The Mercenary Page 5

  “I have my car.”

  Jodie pursed her lips. “Luke you can’t drive home, don’t be a moron.”

  “I don’t need your help Jodie.” He snapped.

  Noticing the bartender watching them, she waved him over. “My brother is an alcoholic. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t serve him any more drinks.”

  “Why don’t you just piss off?” Luke yelled.

  “I think it might be time for you to leave buddy.” The bartender’s polite interjection did not go down well.

  “Screw you,” Luke declared, as he tried unsuccessfully to zip up his nylon jacket. After thirty seconds of failing to connect the two fronts, he gave up and made a noisy departure, cursing all the way out of the building.

  Swallowing up her shame, Jodie followed out into the car park. He stood bent over, face screwed up with concentration as he attempted to get in his vehicle. With the key upside down and jammed in halfway, he couldn’t unlock the door. Jodie kept calm as she placed her hand over his, guiding it away from the car. Pocketing his keys, she pointed to her car across the lot. She put an arm around him and he shoved it away, almost sending her crashing to the asphalt.

  Jodie continued trying to coax him away. She stayed at his side until he agreed to go to her car, but he made it clear he didn’t want to. Driving in silence to the Heads, she parked up in front of the pounding waves. Upriver a few hundred yards, the small harbor resided near the town itself. When Luke and Jodie were young, their father had loved driving to the Heads to watch the boats come in from the open sea. Luke and Jodie would try to guess how many people they thought would be on each boat, eagerly waiting for it to get close enough to count.

  Sometimes on a fine day, they’d get out of the car and go down to the water’s edge. Yelling out greetings to the fishermen on board, they would ask what they’d caught. For some reason catching barracuda inspired great admiration in Luke and Jodie, though few fishermen would ever be happy to have caught any.

  Whenever they went to town for any reason, John Fletcher would have to have the obligatory drive to the Heads before they went home. Jodie hadn’t gone there for a piece of nostalgia this time. She’d come because she wanted Luke to calm down. She couldn’t expose the girls to this anger and it tore her in two to see him like this. Her brother had never had such a volatile temper; the alcohol twisted him, manipulating him into someone she no longer recognized.

  Luke stared out at the river bar, where the fresh water and the ocean met with a crashing of waves. The spray shot up into the air several feet, casting a misty hue over the horizon; few boats would attempt to cross in these conditions. It wasn’t common for the bar to be so unworkable on such a beautiful, clear day. Perhaps a storm is coming. Jodie watched the water for a while and then decided to break the silence.

  “Luke,”

  “I don’t want to talk about it,” he growled.

  “It’s not all about you!” She retorted. “We are all affected by your choices. I care about you... I want to help you.

  You aren’t making that very easy.”

  “You just don’t understand.”

  “Then let me in! Help me to understand - we can’t go on like this, you need help.”

  “No I don’t. I’ll stop drinking, I will.”

  His arrogance irritated Jodie, and the muscles in her jaw tightened.

  “It would be so much easier if you-“

  Luke stared at her, green eyes full of judgment. “I’m not going to AA meetings.”

  Jodie sighed. “Then you need to trust us, communicate with us. Think of your girls Luke, they don’t deserve this.”

  In an unexpected turn Luke started to cry. Oh God what is he doing? What should I say? Jodie took off her safety belt and hugged him as best as she could in the confines of the car. No words passed between them as they sat comforting one another, tugging further at Jodie’s heartstrings. Could this be any more awkward? He’s my brother and I have no idea how to help him. Conscious of his male pride, she returned to her seat. As he attempted to compose himself, she put her belt back on, ready to exit the car park.

  “I’ve been doing some thinking,” Zach said when they got back. “I reckon I should move in.”

  “That’s good in theory, but we’re already short on beds,” Jodie reminded him. I don’t want to think about this right now, I can’t.

  “Then I’ll sleep in the garage or something. It would be easier if I were here, especially with what may happen during the next full moon.”

  She drew her brows together. “Do you think having two out of control wild animals here with the girls is a good idea? Isn’t one bad enough?”

  “Well I thought about that too, we could ship them out for the night. I’m sure Laura and Ainsley would have them, wouldn’t they?”

  “It’s a good idea,” Luke put in. “I may be a mess, but it would be worse for Zach if he had nobody. It’s not fun the first time. Not even close.”

  “So it’s fun now?” Jodie bit back, regretting the outburst a fraction of a second later. Guilt crept in as Luke’s mouth fell open and he blinked a few times. “Sorry,” she mumbled, eyes darting to the side. “I shouldn’t have said that.”

  “It makes sense Jodie,” Zach continued. “Even if I wasn’t going to become a shifter, it would still be a good idea. You need me.”

  “I know, but this isn’t your responsibility,” she moaned. “I hate that I need you.”

  “Please, I want to help.”

  “I’d feel better if he stayed here,” Luke added. “I’m going to try to get myself together, but I’m going to need all the help I can get. You’re going to need help Jodie.”

  “It will be freezing out there,” Jodie protested. And where are we going to put all Gran’s junk?” Realizing that she was stalling, Jodie stopped and closed her eyes for a moment. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to sound rude. I think you moving in is a great idea too Zach, I just need to figure out how this is going to work.”

  “We’re asking a lot of you,” Luke admitted, his green eyes glassy. “This is your home and we’re completely taking over.” His lip shook for a second or two and then he managed to pull himself together.

  Much as she didn’t want to admit it, he had a point. The cozy little two-bedroom cottage Jodie had inherited from their Grandmother now overflowed with occupants. When she’d insisted on bringing Luke home with her, Jodie hadn’t planned on his two daughters and his best friend being part of the package. She’d never dreamed that wild pigs would be tearing up the house and front yard, or that her job would be in danger as a result.

  However, she couldn’t un-invite Luke. Even if Jodie decided that she didn’t measure up, there was nobody else. She would just have to deal with it.

  Squeezing her arms around Luke, Jodie pressed her face against his cotton shirt, comforted by the steady heartbeat. It felt so strong and unyielding, and yet so undeniably vulnerable. As he rested his cheek on the top of her head and hugged back, Jodie felt protected despite his fragility.

  When they finally drew apart, Luke heaved a great sigh. “I’m sorry I yelled at you,” he almost whispered.

  “I’m sorry I called you a moron,” Jodie said, smiling a little.

  Zach and Jodie threw some lunch together and they all sat down at the table. The mood had lightened, and some semblance of normality had returned, however brief. By the time they’d eaten, it had started pouring outside. Jodie had been right about the storm. The bar had always been a good indicator of approaching weather. What a pity her personal life wasn’t so easy to read.

  Chapter 4

  It took another day for the rain to dissipate, giving way to more favorable weather. At the park Jodie watched Luke pushing Rose on a swing, the warm spring sun catching the highlights in her pale blonde hair. His animated features and proud smile transformed him. Gone were the bloodshot eyes and contorted expressions of his drunken stupor. He turned for a moment to watch Grace showing off on the jungle gym before grinning at Jod
ie.

  Relief washed over her. Seeing Luke in a non-

  depressive, non-intoxicated state gave a measure of hope. Jodie could feel the tension leave her shoulders, the pleasure of the outing exactly what they had all needed.

  Zach had been busy while they’d been out, completing all the chores that Jodie had been avoiding. Touched by his efforts, Jodie felt the need to reciprocate. The guys needed to get out and have a break. Even though Luke had been out all morning, Zach had not. Jodie suggested they to go to the gym and get Luke signed up. It would be a good outlet for him to get rid of some of the stress he’d been under.

  The euphoria of the park outing didn’t last long. The next day saw Luke jittery and anxious, wanting a drink so much he could barely sit still. He looked close to coming undone, and the girls had begun to notice. Zach decided to take him to the gym again.

  The girls knew something had happened and they wouldn’t settle. Jodie couldn’t tell them the truth about Luke, so she lied and told them he missed Mara. She then had two sobbing children who also missed the psycho woman. Time for plan b, except that Jodie didn’t have one.

  Jodie remembered that she had seen an old soccer ball in the garage and took the girls out to kick it around in the back yard. The level of enthusiasm couldn’t have been much lower, but they soon got into the swing of things.

  After no shortage of effort on Jodie’s part, they were entertained. Their girlish laughter, eased Jodie’s tension, but it didn’t last. Grace gave an almighty kick, and the ball sailed over the back fence.

  Jodie climbed over the fence, tucked her hair behind an ear, and looked around. How in the heck did a six-year-old kick so far? Then she spotted it just beyond the tree line, completely deflated. It had been an old ball, but that shouldn’t have happened.

  As she took a step toward it, a low growl stopped Jodie in her tracks. She had only heard it on two occasions, but it wasn’t something she would forget it in a hurry. My leopard! The reverberating growl that rolled in her direction sounded anything but playful. He appeared to be trying to give her some sort of warning. Just what does he want to protect me from now?

  Jodie could hear the girls, running toward her. She backed away from the woods until her buttocks crashed into the fence. Once she felt the hard wooden palings behind her, she turned abruptly and threw herself over. The girls thought it hilarious until they saw the look on her face.

  Jodie began trying to shepherd the girls in the direction of the house. The empty porch beckoned like a sanctuary, the door ajar, as the girls had left it. It isn’t that far... but it might as well have been ten miles away for all the good it would be to them. Before they could get there, two boars charged at the fence and the whole damned thing fell to pieces. Jodie screamed and threw herself over the girls as best she could, determined to protect them at all costs.

  Stampeding around the yard grunting and squealing, the boars annihilated the lawn and gardens. When they’d finished with that, they gouged Jodie’s car to the point where she knew it would never be salvageable. She had little care for the damage they were causing; all she could think about was getting the girls to the house where they would be safe.

  Behind Jodie, the leopard jumped the fence and crept across the lawn. The boars were so busy trashing the car that they didn’t hear him coming. Jodie tried to ignore the crying and pressed the girls’ heads down into the dirt. The sweet scent of their strawberry shampoo wafted upward, Jodie choked back a sob realizing that it might be the last time she smelled it. Grace tried to wriggle out from underneath her, but Jodie stayed unrelenting. She didn’t want them to see whatever might be about to happen; while she could explain the boars and justify their presence, she couldn’t do the same for the leopard. He risked so much to be out here in broad daylight, and he’d done it to protect them.

  The leopard growled and hissed as he pinned one of the boars against the car. It struggled beneath him, trying to gore him with one of its tusks. Still rumbling from deep in his throat, the leopard wrapped his jaws around the beast’s shoulder until it could barely move.

  All of a sudden, a sickening sensation took hold of Jodie. Where is the other boar? She searched frantically for something to use as a weapon. The best she could come up with was a heavy garden fork with thick straight metal prongs. She groaned, knowing that her chances of escaping unscathed were dwindling by the second.

  Reaching as far as possible, Jodie hooked it with her foot and flung it closer. She picked it up just as the pig charged her from behind. The momentum as she turned added power behind to the swing. Connecting with the pig’s skull, she felt a surge of relief as it fell over sideways. Again and again she hit it, all the while yelling at the girls to get inside as fast as they could. Jodie almost wept with relief when they listened. The boar jumped to its feet steadying itself for round two and Jodie adjusted her grip on the handle. She raised both arms to strike, but the animal ran straight past.

  A few feet away Grace and Rose neared the steps to the porch, almost there, but not quite. A vicious snarl came from the boar as he thundered toward them. Looking back, Rose screamed as she saw what was almost upon her.

  “Nooo!” Jodie shrieked, feet pounding the soil as she ran.

  Grace got to the porch and ran inside, leaving the door wide open. Rose didn’t even make it to the steps before she tripped and fell.

  “Help me – Please God help me!” Jodie sobbed.

  The leopard leapt from halfway across the yard and caught the boar in a rolling tackle. Rose of course saw none of this as it all happened in the blink of an eye. Jodie shoved Rose in the door and slammed it shut, not even pausing to catch her breath. Without breaking momentum, she turned around, fork still firmly in hand and ran back into the yard.

  Looking up at her from the yard, the leopard’s concentration broke. Jodie hadn’t meant to cause a distraction, she’d meant to help the leopard, and couldn’t have been more furious. In the brief moment, his furred face turned to her the other boar charged at him, gouging the leopard with its tusk and ripping a hole in his beautiful furry side.

  “Shit!” Without thinking about her personal capabilities, Jodie ran toward the fight. He’s going to die and it’s going to be because of me, I can’t let that happen!

  Jodie raised the fork up above her head and brought it down on the boar with as much force as she could manage. A terrible strike by any standard, one of the prongs glanced off a rib. Struggling to retain her footing, Jodie tightened her hold on the fork, and using it for balance. She’d done enough to distract the boar but the injury would not hinder the beast much. Spinning the fork around, Jodie changed her grip and swung it downward like an axe. This time she caused significant damage and the boar fell. The leopard seized the opportunity, clamping down on the pig’s neck with his strong jaws and holding firmly until it stopped thrashing.

  The leopard didn’t release until it stopped twitching, no longer posing a threat. He staggered to the boundary, the pain making each step an achievement. Preparing to jump over the fallen fence, he lurched forward three times; seeming unconvinced he would make it. When he finally did leap over, he let out a mournful cry. Jodie wanted to run after him but she could not. By God and all that is holy please let him be ok.

  She still stood there rooted to the spot with the heavy garden fork, when Luke and Zach returned from the gym. Why do extra people always turn up immediately after the threat has passed?

  She wondered with irritation.

  The horrified looks on Luke and Zach’s faces caused stirrings of nausea in the pit of Jodie’s stomach. For the first time since the attack had begun, she began to grasp the consequences of what had occurred. When the animals eventually did die, they would revert to their human forms. Even though she hadn’t delivered the final blows herself, Jodie could go to prison for murder. She had no way to explain what had happened. A sense of numbness enveloped her as the shock began to set in.

  “Holy crap Jodie,” Zach breathed wide-eyed.

>   “The girls...” Choked Luke.

  “Inside,” she answered with a vacant stare. “They’re okay.”

  Jodie decided that her version of ‘okay’ needed redefining as they entered the house. Grace and Rose were so hysterical hey barely noticed that three additional people had entered the room. She wanted the girls to be their first priority but she couldn’t stop freaking out about what had happened. What am I going to have to do to make the outside mess go away? Oh God this is so bad, I can’t even think straight.

  Luke sat with his daughters and held them while they cried. He struggled to explain what they had just been through, but he stayed strong, and unwavering. He promised to build a better fence so that wild pigs couldn’t get into the backyard again, assuring them this kind of thing didn’t happen often, they’d been unlucky. Luke did an amazing job of keeping his cool. Despite everything, he was still a great father.

  In the end, Zach and Jodie assumed the job of covering the bodies until they could be disposed of. They couldn’t go to the police with such a complicated mess. Even if they told the truth and someone believed them, with Luke a shifter and Zach soon to be one, they would both be in danger. Jodie believed what Zach had said about the government. She couldn’t let them be taken away, or worse, shuddering as the implications weighed upon her.

  Outside, Zach and Jodie stood for a moment surveying the bodies. One had already reverted to human form, and thankfully, not someone either of them recognized. The other boar kept doing some sort of weird twitchy thing with its fur, suggesting that its change was close. Jodie fetched a couple of large blue tarps and some rope from the garage, and dumped them in the yard. Zach rolled the first body onto the plastic sheet. Somehow, the nudity disturbed Jodie, making it seem more real.

  Even though Jodie hadn’t killed the man, she felt a heavy sense of guilt. Why do I feel like this when they tried to kill the girls and me too? How can I feel guilt when technically I wasn’t the one who ended their lives?

  Perhaps because she’d been brought up to believe that life was precious. A fine line existed between self-defense and murder. Whether the fault lay upon her or the leopard bore no consequence. She questioned the necessity of killing them at all. Could it have been avoided?