Chapter 1 Storm #2
I take off running toward the stranger with the intense black eyes.
When I pass Triple T, he reaches out and grabs my arm, pulling me up short.
Everything happens in slow motion. One minute Spirit is beside Triple T, with him holding my arm to keep me from moving toward the unknown man, who none of us have ever met, to that same man reaching behind him, pulling out a military grade weapon, pointing it at Spirit—who immediately braces—while Phantom starts screaming while hightailing toward all of us.
I hear it before I see it, a drone, which the man turns his weapon to and immediately—and to my utter disbelief—shoots it down.
Triple T swears under his breath “Motherfucker.” I can feel him tensing up but he doesn’t let me go.
That is until we hear an animalistic growl, deep timbred whisper aimed toward us.
“Get your goddamn hands off of her. Let her go NOW. If you don’t do as you’re told this one here will die.”
“No, stop, please. No one means you any harm. They are—I believe—like you, ex-military. Let’s take a minute and everyone take a breath.
Let’s start with introductions. I’m Storm, that woman is Spirit, and this guy here next to me is Triple T.
Phantom is the big guy over there. Your turn, what’s your name? ”
He glances through each and every one of us with little to no emotion in his eyes.
He lingers on Spirit for an extra second, like he’s trying to remember something.
When his eyes fall on me once again, he takes me in from my motorcycle boots up my body, which again starts tingling in every place those eyes have touched.
When he looks into my eyes I feel dizzy, at the same time extremely hot.
Damn, why does he have so much power over me? I jump when he finally speaks.
“I’m called Halo. I’m looking for Ollie as I was told he ran this place.”
Phantom puts his hands up slowly.
“’Kay, Halo, right? I’m gonna reach into my pocket to grab my phone. I’ll call Ollie and tell him to get his ass out front. That work for ya, friend?”
Halo tips his head to one side, studying Phantom. What he says next sends a shiver down my spine.
“Yeah, it works for me. And to be clear, we ain’t friends. I don’t even know you, so don’t push it, or me, ‘friend.’”
Halo smirks at Phantom as I listen to the big man calling Ollie.
He tells his boss how some dude that goes by Halo is here for him.
We can all hear him screaming not to go crazy and to give Halo space.
Well, we fucked that one up, for sure. Everyone stands waiting for Ollie to make his way to the front of the Blue Sky Sanctuary entrance.
When he finally shows, of course, he’s not alone.
I turn as the truck makes its way to us.
Driving is Ollie, besides him is Noodles, and in the back seat are Panther and Avalanche.
When I glance at Halo his eyes are narrowed, but his body is still, tense and alert.
Once the truck parks, everyone gets out.
I watch Ollie assessing the situation then very cautiously approaching, hands relaxed at his sides.
He steps forward putting his hands out toward the stranger.
“Halo, hi I’m Ollie. I apologize; thought you were gettin’ in tomorrow. Didn’t get a chance to inform every one of your arrival. Can you do me a favor first? Put the weapon down?”
“Yeah, when he releases Storm.”
Ollie turns, giving Triple T a chin lift, which has him removing his hand from my arm.
I raise my other arm, using my fingers to rub the spot where Triple T’s fingers dug in.
When I look up, Halo is watching me with a look that scares the shit out of me, and that’s saying a lot since I know and work with Shadow.
Ollie turns back and motions to the weapon, which the stranger puts somewhere on his back.
Ollie puts his hand out to shake Halo’s but the guy looks Ollie in the eyes, giving his head a quick shake.
Not sure how but Ollie understands and puts his arm down.
Then he introduces everyone. Now we are at a standstill.
Well, leave it to Avalanche to break the ice, so to speak.
“Halo, right? How long has it been since you got back home? Anyone you want us to call?”
I’m beyond confused but say nothing. Instead, I just watch as the sanctuary people, along with Panther and Avalanche, try to make Halo feel welcome while they handle him with kid gloves. Oh God, I hear that voice of his and my head snaps back to him.
“Back a while. Been wanderin’ here and there.
Havin’ the ability to go anywhere I want whenever I want is something I need after, well, think ya know.
When I checked in with my team they were shipping back out.
Since I can’t pass my psych shit, one of my team leaders heard about this place and guess he knows you, Ollie, so he talked me into giving it a try.
I took my time and saw some of our country on my way here.
I’ve always been a wandering man so it wasn’t too much of a burden on me. That’s why I got here a day early.”
It’s so apparent he’s not talked to people in a while by his body language and the way his eyes keep shifting from one side to the other, making sure no one sneaks up on him.
Something really horrible happened to this wandering man, I can feel it deep in my soul.
I jump when a hand goes around my shoulders, and I turn to see Spirit standing next to me watching with those purple eyes of hers.
This woman is way more intense than Shadow, which is hard to even comprehend.
No one knows her whole story, but all you have to do is take one look at her to know life has not been kind to her.
From what I’ve heard through the Devil’s Handmaidens’ gossip chain, Spirit’s man was taken, tortured, and murdered.
He was being held captive and she never found out who did it or why.
Worse, she wasn’t able to locate his body either.
Though, again from the gossip, part of a tattoo on his chest was returned in a box.
Kind of explains her ability and willingness to give a hand to Shadow.
She told the two of us she was her team’s “muscle” when she was in the military.
Then she worked with a unit after they got out of the military, where she was also the intimidator, which brings a small smile to my face.
She’s tiny with those lavender eyes and long, dark-brown almost-black hair.
What I know is, I would never challenge her unless it was a life or death situation.
She raises an eyebrow at me then looks back at where Ollie is listening to Halo. She mouths, “What’s his name again?”
I lean over to whisper, “He said he goes by Halo.”
Her face instantly looks shocked before she lets me go, moving quickly to stand beside Ollie.
When Halo sees her up close his face goes white then immediately his eyes go wide and his mouth drops open to a perfect “O.” Shaking his head he walks toward Ollie and Spirit and it looks like his hands are shaking as he raises them toward her.
“Spirit, holy shit, is that you? No fuckin’ way, I saw you die right before my own eyes. They tortured you before they killed you in front of us all, so we would toe their line. My God, how did you survive?”
I walk closer because finally we’re getting some background on Spirit. Everyone seems to be waiting with bated breath for her answer and when she gives it, I almost start to sob.
“Dude, who said I didn’t die in that fucking hellhole? What you see is a body that hasn’t realized it’s no longer for this earth, which makes me a dead woman walking, that’s it.”