Jameson (Hunter Squad #1)

Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

Greer

“ A ll right, get that equipment over there. We’ll start reinforcing the next level.”

As I issued the orders, my team moved to carry them out. I rested my hands on my hips, studying the dam wall that we were renovating and reinforcing.

I dragged in a deep breath and took in the view. The water gleamed, and a sea of native Australian trees flanked it on either side. The sun was hot overhead, but I knew that storms were forecast for later in the day.

I watched several workers wearing light exo-suits walking across the dam wall, carrying heavy blocks and equipment. The metal suits were worn like a second skeleton—running along the arms, legs and spine—and gave the users increased strength and agility.

The entire dam was a hive of activity. The first dam had been built here hundreds of years ago, but had been updated over the years. We were in charge of rebuilding and enhancing the dam wall, and adding in a hydroelectric power station. We were building on top of the old wall that had been damaged in the invasion. One side was the placid waters of the dam, and on the other, there were several spillway chutes that fed down into the Warragamba River.

Once, the Warragamba Dam had been the main water source for Sydney and the surrounding communities, as well as one of the world’s largest domestic water supply dams.

It would be again. It was vital to rebuild our core infrastructure.

I was the chief engineer on this project. My first large, solo project. I watched a crane swinging overhead. They were setting more gear down.

This was the biggest job I’d ever been in charge of. I loved building, creating, and knowing I was doing my bit to help rebuild the world. Once the dam was operational again, it would be a secure water source for New Sydney. For years, the surrounding communities had been relying on rainwater and temporary filtration systems to gather water from the rivers. Growing up, I’d known that summertime meant we’d need to conserve water and sometimes ration it.

I glanced to the east. In the distance lay the ruins of the city of Sydney, once the largest city in Australia. During the invasion, bombs had rained down and an alien ship had landed there.

My parents had told me the stories of the invasion, and the fighting that had come afterward.

Most of the city had been destroyed and millions of people had died. It was the same story across the world. Around the globe, the Gizzida had attacked and destroyed.

But humanity hadn’t given up, even in the darkest moments. No, they’d fought back and won.

Rebuilding, however, was a slower process. Three decades on, and we were still working on it. The small towns were growing, transport routes were being built and upgraded, infrastructure put in place. We were rebuilding and upgrading the systems for power, agriculture, industry, and science.

“Greer?” One of my team called out. “Where do you want these stabilizers?”

“Over there, Sam.” I pointed. “I want them ready for installation tomorrow.”

The young man nodded, then turned to bark out orders to the others.

I walked along the edge of the wall. On my left, the dark, still waters, and on my right, the dizzying drop of concrete down to the river below.

Excitement trickled through me. This was an important project and I was going to make it a success. Breathing deeply, I turned back to the dam. The water was nestled in the bushland and while only a few hundred meters across, I knew that farther upstream it was wider, forming Lake Burragorang.

Suddenly, the middle of the pool rippled, and my heart rate spiked. My mouth flattened as I watched something—something big—move through the water.

It definitely wasn’t a fish.

The humans had won the war. They’d beaten the aliens and killed them with a high-tech weapon.

But the Gizzida had managed to leave some things behind.

Creatures with some alien DNA melded with the local wildlife had survived the weapon. The monsters lived hidden in the shadows. Mutating and breeding.

I’d seen that ripple for a few days now. Disquiet made my chest tighten. I hadn’t seen what it was, but I got the sense that it was watching us.

I dragged in a deep breath. The monsters were why we had the security squads. The most famous of all—Hunter Squad. I had lots of friends on the squad.

My thoughts turned to the squad leader—Jameson. Big, muscled, solid Jameson. He was the most sensible and trustworthy guy I knew. We’d grown up together and he was one of my good friends.

He had the best smile. And anytime I saw him with a shirt off…

I felt a pulse of heat.

“Stop it, Greer,” I muttered. “You’re friends . He’s practically like a brother.”

Except I didn’t think of Jameson Steele in any brotherly way.

I straightened. He wasn’t interested in me in that way. He’d never shown the slightest hint he saw me as anything other than a friend.

Besides, I was focused on my work. My important work.

My nose wrinkled. My last relationship hadn’t ended well. Toby was another engineer. He was smart, good at his job, and we’d dated for about six months. The sex had been good, and the conversation riveting. We had our work in common. We could talk complex engineering for hours.

Then he’d told me about how I needed to give up my work and have lots of his babies. That it was our duty to help repopulate the world and pass on his superior genes.

Ugh .

Jameson’s image popped back into my head. He was rugged, and a little rough around the edges. Sex wouldn’t be good with Jameson, it would be something else entirely.

I frowned. I hadn’t heard from him in over a month. Usually, we called every week and caught up when I was home for a beer or dinner at one of our parents’ houses.

Lately, I felt like Jameson was avoiding me. Maybe because the last time I’d seen him, Toby had been with me. The three of us had gone out for dinner and Toby had been an obnoxious twat. He’d made it clear that he thought any work that didn’t require an advanced degree not worthy of his time or discussion. He’d even called Jameson a grunt.

Jameson had stayed silent as Toby had prattled on. Honestly, it had been the death knell for our relationship. I’d broken up with Toby ten days later.

My communicator vibrated on my belt, cutting through my thoughts. I pulled it out, then stretched the screen into a larger size. We still didn’t have a full cellular phone system like before the invasion, but key locations in the area had comms beacons that linked to our growing satellite system.

I touched the screen and my father’s face came into view. I smiled. “Hi, Dad. Handsome as ever.”

“Hi, baby girl.”

I had to admit Shaw Baird was good-looking, even if he was my dad. His blond, shaggy hair had some gorgeous silver in it. He was tanned and his grin held a touch of mischief.

“How’s my favorite daughter?” he asked.

“I’m your only daughter.”

“Fine. You’re my favorite child.”

I snorted. “I know you tell Ethan he’s your favorite when you call him.” My brother was a tech specialist who could make any computer sing.

My dad just smiled. “How’s your dam project coming along?”

“Good. Still a lot of work to do.” I glanced at the water. It was now as smooth as glass. “Hopefully we’ll have no delays.”

Dad’s brows drew together. “What’s bothering you?”

“Nothing.”

“Greer, I can read you like an open book. I know when something’s worrying you.”

“It’s probably nothing. I’ve seen something moving in the water. Something big.”

Dad’s face snapped into serious in the blink of an eye. “Call Jameson.”

“Dad, I didn’t get a good look at it. I don’t want to overreact.”

“Just call him, and give him a heads-up. He’s the expert when it comes to monsters.”

Or at least the expert when it came to killing them. “All right.”

“Good. Any chance you can get home soon for dinner? Your mother misses you.”

My mom was busy training new recruits at the New Sydney Military Academy. My parents were both former soldiers, part of the infamous Hell Squad, who’d been instrumental in defeating the aliens.

To the rest of the world, they were both legends, but to me, they were Mom and Dad. Mom was a badass soldier, and dad was a brilliant sniper. He trained recruits at the Academy, as well.

“Maybe I can make it for a quick visit. If I can make it happen, I’ll let you know.”

“Good.” He glanced to the side. “I’ve got to go. Marcus is here. We’re going to drive into New Sydney to check security at some power installations.”

Marcus was Jameson’s father. “Say hi to Uncle Marcus.”

“Will do. He’d like to see you too, baby girl. Come home soon.”

“Love you, Dad.”

“Love you back.”

I lowered the communicator just as someone called out my name. Time to get back to work.

As I turned, I glanced at the water one last time.

It was smooth and still.

Yep, I was clearly overreacting.

Still, this would give me the perfect excuse to talk to Jameson.

Jameson

Feeling more human after my shower, I pulled on fresh cargo pants and a T-shirt. I noticed a hole in the bottom of my shirt.

Damn . It was one of my favorites. I wasn’t ready to recycle it, yet. We’d all grown up more frugal and careful than the stories I’d heard of life before the invasion. Fast fashion wasn’t a thing anymore.

I’d been held up in the infirmary way longer than I’d hoped. But all my injuries were healed up, thanks to a shot of nano-meds. I poked my ribs and didn’t feel a twinge. The microscopic machines could heal up just about anything.

I headed out of my house.

My teammates and I all had wooden eco-houses on the edge of the town of Dawn. It was built above an underground base called the Enclave, inland of the coastal town of Wollongong. We were about an hour south of New Sydney.

After the invasion, some people had moved back to the ruins of Sydney, and started growing the new town. Others—like my parents—had stayed here and built Dawn. It was nestled amongst beautiful hills and rolling green fields, surrounded by a large security wall that kept out the monsters. It had been a good place to grow up.

The Squad Command headquarters were close by. All the squads were based there. Most were tasked with general security, acting as law enforcement and providing security for the entire area.

Some of the older invasion survivors still lived underground in the Enclave. A number of them were too afraid to live above ground, even though the aliens were long gone, and the walls held the monsters at bay.

I walked to the house beside mine, and knocked on Kai’s door. Like me, my best friend was the son of a soldier. Tane Rahia had led Squad Three, better known as the berserkers. The tales about their exploits were wild. Tane was still scary and intense, and my father claimed Tane was one of the best soldiers he’d ever fought beside.

Smiling, I shook my head. The berserkers were all still hellraisers, especially when they got into a bottle of bourbon. Uncle Hemi, Kai’s uncle, owned a local distillery, and the bar in Dawn.

Kai appeared, looking very much like his dad.

“We’re meeting the others at Hemi’s,” I told him.

Kai lifted his chin. “I need a beer.”

“Me, too.”

He pulled his door shut and the electronic lock beeped. We walked down the street. It was lined with more modular houses like ours—small, compact, and environmentally friendly. The engineers had designed them to be strong, and easy to build.

I glanced up. Dawn was surrounded by a fifteen-foot wall with watchtowers and guards evenly spaced along it.

Early on, monster attacks had been common. But over the years, the squads had thinned them out. Now, the remaining monsters tended to keep to the more remote parts of the bush, but the town couldn’t afford to let its guard down. No one wanted kids getting pulled off bikes, or farmworkers getting eaten.

My job was to be a shield between the monsters and people. I was good at it. All I’d ever wanted was to be like my dad. I’d hated school, and sitting in a classroom, and reading books. I’d always preferred to be outside, using my hands, doing something,

We turned a corner and Hemi’s bar came into view. Several tables sat outside of the building. Music was pumping from the inside.

Zeke and Marc sat at one of the tables out front. They already had beers in front of them.

As we approached, two women crossed the street to intercept us.

“Jameson!” My mom smiled up at me.

“Hey, Mom.” Elle Steele was still beautiful. She’d raised three rambunctious kids, and was the most giving person I’d ever met. She’d been the comms officer for Hell Squad, which was how my parents had met. She was tougher than her slim form suggested.

I hugged her.

“I heard you had a call out,” she said. “And you went into a situation alone, without back up.”

I glanced at the woman with my mom.

Sasha grinned back. It was her father’s wide smile. Sasha Rahia was short, curvy, and sassy as hell. She had a wild mane of black, curly hair, and smooth, brown skin. “I may have given her an update. Comms officer to former comms officer.”

“I had everything under control,” I assured my mom.

“You got hurt.” Worry filled her eyes.

“It was just a few bruises. I’ve been to the infirmary. One-hundred-percent healthy.”

I wasn’t going to mention the cracked ribs and swelling on my hip that the nano-meds had healed up. I knew she’d just worry.

My mom sighed. “Just like your father, always downplaying things.” She frowned. “You have a hole in your shirt.” She poked at it. “Bring it to me later and I’ll mend it for you.”

“Thanks, Mom. Where are you headed now?”

My mother smiled. “I’m doing story time at the Enclave creche.”

I knew she loved to volunteer with the little kids at the day care. “I’ll walk you over.”

Smiling, she slid her arm through mine. “Bye, Sasha.”

“Bye, Aunt Elle.” Sasha looked at me. “I’ll have a cold beer waiting for when you get back.”

I gave her a chin lift. Mom and I walked down the street. Colorful flowers filled some of the garden beds. My guess was they were the doing of Kai’s sister. The woman loved flowers and had a green thumb. She worked on the agricultural team, growing crops.

“You’re sure you’re all right?” Mom asked.

“I’m fine, Mom. I promise.”

She patted my arm. “It’s my job to worry about you. I did it when you were a baby, and when you were a fearless toddler who climbed everything, and now, even though I know you’re an adult, I’m not going to stop.”

I dropped a kiss to the top of her head.

We reached the entrance to the Enclave base. We passed some people coming out, who nodded and said hello, then we headed down the stairs.

The Enclave didn’t feel like an underground base. Built in an old coal mine, it had touches of luxury, including priceless art on the walls that had been saved during the invasion. There was a swimming pool that was popular with the kids and a state-of-the-art lighting system that mimicked natural light. Large skylights had been fitted as well, which Mom had told me hadn’t been there in the early days. Most of it was offices for people from all jobs—power generation, medical, teaching, law enforcement, government.

We followed the corridor to the creche. Workers left their kids here when they were on shift. Through the glass wall, I saw a bunch of them of various sizes in lots of different colors. They were running around, squealing and laughing.

Mom pushed the door open, and waved at some of the staff. Then the kids spotted her.

“Ms. Elle!” a little girl cried.

A group of them ran at Mom, throwing their arms around her jean-clad legs.

“Hello, my munchkins.” She ruffled hair and smiled. Then I saw her sign hello to a little boy. I spotted a small cochlear implant on the side of his head. “Who’s ready for story time?”

I leaned against the doorframe and watched as she settled into a chair. She was so good with them. She had this calming aura that I’d loved as a kid. But she still had a spine of steel. She stood up to my dad and could dig in when she wanted to.

The kids all dropped to sit on a large, colorful rug. Some of them were solely focused on Mom, while others fidgeted and twitched. That had been me as a kid. Sitting still had not been a skill of mine.

“Ms. Elle, can you tell the story about the invasion?” a girl asked.

“Yes, the Gizzida invasion.” A little boy curled his hands like claws and let out a small roar.

Mom smiled. “I’ve told that story so many times.”

The little girl pouted. “We want it again.”

Another girl clasped her hands together. “Pleeeeease.”

“All right. Many years ago, a huge alien ship appeared in the sky. Bombs fell and the Gizzida tried to take our planet.”

“They looked like dinosaurs,” a boy added.

“That’s right. They were reptilian, and led by the raptors.” Mom’s voice deepened. “But, humans weren’t going to give up.” She looked at the kids one by one. “We wanted to protect our family and friends, we wanted to fight for our home. We wanted to survive.”

“Hell Squad protected people,” a boy piped up. “They fought the aliens.”

“Yes,” a girl said. “Marcus, Cruz, Gabe, Reed, Shaw, and Claudia.” She recited the names, ticking them off on her fingers.

“That’s right,” Mom said. “Hell Squad was tough. They were brave and selfless and never backed down from a fight.”

“And Squad Nine helped too,” a girl said. “They had lots of lady soldiers.”

A boy bounced up and down. “And the Berserkers. My dad said they were rough and wild.”

I fought a smile and saw Mom doing the same. “Your dad is right, but those wild berserkers also were tough and courageous. But it wasn’t just the squads who helped us survive. It was the pilots, the mechanics who fixed things, the technicians, and the engineers who kept us with power and water. It was the doctors and nurses and teachers. The brave people who scavenged for food and supplies, and the people who cooked the food. Everyone was brave, even when they were afraid, and did their part. Eventually, a weapon was designed. One that defeated the Gizzida. Then, we were safe.”

The kids cheered.

“But the monsters stayed behind.” A little girl shivered.

“I’m scared of the monsters,” another girl whispered.

Mom reached for her and settled the girl on her lap. “You don’t need to be afraid. Yes, the monsters the Gizzida created stayed, but Dawn has a big wall around it and guards, as do all the other towns. But best of all we have?—”

A boy shot to his feet. “Hunter Squad!”

Mom flicked me an amused glance. “That’s right. We have the very brave and well-trained soldiers on the security squads, especially Hunter Squad, who track down the monsters. They protect us and keep us safe.” She leaned forward. “Did you know the leader of Hunter Squad is my baby?”

The girl on her lap scrunched her face up. “A baby can’t be a soldier.”

“No, my baby is all grown up. Boys and girls, I’d like you to meet my son, Jameson, the leader of Hunter Squad.”

The kids’ heads all whipped around and I saw a sea of faces peering at me, all with their mouths open.

“You’re the boss of Hunter Squad?” a boy asked in awe.

I straightened. “I am. And I promise you, my squad and I do everything we can to keep the monsters away.”

“Do you have a carbine?” a girl asked.

I saw the warning look in Mom’s eyes. Right, no gory details. “Yes. We have lots of weapons we use.”

“Do you explode the monsters?” a boy asked, his face animated.

I cleared my throat. “The important thing is that Hunter Squad will always keep you safe.”

“Can you all say thanks to Mr. Jameson?” my mom said.

“Thanks, Mr. Jameson,” they all said in sing-song voices.

“Now, how about we draw some pictures?” Mom suggested.

“I’m gonna draw a big monster with huge claws.” A boy raced to the small tables at the back of the room.

Mom smiled and walked over to me. “Thanks, Jameson. I like to keep them informed without scaring them.” She hugged me again. “Dinner tomorrow night. Your father’s grilling.”

I winced. “He burns everything.”

She smiled, love on her face. “I know. So be there to make sure he doesn’t. Your brother and sister will be there, too.”

I hadn’t seen my siblings for a couple of weeks. “If I don’t get called out, I’ll be there.”

“Good. Love you.”

I leaned down so she could kiss my cheek. As she hurried off to rejoin the kids, I spun and headed down the corridor.

The kids seemed a lot more carefree than we’d been as kids. We’d done security drills, just in case monsters breached the walls or the Gizzida returned. In my early years, Dad had always been alert, on guard. I still had memories of him wandering the house at night, checking that everything was okay. I guess after years of fighting for your survival, it took a long time for your battle readiness to fade.

Soon, I neared Hemi’s. I could hear Marc’s laughter half a block away.

“There he is,” Sasha said.

I turned a chair around and sat down, leaning my arms across the top of it.

“Here, J.” Zeke pushed a glass of beer into my hand.

“Thanks.”

There were quite a few people in Hemi’s, a good number of them agricultural workers. I took a long sip of the beer and savored it. Hemi had a good brewing team and they were always experimenting. They’d found a way to make the alcohol metabolize quickly and not leave any aftereffects.

“Where’s Colbie?” I asked.

Marc snorted. “That woman won’t leave her damn Talon alone. Said she wanted to get some systems checks done. She’ll stop by if she isn’t too late.”

A woman walked into the bar, and Zeke stiffened, his gaze locking on her.

“Your sister’s here,” I said to Kai.

Amaia Rahia looked nothing like her brother. She was tall and slim, with pale skin, and a shock of white-blonde hair. She took after their mother, Selena—who happened to be an alien. Thankfully not of the reptilian kind.

“Hello, brother,” Amaia said.

Kai lifted his hand. “Hey, sis.”

She smiled at the rest of us. “Hunter Squad.”

“Hey, Amaia,” I said.

Her gaze flicked to Zeke. “Hi, Zeke.”

He gave her a chin lift.

“How are things?” I asked.

“Going well.” A smile broke out on her face. “Our latest crop is exceeding growth expectations.”

That was Amaia, always happy, especially if her beloved plants were doing well.

“That’s great.”

Her ag team called out to her from a table inside. “I’ve got to go.” She touched Kai’s shoulder, and shot Zeke one last glance.

“Where’s Scott?” I asked.

At the end of the table, North sighed. “He quit.”

Ah, hell . “Is he okay?”

North nodded. “Physically, he’s fine. Mentally, not so much. I don’t think monster hunting is for him.”

I rubbed the back of my neck. “I’ll check in on him, then start looking at new recruits.”

My comm dinged, and I pulled it off my belt. My heart leaped. It was a message from Greer.

Hey, Jameson. Can I call you later? It’s work-related, and I need your advice.

I tapped in a reply.

Sure.

Well, I really knew how to keep the conversation going.

Thanks so much.

A server set more drinks down. The curvy brunette handed me a glass and a coaster. As she did, she held my gaze.

When I glanced down, I saw her comm number on the coaster. I gave her a small smile and sipped my drink. As she walked away, I let my gaze take her in.

She was gorgeous, but unfortunately, I didn’t feel a blip of attraction.

Instead, I was thinking about when Greer would call.

Greer Baird is not for you.

I quickly lifted my beer and drank it.