Lightning strikes, p.2
Lightning Strikes, page 2
“Well, you’ve got the cat part right,” Liam replied, scratching the back of his neck as he shook his head slightly at the odd turn of events. “But my wild side isn’t native to this part of the world. More than that, I’m not saying.”
Senior nodded. “Understood. Still, you really should check in with the Alpha. He’s pretty particular about who and what travels in his territory.”
“That was my next stop,” Liam said. “I just had to drop these two off first. I was going to ask for the Pack’s help in keeping an eye on things if the Alpha proved friendly.”
“No worries there. They do a regular security sweep through here a couple times a day. I think they’re checking to make sure I haven’t kicked the bucket yet.” A laugh turned into a wheezy cough that made Wil frown, but Rick didn’t seem too concerned. Once the coughing fit had passed, Senior continued, his shrewd eyes focused on all three men, in turn. “Is there some sort of trouble following you? Is that why you need spotters?”
“Never could get much past you, Dad,” Wil said, sighing. “It’s possible someone might have followed us, though unlikely. Still, it’s best to be vigilant.”
Wil had never lied to his father about the important things, and he wasn’t about to start now. Seeing the light of interest in Senior’s weary gaze was good. His dad was intrigued, which might help him fight to stay here, rather than give up and let his spirit move on.
“What sort of trouble have you gotten caught up in, Junior?” his father demanded, gaze narrowing in the way Wil remembered from his teen years.
“Not my fault,” Wil claimed, raising both hands palms held outward in innocence. “We got into some action overseas, and recently, we’ve discovered that a few agents of a foreign government have come after us in retaliation.”
He couldn’t explain that the foreign agents wanted to capture the men of Wil’s unit. He couldn’t explain about the superpowers gifted by what could only have been a magical djinn in the ancient Tower of Babel. His dad might know all about shifters, but genies? That was a whole other level of weirdness as far as Wil was concerned.
Still, if Senior had already accepted that shifters existed, Wil held out the hope that the old man might be receptive to learning Wil’s secret, as well. Technically, Wil wasn’t supposed to tell anyone about what he could do. He was under orders to keep his new abilities Top Secret. In reality, he would reveal his secret to his dad if he found an opportunity. Senior wasn’t about to tell anyone else, and it might be the last secret they would ever share.
“Well, if you suspect trouble is coming this way, I hope you’ll give us as much warning as possible. I’m fine with standing my ground here, but I’d want to send Mandy away if there’s going to be gunfire. That gal has guts, but I don’t want her in danger,” Senior insisted.
“Is she out on patrol?” Rick asked.
“More importantly, does she know about my kind, too?” Liam added.
“Yes and no, in that order,” Senior quipped, smiling a bit. “Mandy is an innocent soul for all of her abilities. She hasn’t been up here that long, and she has her reasons for wanting the solitude of this mountain, so I’ll thank you three to keep your distance from her if that’s what she wants. She hasn’t had an easy life to this point. The Alpha had his people check her out, and she’s okay by him. That’s all you need to know.”
That last bit was directed at Liam, who seemed curious. Then again, Liam always had that curious look about him. It must be a feline thing, Wil thought.
“She’s checking on an eagle’s nest. A new pair was spotted nearby a few months ago, and they’re first-time parents. Mandy’s taken a liking to them and has been checking on the eaglets every few days. She’s got a camera up in a nearby tree so she can watch over them without being too intrusive. And, before you ask, these eagles are just eagles, though we do have a few of the shifter variety in the neighborhood, so I’m told,” Senior added.
“I’d better check in with the local Alpha,” Liam said on hearing this. “I’ve been warned that there are more shifters here than regular folk, but I’ve never been in this part of the world before.”
“You know where to go?” Senior asked, raising one eyebrow at the cat shifter.
“They gave me a time and place,” Liam replied, looking at his watch. “And I don’t want to be late. Nice meeting you, Ranger Owens. Hope to see you again.”
Senior just shook his head. “Give my regards to the Alpha and tell him I might still be here for poker night if he wants to come up and meet my son.”
“Will do, sir,” Liam replied and nodded to Rick and Wil before heading out. He was in the SUV and headed down the mountain in less than a minute.
“Now, tell me. What is he, really? Do you know?” Senior asked Wil with a twinkle in his eye.
Wil grinned. “I thought you said it was rude to ask.”
“It is, if I’d asked him. I’m asking you. You’re not a shifter,” Senior concluded with an answering grin.
Wil had to chuckle. “Not that I know of,” he replied, wondering again how his father would take the news that he had other new abilities that were no less magical.
“Liam is a lion shifter,” Rick answered Senior’s question. “Biggest damn cat I’ve ever seen up close. His fangs are as long as my hand.” Rick held up his hand for emphasis.
“A lion? You don’t say,” Senior marveled. “And he’s in the military?”
“I’m not sure how much we can tell you about that,” Rick said, backing down a bit.
Senior chuckled. “Son, I’m on my way out of this world. I won’t be sharing what I know with anyone anytime soon, and even if I did babble, anyone who heard would take it as the ravings of a weak mind, or drugs. The drugs I’m not taking but probably should have accepted when they wanted to give me a supply. Speaking of which…” He turned expectant eyes to Rick.
“I’ve got a few things in my arsenal that could help you rest,” Rick replied, glancing over at his packs that Wil had deposited on the other side of the porch steps.
“A little respite from the pain would be good,” Senior replied, and Wil was amazed at his candor. His dad would never have admitted to weakness of any kind in the old days. He must be in a lot of pain to admit wanting relief.
“I can arrange that,” Rick said with a compassionate expression on his face. “Why don’t we go inside where you can lay down and be comfortable. The painkiller isn’t meant to make you sleep, but if you’ve been running on a certain level of pain for a while, you probably haven’t been getting enough downtime. The cessation of the pain will likely give you a chance to catch up on the sleep your body needs to keep fighting.”
Rick stood, but Senior’s hand shot out to catch Rick’s forearm in a surprisingly strong grip. “What’s left to fight for? I made my peace with this a long time ago. Seeing my son is an unexpected gift, though I didn’t really want you to have to remember me this way, but I’ve done my time on Earth. I’m ready to move on when the good lord wills it.”
Rick gave Senior a penetrating look. “What if I told you it might not be your time to go just yet?”
Senior let go of Rick’s arm and scoffed, laughing at Rick’s words as he stood. “Son, I’ve had doctors in two states tell me the truth of the matter.” Senior began to shuffle back into the house, and Wil followed, shaking his head at Rick and giving him a subtle hand signal.
They had a lot to discuss before finalizing a battle plan for this particular situation. Getting his dad to sleep would afford them a chance to discuss Rick’s impressions and what he thought he might be able to do for Senior medically…and magically. Once Wil knew what Rick thought they were up against, he could decide from there how best to deal with Senior.
The two soldiers followed behind the old park ranger as they entered the house where Wil had grown up. His mother hadn’t stayed long, but there were the odd signs of her presence here and there—the old curtains with little butterflies printed on them. Long since faded, but still charming in their way. Her chair. Her magazines on the old bookshelf. Senior hadn’t changed a thing in the years since Wil had been away.
Senior didn’t stop in the main room but went, instead, into his bedroom. Rick took one of the smaller packs he’d brought along. From inside, he pulled out a bit of medical gear as Senior sat on the side of his bed and watched with interested eyes.
“That’s military grade stuff, isn’t it?” Senior asked. “I hope you aren’t going to get into trouble for misappropriation of supplies.”
Wil shook his head. “We’re sanctioned by our unit commander, Dad. He sent us here on a government flight.”
“Why?” Senior asked, frowning. “Not that I’m not grateful, but why the fuss over one old park ranger?”
“Because we all know you aren’t just some old park ranger, sir,” Rick replied. “You wrote the book we all studied from when we trained in Special Forces. You’re not just Ranger Owens. You’re Lieutenant Colonel Owens of the 82nd Airborne. You’re a legend, sir, and it’s our honor to help you in any way we can.”
For the first time in many years, Wil actually saw a flush of color come into his father’s cheeks as he strove for a stern expression. The old man had never handled praise very well. His time in the military had left a mark on him that had made him seek the solace of the mountains when he got out. The farther away from people, the happier he was in his retirement from Special Operations. Still, he had a distinguished record, and Rick was right. The old man had written several manuals that were still in use today, including the ultimate guidebook for snipers, which had been his specialty.
“That was all a long time ago,” Senior replied in a quiet voice.
“Maybe so, but you know we never leave a man behind. You’re one of ours, and we’re here to assist in whatever way possible,” Rick replied seriously, then smiled. “Now, how about a bit of this, and then, you can rest while we figure out what’s for dinner?’
“Mandy will be back before long. She’ll be surprised to find you here,” Senior warned. “Just go easy on her, okay? She’ll recognize Junior from the photos, so he should be her first contact.”
“Yes, sir,” Rick agreed, nodding as he prepared a shot of painkiller. “Now, just lie back, and I’ll get this into you. The relief should be almost immediate.”
Senior reclined in the bed, and Wil helped cover him with the quilt that lay folded down near the foot of the bed. It was still chilly here on the mountain, even during the day.
Rick administered the shot, and Wil could see the lines of pain that had shown clearly on his dad’s face fade, as if by magic. Maybe Rick was using a little magical whammy, as well as the meds. Wil would have to ask him later, once Senior was asleep, and they could talk freely.
Rick left the room quietly once the shot was administered and Senior seemed to be more comfortable, giving Wil a few minutes alone with his father. Wil brought the room’s simple wooden chair around to sit next to his father’s bedside, facing the old man.
“I’m glad you came back before the end,” Senior surprised Wil by saying. “I thought I was doing the right thing at first, but as time has passed and I get closer to leaving this world, I regretted that I wouldn’t get a chance to see you again. I’m glad Mandy tracked you down.”
“I’m glad, too, Dad. I’m only sorry I didn’t know sooner.” Wil held his dad’s hand until the old man fell asleep, then tiptoed out of the room to join Rick in the main part of the cabin.
Rick was busy bringing in the rest of their gear from the porch. When he saw Wil, he threw Wil’s duffle bag towards him.
“We can both bunk down in my old room,” Wil told Rick. “That’ll keep us out of Senior’s way if he keeps odd hours.”
“Good idea,” Rick replied. “Is he asleep?”
Wil nodded, and they adjourned to the porch by unspoken agreement. They would see the female ranger approach from there and be out of earshot should Senior wake up. It was time to learn what Rick had discovered from his examination.
CHAPTER THREE
Wil held his breath until they were both seated on the porch. He didn’t have to wait long. Rick got right to the point.
“I think I can cure him, but it’ll take multiple treatments, and I have no idea how we’re going to explain his miraculous recovery to everyone who knows about his condition,” Rick said as Wil’s heart soared. “Thing is, he’s given up hope. How do you think he’ll take the news that he’s not going to die just yet? He’s a little too shrewd to believe any story we could make up.”
Wil paused a moment to think. “He knows about shifters, which totally blows my mind. Maybe he wouldn’t be too surprised by our little secrets.”
“Possible, though we don’t really have clearance to share that information,” Rick reminded him. Wil just gave his friend a raised-eyebrow look, and Rick shook his head. “Yeah, okay. I can see your old man isn’t the type you can really hide things from. He’s going to figure it out if we do any of our mumbo-jumbo.” Rick sighed. “At least he’s one of us. We know he had skills and has seen a bit of the real world.”
“Probably more than we have, if that’s possible,” Wil replied. “Though, before today, I never would have expected him to talk about shifters or anything remotely magical. I had no idea he knew about any of that.”
“The old boy still has some surprises left. I wouldn’t expect anything less of a living Special Forces legend,” Rick smiled slightly. “I’m really glad I got to meet him, you know? I’ve never said it, but I’ve always admired you for who your father was. It must have been epic growing up here.” Rick looked around at the forest that wasn’t all that far from the cabin.
“Being on top of this mountain was pretty cool, I have to admit,” Wil allowed, “but as a teen, all I wanted to do was get off this blasted rock and see some actual people. Bears and wolves are all well and good, but people intrigued me more.”
“I guess I can see that. Living up here in virtual isolation has to be rough on a kid.”
“And a wife,” Wil said, surprised by the bitterness in his own voice. “My mom couldn’t take it, and when she split, she didn’t take me with her. She said a boy needed his father and that Senior needed me around more than most. She claimed I reminded the old man that he wasn’t in the jungle fighting wars anymore and that I had to stay here. That it was the best place for me and for my dad. I always figured she just didn’t want me around, but I got to see her before she passed, and we had a long talk. She told me that I was the only gift she could give my dad that he would keep. That he would need. I made my peace with her before she died, and I think she finally forgave herself for leaving me behind when she took off for the beach.”
“California?” Rick asked.
“Exactly. Surf, sand and people galore. That was her scene, and she made a new start out there. I even have a half-sister that I talk to a few times a year, though we’re not close.”
“I assume the captain knows about her and has her under surveillance, just in case our enemies try to use her to get to you?” Rick frowned.
“Oh, yeah. It’s in my personnel file. The captain knows, and Commander Kinkaid assured me that he has contacts out in California who are keeping an eye on Sunny. He implied that the contacts weren’t exactly military. My guess was that they were some kind of shifter, but I didn’t ask for specifics. Kinkaid can be scary.”
“Your sister’s name is Sunny?” Rick asked, looking intrigued.
“Yeah, Mom was a bit of a free spirit. She said she went along with my dad naming me after himself, but when she had my sister, she wanted to give her a happy name that wasn’t weighted down with so much history and baggage. Her new husband was happy to go along with her. I could tell, the one time I met him, that he loved her deeply. He’d have done anything she wanted, unlike my old man. Not that Senior didn’t try. He was just a little too damaged by his time in service to easily adapt to being a civilian after. When he and my mom were together, he was still heavily in transition from operative to park ranger, and he had a lot to work through before he mellowed.”
“I guess I can see that. I know he served during some serious shit. That had to have made an impact,” Rick said in a quiet, understanding tone.
Wil nodded. “It did. I didn’t understand it when I was younger, but I figured it out pretty quick once I started finding my own place in the world. And, when I joined the military, I understood him better than ever. Especially when I earned my Green Beret. There were more than a few senior officers who had known my dad back in the day, and a couple of them shared what they knew of his past, which helped put a lot of things in perspective for me.”
Wil would have said more, but he noticed a park ranger’s hat coming closer through the distant trees. He stood up and headed for the porch stairs. He wanted to meet the new ranger as gently as possible, without giving her a fright by hiding in the shadows of the porch.
“Heads up,” Wil said quietly to Rick. “If I’m not mistaken, we’re about to encounter the mysterious Ranger Mandy.”
“Go for it, Junior,” Rick said, not moving from his comfy seat on the porch. “I’ll stay here until you explain things to her.”
Mandy’s day wasn’t going quite right. The eagle pair had spotted her and were preparing to attack when she hightailed it out of sight. She hadn’t been able to check on the eaglets as she’d hoped, and the long walk had been for naught. She should have just stayed at the cabin with William. Lord knew, the old ranger didn’t have that long left to him. She wanted to be there for him if he needed anything.
In fact, her boss had given her a lot of leeway in her duties. The entire ranger staff cared for William and wanted to look out for him. They’d given Mandy the job of seeing to his final days since she’d received some medical training as a first responder before moving into this job. Not that William Owens knew about that part of her background. He’d find out if, and when, he needed her services as a nurse. Until then, she was just the new ranger he was teaching the ropes in his retirement.
