The Wolf Pack, page 16
I wasn’t exactly motionless but I felt completely overwhelmed. It was different. Each man had a certain technique which always left me guessing. My tongue was battling, giving him a run for his money. We made sounds of animalistic urges that were more conducive to under the cover of black silk sheets, folded around us in a warm and comforting cocoon. It felt wrong and right at the same time. Justifying our actions by getting up close and personal, flesh to flesh, was hard for me to wrap my head around.
His mouth devoured me and I felt connected body and soul, until finally, the kiss ended with me practically vibrating from the top of my head all the way down to my toes. Crosby slowly released me from his passionate embrace and I felt light as a feather, until I realized I was heavier. This was a contradiction in terms.
He had distracted me long enough to place weapons on my body strategically. It was crafty and I had no idea how he had been able to think straight while he was kissing me. He was biting my bottom lip and smiling, despite being in the middle of danger with his sister pulling the strings. He gave me this lingering look and gaze of hesitation, lost in the moment.
“I didn’t know if you would be receptive to using the training I gave you. You’ve always been ready to fight but your power comes from words. You would rather defuse a situation with negotiation. I’m not sure that tactic is going to work in this instance. We need more information and it would be preferable to have one of them alive long enough to talk. Mainly, I’m looking for answers from the one in the hospital, about to take his last breath, if my sister has anything to say about it.” He had removed himself from the passion, to be replaced by the consummate tactician.
It was amazing to see him seize the moment and be able to separate his feelings. I wasn’t like that and his passion was more than superficial. I could barely move and I was ready to succumb right there in front of him to be witnessed by the wildlife and Mother Nature.
I checked and found he had somehow strapped me with a holster containing two guns with gleaming silver handles cold to the touch. Two leather sheaths had me sporting the look of Tomb Raider. I was powerful, in control and could actually taste the napalm in the morning. I had everything at my fingertips including a partner in crime.
Chapter Twenty-five
We moved quickly and quietly toward the hospital, with my training foremost on my mind. Somehow, I was reliving everything Crosby had taught me through words of encouragement. It was ingrained, like muscle memory, with every weapon and their uses coming back to me in a flash. I knew how to wield the blades like a seasoned professional and my marksmanship with a gun was second to none. I didn’t have a moment to rest growing up with Crosby constantly burning these lessons into my head.
“I knew from the moment I started to teach you that you would be like a sponge, soaking everything in. Starting you early was the key and getting you into the right frame of mind with strict guidelines had you following my directions to the letter. I’m afraid we’re going to have to separate but don’t be scared of using extreme force when necessary.” He was cutting the strings and he had no idea what monster he had created.
“I’m not afraid of anything, because of you. They should be the ones to be afraid of me. I’m not going to kill them unless I have no other choice. Subduing them is half the battle and you have given me many useful techniques to utilize. I’ve never been in a true life or death situation like this. It’s time to find out if those lessons stuck, by throwing me into the deep end without water wings,” I said and touched his shoulder to extend the intimacy of the kiss.
“Wesley has never been much of a communicator unless he has something important to say. It’s not a bad thing to be sensitive. He has this Zen-like quality and I’ve done my best to learn from him. Stress can take its toll and his breathing techniques stem the need to lash out unprovoked. I have no doubt you’ll know what to do when it happens without even thinking about it. Thinking is the enemy,” He explained, with his hand itching to have his fingers wrapped around the weapon in his holster.
“You can say that and the only thing I can promise is to do my best. I wish there was some way we could communicate without them detecting it. I’m positive they will have equipment in their possession to block transmissions in and out of the area.” I made mention and it didn’t look like this information bothered him.
“We don’t need any gadgets to stay in contact. Our minds are linked by flight or fight instinct. We will know when one of us is in the kind of trouble we can’t get out of alone. Just listen to your body and it will tell you everything you need to know. Never forget, we’re not too far away from you,” he reassured, and I was inclined to believe him, not wanting to believe I was out in the cold with no lifeline to grab onto.
“That’s a comfort and it makes me breathe a little easier.” The main objective was to get to the man before they had a chance to silence him.
“There’s nothing in the dark that’s not there in the light. Fighting the good fight means taking chances and doing what others can’t. I’ve given you the tools and the rest is up to you,” Crosby stated with eloquence and I could still feel his lips warming me to the idea of having three men in my life to satisfy all of my sexual whims.
“It’s funny but I actually know more about warfare than I do about makeup and shoes. Don’t get me wrong, I love to show my feminine side but there’s something to say for putting on a tight pair of jeans to make a head turn.” I walked away and could actually feel him staring at me, committing my form to memory and most likely licking his lips, with that kiss in the back of his mind.
I used the cover of darkness to make my approach and found myself facing a mercenary with deadly intentions. His hardened jaw and steel stare of defiance had me at a loss for words. The way he carried himself had me second guessing my abilities, when they had not been tested beyond the infancy stage of inanimate objects. I never did have a training partner, someone to spar with, but those three voices more than made up for any lack of parental figure.
“It’s all clear here. No sign of any trouble. Has anybody heard from Henry? He was supposed to call in and nobody has heard from him. Better send somebody over there to have a look. It could be a simple matter of a communication problem. We are using a jamming device and sometimes technology can be fallible. Nobody is going to be able to call out but we need to wait until there is a skeleton crew. Natalie is already inside making inquiries and the injuries he sustained most likely were quite severe. We have a very limited window of opportunity and I hope she doesn’t waste the time we have left.” He was talking into a very sophisticated piece of equipment and was obviously upset by the chain of command revolving around Natalie taking center stage.
I crawled closer making very little noise to attract his attention. His finger was on the trigger prepared for any eventuality, much like Crosby. There was an unspoken bond between soldiers no matter what side they were on.
They had a job to do and the respect was earned through seeing things nobody else would want to. Experiencing things nobody could possibly understand and living with the memories of the dead haunting them every day of their lives couldn’t be easy to swallow. I pitied them and saw them as unsung heroes not getting the credit they deserved.
I got to the wall and felt the cold and unforgiving brick against my fingertips. Holding my breath wasn’t necessary but I did it nonetheless. A few more inches were all that it was going to take.
I was soon standing behind him, putting him in a compromising position. He didn’t even suspect a thing which was advantageous to me. A growl deep inside my chest emerged seconds before I advanced.
He turned and we stared at one another for a split second before our reflexes kicked in. His hand didn’t waver when he grabbed for his gun and I slapped it from his grip sending it into the darkness where he wasn’t going be able to find it. His mouth started to move before a knife edge chop to his throat cut off any chance of him warning others. The instinct to grab for his throat was too strong to ignore and I used the distraction to strike relentlessly and without mercy.
Everything was a blur and my instincts were honed to a razor’s edge. It was more than that, I felt connected to something stronger than human. There was no conscious thought and my training overpowered him, until he was on his knees bleeding quite profusely. His eyes were glazed over and his body language told me that he was accepting defeat but I didn’t believe it for one second. It was a way to lure me in closer with a false sense of security.
“It’s not going to work. I know exactly what you’re trying to do. I would seriously reconsider trying anything. I consider myself a pacifist but I do have my limits. Take the risk and see how far you get,” I conveyed and looked at him squarely in the eyes, to see him blink first.
It was an unparalleled feeling, to be metaphorically standing on his neck. He wasn’t shaking and the hatred in his eyes burned through me like a knife. My gun appeared in my hand like those old shooters in the west. I spun it in my hand until the barrel was pointing straight at his forehead. Most people would have gotten closer and that would have cost them their advantage.
He was grunting some kind of response, trying desperately to say something. It was garbled and incoherent which was a little frustrating. With one flick of my finger, I was able to detach the piece in his ear. It wasn’t like he could say anything but his strangled cries could easily be construed as some kind of warning signal.
“Let me take the decision out of your hands. That way you can convince yourself you did everything you could to stop me.” My right hand grabbed onto a bundle of nerves underneath his arm, squeezing just right until his fingers became numb.
I did the same thing to the other one and they both lie limply at his sides. He was startled and the anger manifested into a curl of a sneer. Trying to get up wasn’t his best option when the pummeling I had just given him would have stopped an elephant in his tracks. It showed his fortitude and willingness to stand up to overwhelming odds.
“There’s no shame in admitting when you are in over your head. I can’t leave you conscious and you would do the same thing in my shoes.” An abrupt strike of my foot to the side of his head turned out his lights but at least he could console himself with the fact that it wasn’t permanent.
I searched his body, moving my fingers into every crevice, relieving him of every weapon before taking what I wanted and tossing the rest into the darkness, until it swallowed everything whole. This obstacle was nothing compared to what was waiting for me inside the private clinic. Taking a stand was going to be difficult when innocent bystanders had no idea what was going on. They would be caught in the line of fire and casualties in any war were inevitable.
It was a vicious cycle and nobody was going to have any compunction of maiming or killing the innocent. I could only hope my influence had taught them some restraint and mercy
I always thought the solitude and emptiness I felt when I was a child was the way that it should be. It wasn’t until the three of them came into my life, in voice only, that I realized I wasn’t alone. They had their parts to play and different lessons to teach me about life, and they encouraged questions, but I thought I was losing my mind. I could never imagine the voices manifesting into flesh and blood.
The emergency door was an impersonal gray, almost clinical, which made sense considering what lay beyond it. It was cracked open and I could smell the antiseptic. Hearing the wheels of the janitor’s cart caused me to delay my entrance.
Staying quiet was paramount and there was no telling where the next threat was going to come from. It would be easy for them to infiltrate the hospital by looking like one of the staff. I wouldn’t put it past them to station those of like mind in various positions ready to strike at a moment’s notice. It was all about watching for the signs, including what they wore on their feet, which sometimes went unnoticed by those not looking for anything out of the ordinary.
Attention to detail gave me an unfair advantage. I knew those little things which would catch my eye and I was going to be on the lookout for them. Nobody could fault them for playing dirty when the stakes were high. It didn’t make sense not to cover their bases, making failure something of a foreign concept.
Natalie had tried to ingratiate herself into my life by becoming my friend on the surface. Behind her back, there was most likely a knife poised to strike when she felt all the pieces were in place.
I was about to go inside when I heard a commotion and loud voices. One was very familiar. Wesley had been captured and was being forcibly detained.
Chapter Twenty-six
I certainly couldn’t pass for one of the mercenaries and there was no point in trying. The metal of the door was scratched by my fingernails with nervous energy surrounding me. I couldn’t stay mad at Wesley when he thought he was doing the right thing for everybody. The right course of action would have been staying together to become a united force. He wasn’t usually ruled by emotions but letting down his brothers was his Achilles heel.
The warm air from inside was the first thing I felt when the door opened. I had no choice and waiting was a terrible position to put me in. They were underneath my skin and I couldn’t imagine life without them. We had been through some trials to test the strength of our love and had weathered them amazingly well, considering the circumstances. I wasn’t even sure I was capable of love until they overwhelmed me with their physical presence. Facing a moral dilemma was easier said than done when everything inside of me was telling me to tear through whatever stood between me and Wesley. It would be counterproductive and make things worse by going in without a plan of action.
Stopping and reassessing my situation wasn’t easy by any stretch of the imagination. I worked my way down the hall using the blind spots and shadows to prevent anybody from seeing me before I was willing to be noticed.
“I want to know where the rest of them are and don’t try to tell me you came alone. This is the reason why I came here, to stop you from learning the truth. Nothing good ever comes from pulling back the curtain to see what is behind it. I’m sorry to trick you like this and make you think we were friends. I’m a big believer about keeping my friends close and my enemies even closer. In another life, we might’ve been real friends but how can I possibly forgive what your kind did to me. You had everything and I had to scrape the bottom of the barrel.” Natalie was making a big speech, getting things off her chest, and the anchor of anger around her neck was lessening significantly.
I could actually hear in her tone how it was therapeutic. She was able to say what was on her mind finally, giving it a voice instead of letting it fester inside of her. Nobody could dispute how she had suffered needlessly but the fault was squarely on the shoulders of her mother. There was no way she was going to have a disparaging word to say about the woman who raised her with venom dripping off of every word coming out of her mouth.
“You should have come to us and explained everything. The old ways are never going to be forgotten but we have evolved. Progressive thinking is the only way we’re going to start down a road of recovery and prosperity for the wolf community. Some might cock an eyebrow and turn their backs but it doesn’t mean the rest of us share the same sentiment.” Wesley said, without getting angry, keeping his tone of voice neutral to avoid getting into a shouting match.
I had to commend him for using his words in a desperate attempt to reach her before it was too late. I could almost sense Crosby and Callan near but in hiding. Closing my eyes made it easier to hear the faint beating of their hearts synchronized as one.
“What do you know about it? My mother was a saint and she made the best out of a bad situation by working her fingers to the bone. It was the only way to keep a roof over our heads and food in our stomachs. She told me stories which, frankly, sickened me, to think that I could be shunned because of my gender. I grew up hating my brothers and grateful for my mother. I don’t have the same animal tendencies but I have these inane tracking abilities. I also had a benefactor, who has remained nameless, funding my expedition to see you suffer.” Natalie was revealing a lot more than I expected but she had a captive audience and wasn’t going to let an opportunity like that slip through her fingers.
“You have been blinded by rage to see what is right in front of you. This benefactor is using you for his own agenda. Don’t tell me you can’t see it. His methods are questionable and he is determined to see you do his dirty work. I’m guessing the only communication you’ve had with your benefactor is anonymous. You’re taking things at face value when you should be asking the tough questions. I see it as clear as the nose on your face and you have the same blood running through your veins,” Wesley concluded and waited patiently to see how she was going to respond.
I turned the corner and there was a door opened at the end of a hallway. Two guards rigidly stood at attention. They were bigger than life with huge muscles and a poker face which would have left people around the table shaking their heads. It was clear to see they weren’t going to be reasoned with. Saying anything would only bring about retaliation in the most extreme way possible. I was going to have to resort to underhanded tactics.
“You have no idea what you’re talking about. I’m well versed in many forms of combat including deflection. The reading material my mother provided gave me insight into an analytical mind. Her death rocked me to my very foundation. I lost my lifeline but my purpose came with watching her being lowered into the ground. She left instructions after her death. The files were quite informative with an extensive biography on all of you. She had photographs and was watching you from afar for years.” Natalie was having a bit of fun at Wesley’s expense, obvious by how she was snickering underneath her breath.
