Chapter Seventeen
BY THE time Saturday evening arrived, Crank had gotten over his initial mistrust of Milo, although he wasn’t ready to welcome him with open arms. No matter what had brought him to them, he was still a fucking guard, a Geran.
Let it go.
Crank jerked his head in Saul’s direction. Saul stood by the fire pit, a bottle of beer in one hand. Let what go?
I know you don’t like him—hell, no one’s asking you to do that—but Horvan was right. This guy can turn the tide for us.
Crank swallowed. I look at him, and I see the bastards who—
Saul was at his side in a heartbeat. “Hey. I’m here, aren’t I? I’m alive. So what if I have a few scars?” He smiled, his eyes twinkling. “I’ve got you and Vic to kiss ’em better.”
“You’re telling me you’re totally okay with him helping us?”
Saul shrugged. “Totally? No. But if he’s for real—and Seth and Jake think he is—then I’ve got no reason to hold a grudge. He wasn’t one of the bastards who tortured me. He’s just another shifter who made the situation he was in fit the narrative he’d been told. That’s what true indoctrination is, right? The Gerans fed him—and many like him—all that stuff to make them think what they were doing was right.”
Crank gazed in awe at his mate. “You’re amazing, do you know that?”
Saul grinned as he leaned in to whisper, “So you keep telling me every time I make you come.” He chuckled. “I have my moments.”
“Is this where you two have been hiding?” Horvan walked over to join them.
Crank snorted. “Does it look like we’re hiding?” The others filed outside until every seat was occupied, with some of them sitting on the low circular wall that surrounded the fire. The sun had set, and the sky was shades of pink and purple, reflecting on the calm surface of the lake.
“I should get going,” Milo murmured before taking a drink from his bottle.
Saul arched his eyebrows. “And go where? We still have a lot to talk about.”
“There’s a spare bed in the basement,” Dellan remarked. “You’re welcome to stay.”
“He can have my old room,” Hashtag announced. He grinned. “Seeing as I’m now sharing with this lummox.” He nudged Roadkill with his elbow.
Roadkill gave him a mock glare. “Come out with more comments like that and you’ll regret it.”
“Oh yeah? And what are you gonna do about it?”
Crank was used to their banter, but now it had a different quality, an intimacy that laced their words.
“It isn’t a case of what I’ll do—it’s what I won’t do.” Roadkill’s eyes gleamed. “If you get my meaning.”
Hashtag froze. “I’m gonna shut up now.”
Eve laughed. “Very wise.”
“But he is right,” Roadkill added. “It’s a better room than the one downstairs.”
“If you’re sure.”
Crank got the feeling Milo was the one who wasn’t sure, and a wave of guilt swept through him.
I haven’t exactly made him welcome, have I?
Saul put his arm around Crank’s waist. And that is why I love you.
Crank gave a mental chuckle. I noticed you kept that thought between us.
To his surprise, Saul put his bottle on the wall, took Crank’s hands in his, and then glanced at their friends—their family. “I love this guy. And this is me putting it out there in case anyone was wondering.”
Roadkill snickered. “Okay, we got the memo. So long as we don’t have to watch you putting out. There are some things you can never unsee, you know?” That earned him a ripple of laughter.
“Can we be serious for a minute?”
Part of Crank wanted to tell Horvan no, they couldn’t. “Can’t we sink a few beers and leave it at that?” There had been enough tension that day, and all he wanted was to kick back and enjoy the canopy of stars over their heads.
Wow. That last part was beautiful.
Crank narrowed his gaze. Tell anyone, and you’re a dead man.
“A few beers?” Eve stared at them in mock horror. “Oh gods, please tell me my mates aren’t lightweights.”
“She drinks, she fights, and she looks amazing.” Hashtag beamed, his chest puffed out. “We are lucky dudes.”
Roadkill gave a soft chuckle. “Preach.”
Crank sighed. “Sure, we can be serious.”
Horvan leaned forward, elbows on his knees, his gaze fixed on Milo. “Tell us about the camps.”
“What do you want to know?”
“What all those shifters did to end up in them, for one thing,” Saul commented.
Brick snorted. “They’re prisoners, isn’t that obvious?”
“Yeah, but why are they prisoners?” Crank demanded. “For political reasons? Are they anarchists? Activists?”
“Let me ask you a question.” Milo took a drink. “Do the Fridans know how many shifters are on this planet?”
“No,” Horvan replied. “I don’t think anyone’s ever researched it.”
Milo nodded. “Well, the Gerans have—and they came to a conclusion. The world needs more shifters.”
“Can’t argue with that,” Horvan acknowledged. “Humans outnumber us, but I guess that’s the way it’s always been.”
“Where you and the Gerans might disagree is the type of shifters we need more of. The ones in the camps have traits the Gerans want to replicate: strength, agility, dexterity, intelligence…. Hence the breeding program.”
“So you’re saying you only incarcerate the crème de la crème?” Saul gave Milo an incredulous stare.
Crank shook his head. “That doesn’t fly. What about all the shifters they abandoned in the Bozeman camp? They were gonna shoot them all.”
Milo stilled. “How many shifters were left there?”
“About a block full,” Dellan told him.
“Well, the average is about one hundred fifty detainees, so I’d assume they….”
“They what?” Rael stared at him. “Say what you think.”
“Look, the breeding program was nothing to do with me, okay? But if they were trying to create better, stronger, faster shifters, then I’d guess some genes weren’t passed on.” His cheeks grew red. “And I had no idea they’d left instructions to eliminate the remaining shifters. I was already in Maine at that point.”
“I don’t know whether to feel insulted or fortunate,” Aric announced. “So my genes didn’t cut it, huh? Then again, if they’d taken me along with Seth and his dad, Brick might never have found me.”
“I’d have found you,” Brick stated quietly. “Even if I had to scour the fucking planet.”
Aric flushed and kissed him on the cheek.
“Until I met Jana, I believed we were simply breeding more shifters to even the balance, but now?” Milo’s face contorted. “She made me question why the Gerans were forcibly breeding shifters, and I didn’t like where that question led me.” He leaned back. “Your friend, Jamie Matheson—”
“He’s my half brother,” Dellan said quietly.
Milo blinked. “I didn’t know. While it’s true Jamie could’ve ended up at the camp because they caught him, he’s also a tiger, and they can’t get enough of the big cats.”
“Which is why they left Aric.” Brick gazed fondly at his mate. “House kitties don’t make good killers.”
Crank snorted. “You won’t be saying that the next time he sticks you with those murder mitts.”
“But that’s not why they’ve got Seth and Jake, is it?” Dellan’s voice rang out.
“No, I don’t think so. They’re the icing on the cake. That’s why the scientists are doing so much testing.” Milo scanned the faces of the people sitting around the fire pit. “I know how it sounds.”
“You mean, as if they want to use Jake and Seth’s abilities to their advantage. Make them into some kind of weapon.” Dellan was pale.
Milo broke eye contact, lowering his head.
“You’re seeing everything differently now, aren’t you?” Eve said in a gentle voice.
“And then some.” Milo swallowed. “How could I have gone along with all this?”
“Because you believed what they’d been telling you since you were old enough to listen.” Crank stared at Milo, unable to miss his discomfort. Except he couldn’t leave it there. “Something I don’t get. If there are about one hundred fifty inmates and seventy guards, why don’t the prisoners just shift and kill the fuckers? No offense intended.”
“None taken. And all the guards are armed.”
Dellan shook his head. “No, there’s more to it than that.” He turned to Rael. “Think about what happened to me. I was in that cage for a year, and I couldn’t shift—except when they forced me to.”
Rael nodded, his face tight. “We figured they’d drugged your food… something to prevent you from shifting.”
Dellan cocked his head to one side. “So what if all the shifters in the camps are drugged in the same way?”
Horvan scowled. “I don’t like this. Drugs to suppress a shift, drugs to force a shift…. I need to talk to Doc about this. Because once we get all the inmates out of there, we have to check ’em out. God knows how the drugs have fucked ’em up.”
“And if you asked any of the people who set up the camps, they’d probably tell you the end justifies the means. I believed that—once.” Milo’s Adam’s apple bobbed sharply. “Not anymore.” He stared at Horvan. “This mission you’re planning… I want in.”
“Me too,” Eve piped up.
Saul chuckled. “You’ve got no choice, Duncan. This is what you signed up for. Speaking of which, there’s a training session at the barracks tomorrow. We’ll get to see you in action. No denying you look good on paper.”
Her eyes sparkled. “In real life? I’m even better.”
Roadkill snorted. “I’d say you don’t suffer from a lack of modesty, but my instincts tell me you’re probably telling the truth.”
She widened her eyes and gave him a mock glare. “‘Probably’? Oh, you are so in for it tonight—baby.” Hashtag guffawed, and she flashed him a glance. “Sure, laugh it up now—pay for it later.”
You know, I almost feel sorry for them. Crank peered at Saul with a grin. Almost .
“I’m going too, right, H?” Brick’s voice was quieter.
To Crank’s mind, the fact that Horvan didn’t reply right away was telling.
Brick let out a loud snort. “Don’t even think about keeping me here. And if you order me not to go, I’ll go anyway. Besides, you need me.”
Horvan sighed. “Everyone is going. I need my best team.”
“Does that include me?” Aric gazed at him.
“And what would you do on a mission? Lick ’em to death?” Then Crank grimaced. “Mind you, a cat’s tongue feels fucking awful, the way it rasps—”
“Not helping,” Saul muttered.
“Excuse me?” Milo glared at them. “Can we get back to the part where I said I wanted to be on the team for this one?”
Horvan met Milo’s gaze, and Crank winced. He knew that look.
Milo isn’t gonna be a happy bunny.
Horvan took a deep breath. “You need to go back. You’re more use to us at the camp.”
“No!” Milo’s voice was strident. “I want to—” A phone buzzed, and he pulled it from his pocket. Milo stared at the screen in obvious dismay. “Well, crap.”
“What’s wrong?” Horvan asked.
Milo huffed. “Seems like you’re going to get your way. This is from the camp. They want me back. Tomorrow. They’ve canceled all leave because of the inspection next weekend.”
“And there’s our confirmation right there,” Saul muttered.
“Right.” Hashtag got out of his chair. “Before you go, I’ll give you a burner phone so you can stay in contact with us. All messages will be encrypted.”
“But I want to fight,” Milo protested.
“I get that,” Horvan replied. “But you can do more on the ground.”
Eve got up and went over to Milo, crouching beside him. “Besides, how does it feel being parted from Jana?” She covered his hand with hers.
Milo stared at it. “You’ve nailed it, of course. I knew I had to come here, but the thought of leaving her there… unprotected….”
“Then follow orders, soldier, and go back to Maine.” Horvan gave him a forthright glance. “But stay in touch, okay? Just don’t put yourself in danger to do it.”
“You can leave in the morning.” Crank grabbed a bottle of beer from the ice-filled bucket and handed it to Milo. “Tonight you spend with us.”
See? That’s my man. Even in Crank’s mind, he could hear the pride in Saul’s voice. You can let it go.
Crank gave Saul a slow smile. And tonight I’ll kiss every one of your scars.
As long as you do it all over again when Vic gets home.
Vic….
I want him home. With us. I hate that he’s so far away.
Saul nodded. Me too.
I want to see him before….
Before what?
Crank stared at him. Before we go off on this mission.
It’s going to be fine.
Crank had been on enough missions to know better than to take anything for granted.