The Mercenary Read online

  Growls and snarls echoed through the concrete room as the beasts scrapped amongst themselves. In leopard form, Luke turned out to be much bigger than either Jodie or Danny, providing a pretty close match for the lion. It impressed Danny that he took on all three at once even if he didn’t have a clue what the hell he was doing. He had no hope against three well-trained Therians, something Jodie understood too.

  Danny’s heart sank as he watched Jodie dive into the fight, nevertheless he went to her without hesitation. Fighting the guards was the last thing that Danny wanted. These shifters are supposed to be on my side damn it! If he killed any of them, it would cause major complications but what choice did he have?

  The untrained determination of Luke and Jodie combined with Danny’s skill and prowess made it a very even fight. Just as Danny began to assume that he had control of things, Lancaster finally decided to join the party.

  The general became a leopard too, a golden leopard like Luke and Jodie. The similarity had somehow never hit Danny before, now it seemed blindingly obvious. If he’d needed something to cinch the deal, the way Jodie’s leopard reacted to Lancaster did the trick. One look at Luke told Danny that he felt the same way.

  Now at a standstill, all seven beasts stood facing each other. Though everything stayed silent, the atmosphere in the room hung laced with thick implication. After a pause, Danny used his tiger to bring Jodie back to her human form. The moment her leopard vanished, Luke’s did the same. The latter had surprised Danny but he hid it well. Bewildered and vulnerable, Luke sought refuge in Danny’s corner. Knowing how much Luke disliked him, the action spoke volumes at the level of crazy they’d progressed to.

  They all eyed each other for several minutes or so before Lancaster and his three recruits returned to their human forms to put their clothes back on. Danny moved to shield Jodie with his body, which she allowed with reluctance. He stayed in place as she put her shirt back on, the torn fabric barely covering the essentials after her change. Wisps of Jodie’s humiliation radiated in his direction and Danny felt compelled to get her the hell out of there.

  It took Danny several minutes to convince Eddie to open the door to let everyone out. He couldn’t fault the man’s logic given what had transpired, caution seemed smart. Eddie must have decided things were under control as after a short delay he threw back the bolts. When he saw they were all fine, Eddie let out the breath that he’d been holding and his eyes travelled past Danny to Jodie.

  “I’m sorry Jodie,” he apologized. “I didn’t want to abandon you but we couldn’t risk Luke getting out. We didn’t know how he’d take to his new form.” “It’s okay, I understand,” she mumbled.

  “I’m glad you weren’t hurt,” Eddie added.

  His eyes met Danny’s briefly and Danny could see that he hadn’t been the only one who had seen a new side of Lancaster today. Luke stood at the bottom of the stairs, awkward and unsure if he should leave or not, he seemed utterly bewildered.

  “Come on Luke,” said Danny. Luke glanced back at Lancaster with a scowl.

  “Oh he won’t dare stop you from leaving,” Danny’s eyes narrowed as he looked at the smug general.

  Lancaster seemed amused but he didn’t make challenge, only bowing his head in Danny’s direction, thus granting him approval. Danny had a lot of sway with Lancaster and he knew it, he was too valuable to ISIC for Lancaster to lose, so he didn’t like it when his protégé got upset. Whatever he really thought, no matter what he hoped to accomplish, he wouldn’t risk a rift. Not with so much going on regarding the pigs. Danny knew it like he knew his own reflection and he also knew that Lancaster would be aware of the fact.

  “I need to speak with you Danny. I have an assignment for you.” The General’s tone had switched to something much more formal and demanding.

  “Fine,” Danny said through gritted teeth.

  LUKE DIDN’T NEED TO be told twice. Now that Lancaster and Danny were discussing something unrelated he charged up the stairs. Jodie watched as he rushed past her and then Eddie too before he stopped. With no idea what to do next and no clue how to get out of the house Luke spun around to face her, his eyes frantic and panicked.

  “This way,” she hissed. Taking him by the arm, she led him to the living room and Eddie followed. Jodie clung to what little scraps of clothing she still had, but Luke didn’t seem to care. He appeared to be more concerned with what they’d left behind them.

  “Oh look, its Adam and Eve.” Quipped Jarvis as they walked in.

  “Not cool bro.” Eddie shook his head with a frown and turned back to Jodie and Luke. “I’ll go and find you two some more clothes.”

  “My bag is still in Mark’s room,” Jodie reminded him.

  “Why is your bag in Mark’s room? Who the fuck is Mark?” Luke’s eyes darkened and he surveyed the occupants of the room.

  “I’m Mark Dion,” Mark strode over and extended his hand.

  Luke stared at it with a measure of distaste and then back at Jodie. “Are you with him now?”

  “No,” Jodie sighed, not daring to put Mark in her line of sight. “If you want to be here and have their help, you’re going to have to start playing nice.”

  Luke narrowed his eyes as he met her gaze. “What do you mean?”

  “Would you just shake the guy’s hand Luke?” Jodie groaned in exasperation.

  Luke did as he was told. Jodie got all set to breathe a sigh of relief when she noticed Rufus grinning at her. She felt glad Luke didn’t see it, but she grinned back.

  Eddie jogged back into the room with a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants from his own wardrobe and some of Jodie’s things. Luke put them on though he seemed to have no modesty these days, standing there naked in front of a room of strangers didn’t bother him in the slightest. Taking the clothes Eddie held out to her, Jodie saw that he’d grabbed a pair of jeans and stretchy cotton top.

  “Eddie, I’m going to need underwear.”

  “Oh shit,” said Eddie. “Sorry.”

  Jodie gave a weak smile. “It’s okay I’ll go find some, I’ll be right back.”

  Finally dressed and comfortable, Jodie and Luke found spare seats and sat down. Luke’s presence made things very weird. Nobody quite knew what to say to him and his broody silence didn’t help matters. Things started to become awkward with everyone running out of places to avert their eyes.

  Jodie asked after Grace and Rose, her main objective to strike up conversation, any conversation. With genuine interest in how they were getting by, it had been an honest question. Thankfully he replied in detail, talking about his daughters calmed him a great deal and Jodie breathed an audible sigh of relief.

  “How old are they bro?” Rufus asked. His interest surprised Jodie; Rufus had never been one to waste words, perhaps he’d been trying to be polite.

  “Grace is six and Rose is three,” Luke responded.

  “That must be hard, with everything you have going on,” said Eddie.

  “It is,” nodded Luke. “I worry about them every second that I’m not with them.”

  The conversation continued a little more, until Luke made an abrupt subject change. With his cool gaze directed at Jodie he cleared his throat. “How long have you been able to change?”

  “A couple of days.” Lowering her gaze, Jodie’s fingers twisted the ring from her parents around and around. “You can blame the blood at home on me, I attacked Adam.”

  “Is Adam another guy from your group?” Luke looked toward Mark.

  “Yes.” Mark answered at once. “He should have been chaperoning Jodie and keeping her safe. Zach’s inappropriate behavior caused an involuntary shift, Adam tried to stop her from escaping the house and she tore him up pretty bad.”

  “Fuck,” said Luke, “and she’s still welcome here?”

  “Of course bro,” Rufus replied without hesitation. “It ain’t Jodie’s fault.”

  “We all go a little crazy when we’re learning to accept both our forms.” Eddie added. “It would’ve
come easier for you, already knowing how to change, you just had to accept a new animal.”

  “It felt amazing.” Luke said his bright green eyes spellbound with wonder. “And it was nothing like being a pig.” “Of course not,” Jodie said, thinking that she knew what he meant. “How could being a pig be anything like being a leopard?”

  “No Jodie,” he shook his head, patient despite her reaction. “When I become a pig, it’s very unpleasant. After four years of doing it I can complete the change faster now but it’s still painful. I feel every tiny movement of the bones as they snap into place and it hurts as if someone were physically dragging them through my body. Every part of the change feels like some kind of alien shell being forced upon me. When I’m a pig, it’s like there’s another being in control and I have to sit back and watch. If I concentrate I can take command, but most of the time I let the pig do what it wants, it’s like being possessed.”

  None of the guys had ever heard first-hand what the change might be like for a Lycan. Though they knew it didn’t come easy, this description came as a bit of a shock.

  “Today was so different,” Luke said, his eyes never leaving Jodie’s. “When I became the leopard, I felt pretty freaked out. I know Archer and Pirini told me I held more than just my pig but I didn’t want to believe it, I got scared that being Therian would be even worse than what I already was. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

  “After being Lycan for so long, the change seemed like a breeze. It felt like I became what destiny intended me to be. The moment I’d finished changing it felt normal, right. I didn’t feel like I had another being inside of me, the leopard is an extension of who I already am. I didn’t have to fight to gain control, I had an awareness that my human thinking and my animal thinking were separate but both still me. My pig is nothing like that.”

  “I wish it felt like that for me,” Jodie sighed.

  “It will be,” Mark promised. “After watching you hunt, I know you have what it takes. You just need to work on the change itself.”

  “Adam has healed now too, so you have your choice of beds tonight.” Eddie said. “If you are more comfortable with Adam or me, then we’re okay with that.”

  Luke raised an eyebrow so Jodie made Eddie explain to him why she needed the support and how every Therian went through this. Luke’s situation would only be different because he’d been through it already, when he’d first turned Lycan.

  “You’ve been through a lot, haven’t you?” Luke observed, eyeing her with scrutiny.

  “Yeah,” Jodie nodded.

  “What brought on your change after all this time?” He asked.

  Pursing her lips, she looked at her feet, not daring to answer the question.

  “He did it, didn’t he? That’s what Lancaster was talking about. Archer forced you.”

  Jodie opened her mouth but couldn’t deny it. Closing her eyes against the shame that burned scarlet on her face, she tried to swallow the lump in her throat.

  “He had a reason,” Eddie insisted.

  “Like hell!” Luke growled. “I’m going to fucking kill him.”

  “No you won’t!” Jodie cried. “I don’t even know all the details yet. He needs to at least have the opportunity to explain himself before anybody judges him for this.”

  The guys looked at Jodie with renewed interest. Did they really think I didn’t plan to talk to Danny again, that I would never forgive him? I’m not that cold, am I? Jodie didn’t like the thought of that but they hadn’t known her long. What impression had she left upon them? They obviously liked her or they wouldn’t have protected and guided her through this current crisis. Her head began to pound as Jodie struggled to process it all.

  “He had better have a damned good reason for this.” Luke said, his way of conceding and still retaining his pride.

  “We agree.” Rufus told him.

  “None of us like what he did or how he went about it,” Eddie chimed in. “But we trust him and we will give him the benefit of the doubt until we hear otherwise.”

  “Can I stay here?”

  Taken aback at Luke’s abrupt request, Jodie gaped at him. After everything that had happened, it seemed that she must have heard him incorrectly, though she knew she had not.

  “Just to make sure my new beast doesn’t make another appearance. I’m sure I’ll be fine, but I can’t risk it with the girls and Mum and Dad at home.”

  “Sure,” shrugged Mark. “Not a crazy idea.”

  “You can sleep in the living room.” Eddie offered.

  “All right, is there anything to eat around here?” Luke’s behavior seemed very out of character, leaving Jodie feeling on edge.

  “I second that,” Jarvis looked at Mark.

  “Fine, I’ll get started on the fish.” Mark smiled and shook his head.

  Luke didn’t say much during the meal, he seemed happy to blend in while the guys got up to their usual antics. It felt odd to have Luke there at all, never mind have him slip into a role of familiarity, but Jodie didn’t dare question it. Instead she chose to focus on the delicious gourmet meal Mark had prepared for them. Spending this amount of time in the company of a chef had already spoiled her for anyone else’s cooking.

  After the meal Jarvis started clearing plates, and he and Adam began to stack the dishwasher. It always amazed Jodie how well the Unit functioned domestically. You’d expect the place to be a pigsty, with arguments over whose turn it is to do the chores. She mused, watching the hive of activity. Jodie became so immersed in her thoughts that Rufus had gotten halfway back from the fridge with a cluster of beers in each hand before it registered. Chewing on her lower lip Jodie shot a worried glance at Eddie, which Luke noticed.

  “I’m not going to do anything stupid,” he promised.

  “Luke’s an alcoholic,” Jodie stated and felt the weight of Luke’s glare.

  “Sorry bro, I didn’t know.” Rufus froze, visibly embarrassed.

  “It’s okay,” he threw back. “As long as I don’t have that first drink, I’ll be fine.”

  “It hasn’t been that long, are you sure?” Much as she wanted to, Jodie didn’t know that she believed him.

  “You’re going to have to trust me,” Luke said, his voice fast losing its nonchalance.

  Everyone went in their separate directions for the evening. Mark and Jarvis headed for the gym room to hit the weight machines, taking Luke with them. Doug headed back to the office to work and those that remained, congregated in the living room. Talk of a card game ensued but before it could get underway, Doug reappeared in the doorway

  “Danny needs help.”

  Jodie’s eyes widened. “What?”

  “How bad?” Eddie asked alert and on his feet in seconds.

  “One black globe, four white. Grade five.” Doug said with his usual matter-of-fact approach.

  “Shit,” breathed Leon.

  “Damage control?” Jodie queried.

  “Yup,” nodded Eddie, refusing to elaborate.

  “We should leave Mark and Jarvis with Luke,” suggested Adam. “The last thing we need is for him to go running off.”

  “True bro, very true.” Eddie agreed, massaging his brow.

  “I’m not going.” Doug declared.

  Rufus nodded, “Course not. I’ll go.”

  Eddie thought a moment, “I’ll go too. Adam, are you in?”

  “I’ll go,” Jodie’s casual announcement brought a unanimous round of stares from the guys.

  “You are so not going,” Leon vetoed the idea straight away.

  “Why not? I want to help.” Their exclusion frustrated her, she felt herself growing defensive. “You guys have cleaned up my mess, why can’t I return the favor?”

  “Your mess is tame, we’re talking five globes here Jodie.” Rufus said his expression grave. “It ain’t gonna be pretty.”

  “The black globe was a hit,” Eddie explained further. “For there to be four other globes, something must have gone wrong. Grade five damage me
ans the place got really messed up in order for Danny to complete the assignment.”

  “Oh,” knitting her brows together, Jodie looked back toward Doug. “Is Danny okay?” Doug didn’t answer.

  “Well is he?” Rufus demanded.

  “I don’t think it’s too serious,” said Doug, but he wouldn’t look anyone in the eye.

  “What happened?” Leon asked, a cool steel blue stare failing to hide his concern.

  “All I know is that he asked you to bring the first aid box and a sewing kit.”

  “How is that not serious?” Jodie gasped. “I’m coming with you.”

  “Babe...” Eddie began.

  “I’m coming and don’t you dare argue with me!” Jodie thrust her chin up at him in defiance and growled.

  “You can be scary when you want to be,” Adam muttered.

  “Fine, don’t say we didn’t warn you,” Eddie complained in a level tone.

  He’s mad at me, I don’t want Eddie mad at me. Jodie thought to herself, but it had already been done.

  As the guys filed out of the room, Jodie looked at the globes above the fireplace. Out of the one hundred and twenty eight, more than one third of Danny’s globes were black. After an involuntary shudder, Jodie pulled her gaze to the next strand of beads.

  It had about ten or twenty black globes and being the second longest, must have belonged to Mark. All the rest consisted entirely of white globes except for a single blue globe in one of the shortest strands. If black signified a planned death and white an unplanned death, what did blue mean?

  Chapter 24

  They found the property fifteen minutes out of town on a narrow country lane. Back from the road, the house shone like a beacon with all but one of the windows lit. It was impossible to see in with the blinds drawn, so Eddie and Rufus made a quick perimeter check. Once given the signal, the others got out of the SUV.

  Jodie thought that she had prepared herself for what lay waiting inside, but the shock that gripped her turned out to be nothing like what she’d expected. She’d wanted to come to see for herself that Danny was alright and also to see what he had done. Now that she knew him to be an assassin in every sense of the word, Jodie needed to see just how bad it got. I’m Ainsley in reverse. Jodie told herself as she fought not to react.