect her?

  She touched the back of his hand with her fingertip, a small gesture that wouldn’t reveal just how intimate they’d been. “That’s very sweet of you, Jack, but it’s not going to get this taken care of. I’ll be fine. I promise. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to introduce myself to that group of ladies over there.” Erica rose from the table, bussed her tray, and approached the women she’d indicated.

  Jack shook his head and cursed under his breath, but he had to be proud of her. His animal side told him to protect her and make sure nothing happened to her, but the other side of his brain told him she really was more than capable of handling herself. The only thing she needed from him was to do his job.

  Reluctantly, he stood up and attempted to do just that. Jack strolled over to a man sitting by himself, smiling as he polished off a blueberry muffin. “Hi, I’m Jack. I’m new here.”

  The man eagerly extended his hand. “Ted! Ted Costello. It’s nice to meet you. You’re really going to love it here.”

  “I think you’re right, based on what I’ve seen so far. I’m still new, though. I don’t really know anyone except my friend that I came here with.”

  “Have a seat, Jack, and feel free to call me your friend as well. Anyone who’s here seeking a better way of life certainly has something in common with me. Can I get you anything? Coffee, or a muffin?”

  Jack took the chair but waved off the offer. “I just ate, thanks. So what brought you here, anyway?” The guy seemed more than eager to talk, which could only be counted as a good thing. Getting in good with the other recruits was always his first step. It helped him to blend in while he learned more about the actual operations. If he was lucky, Ted was some vital part of this compound and might let a few secrets slip.

  “Oh, Jack. I’m happy to tell you. In fact, I’ve been thinking about writing a book and telling everyone. I thought about putting it online in a series of blog posts so I could make it free, but then I realized that is exactly the type of thinking we’re supposed to be getting away from.” He slapped his fingers on the side of his head. “It’s crazy when you realize just how much all our societal norms are ingrained in us. You think you’ve gotten past them, and then they come creeping back up again. Now, where was I?”

  “Um, you were going to tell me what brought you to this lovely place.” Jack risked a peek at the other side of the room, where Erica and a few of the ladies were heading out the door. He could practically feel her presence diminishing, and he no longer had to feign his discomfort. Anything could happen to her there. They still had no idea exactly what Ben’s movement was all about.

  “I was working up in St. Louis, and I thought I had it all. Great job, nice house, fancy car, beautiful women on my arm. But I was always so stressed out, Jack. All that money I was making was getting taxed to death. The value of my home decreased every year. The women were taking just as much money as the government, and they valued me even less.” He chuckled to himself. “It was a crying shame, Jack. I put in all that work and for what? Some material things? Not worth it. My inner groundhog gave me warning signs, but I truly found myself when I had a massive heart attack.”

  “I’m so sorry. Are you all right?” Inwardly, Jack was wondering just what the hell this guy was doing out there in the middle of nowhere if he had so much going on in the city. He and Erica hadn’t seen any signs of brainwashing yet, but it had to be happening if it could make someone change his life so drastically. In other parts of the world, most people joined these movements to keep themselves or their families from starving to death. They had no money, and they needed a better life. They would’ve killed to live the way Ted had been.

  The man thumped his chest. “Better than ever! The one thing my money did buy me was medical care, but did it buy me someone waiting at my bedside while I was in the hospital? Or waiting for me when I finally made it back home? No sirree. I started doing some real soul searching. I’m ashamed to say that at the time, that also meant searching the web, but it all worked out in the end. I stumbled across some of Ben’s blogs and videos, explaining how I could live a life of purpose and peace out here. I sold everything I had and came up. Now, I’ve been able to shift more than I have in years, too.”

  “I see.” And he was beginning to. Ben wasn’t pulling people in based on religion. He was fighting against the difficulties of modern life, something almost anyone could relate to. The rich were working themselves to death and finding no comfort in the amenities they could afford. The poor were also working themselves to death, but with even fewer results. Either way, Ben was benefitting from the money they turned around and donated to him. At least, it was one theory. Hopefully, Erica would be able to confirm it with her own recon when they met back up later. “And how long have you been here?”

  “Two months. I tell you, Jac
k, it’s like going to a health spa. No massage tables or saunas, but there’s nothing better for the soul than a little hard work. I feel like there’s a real need for me here. If I don’t do my share, then someone else might suffer. Someone I know and care about. That’s what you’ll come to find, Jack. We’re all family here, like a new clan. We’d do anything for each other. Anything.”

  Including drinking poison? Jack had to wonder. He wouldn’t have asked, but he didn’t get the chance. A scream emanated from down the hall. It shivered in his bones and echoed in his soul.

  Jack was out of his seat and across the room in a flash. He fought his fox, who snarled when Jack forbade it from coming out. Something was happening, and his animal instinct dictated he’d get there faster on four legs than on two. Jack barely kept himself in check as he raced down the hall toward the sound.

  He rounded a corner, and it was then Jack realized just how far away the scream had been when he’d heard it. The group of women he’d seen in the common area stood at the other end of the hall, backing slowly away from a body on the floor. Jack’s heart beat like a bass drum as he saw the dark hair and the blue shirt. He shot forward, shoving these women aside to get to her. “Erica!”

  “I’m fine,” said a voice just behind his shoulder as a cool hand touched his arm. Erica tugged him backwards.

  Confused, Jack glanced from the woman on the floor back to Erica. They had similar coloring, and the woman’s shirt was a close shade to Erica’s, but it wasn’t her. “I thought… I heard… I saw…”

  “Your friend must have excellent hearing.” This came from Ben, whom Jack hadn’t realized was standing among the group. He held his right hand in his left as though in pain. “I’m sorry if I startled you. I hope you understand that I must do whatever needs to be done in order to keep my clan in check.”

  Jack swallowed as one of the other women bent to help the woman in blue off the floor. A bruise that matched her blouse was beginning to form on her cheek below her eye. Rage swelled up inside him. Jack didn’t know this woman, but that didn’t matter. There were no excuses for what had seemingly just happened there.

  Ben smiled at him, but it wasn’t the same smile he offered when he was selling a car. It was a placating one offered alongside a friendly nudge on the arm as he gestured with his head for Jack to step aside with him. “I pride myself on running a very tight ship, Jack. The only way I can do that is if everyone pulls their weight and does as they’re supposed to. Anyone who doesn’t cooperate risks ruining it for all of us. You can understand that, I’m sure.”

  Shit. This was a true test of his spying skills. There was nothing he’d like more than to lay this guy out like he deserved. The piece of shit had just hit that woman, and Jack highly doubted she’d done anything that would actually threaten him. But they way he’d acted when he’d thought Erica was down had already put him dangerously close to blowing his cover. He was painfully aware of her eyes on his back now, and he hoped she’d be willing to forgive him for going along with this. “Of course. I thought maybe someone had fallen or was in some other medical trouble. I’m terribly sorry for interrupting.”

  “Not at all, my good friend.” Ben released his sore hand to pat Jack on the shoulder. “I knew you’d recognize what I’m doing here. You’re a smart man with a good head. I need more men like you.” He patted Jack again before moving off down the hallway.

  The other women had picked up the injured one and were escorting her down the hall. Jack could overhear them shaming her as they went.

  “Really, Mary. You knew better than that.”

  “It doesn’t matter that you want to leave. You committed yourself to a life here, and you can’t go back on your promises.”

  “I know. I deserved it. I was wrong.” The now weeping woman clutched her cheek as the others guided her off to one of the rooms, presumably to get cleaned up.

  Erica hung back just long enough to turn to Jack. “Her mother is sick,” she whispered. “She wanted to leave to go see her, but Ben told her no. She tried to argue with him, and it escalated quickly.”

  “That’s not right, Erica. I thought it was you. I thought…” And the very thought of it made him sick to his stomach. Something horrible could’ve happened to her, and all for the sake of the mission. Jack wasn’t sure it was worth it.

  She gave him a smile. “I think your mouth stops working when you get too caught up in things. Be careful with that, Jack. It could get us both in trouble.”

  “I know.” He glanced at the women again, liking this situation less and less. At least knowing Erica was all right had calmed him down somewhat. “That could’ve been you, Erica. Maybe we should pull out. We haven’t even been here for a full day yet. Ben might let us leave.”

  The glare she gave him was a serious one. “We’ve already been through too much to leave now. I’ll be fine. And I know not to get into an argument with Ben.” She patted his arm and turned to follow the others.

  Jack headed back toward the common area, lacking any other direction. Never before had he been eager to abort a mission. He was always concerned for the safety of those involved, but he was a trained and hardened man who understood that sometimes sacrifices had to be made. Everything was different now. It would be a good kind of different if he was any regular guy, but he wasn’t. And Erica definitely wasn’t just a regular woman.

  8

  Jack just happened to be waiting for Erica outside her door when she went out for breakfast the next morning. He made it look casual enough, walking past at a leisurely pace, but she knew he’d been out there for at least the past five minutes. She’d sensed him.

  Erica knew she had a lot to figure out once this mission was over. Jack affected her in a way no one else did, and staying away from him the previous day had been difficult. When he was too far away for her to pick up his signature, she fought herself on going to track him down. He’d been too much to handle at first, but now that she’d let him inside, she didn’t know how to exist without him. It was troubling, in a way, because she knew eventually she’d have to go back to D.C. and return to a normal life, whatever that was.

  “How did the rest of the day go yesterday?” he asked as she fell into step beside him. “I hardly saw you at all. I thought about coming to your room last night, but someone was up and roaming the halls.”

  “Not just someone,” Erica replied with a shiver. “I think it was that mechanic. I don’t like the feeling I get from him, Jack. I locked my door, but it’s not a very secure one. I’m sure Ben and whomever else he fully trusts have keys anyway.” Her back twinged as she remembered that horrifically negative energy that emanated from the man.

  “Do you get that feeling from anyone else?” Jack asked.

  She stopped and looked at him. “You know, no one has ever asked me that before. I’ve always had to lie and make some other sort of conjecture about why a person might be on our side or working for the enemy. It’s kind of nice.”

  He frowned a little. “I have to admit, it’s still something I’m getting used to.”

  “But you believe me? Or more to the point, you trust my feelings about these things?” She held her breath as she waited for the answer. There was no doubt that she had some sort of special bond with Jack. He might be able to explain it away as simply being fated to be together. It was a nice idea, but Erica wondered if true happiness might require more than that.

  “I do. Which is why I’d really like to know if you get that feeling from anyone else,” he reminded her.

  Erica shook her head. She’d exhausted herself monitoring the mental waves from the others in the compound. “Not at all. They’re the same on the outside as they are on the inside, just pleasant and happy.”

  “Any news on the woman Ben hit yesterday?” he whispered.

  “No. They gave her a cold compress, and she spent the rest of the day in her room. I tried to broach the subject to the other women, but they changed the conversation quickly. I think they were worried fo
r her, but they were more concerned about what might happen to them if they were caught talking about it. That was the only hint of negativity I got from anyone, just a bit of fear.”

  “Getting slapped around sounds to me like more of a reason to leave than to stay,” Jack pointed out.

  Erica pressed her lips together. She’d pondered this all the previous day as she’d worried about that poor woman and what she might be going through mentally. “It’s not as simple as that. It’s easy for us to think there’s no reason for anyone to stay here. We’ve been trained, and we’ve got strong connections with the outside world. But Jenny, the girl he hit? She doesn’t have anyone. Her pack is all the way down in Mississippi, and it sounded as though she doesn’t have the best relationship with them or her sick mother. I asked Jenny if there were others that could be with her mom, and she just shook her head and fell silent. People get isolated in some form or fashion, and they end up in places like this.”

  “Or in other abusive relationships,” Jack agreed. “You’re right; I’ve seen it before. It’s easy to pick out who the victims are and why they won’t leave.”

  “In this situation, I’d say they’re driven by money and loneliness more than anything. No one here has to worry about shelter, a steady paycheck, or buying groceries. They don’t even have to worry about health insurance. One of the ladies told me there’s an onsite shifter doctor. It’s quite the promise of an easy lifestyle.”

  “I just have to wonder what sort of price they’re actually paying for it,” Jack murmured. They were nearing the common room now, where the line already trailed out the door. “A guy I was talking to yesterday sold everything he owned and gave all the money to Ben in exchange for this stress-free lifestyle.”

  Erica snorted, thinking about Jenny and how much stress the woman was still enduring. She had to wonder if the men were treated the same way, but they hadn’t been there long enough to find out. “Anything else noteworthy on your end?”