Missy Makes Mayhem (Missy the Werecat Book 5) (32 page)

Nov 27, 2019

Candace was very excited.  Their flight had just lifted off and they were on their way.  Her uncle had arranged for her and Oliver, along with all eight of her Military Police guards, to be on this military transport aircraft flying direct to Islamabad.  Her guards had been protecting her ever since her miraculous return in September and she knew they were almost as excited about this tour as she was.

She looked at Oliver in the seat next to her and asked, “Are you okay about leaving unfinished business back there in New York?”  She knew he had really hoped he and Millie could have found that terrorist cell.  If there ended up being any bombings at the Thanksgiving Day parade, he’d be very upset.

Oliver shrugged and said, “Yes and no.  Missy told me how she learned long ago, back when she lived those two years as a cat in the mountains, that you had to go forward and not be concerned about things you really couldn’t change.  Accept whatever it was you could do things about and what you had on your plate and leave it for others to deal with whatever else there might be.  Some things were meant to be.  And other things?  Well … you just had to let those things play out and do your best.”

“Soooo … is that a yes or a no?”  Candace laughed.

Oliver laughed as well.  “They’re getting Troy Dangelmeyer to help Millie.  He doesn’t know about “P” Branch but he’s already agreed to be one of Robert’s FBI psychics.  And, he’s worked with Missy when she’s been in her spirit form.”

“You know, if I hadn’t watched her do her Grim Reaper act when the two of you showed up and saved me, I might be a little freaked out thinking about her just existing as some kind of an energy
whatever
.  She healed you, bringing you back from the dead, she sometimes gets all furry with these really scary claws and fangs, she can move things all around merely by using her mind.  So, go invisible?  Teleport?  Somehow communicate with Mike?  Sure!  Why not?”

“Yeah, hopefully that guy Felix will be with any terrorists who might try showing up at that parade tomorrow.  Once Millie and Troy sense he’s anywhere within a hundred miles, Missy can deal with all the terrorists and things will be okay.  Otherwise, at least the FBI and Homeland Security will be watching everyone and checking as best they can.  Either way, they don’t need me.”

Candace smiled and said, “Well, my uncle
does
need you for this embassy mission.  He really thinks it’s important having you check for any supernaturals we might run into.  So, I guess you’re right.  Do as Missy says.  Focus on whatever might be on
your
plate when we’re making our visits and leave things in New York for others to take care of.”

Oliver grinned and said, “Just as long as I have
you
on my plate, Candy!  I’m definitely going to be very
focused
during these next few days … don’t worry!”  He laughed and she did also.

-----

Tracy and several of her classmates were waiting anxiously at the Visitor’s Center.  Their last class had ended at one p.m., they’d completed all their assigned tasks, they’d packed their bags and now they were finally getting ready to sign out.  Getting away from the academy grind for four days on holiday?  It just didn’t get any better than that!  Yeah, they were excited!

Tony announced, “Hey, here’s our ride!”  Cassie and Chandra had just walked in and both he and Marcus began waving wildly for them to join the group.  He had just finished telling the others how he was spending Thanksgiving at Cassie’s while Marcus was flying to Alabama to meet Chandra’s family and celebrate the holiday at her home.  Cassie would be dropping Marcus and Chandra at the airport on the way out to Long Island with Tony.

After greetings were exchanged, Tracy said, “Hey, see what I started?  Last year, I had John with my family in Texas for Thanksgiving and now
all
the guys are doing that, being with their girlfriends’ families.  I think that’s really sweet!”  She, along with several others, looked right at Sally who hadn’t stopped talking for weeks about having Troy come to her home.

Sharon laughed and said, “You do realize Tracy the Turkey Day Trendsetter is now gonna be up in Massachusetts with John’s family, so next year?  Girls?  You’ll all be spending lots of quality time with the
guys’
families, right?”

Chandra’s eyes were glowing as she said, “As long as my man is right there with me, making sure my time includes lots and lots of
quality
in it, I’m definitely okay with that!”  There were several cheers and some appreciative glances over at Marcus.

Cassie said, “Hey, where’s Missy?  I wanted to tell her how great we all thought she played last Saturday.  I really think West Point shoulda won.  I hate it when they let those penalty kicks decide the whole game like that.”

Just then John and Troy walked up and John chimed in, “Yeah … where’s my sister?  Where’s Missy?  Hi, everyone!”  Troy, meanwhile, walked over to be with Sally.

Once everyone finished saying hello to the newcomers, Tracy answered, “My delinquent roommate is finishing the last of her make-up exams.  Too bad the Army keeps interfering with her schedule.”

Kelsey said, “Thank goodness she managed to train that plebe of hers to shoot so well.  I hear Emily saved the day at our last Rifle Match when Missy couldn’t make it.”  Kelsey was there with Mitch who, no surprise, was spending the holiday at her home.

Gary and Kelly were there as well, getting ready to leave together.  Kelly, however, would actually be going to Gary’s family home, so Tracy’s trendsetting influence wasn’t a hundred percent.

Groups began saying goodbye and leaving and before long, John was standing there alone with Tracy as they waited for Missy.  Then, Donald Quigby approached with his brother Ron and a man who obviously was their father.

Donald said, “Cadet McGonagle, Ma’am?  I want to introduce you to my father.”

Tracy was very impressed since she was well aware of how prejudicial an influence against women in the military Don’s father had been for both his sons.  She was even more impressed at what Donald said next.

“Dad, Cadet McGonagle is my team leader and I want you to understand how much she has helped me here.  I can honestly say without the assistance she and her friends have provided these past two months, I never would have made it.  I would have dropped out.”  Donald looked at his brother and said, “Ron knows.  Right?”

Just then, Missy walked up.  She’d heard everything of course and, like Tracy, she knew how significant it was for both Don and Ron to be insisting their father witness his sons paying homage to any female cadets.  She said, “Hi everyone.”  Looking at the elder Quigby, who was wearing civilian clothes, she said, “You must be Sergeant Major Quigby, right?  Your sons are very proud of you, you know.  Ron helped Tracy and me during our plebe year so, whatever Donald has been saying, it’s only our paying it forward.”

“Well, I’m getting ready to retire now.  It’s good to know my sons will be furthering the family tradition, serving in the Army.”  He stared at Missy, who was wearing blue jeans and a simple tank top with “Go Army” stenciled across the front.  He recognized her right away, in spite of her being out of uniform.  That dark red hair and pretty face … those green eyes … he’d read all the magazine articles about this female cadet at the academy who had volunteered to serve with the Special Forces during Campaign Angel’s Wing.  Some study the Army had wanted to do.  Women in combat.

Ron said, “Dad, this is Cadet McCrea.”

“I read about you, Cadet McCrea.”  The sergeant major seemed very uncomfortable and somewhat at a loss for words. Yeah, he’d read all the stories but it had been a real struggle for him to believe even half the things which had been written about her.  “Good to see you appear to have recuperated well enough.  According to one article I read, you were badly wounded not that long ago, right?”  Some of his skepticism was apparent in the tone of his voice.

Missy grinned and adjusted her tank top, exposing her left shoulder where two star shaped scars could be seen below her collarbone.  These were still a little pink amongst all her earlier scars which were silvery white.  She knew he’d been challenging her a little bit.  She said, “Not too bad, thank goodness!  I was lucky … nothing vital was hit and they found me before I had a chance to bleed out.”

Somehow, in spite of things being somewhat awkward, they managed to exchange pleasantries for a few minutes and then the Quigby men said their goodbyes and departed.  Missy could hear the two sons admonishing their father for his rude comments and skeptical behavior.  Neither one had actually seen her bullet wound scars before but of course Ron was well aware of her healing abilities.

Missy and Tracy then signed themselves out and, not long after that, they were finally on the road in John’s car. Tracy was riding up front with John while Missy was stretched out on the back seat.  John cracked jokes which Tracy thoroughly enjoyed laughing and giggling at.  Meanwhile, Missy zonked out and fell asleep almost right away.

A half hour later, John decided to get serious for once and looked at Tracy.  Glancing momentarily back at Missy, sound asleep, he asked, “Do you think she’s really okay?  All this partial Shifting, staying in-between in her spirit form … is that affecting her?  Or, not yet finding those New York terrorists … is that maybe …?  I don’t know.  Mike says he’s not worried but he’s up there, trying to get some sleep.  Just like she’s doing.”

Tracy said, “Missy is just fine, John.  I got a little nervous, back when she first started doing her spirit form thing.  Then I realized, like with everything else, Missy is somehow always able to manage, always able to keep everything in proper balance.  We forget she’s also a cat.  I think that really helps her, really makes a difference.  She knows she might need to suddenly go chase terrorists and that might require she not sleep at all for who knows how long.  So?  So, she sleeps now.  She even makes Mike sleep now.”

“Do you envy what she and Mike have?  That mysterious connection or mate bond or whatever?”

Tracy laughed and said, “No, John!  I really,
really
don’t!  I wouldn’t trade what
we
have for anything.  And, when you drop your sister off at Mike’s house?  I think I’ll
show
you just how much I mean that.”  She looked at the back seat and began laughing even harder.  “You know … we haven’t done it yet in your back seat.  I don’t think I’ll be able to wait for very long to
show
you, so you’d better be thinking of someplace that’s really,
really
close by where you can pull over once we leave Mike’s.”

John made the drive home to Massachusetts in record time.

Nov 27, 2019

While she watched Troy drive his car expertly though the heavy stop-and-go New York traffic, Sally sat in the passenger seat next to him and kept wanting to pinch herself.  This was their first time away, alone with one another and free from all the constraints which being at the academy entailed.  Oh, they’d stolen a few kisses and Troy had been
very
attentive, in spite of the rule about no public displays of affection.  They’d been everywhere during all those Walking Privilege tours she’d given him, staying within boundaries per regulation.  She’d used that to her advantage, at first, keeping their relationship very platonic.

But, as Troy had continued to woo her, both visiting all those times plus sending her all those emails, her resolve to not let things get physical had quickly melted away.  Just being with him now, after all the anticipation these past few weeks?  Her whole body was throbbing with excitement.  Yeah, and she had certain parts which were throbbing and aching with a lot more than mere excitement.  She was horny as hell!

They’d been making conversation ever since leaving the Visitor Center but she’d really not been able to concentrate and had no idea what they’d just been talking about.  Now she said, “We don’t have to go straight out to my house right away, you know.  I was sort of hoping we might stop somewhere.”

Troy looked over at her and smiled.  “Your wish is my command!  I’m going to pull over at the next decent restaurant we find.  We’ll just get a cup of coffee and maybe a goodie or something, okay?”

She wanted a chance to just be with him and didn’t care whether the place he picked to stop at was decent or not.  She wanted to kiss him so badly she could hardly think straight.  Her reply, however, was light and breezy. “Sure!  Anywhere!”

Fortunately, he soon turned into a large parking lot and began looking for a space. By the time he stopped the car and shut off the engine, her heart was racing.  Would he finally take advantage of the opportunity this presented, as she hoped?  Would he reach for her, take her into his arms …?  All her insecurities were overwhelming her.  She stared at him, waiting anxiously and unable to breathe.  As he turned towards her, she prepared herself.  She was so, so ready!

Then Troy said, “Actually, I want to discuss a few things.  Before we go inside, before we go any further, actually … we really need to talk.”

She felt as though someone had stabbed her in the chest.  Tears instantly filled her eyes.  She groaned, “No!  Oh, no!  Please don’t tell me you’re breaking up with me!”  All her expectations, all the things she’d been anticipating?  Once again, she was being rejected?  She should have known!  It was too good to be true and, just like all those other times, it was all for naught.  She was about to get “the talk”.  The letdown.  The “so-sorry-it-didn’t-work-out” speech.  Fuck!

“What?” exclaimed Troy.  “No, of
course
I’m not breaking up with you, Sally!”

“You’re not?” She was afraid to believe her ears.  “What … what … but …?”  She just knew there was something serious going on.

“I’m absolutely crazy about you and I think you’re the most important person in the whole world.  I love you, Sally.  Okay?  There it is.  The L word.  I’ve been interested in you ever since I saw you that first time, when you set the record in the two-hundred meter breast stroke.  Back then, you didn’t even notice me.”

She actually
had
noticed him at that swim meet.  But, she’d never dreamed anything could possibly come of that.

He tried to reassure her by reaching out and pulling her into his arms.  While hugging her close, he continued his explanation, saying, “That’s why we need to talk.  You know how I agreed to help the FBI, right?”  Early on, he’d told her all about joining the FBI’s new and unique Psychic Division which helped search for missing children.  He had not revealed he was a witch, however.

She answered, “Sure!  But, what does that have to do with our needing to talk about anything?  You already know how I think that’s wonderful.”

“Okay.  Well, I need to explain some things about that.  Some secret things.  And, you have to promise you’ll keep what I’m going to explain a secret.  Missy said I could trust you, that it would be okay.”

Sally pushed back and sat up so she could look directly into his eyes.  “You talked to
Missy
about this?  Why the hell would you do that?”

He sighed.  Somehow, this conversation wasn’t going the way he’d wanted it to.  “I talked to Missy because I needed her permission to share some of this.  Soooo … can you agree to keeping this a secret?  Even if you decide you don’t want anything more to do with me afterwards, you can’t tell anyone else.  I need you to promise me that.”

“You’re scaring me, Troy!  Why would I decide to break up with you over this?”

No, this wasn’t going the way he’d planned at all.  “Can you please just promise?  This is important and I need to know you’ll keep my secret, okay?”

“Okay, I’ll promise to keep your secret but only if you tell me why
now
.  What’s going on, Troy?”

“What’s going on is I love you and I can’t go forward …
we
can’t go forward … not until you know everything.  So, is that a yes?  You’ll keep my secret?”

She could see he was really sincere and his repeated assurances about loving her were definitely having an effect.  They hadn’t even had sex yet and suddenly he was talking about taking their relationship to places way, way beyond anything she’d imagined.  Yes, she was crazy about him but this was very unexpected.  “Okay.  Tell me.  I promise I’ll never tell anyone else.  What’s the big secret?”

“I’m a witch.  That’s why I’m able to help the FBI.  I’m
not
psychic.  I have supernatural powers and abilities which I can use to find people.  Other stuff too, but that’s the main thing.  I’m a finder witch.  An air witch.  I can sense a person’s energy and I can use that to locate where they’ve been and where they’ve gone.”  He stopped and watched as she tried to process that.

She said, “You’re a
witch
?  What the hell does that mean?  Do you have a broomstick and a black cat and … and … you need to
explain
all this to me!  I see you’re being serious and this isn’t a joke.  But …”

“I will explain.  I want to share
everything
with you, Sally.  Only after I know you’re okay with my being a witch and with what that might mean for us … only then can I feel comfortable seeing where this goes, where
we
go.  You can see that, right?”

Wow!  She was only beginning to see things.  No, he wasn’t breaking up with her.  Whatever this witch stuff was, he was serious about it.  And yeah … if he really believed it, then he would need her to accept it before they took things to the next level.  Which, of course, was
exactly
where she’d been hoping they’d go.  That next level.  Maybe several next levels.  Definitely to whichever level meant having sex.  Oh, yes!

Sally suddenly had a thought which she tossed out there, just to see his reaction.  “I suppose if we have kids someday, they might be little witches, right?”  She was only half joking but also trying to understand things.

“Exactly!  There’s at least a fifty-fifty chance our children might inherit supernatural powers and abilities.  So, you can see why I avoided getting involved with other girls, avoided commitments … that’s why I earned that reputation of mine.  Until I met you, Sally, there was nobody I wanted to share my secret with.  But, ever since meeting you, I’ve been wanting to share it.  I knew right from the beginning I could never take advantage of you and we’d only be able to really have a relationship if you knew everything.”

Somehow, hearing him actually talk about their having children someday was making her feel
very
aroused.  He wasn’t just trying to get into her panties like her earlier boyfriends.  No, he was serious about her.  He wanted a
relationship
, if she did.  If she could be okay with him being what he was.  If she would be willing to continue, even after …  She stopped herself since she realized she was overthinking this.  She could keep his secret and she could see where this went.  She knew where her heart wanted things to go.  She knew in her gut she was all in.  She was going wherever this was taking her, no matter what.  “Tell me about this witch stuff, Troy.  Tell me everything.”

They went into the restaurant and sat in a secluded booth in back.  They each ordered lava cake and ice cream along with coffee.  And, he told her all about witches and the supernatural.  He explained why witches needed to be so careful, why they needed to keep their secrets. And, he told her about his coven.

Sally asked, “Your
mother
is in charge of this coven?  And, someday … maybe
you
will be their leader?”  She’d been trying to process all the information he’d shared but it was a lot to take in.  A
lot
to accept.

“She is and … yeah … when the time comes for her to step down, it will probably become my role.  I really can’t wait for the two of you to meet, which is another reason I asked you to promise about keeping everything a secret.”  He had already invited her to visit his home during the Christmas holidays, back when he’d first accepted her invitation to spend Thanksgiving at her house.

They had been talking in the restaurant for more than an hour, twice getting refills on their coffee.  She needed to go pee but before excusing herself for a trip to the ladies room, a nagging thought resurfaced.  “Hey … earlier, you said something about needing Missy’s permission to share some of this.  What did you mean by that, exactly?”

He looked at her and smiled.  “Missy knew I’d need to tell you all of this at some point.  So, she agreed.  She trusts you, Sally.’

“Wait a minute!  You’re saying she knows all this and …”  Suddenly, it was as though a light bulb had just switched on inside her brain.  “Oh, my God!  Missy’s a witch, isn’t she?  That explains soooo many things!  Wow!”  Now, she
really
needed to go pee.  “Don’t answer that … I’ll be right back!”

She hopped up and headed towards the rest rooms.  Missy and her secrets!  Missy and all her amazing abilities!  Yeah, things were making sense, little mysteries were being solved, and as the whole previous semester when she’d been Missy’s roommate flashed through her mind, she wanted to laugh.  Missy was the sister she’d always wished she’d had.  Missy had protected her when those Caesar Club assholes had grabbed her.  Missy was a witch!

Upon returning to their booth and sitting back down, Troy confirmed it.  He laughed and said, “Yes, she and your friend Tracy are both witches.  They’re the only ones at West Point but Emily Robinson’s twin brother Scott is also a witch.  He’s in my coven, actually.  Emily is not a witch but she of course knows all our secrets.”

“Wow!  I’d say this was all blowing my mind only, having shared a room with Missy for several months, it actually makes sense.  Tracy too?  No wonder they’re so close.”

“Yeah, Missy’s an earth witch and Tracy’s a fire witch.  I only help find people but those two?”  He laughed.  “They’re
warrior
witches.  Maybe that’s why they’re drawn to West Point.  Of course, you seem every bit as feisty as those two, even though you’re not a supernatural.”  They both laughed at that.

“So, you’re saying you’re a
lover
and not a fighter?”  Sally was definitely experiencing a warm glow after Troy had shared so much with her.  Keeping secrets somehow made her feel they were sharing an intimacy with great depths.  She wanted to
explore
those depths.

“I’m saying I’m in
love
with a fighter.  You.  Let’s get out of here.”

She felt as though she were floating on air, listening to him again express his feelings towards her.  They got up and left the restaurant.  She was ready to go anywhere he wanted.

“I haven’t told you about this latest mission the FBI has asked me to help them with.  I’d like to bring you out to meet the others and pick up some special items.”  He started up the car and as he drove away, headed to Newark Airport, he explained about the bombing threat and how they were searching for two known members from a terrorist cell in Philadelphia who they suspected were now with the New York terrorists.

“So, those terrorists in Philadelphia and Chicago weren’t the only ones preparing to bomb somewhere?  There’s this group here in New York who might show up at our Thanksgiving Day parade tomorrow?”  She had heard about the recent arrests on the news but nothing had been explained about any intended target locations.  “The FBI had intel from the CIA that three parades would be getting attacked, all on the same day?  And, because of the arrests, now only this New York group is still out there?”

“Right, and they’re probably more determined than ever to pull this off.  They’ll be coming back from wherever they’ve gone and once they’ve scattered themselves throughout the crowds, it will be too late.  They’ll be wearing suicide vests with lots of explosives strapped on … maybe a couple dozen guys, all ready to die for their cause.  Once those explosives are set off the damage will be very deadly, with hundreds hurt or killed.  This is a real nightmare.”