Lightning strikes, p.10
Lightning Strikes, page 10
“Sounds good, Dad,” Wil said, into the silence.
Rick’s satellite phone dinged, and he looked at the screen then up again. “Evac is almost here. We should go out to meet them. Chopper will land in the clearing in front of the house, but they don’t want to stay on the ground long.”
“Can’t blame them,” Senior muttered and hefted his own bags, leading the way out the door of the only home he’d known for the past few decades. He didn’t look back, and Wil tried to achieve the same stoicism.
They all took up positions just off the porch, keeping to the shadows as much as possible. Everybody was on guard, and the forest seemed to be holding its breath.
Wil felt the preternatural silence of the woods and realized something was wrong. He sent out a little gust of wind, seeking answers, but it hadn’t even gone ten yards when he felt a wave of what could only be magic knock him flat on his ass.
He looked around and realized it had knocked everyone else down, too. Even Liam. And, what was worse, he couldn’t move. He was pinned to the ground.
If this…whatever it was…had pinned Liam, it had likely pinned down all of the wolves as well. Shit! There definitely were more of the enemy, and these were armed with the kind of weapons Wil didn’t really know how to counter. Not yet, anyway. He’d have to think on his feet—or flat on his back, as the case may be.
Wil looked up at the sky and wondered if he could still affect the weather, even though he couldn’t even move his toes, much less his fingers. Always before, he’d made some gesture with his hand or fingers to guide the energy where he wanted it to go, but he would have to figure another way this time. Lives hung in the balance. Not just his, or his colleagues’, or his dad’s, but Mandy’s life. And her life was suddenly more important to him than any other.
As he was thinking all this, five people walked into the clearing in front of the house. Calmly, but with purpose, they walked into view and spread out, taking up positions equidistant from each other. They were chanting. These, then, were the bastards who were doing the magic that had everybody pinned in place.
Wil knew what to do.
He called the clouds. And then, he called the lightning…
The sky roiled at his command, churning violently. It was working. He could feel the energy building. When it was just right, he loosed the power, directing it with his will, exactly where he wanted it to go.
Five bolts of fiery destruction rained down on the five people who were chanting. The sharp smell of ozone filled the air, and the crash of thunder coincided with the Wil’s ability to move once again. He sat upright, looking around as his ears rang with white noise. His hearing would take time to recover from the incredible booms and cracks of thunder so very close to them.
The five people who had been chanting were all dead, hit by lightning at point-blank range. As far as he could see, there were no other imminent threats, but Wil remembered the helicopter that was coming for them. It couldn’t land in the weather he’d called. Quickly, he looked up at the sky and sent a zephyr of wind to do his bidding, clearing the clouds and sending them off again with his thanks.
Rick was shaking his head as Liam rose to his feet and prowled the area. Wil checked on his dad while Mandy looked around, clearly bewildered.
“What the hell was that?” she shouted, clearly unable to moderate her volume with the ringing in her ears.
Wil shook his head. “It’s a long story,” he replied finally.
“Chopper will be here in five,” Rick reported. He was standing now, looking down at his phone. “They’d like a bit more clearance, and a little less wind, if you can manage it.”
Wil nodded and pointed at the sky with one finger. Immediately, the hole in the clouds became wider. Mandy looked from Wil, to his pointing finger, to the sky and back again, her mouth dropping open. The clouds blew away as quickly as they had come, and the sun reappeared.
“No freaking way,” she murmured loud enough for him to hear, which brought a rueful smile to his lips.
“Wind is going now,” Wil reported to Rick, all the while holding Mandy’s wide gaze. “Tell them they can land at their discretion.” He would have a lot of explaining to do, he knew, but in his heart, it was a relief to have her see a bit of what he could do.
“That’s some freaky new ability you have there, son,” Senior said as he climbed slowly to his feet. Mandy rushed to assist. “You greased them all in a split second.” Senior looked over at the dead enemies and nodded, his face solemn. “I would’ve liked to know what they thought they were doing up here, but I suspect there would have been no way to neutralize them without killing them. You did the right thing.”
Wil was touched by his father’s approval. He’d never really had to answer to anyone other than his commanding officer for his decisions out in the field. He discovered it felt good to know his dad—an experienced warrior of legendary proportions—approved of Wil’s actions.
“That he did,” Liam agreed, reappearing suddenly. “There’s often no other way to deal with dark magic than to smite it where it stands.” Liam offered Wil his hand, a grin on his face. “And you’ve got that smiting thing down pat, friend.”
Wil chuckled, returning the shifter’s handshake. “Sorry about the noise.”
Liam barked a laugh as he stepped back. “Those five had everyone in the woods down flat on the ground, too,” he reported. “They all came free when you broke the spell with the lightning strike. Our ears are all ringing, but that’s a small price to pay for taking out five enemy magic users in one fell swoop. You done good, Thor.”
Wil shook his head and groaned. He’d been fighting against that nickname for a while, but after today, he suspected he’d lost that particular battle.
“Are the wolves okay?” Senior asked Liam, moving closer.
“They’re fine, sir. They’re back on patrol, and so far, these five stragglers are the only ones. Thing is, the wolves didn’t see them.” Liam scratched the back of his neck, his expression clearly troubled. “These mages were able to hide their presence and walk straight through almost the entire wolf Pack to attack us here. That speaks of black magic, which is one of the worst forms of dark power. The Alpha is going to call our leadership and make a report. Chances are, they’ll send out an investigator so we can get more intel about these five and where they might have come from.”
Senior nodded. “I’m glad someone will be looking into this. It doesn’t sit right, being attacked on this mountain. I always thought nothing could ever touch me here, but it seems I was badly mistaken.”
He might have said more, but at that moment, the helicopter made its appearance, swooping in from the tree line and landing with a roar of its blades. It was a larger model that had to be military surplus. It set down, and a squad of armed men in camo fatigues piled out and set up a perimeter. One separated from the group and jogged up to Liam.
They exchanged a few words nobody else could hear over the roar of the chopper blades, and then, Liam gave the signal for everybody to load onto the helicopter. Rick and Mandy were helping Senior, who was recovering more slowly from the effect of the magic and thunder than the younger folks. Liam was still talking with the newcomer, which meant Wil was on point. He moved ahead to the chopper and checked things out. Only the pilots were aboard, sitting way up front in the cockpit. The entire cargo area was available for them, with fold-out seats along the side walls.
Wil turned to help his dad, if necessary, but Senior was looking better with each step. He mounted the ramp into the chopper and took a seat on one side, Rick settling in beside him. Wil took their baggage and stowed it nearby, keeping an eye on balancing the load, having been transported on enough helicopters to know that sometimes they could be a little sensitive to weight variances.
He caught Mandy’s eye and pointed to the seat on the opposite wall from his dad’s for her. She nodded and stowed her own bag under her seat, securing it with a bungee to the seat frame. He put his own bags near the seat next to her then went back to the ramp to check on Liam’s progress.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Liam and the other man came up the ramp together, then the new guy hit the button to retract the ramp and seal the compartment. After which, he gave the pilots the signal, and they were airborne. Wil was surprised he’d left his people behind, but in another way, he was glad somebody with some firepower would be there to help the wolf Pack, in case more trouble started on the mountain after Wil and his party left. He didn’t like leaving the wolves who’d been so good to his dad in the lurch.
Wil was seated next to Liam along one side wall of the chopper, while the other man sat next to Senior. Liam leaned in to make himself heard over the noise of the spinning blades.
“That’s Major Moore,” Liam said, indicating the man who had come in on the chopper. “He left a squad of his people behind to secure the area, and he’ll liaise with the shifter hierarchy and my dad. They’re old friends.”
“Who’s his CO?” Wil asked, a bit confused by the way Liam referred to the new man. Was he legit military? If not, why was Liam giving him the rank of Major?
“Nobody, now, though his group has been known to work missions for Admiral Morrow on occasion. Major Moore retired from the Army several years ago and formed a specialized mercenary group known in shifter circles as the Wraiths. All of his guys are ex-Special Forces and shifters, as well. They’re on the right side of the battle between good and evil.” Liam looked at Moore, who was speaking with Wil’s dad as if they were old buddies. “You know, when the major heard your dad was involved, he decided to fly out with the squad. Seems he and your father go way back.”
“Seriously?” Wil asked, taking a fresh look at the way the men across the way were interacting. They certainly looked as if they were reminiscing. Both were grinning and seemed easy in each other’s company.
“Moore doesn’t look it, but he’s probably quite a bit older than your dad. We don’t show our ages the way you guys do. We hit prime and stay there for a few centuries, if we’re lucky,” Liam clarified.
Wil looked at Liam sharply. “Centuries?” Wil had realized shifters lived longer than regular people, but he hadn’t quite appreciated how much longer. The idea of these people living for hundreds of years blew Wil’s mind.
Liam shrugged. “If we don’t get killed in battle or some other way. It’s the magic, you know? It’s just the way we’re made.” He said that as if it was no big deal, but Wil was impressed. “We’re headed for Wyoming. That’s where the Wraiths are headquartered. Major Moore said he’s still working on coordinating transport from there back to our base, but it should be sorted out shortly. In the meantime, we’re welcome on his mountain, but I wanted you to understand the setup they have. The major’s the Alpha of the mercenary company, and his brother is the Alpha of a large wolf Pack that lives on and around the mountain. We’ll be their guests, and we’re lucky that your dad already seems to understand wolves, but you, Rick and especially Mandy are going to have to adapt. If you need help with shifter etiquette, I’m your man. Better to ask me than to make a blunder that gets the whole Pack up in arms, all right?”
“Got it,” Wil replied, almost, but not quite, insulted that Liam expected him to need guidance on how to be polite.
Still, shifter culture was still a new concept to Wil, and he suspected there were very different codes of conduct among them. At least Liam was offering to act as a guide, of sorts, to prevent any misunderstandings. Wil knew Liam didn’t have to do that, and he appreciated the gesture.
Mandy’s mind was working overtime trying to come to terms with everything that had just happened. She’d barely had a chance to catch her breath, and now, she was flying in what looked like a military helicopter, though it had none of the official markings she would have expected. So, it was a privately owned military helo? Did these people have their own private army? And, if so, was there a battle going on that the rest of the world seemed to not know about at all?
She was very much afraid that was exactly the case. She watched the men talk but didn’t participate. The noise from the blades of the helo were just too loud. And, honestly, she felt a bit shell-shocked after all that had just taken place. Better to sit quietly and try to regain some sort of equilibrium.
As it was, she had only a vague notion of where they were going. A mountain in Wyoming, she’d been told. Great. There were a lot of mountains in Wyoming. Which particular mountain they would be landing on remained a mystery.
When they began to descend, she felt the change in air pressure in her ears. She’d always been sensitive to altitude and pressure changes that way. A few minutes later, she felt the chopper jolt a bit when it touched the ground and then finally settled as the blades began their long spin-down.
The men rose, and the man who had come in with the enormous helicopter lowered the ramp. William touched her arm, getting her attention as the noise level lowered and she was able to hear herself think again.
“You okay, sweetheart?” William asked, his old eyes filled with kindness. He was such a good man. His son was proving to be a lot like him.
“I’ll be okay,” she replied. She wasn’t sure how it was all going to work out, but she had learned to keep a positive attitude over the past months.
“Stick with either myself or my boy, and you’ll be fine.” He patted her arm twice then removed his hand. He was so much stronger than he had been. She marveled at the change in him as she watched him walk down the ramp next to the mission commander.
Mandy had never been in the military, but she recognized the manner and stance of the men all around her as she walked down the ramp into the late afternoon sun. They were either current or retired military. Of that, she had little doubt.
It was fractionally warmer here, a little farther south as the chopper flew. The sun was shining, and the men were in earnest discussion just a few steps ahead of her. Only when she caught sight of the woman waiting for them on the wooded path that led away from the helipad’s clearing did Mandy think about how outnumbered by men she’d been this whole time.
She’d gotten used to being one of the few female officers in her department, but it had been a while since she’d been in that sort of situation. She’d been a civilian—well, a ranger—for a while now, and the civilian world was a lot more diverse gender-wise than her former profession.
The men stopped when they reached the woman who waited just under the cover of the trees, and the man who’d been on the helicopter stepped over to her and put his arm around her waist. He made the introductions while Mandy paused to listen along with the others.
“Everybody, this is my mate, Maria.” He turned a loving look on the woman and spoke directly to her. “Maybe you could take charge of Ranger Clarke and help her get settled in the guest cabin while I show the men the barracks?”
Smiling, Maria broke away from her mate and walked up to Mandy. “Is that all right with you, Ranger Clarke? I’m sure once you all have a chance to catch your breath, there’ll be some big debriefing, but you’ll probably want to see where you’ll be sleeping first, right?”
Mandy looked at Wil, receiving a reassuring nod. She was in these people’s hands, for better or worse, and Maria seemed like a nice woman. Mandy certainly didn’t sense any threat from her. Not like the military men all around. Maria was most definitely a civilian. Mandy found that reassuring.
“That sounds good, Maria. Call me Mandy,” she replied, trying to sound casual, when in reality, she wanted a few precious minutes alone in a quiet place to try to gather her spinning thoughts.
Maria’s smile brightened further. “Great. Follow me.”
The guest cabin appeared both rustic and charming as they approached. Maria was chatty enough to set Mandy more at ease. She gave Mandy a little tour of the area as they walked and indicated that the smaller structure she’d be using was situated next to the so-called barracks that would serve for the men tonight.
“Most of the regular guys have their own cabins all over the mountain,” Maria said. “And I have a rehab center closer to the road that connects us with civilization, but I bring the more serious cases up here and treat them in that barn over there.” Maria pointed toward a giant barn just visible through the trees. “I’m a veterinarian,” she clarified. “I treat mostly wild animals that need rehab before being reintroduced into the wild, but I do get the occasional exotic or domestic down at the clinic.”
Mandy was intrigued. “What sorts of animals are in the barn?”
“Currently, I have a juvenile black bear, a senior bobcat and a cougar that all need a bit more time here before they can go back out on their own. Then, there’s a young eagle who flew into some barbed wire and got stuck.” She shook her head. “Poor thing. I get a lot of raptors this time of year for some reason,” she went on as they neared the cabin. “If you’re interested, I can give you a tour of the barn later. We make them as comfortable as possible, so they all have big areas to themselves. We’re lucky that we don’t have to put them in small cages, but that also means that I have to warn newcomers not to go into the barn unless I’ve shown them how it’s all set up first. Of course, the shifters are fine with wild animals, but you and I might have a problem if we ended up in the cougar’s area without realizing it. Even half-healed, he still likes to pounce,” Maria said with a toothy grin.
Maria left Mandy to get settled, and Mandy gratefully sat in the room’s single easy chair, placed by the front window. She just needed a few minutes to catch her breath and figure out what in the world had happened today.
The next thing Mandy knew, there was a loud knocking on the cabin door as she roused from a totally unplanned nap in the easy chair. The action of the day must have taken more out of her than she realized because a quick glance out the window told her it was nearing dusk. She stood and shook off the last of the sleep that had snuck up on her and went to the door.
