Chapter 22 #2
“Nope. Just the one place these three were hiding and the weapons they dropped, which are mine now.”
“And they got clay all over my damn car. You know I’m going to hear about that shit, right?” Savage complained.
“Yeah, but nice move with the clay. It kept any heat signatures from showing up on the thermals Valor was running. Damn good idea,” Frenzy said.
“I’ll have to…” he held up a finger as he switched his attention to the phone he was holding and put it on speaker.
“Hello, my dear perfect One and leader.”
“The fuck you want now?” Lethal asked.
“I have in my very own possession three newly freed Variant males. Well, mine and Savage’s, but that’s not the point.
There are at least another sixteen of them in captivity by our count, there could be more.
They’re ready to tell you where to find their friends.
And they’re pretty insistent it gets done before their handlers find out they’re missing and start killing the others. ”
“Sonofabitch! Great work, Frenzy. Where am I going?” Lethal asked.
“Missouri. I’ll send you the address where I’m standing and you can… you know what? We’re driving, not flying, you’ll be here before we even get halfway back. Let me see what I can do, hang on. Hey, you boys got coordinates, or you just waiting for somebody to come get you?”
“Both,” Two said.
“Rattle off the coordinates of where my people are going to free your friends, my dude,” Frenzy said, holding his phone out.
Two recited coordinates, twice.
“Got it. Valor is pulling it up. We’re on our way. We’ll be there within the hour.”
“And I just gotta tell you, they ain’t trained like we were. These might be some newly created Variant, but they definitely don’t have the focus and the kill everything attitude that we do,” Frenzy said.
“We’ll handle it. When you get back here, lay low and unwind for a while. When we get back, we’re going back into regular rotation. We’ll be busy, so prepare yourself,” Lethal said.
“Ehhh, much respect my friend, but I don’t think that’s going to happen. At least not now,” Frenzy said.
There was a pause on the line. “The fuck does that mean?”
“I’m done,” Frenzy said.
“You going to make me have to train another goddamn team member! Damn it, Frenzy!” Lethal yelled angrily.
“There are so many males that could fill that slot. Pick one. It’s not a big deal, Lethal.”
“It is a big goddamn deal! Not everybody fits with our team! We’re unique, and specialized! And hate all of the fucking bullshit!”
“Come on, just say it. You love me. And you’re all a little nuts, which is why I fit so well.
But that’s not the point. Don’t worry, I may come visit, but I’m out, Lethal.
I’m done, for now at least. Call me if you need me and I’ll be happy to step in — temporarily.
But my life isn’t this anymore. I’ll never forget you, Lethal.
Much respect my friend. Give Nina a squeeze for me, yeah? Take care.”
Frenzy ended the call, then realized the two males they’d just rescued were sitting in the Suburban surrounded by Savage’s team, all of them staring at him wide-eyed.
“What?” Frenzy barked out. “I’m tired of fucking doing this! I just want to float in a pool every day and drink some fucking mimosas, if that’s okay with you!”
“That was One,” Two said. “The One. I know his voice.”
Frenzy smirked. “Yes, it was. And apparently, you were trained on his tapes — though not well — to be on his level as all of us were. Some of us even trained with him, fighting against him and his team. Only now, his name is Lethal, and he’s the baddest motherfucker you ever did or will meet.
So much worse than when he was captive. And if you were trained on his tapes, meant to be like him, to be like us, what the hell was all that?
” Frenzy demanded, pointing out to the field.
“We’d have never given up. Fight to the death, we were told, not lay in the damn dirt, let somebody get the jump on us and just throw down our weapons. Damn! Have some pride, people!”
“We are ready for freedom,” Two said, not bothering to defend their actions.
Frenzy sighed, nodding his understanding. “Yeah, I get that. Me, too.”
“We were told all One’s were dead. Even him,” Five said.
“You were lied to my friend. Tell ‘em Savage,” Frenzy said.
“How about first you tell me what the fuck you meant with that shit you told Lethal?” Savage demanded.
“Just what I said. I’m out. I’ve had enough, seen enough shit to not want to see any more.”
“So you’re just going to walk off into the sunset and be a fucking ghost,” Savage said.
Frenzy grinned. “No, I’m going to be a Lion,” he said, waggling his brows at them. “Be safe, be great, and come visit me when you’re out this way.”
“I can’t believe you’re just walking away,” Grim said.
Frenzy looked at him and shrugged. “Had enough. Gotta leave something for the rest of you to do.” He knocked on the hood of the vehicle twice with a bittersweet smile on his face.
“Two, Five, these males surrounding you are part of an SOT team. Maybe they’ll tell you more about it on the way home.
In the meantime, don’t give them any shit, you’ll make it back alive to enjoy the rest of your lives.
Oh, and pick good names. Your name has to be kick ass to announce you and your state of mind to anybody you meet.
Good luck, gentlemen.” He backed away from the vehicle, then turned and walked toward Storm, stopping near the vehicle she stood next to, to hug her briefly.
“You can’t just walk away. You’re an integral part of Alliance,” Storm said.
“No, girl, I’m an integral part of why everybody gets nervous when I show up. Except these people,” he said, tilting his head toward Rance’s truck and the Pride’s Suburban, along with the males meandering around waiting for him.
“What about Sin? You’re his best friend. He’s going to want to talk to you,” Storm said.
“Sin will always have my back, and I’ll always have his. I’m sure I’ll hear from him sooner rather than later,” Frenzy said on a laugh. “It’s not like I’m writing everybody out of my life. I’m just making some changes.”
Hail got out of the driver’s seat of that same Suburban and hugged Frenzy. “I’ll miss you, Frenzy.”
Frenzy winked at her. “You know where to find me, too. There ain’t nothing keeping you from being a Lion, too.”
“I kind of don’t have that DNA, but I do know where to find you,” she agreed, hugging him again.
Feral walked around the vehicle and shook Frenzy’s hand. “You believed in me. Gave me a chance to join you on this mission. I won’t forget that.”
“See that you don’t. And don’t hang around that damn place so long that everything you really want fades away,” Frenzy said.
Feral nodded. “I’ll see you soon.”
“Maybe. That’s all on you,” Frenzy said.
“Valid, Fierce… you guys keep kicking ass,” Frenzy said, leaning over to blow kisses at them.
“Won’t be half as much fun getting arrested without you,” Fierce said.
“Right?” Valid asked.
“You gotta pick up my slack. Find a way to keep it interesting,” Frenzy said. “Four, you’re going to do well. I can already tell,” he said.
“I’m tired. Just want a fucking break, and a female that wants me instead of tolerates me,” Four said. “I don’t have to share one there, too, do I?”
“No, you do not. But they don’t have to have your ass, either. They got all the power. You have to find one you like and go about earning her respect and proving you’ll treat her right.”
Four nodded. “I can do that.”
“There you go! You got this shit,” Frenzy said. “Y’all drive safe. And don’t forget to talk to Four about what he means by females that tolerate him. Maybe they got rewards, there, too. Let Lethal know that.”
“Got it,” Hail said as she got back in the car.
“Now, Four, how about we all do a little talking on the way home?” she said, as Feral and Storm got back in the vehicle.
Valid and Fierce were still seated on either side of Four in the middle seat.
Feral sat front passenger and Storm was in the back seat.
Frenzy walked past the Suburban toward Rance’s truck, where Rance met him half way.
“What about those three?” Frenzy asked quietly, glancing over toward where Ted, Dillon, and Hugh were waiting.
“I believe Steve and Dean are alright. Those three?” I’m pretty sure there’s something not right with them, but I didn’t notice any out of the ordinary reactions, other than those Valor recorded. ”
“How did he record their vitals?” Rance asked.
Frenzy grinned at Rance. “Ear pieces. Records every fucking thing. Conversations. Vitals, and if you know how to operate it, you can talk on it, too.”
“I noticed you pressing it from time to time.”
“You notice anything about the three of them?”
“Only the same things you did. And the fact that I almost had to shoot one of them. He almost panicked and blew the whole operation to hell. He was jittery as shit,” Rance said.
“We could give them some rope,” Frenzy suggested. “But this is all your rodeo now, I’m just a willing participant.”
“Give them enough to hang themselves? Sounds like a plan to me. Pretend we don’t suspect them, they get relaxed and sloppy. Let their guards down.”
“And hang themselves,” Frenzy said.
“Sounds like a plan to me, and all we can do at the moment anyway. You ready to go home?” Rance asked.
“Hell yeah!” Frenzy said.
“Alright, let’s go, then,” Rance said.
Rance climbed into the driver’s seat of his truck, Frenzy got in the passenger side, Slade and Dean were in the back with Ted between them.
Dane drove the Pride’s Suburban which was parked ahead of Rance’s truck, with Noah riding shotgun and Tate in the back seat of the vehicle with Steve beside him, and Hugh and Dillon in the middle seat.
They’d not shown any indication that they were guilty of anything, but still weren’t to be trusted, so they were surreptitiously surrounded and would remain as such until they were proven either innocent, or guilty.
They’d driven for less than a minute before Frenzy grinned, lifted his hand and pressed a finger to his ear piece.
“I don’t know whether to be happy for you, or jealous of you,” Valor said in his ear.
Frenzy laughed. “You got the world right there at your feet. Two sweet babies and a beautiful wife. No room for jealousy, my friend. I’m not dead, and I’m not gone. I’m just done. Reach out whenever. I know I will.”
“Same,” Valor said. “You know you still have all the earpieces you handed out to the shifters, right?”
Frenzy laughed. “Maybe they got dropped in the field. Along with my weapons. And my uniforms and shit, too.”
“I figure you earned it all.”
“Maybe you can monitor the one through five ear pieces and see what they turn up.”
“I will. And I’ll let Lethal know about your suspicions about them. You think they may have been involved with what happened to their Pride, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“And that means, they were working with the people who were controlling the Variant males you just found.”
“Exactly,” Frenzy said. “And can be available if you want to interrogate them, too, I’m sure.”
“Got it. I’ll update Lethal. They’re running down the checklist, preparing to get on the helo. He’s spitting mad you’re not coming back, by the way. Motherfucking all over the place,” Valor said with a laugh.
“It’s okay. He loves me. He’ll get over it.”
“Take care, my friend,” Valor said.
“Same. I’ll be talking to you, Valor. Be happy, man.”
“You, too, Frenzy.”