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“That’s a good thing, TH. For too long, we had no time as we rushed from one crisis to the other. We need to encourage everyone to celebrate success. It’s time, TH, for these people to go beyond survival and start living.” Char wasn’t talking about the people from San Francisco. She was talking about her family, her pack, and those closest to them.

  Cory and Felicity approached from the direction of the Market District. Their hands were filled with packages. Mary Ellen carried her own bags while William stumbled along next to his Aunt Cory, hanging onto her pants leg with his tiny hand.

  “I don’t think I missed that,” Terry said.

  “I did. They went shopping without me, those bitches!” Char cried.

  “That’s our daughter you’re talking about, and the mayor of North Chicago!” Terry exclaimed.

  “It doesn’t change the fact that they went without me.” Char jumped up and walked briskly to them. Terry had seen that walk too many times to count. He always watched, being an ass-man, but at the end of it, someone usually got their cage rattled.

  William ran to his grandmother. She caught him and picked him up without breaking stride. Terry struggled to hear the conversation, but when Cory presented a package to Charumati, all was forgiven.

  Char put William down, and he started to fuss. She held a slinky black dress in front of her for Terry to see.

  “Holy crap!” he blurted before wondering why anyone would stock such a thing.

  Char was right. Life was hard enough without missing the chance to enjoy those things worth living for.

  Terry motioned for Lieutenant Boris to join him.

  “I’d like to see you have a celebration every Friday, maybe roast a pig or something to wrap up the work week. Turn them loose for a day and then come back ready to work. Is that doable?”

  “Very much so, sir. My girlfriend will appreciate that. She’s already sacrificed a lot for me, and that’s without anything serious happening,” Boris replied with a half-smile.

  Terry pushed his lieutenant to arm’s length. “Girlfriend?” he asked in surprise. “I didn’t issue you a girlfriend, Lieutenant.”

  Boris wasn’t sure if the colonel was joking or not, so he didn’t say anything, choosing to stand uncomfortably.

  “Boris has a girlfriend,” Terry told Char when she arrived with the others in tow. Cory immediately dropped her packages to give Boris a hug.

  “That is great news!” Char proclaimed, watching both Terry and Boris for their reactions. Terry broke into a grin.

  “I think so, too,” he said. “We’ve taken too much of our people’s time. Now, it’s only right for them to take some of it back.”

  Terry slapped Boris on the shoulder.

  “When do we get to meet her?” Char asked.

  “At tomorrow’s pig roast?” he asked.

  “I didn’t know there was a barbecue.”

  “There wasn’t until about two minutes ago,” Boris replied, feeling more at ease. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a pig to order and a duty roster to prepare. Weekend liberty! Who would have thought?” Boris wondered.

  “The colonel giveth and the colonel taketh away,” Cory said softly under shaded eyes.

  “Not this time, Cordelia,” he answered. Char pinched Terry’s butt, unsure of what made him loosen up, but glad that it happened.

  “Head home after the pig roast?” Terry suggested.

  “I’d prefer sooner. I’m sure Ted is missing me something fierce,” Felicity drawled.

  Terry wanted to say that Ted probably hadn’t realized she’d been gone at all, let alone for two weeks, but he held his tongue.

  CHAPTER TWO

  North Chicago

  “Where do we go from here?” Merrit wondered, looking at the other members of the pack. They’d arrived early, all except Gene.

  Terry and Char were on their way to talk with the pack, but they hadn’t said what it was about.

  “I think it’s another deployment somewhere,” Merrit suggested, earning a punch in the arm from Shonna.

  “It’s not that. They have information that they got from the horse’s mouth. Akio knew something that he was only willing to share mano a mano, man to man,” Shonna added.

  Butch and Skippy watched from beyond the tight circle of the original pack.

  “What are you doing out there?” Shonna inquired, unsure of why they constantly put themselves on the outside looking in.

  “We’re not from the original pack. Being new, our place is to watch and learn, do as we’re told,” Skippy ventured.

  “That is bullshit, pure unadulterated fucking bullshit,” Shonna declared. “Merrit and I were with Char in New York, but she wasn’t the alpha then. She had to kill that big bastard to put us on the right track. Ted was there, too. And that’s it. Aaron’s been with us a while, but Yanmei is new, coming to us right before you guys. Gene is Gene. He came to us by coincidence. He’d set up shop in Wisconsin and Char sensed another with etheric abilities. Turned out to be a Werebear. Terry’s not Were at all and doesn’t have senses heightened in the right way to pull power from the etheric connection. We are just a bunch of mutts and vagrants trying to get along. In that, you fit right in. Now get the fuck in here,” Shonna said, helping by grabbing a handful of Skippy’s shirt and dragging him to a position next to her.

  “But we haven’t trained like you guys,” Butch added.

  “We’ve been training for more than thirty years. That’s one thing that Terry is fanatical about. Beyond fanatical. One of many, actually, but I digress. You’ve been training with us for a few months and you have a long way to go, but that doesn’t make you any less valuable to the pack. Never take the training lightly, no matter what we’re doing, and you’ll get there, even if it takes years,” Shonna said sympathetically.

  Aaron and Yanmei leaned against a wall. They were near the new barracks and the LZ because that was the center of the FDG universe, with Terry Henry Walton and Charumati as the two bodies around which everything else orbited.

  The analogy made the most sense to Aaron. He saw them at the center of everything that happened. They were the strangers he first saw when he was living in the native village, when the chief encouraged him to join their community. They took his freedom away when they added him to Char’s pack, and then they gave him his freedom back. Aaron realized later that they hadn’t taken his freedom at all, just changed his perception of what freedom meant.

  Terry had encouraged Yanmei to unchain him, free him from Kirkus so he could fight for them both, introducing her to a whole new world, one that revolved around the two people who asked for so little for themselves, the two people who gave their all to others.

  Aaron knew that he’d die for them, as would Yanmei. The Weretigers were fiercely loyal to the two people who they considered to be their saviors.

  “What I’ve found during all this time with Terry and Char is that all you have to do is ask. Talk to them like real people. Have a conversation and let them know your concerns. You’ll find that they care more about you than you do,” Aaron wisely stated.

  “Everyone has a role to play, including you two, including Gene, including Sue, Timmons, and Ted who are in San Francisco doing what needs to be done.” Shonna finished her short explanation to the others as they watched Gene amble toward them.

  The Werebear saw them watching him and announced his presence with a window-shaking belch, followed by a lazy smile. He scratched his stomach. Gene was a huge man, but he carried no fat. In Werebear form, his size blossomed even further and made him a force of nature.

  With Fu around, his social graces had improved considerably. When she wasn’t around, Gene could be crass, more so than the rest of them combined.

  Shonna put her hands on her hips and glared at the large man.

  “What the fuck, Gene?” Merrit complained, throwing his hand up in frustration.

  “I heard that!” Cory’s voice came from somewhere in the distance.

  They looked around unti
l they spotted her. She emerged from a small stand of trees with Terry, Char, Kaeden, Kimber, Marcie, and Ramses.

  Auburn wasn’t with them, but the pack didn’t notice. Kimber did. She found comfort in Gene’s antics when he was without Fu. She understood why he did it, where the others didn’t. When he was alone, he was someone different. When he was with her, he was someone better.

  She understood it all too well.

  When Terry, Char, and their brood arrived, Kimber found her way to Gene’s side, punching him in his massive arm, then turning to hear her father speak. She didn’t know what he was going to talk about. Despite her best efforts, he had remained secretive.

  Terry looked from face to face, gauging their mood before he started to speak. He nodded to Butch and Skippy, appreciating the fact that they seemed to be closer to the other Werewolves.

  “I have to apologize to all of you. We’ve driven you hard, in some cases, for decades. Shonna was in the power plant back in New Boulder, working like a fiend with Timmons to keep that old mess running. You worked miracles for the rest of us. And here, it was more of the same, but then, we drafted you all to be the tactical team, the ones who were first into harm’s way,” Terry said.

  Many in the group shook their heads. Shonna raised a hand. Before Terry could continue, she interrupted.

  “Bullshit, Mister Human Man,” she said sarcastically. “You don’t understand how a pack works at all. Didn’t she teach you anything? All this time and you haven’t learned dick.”

  Terry gave her his best stink-eye. Kaeden bristled at the way she’d called his father out. He glared at his Aunt Shonna, now able to look down at her because of how he’d grown during the enhancement process.

  “As I was explaining, before I was so rudely interrupted,” Terry added pointedly. “We lost members of the pack. Xandrie and Adams, who fought to the end. They fought for the freedom of humans by using their gifts. Were folk are special. Enhanced people are special. The Unknown World has been helping humanity prosper and evolve for many, many centuries. We’re carrying on that tradition, with Akio’s help and support. But now to the meat of what I wanted to talk about.

  “You all deserve a vacation. We’re going to take the pod and drop you guys off at the best places all over the world, where you can relax and do what you do. Part of that deal is that you are our eyes and ears, looking for Forsaken or other things out of place. You’ll all be on your own, with your communication device and however you want to use it. Here’s what I recommend, but this is your vacation, so everything is up for discussion. You’ll get your say,” Terry told them

  Char was standing behind him and all eyes went to her as she casually drew her finger across her throat while shaking her head.

  Terry caught the collective shift of their attention. He rolled his eyes and turned to his wife. Her finger darted to her silver streak of hair and twirled it. She dipped her head and smiled shyly.

  “What did you do?” he asked.

  She shook her head and leaned back.

  “Continuing on,” Terry said, returning his attention to the others. “Sue and Timmons will remain in San Francisco. Judging by Sue’s new wardrobe, I doubt they’ll ever leave. Shonna and Merrit, we’d like you to return to Cancun. Last time we were there, you took an arrow, but I can’t believe the place has gone that far downhill. They still had power for lights, so we’d like to know if a Forsaken has set up shop, even though we didn’t see one when we were last there.”

  Terry stopped because Shonna and Merrit were high-fiving each other.

  “Can we stop by San Francisco on our way? I could use a new swimsuit, well, any swimsuit actually,” she laughed.

  “Aaron and Yanmei. We could use some eyes in China. You pick where your talents and your vacation will best serve both you and us. I suggest you talk with Eve,” Terry told them, but Yanmei was shaking her head.

  “Tianjin in the north would be my first guess, and what I learned while with Kirkus was that it survived the nuclear exchanges. If Eve can confirm its growing population, that’s where we will go. It is also the closest port to Beijing,” Yanmei explained.

  “Sounds great. We’ll double-check to make sure it’s got people and we’ll drop you there. Butch and Skippy. How does New York City sound?”

  “Sounds great!” Skippy blurted, before checking with Butch. She nodded.

  “I agree. What do you need us to do?” Butch asked.

  “Lower Manhattan, what used to be the financial district. It seems that area is building up faster than the rest. We’ve seen some ships working the port. We’ve also spotted an airship around there. We’re not sure where it came from or what it’s doing. It would be nice to get some answers.”

  Gene watched Terry expectantly.

  “And then there’s you,” Terry started, slowly enunciating each word. Gene motioned for Terry to continue, but Terry hesitated. Gene started making a cranking motion and casually rolled out his prominent middle finger. “How about Russia, my large friend? You and Fu hanging out in Petersburg?”

  Gene dropped his hands and stood with his mouth open. “Fu and me in Russia?” he finally managed to stammer. “I know Petersburg well, both before and after. You are my friend for life!”

  Gene reached for Terry. TH tried to back up, but his children blocked him. The Werebear picked Terry up like a small child and jumped up and down.

  Terry took it like a man, having no choice since his arms were pinned to his sides.

  When Gene put Terry down, the colonel nodded and continued talking. “Andrew and Joseph will go on a walkabout of Chicago, see what’s going on down there. I’ll talk with them when I see them.”

  Terry moved across the circle of people so he could face the youngest among them. “And you bunch have the hardest jobs of all. We’ll need each of you to establish tactical teams made up of FDG warriors. I want you each to have ten. Once that’s complete, we’ll reorganize the FDG in a way that makes the most sense.”

  Kim, Kae, Marcie, and Ramses looked at each other. Cory could feel their angst.

  “Your job will be to conduct long-term remote reconnaissance. We’ll drop you off and you work your way close to the target. Then you observe it without being seen. You report and come home, or we declare a direct action mission, which means you would engage the enemy with what you have on hand. Your bodies have been boosted to the point that you’re capable of incredible feats, but these missions will be most demanding of your minds.”

  Terry watched them closely as the full understanding of their mission dawned on them. They hesitated as they contemplated where to start.

  “Here’s what you’ll do,” Char said as she looked at an imaginary table before her that contained imaginary playing cards decorated with the face of each warrior. “You’ll decide what kind of capabilities you want and how that mix will help you accomplish your mission. Then you’ll put the people out there. The hardest thing you’ll have to do is pick and choose. Over fifty warriors won’t be chosen and if you include the new recruits, that number blossoms to well over a hundred.”

  Kimber looked at the others, mouth set with determination. “Let’s go figure this out,” she told them. They started to leave, but Terry stopped them.

  “And have a plan to inform those who weren’t chosen. Pick primaries and backups, just in case people don’t want to join the tactical teams. You can even run a contest if you want. That might be easier for some of them to take. If they don’t win, then they know what’s expected for when we expand. Make no mistake, this effort will grow based on how well you do.”

  Terry waved a hand and the four walked away, talking animatedly. Cory hurried to catch up to them, taking Ramses’s hand and listening as the others discussed their ideas regarding the perfect recon warrior’s qualities.

  As the pack watched them go, Shonna raised her hand to get Terry’s attention.

  “We can’t get any information about Cancun while we’re standing here. When do we leave?” Shonna a
sked, starting to grin.

  CHAPTER THREE

  North Chicago

  “We need a list of everyone so we can go through them,” Kimber declared. Gunnery Sergeant Lacy looked up from her desk, leaned back, and crossed her arms.

  “I’m sorry, Sergeant, I don’t think I heard you correctly. That didn’t sound like a question,” Lacy replied.

  Kimber quickly sobered. “Dammit! I’m sorry, Gunny. We got carried away. I mean, I got carried away. Here’s the deal…” Kim explained the situation, with the others commenting when they thought it warranted.

  “I see,” Lacy said, slowly stroking her chin. She was too old and liked home far too much to throw her hat in the ring for consideration, but she thought that there might be less competition for the positions than the newly enhanced youngsters thought. “Let me offer an alternative. Why don’t we just ask them?”

  “You mean, ask the members of the Force if they want to join?” Kae wondered.

  “Yes,” Lacy replied simply. “You line up and they can join who they want and we’ll see how things shake out. I think you’ll find this lesson in human behavior enlightening.”

  Kim, Kae, and Marcie considered themselves well-versed in human behavior, having been brought up in the community with Terry and Char leading the way. Marcie’s father, Billy Spires, had had his moments of clarity when it came to dealing with other people.

  Ramses was open. He had not had much interaction with people in his life. He appreciated the opportunity to learn, so he shrugged and watched.

  Since the four of them were outranked by the gunnery sergeant, they unquestioningly agreed to do it her way.

  The company, which consisted of two platoons since the other two were deployed to San Francisco, stopped their training evolutions for the day and reported to the front of the barracks, where they stood in formation.

  “At ease!” Lacy shouted. “Do we have a little something for you, or what? All I can promise is discomfort, physical anguish, maybe even some outright pain. Who wants to volunteer?”