True Traitor (First Wave Book 7) (6 page)

“Now, go home. Do not speed or do anything reckless,” Tara said then waited while Leif gave the driver back his phone and they drove off.

True folded her arms across her chest.

“Damn, you people brought me out here to bullshit me! How about you be straight with me? Because I know damn well this little display was crap,” True said, daring them to deny it.

Leif rolled his eyes and sighed. The damn she-beast was so freaking suspicious she couldn’t even see what they’d done without thinking there was an ulterior motive.

“Are you really that jaded?” he couldn’t stop himself from asking.

True’s eyes widened.

“Jaded? You mean realistic? I’m sorry—I live in the damn real world and help real people. You hide in a damn mountain and come out once in a while to fuck with people, and you can’t tell me this friendly crap is what all of you do. You don’t have so many reapers that all of the humans you are encountering are getting gentle mind wipes. What happens to the rest of them?”

Tara chuckled and turned to Leif.

“She’s smart.”

Leif gave her an exasperated look and held his hands out, inviting Tara to answer True. She only laughed at him.

“No, not everyone gets a gentle mind wipe,” he admitted. “Get in—we’ll show you how some go.”

Tara shook her head, but got in the SUV and started it back up. True smirked at Leif before she got in behind Tara. Leif wanted nothing more than to pound his fists on the roof of the SUV until he felt less frustrated—by both of the damn crazy she-beasts. Knowing there would be a team with a problem and he’d get a chance to relieve his frustrations in a minute, he called through the Shengari’ and found out the worst location that was close by. He jumped in the SUV and gave directions to Tara while she drove like hell through the darkened forest.

True immediately contacted Balduen.

“Hey Baldy, they have a bunch of people in the forest trying to get the humans out and making sure they have no pics or vids on their tech.”

Baldy immediately responded.

“True, that’s a big damn forest, honey. Can you be more specific?”

True had to stop herself from laughing.

“Yeah, I’m beginning to realize just how big. I can’t exactly give you an ID on a tree. We came out of the mountain on the northwest. Just FYI on the mountain hybrids . . .” she said before ending the connection. She had no time for chatter and questions she had no answers to.

The SUV came to a halt and True knew that they’d arrived when she heard yelling and saw a group of hybrids dressed in black tactical gear facing off against several human males and a female.

True and Tara got out of the, but when True tried to walk to the humans, Tara grabbed her arm and shook her head.

“Stay back with me. You’ll see how it has to be done sometimes,” she said cryptically.

True watched the human males spare Leif only a brief glance before going back to finger pointing and yelling at the hybrid tact team. The female, though, had eyes only for Leif. True felt like punching the woman when she began fixing her hair and clothes.

Leif stayed several feet behind the tact team, listening to the human men spew vitriol about government oppression and how it was a conspiracy to stop them from cashing in from sharing their vids. When the agitated males started in on alien probes, Leif finally had enough and barked out a laugh as he stepped around the tact team and faced the three males.

He gave the humans a cold stare while he spoke to his team.

“You get their gear?” he asked unnecessarily; he saw the gear piled behind his team.

“Yes, sir,” one of the team answered.

Leif smiled at the now-quiet men while he held his hand out for the team leader’s comm. Once he held it in his hand, he quickly read through the information and faced the men.

“Nice. Clean records. For now,” Leif said to the humans before turning to his team.

“Confiscate the electronics. Monitor all of their communications and have them followed. If any of them breathe a word of this—even in their sleep—destroy them,” he said and began to walk away when one of the males began running towards him.

Leif turned, but a team member caught the guy before he could reach Leif.

“Before you begin your pathetic ranting over how this is against your constitution and how this is America and this can’t happen here,” Leif said as he walked over to the man.

“Think of how easy it would be for you to disappear right now. You could have easily been caught in that terrible landslide that happened on that mountain. In fact, I’m sure your families are worried for you,” Leif said, his voice dangerously low and controlled.

He stepped closer, leaned down, and stared at the human without blinking.

“Consider this your one and only warning to keep what you’ve seen to yourself. If you don’t, you will end up being one of tens of thousands who disappear every year without a trace. I’m sure even an asshole like you would be missed by someone,” he said, staring at the man even after he’d looked away from Leif’s penetrating gaze.

Leif flicked his icy glare to the other men.

“Any other stupid comments or threats? Because, I’m OK with ending this conversation now. Permanently,” he said as the hybrids cocked their weapons.

“That’s not necessary!” “We didn’t see a thing!” “Shit. We lost our gear in the landslide—barely made it out!” the men all talked at once, outlining their stories.

By the time the security team had walked the humans to their vehicle, they had concocted an elaborate tale that involved the four of them barely escaping the landslide with their lives. They were already spending the insurance money on their “lost” phones and cameras.

True crossed her arms over her chest.

“Really? You threaten them? So what if one of them does talk?” she asked, wondering how far they would go.

Tara laughed.

“We got people who live all over. Idiots like that, we give the closest hybrid a few days off to follow them around. Just enough so they know it and realize we are pretty much everywhere. Their minds fill in the blanks with the possibilities, and fear usually makes them back off,” Tara said.

Leif watched True’s reaction and saw she still wasn’t satisfied.

“The really tough people get their online activity monitored and redirected. Files and other items go missing. For the rest, we pretty much follow the government handbook for these things. We lie, we discredit them, and almost all of it’s done online. I can’t think of the last time we’ve had a real problem with someone,” Leif admitted with a shrug.

Tara snorted.

“It’s too easy to redirect their communications or even alter them if we have to. Although, this . . .” Tara said, gesturing to the sky and the two groups still hovering over the mountain. “Isn’t what we’re normally covering up either.”

Leif nodded.

“Most crashes are an in and out thing that’s become a lot easier with our own craft. The advent of the digital age has made it a little more difficult to prevent pics and vids from getting out, but since most people aren’t likely to believe just anyone on the internet, it’s easy to make it look like they used photo enhancement software to alter the pic,” he said with another shrug.

*****

Decano had been strapped to a chair in the dark for what seemed like hours. He knew that if he were captured then Grai was as well. Concerned for his leader and their other team members, Decano had tried for hours to break free of the restraints.

He had almost given up hope when he saw a golden light appear under the door. Decano watched in fascination as the ball rolled under the door and into the room, illuminating the completely barren space. Unsure if it was a weapon—or security measure—he watched it warily as it stopped near his feet and slowly grew until it turned into a beautiful, winged female.

He stared in awe at the beautiful woman as she smiled down at him.

“Do not fear me, Decano. I am here to help you get to Grai,” she said with a voice so soft and lyrical that Decano was mesmerized.

He found his voice as the woman placed her hands on his ankles and the metal bands dropped from him.

“Who are you?” Decano asked in a choked whisper.

The beautiful woman smiled as she stood and placed her hands on the metal bands securing his wrists.

“I am a friend of Tristan’s. We came to help him. I cannot maintain this form for long in this realm. Not yet anyway. You will need to follow me, and I will take you to Grai. But you cannot, under any circumstances, harm anyone here. There are no enemies here, just ignorance, and that is not for us to punish. Do you understand?” she asked him as she broke the final band that secured his chest to the chair.

Decano stood, shaken by the woman and the loving, innocent energy she exuded. He was not of the beast species, and did not have any of the gifts they had with energy, but even he could feel the magnificence of the woman in the room with him.

Without a word, Decano nodded his head and watched with wide eyes as the beautiful woman shrank back into a golden ball before his eyes. He was completely unaware that other golden balls—other light-bringers—were also releasing the other members of his team and leading them all to Grai.

Around the world, thousands of very special children were rocking, humming and gesticulating in the air, completely unresponsive to anything around them as they focused their thoughts and energy on being their true selves: warriors.

Chapter Six

Countdown Clock to Human Discovery

19:00 Hours

This is a WSBC Channel 9 News special report. Federal and local authorities are continuing to evacuate White River National Forest near Burnt Tree Ridge due to a landslide that happened just a few hours ago.

We recently heard from a group of campers close to the landslide when it occurred. They said that they were forced to leave their possessions behind as they ran by flashlight to escape the disaster.

We hope to have footage of the disaster area once the sun rises. It will be at least dawn before crews can make a better assessment of the area. We’ll keep you updated as the events unfold.

Traze T’Alq was leading his team around the mountain, looking for a way inside, when he saw the wall open up in front of him and a half dozen black SUVs come flying out. He and only four team members made it through the opening before it closed again, sealing the rest of his team outside.

He cursed quietly as they found a place to hide from the activity in the large cavern. Traze felt his connection to the Shengari’ being severed the moment the wall had gone back up.

Dude. I didn’t think all the way through that one,
he thought.

He shrugged his shoulders, grinned at his team, and peeked around the remaining SUVs in the garage area. There were five hybrids—two women and three men—lounging around in a few chairs near the only obvious door in the place.

Traze shook his head.

Just my fucking luck
, he thought,
my first chance to really prove myself in the field and I get the shit end of the stick
. Giving the order to his men to stay where they were, Traze stood and walked toward the five startled hybrids.

Traze slung his rifle over his shoulder, holstered his guns and put both of his hands up by his chest. He scrunched his fingers, making a heart sign with his hands, and he grinned broadly at the hybrids.

“I am Traze T’Alq, I just want my brother back . . . and my nephew, his pregnant mom, and our people. I come in peace,” he said, now standing only a few feet from the bewildered group.

One of the females burst out laughing and was soon followed by the other one. Even the three males were chuckling. One of them stood and faced the man-child.

“You got more balls than most, boy. The delicate flower is going to love you. Lucky for you, we’re more fond of her than we are the legends,” the man said with a grin.

One of the women pointed at the door.

“You guys head through there, take the vehicles and head west through the tunnels. Go past the craft hangar and then go northwest until you hit an intersection. Take the right fork. About 200 feet in, you’ll see the doors to the cells that your people are in,” she said, pulling it up on her comm and showing it to Traze as his teammates walked up to him.

Traze studied it for a moment.

“What about my nephew and his pregnant mom? Do you know where they are?” he asked.

One of the other men pulled up his comm and entered in a code for the vid system before showing it to Traze and his men.

“They seem to be doing really well. He’s taken out most of the original cave system . . . made some new tunnels. All in all he’s kicking ass, and she seems to be hanging in there,” the man said with a grin.

“You have to get to them soon though. The biggest of the legendary asses, has sent a strike team after them,” the other woman added. “We’re more scared of the delicate Flower than we are of him, but the strike teams . . . we can’t guarantee that they won’t follow orders.”

Traze nodded his head.

“Thank you. I swear we don’t want to hurt anyone. We just want our people back,” he said, hoping they wouldn’t get in trouble for helping him.

The hybrids chuckled.

“Yeah, we’re not real thrilled about what’s going on either—most of us anyway. You don’t fire, and we won’t fire is how we’re looking at this. Make sure you do too,” the main guy warned him.

Traze nodded his head while one of the women added, “Do the heart thing. It works for you.”

“You’re adorable, kid. I hope I get to see you still alive when this is all over,” the other female hybrid said.

Traze chuckled and shrugged his shoulders.

“I hope I do too. Thanks again,” he said before leading his team through the door.

They piled into three of the ATVs parked outside of the door, leaving two for the hybrids and took off down the tunnel. And at the fork in the intersection, he promptly forgot the directions and turned left.

*****

Tricia hunched over the steering wheel, trying to control the pain swamping her abdomen. Tristan placed his hand on her belly, and she sighed in gratitude that he had again stopped the contraction, halting the premature birth of her daughter.

She smiled at her beautiful son.

“Thank you, baby. Are we close to Daddy?” she asked.

Tristan looked towards the tunnel wall on the right and pointed straight ahead. Tricia sighed, nodded, and kept driving down what seemed to be an endless tunnel. She couldn’t help but worry—they hadn’t encountered any other hybrids since Tristan had blocked that one group.

She was afraid that they were driving right into a trap, and her heart stuttered in her chest when they turned a corner and sure enough the area opened up into a cavern with mouths to three other tunnels. It wasn’t the tunnels that were bothering her, though. It was the group of 20-something armed hybrids holding them at gunpoint and the massive one-eyed man that terrified her.

She stopped the vehicle while Gibly jumped past her and Tristan and stood on the hood with his fur standing on end as he hissed and spit at the hybrids. The other cats with him lined up in front of the vehicle.

The hybrids gasped in surprise when Gibly spoke.

“I would not attempt to stop my brothers. We will protect these people with our lives.” Gibly said. The other cats hissed and spit in agreement, and the hybrids took a step back.

“Take them!” the one-eyed man roared and raised his sword.

The hybrids hesitated, but the man stormed forward, pushing the hybrids out of his way as he approached the cats. Just as Gibly jumped down and headed towards the man, Tristan stood and stepped out of the vehicle.

As he walked towards the large man, Tristan glowed with a blinding golden light. When everyone could see again, they all stepped back from the large, winged warrior heading right for Fiorn Erikson. The only indication Fiorn noticed the change from child to man was the slight skip in his stride.

Tristan was within feet of the man when he threw up his left hand and gesticulated wildly in the air before a golden barrier sprung up between the cats and the hybrids, leaving Fiorn cut off from his hybrids.

Once the barrier was up, Tristan continued his movements in the air until a large tendril of golden energy sprang from his fingertips and pulled Fiorn to him while his right hand connected with the man’s head.

“You will allow us to pass unharmed,” Tristan’s deep, strong voice boomed.

Fiorn stood mute, unable to move as the child/warrior held him paralyzed. Even after the boy let go of him, he was unable to move. He watched in horror and fascination as the warrior turned back into the child, and he climbed back into the vehicle, followed by the cats.

Fiorn watched as the child rocked and grunted, looking to the right as he pointed ahead. The heavily pregnant woman nodded her head and slowly moved the vehicle around Fiorn and through the golden barrier.

Fiorn didn’t get to see the golden barrier surround the vehicle and cats as they passed the stunned hybrids, who’d long ago lowered their weapons.

“I’m sorry. We don’t want to hurt anyone. We just want our people back,” Tricia said as she drove past the hybrids.

With Fiorn’s back still turned, he never saw several of his people nod at the pregnant female and child with respect. It wasn’t until several minutes later that the hybrids checked to see if their leader could move yet.

Fiorn’s eyes blazed with fury as he looked at his incompetent strike team. His rage only increased the longer he was paralyzed while the hybrids walked around him helplessly.

Fifteen minutes later, when Fiorn was finally able to move again, he began stomping and roaring at his team.

“Damn it, go get them!” he ordered.

Fiorn shook his head and raged when most of them disappeared down the wrong tunnels. Clutching the hilt of his ancient sword in his hand, he stormed off down the correct tunnel, thankful a vehicle wasn’t far away.

With his rage fueling him, he plotted ways to deal with his traitorous people while went to find the woman and child himself.

*****

Gracus and Rebecca had gotten to the cave system in record time with the sheriff leading the way. They were stunned when they arrived to find a heavily armed group already at the gates.

Sheriff Joe stormed up to the man.

“Who the hell are you?” he demanded.

Gracus and Rebecca walked up to the sheriff and placed a hand on his arm.

“They’re hybrids,” Gracus said, looking at the man who was obviously in charge.

The man nodded his head.

“I’m Frankie. We’re supposed to be here to keep anyone from getting back in because this is where Fiorn saw you leave from.”

Gracus nodded his head.

“Do we really want to do this?” he asked, thinking of his own team as he looked around at the heavily armed group in front of him.

Frankie raised his hands.

“Hey, I’m not in charge here. But, I heard the delicate flower is on her way, so we left the door open for you, and you can take the vehicles we used to get here,” he said before handing Gracus a comm.

“I programmed the directions in, just follow them and you should get to your people in no time. If you don’t shoot first, we won’t shoot—most of us anyway. So try and remember that,” Frankie warned them as Gracus took the comm.

Gracus nodded his head, more than a little stunned at what the hybrids were doing.

“What about out here?” he asked, knowing they needed to keep the humans from coming to the tourist attraction.

Frankie and the others laughed.

“We’ve got it closed down and are doing a seismological study, considering recent events. Don’t worry, no one else will get in; we look like the human military, and no one has ever questioned us. Most people don’t challenge heavily armed military looking groups,” he said confidently.

Rebecca stepped forward.

“Thank you,” she said.

Frankie laughed.

“Don’t thank me. Just make sure the delicate flower knows I helped you,” he said as the others nodded.

A female stepped forward.

“Come on, I’ll get you to the opening,” she said.

Once inside the cave again, Rebecca couldn’t hold it in any longer.

“Who is the delicate flower?” she asked.

The female hybrid laughed.

“She’s the mate of Fiorn Erikson. I have no doubt you will be meeting her. She’s wonderful and much loved,” the female said, turning to smile at her.

Rebecca smiled back, still confused.

“She sounds nice. Does she not agree with her mate?”

The hybrid laughed, the sound echoing around them.

“Nice . . . yeah, that fits her. Sometimes. Agree with Fiorn? Almost never. Which is probably why no one has killed him in his sleep,” she said with another laugh.

Rebecca quirked an eyebrow at Gracus, and he just shrugged his shoulders, unable to believe that they were being invited in and wondering if it was a well-orchestrated trap. The unusual rock wall door was opened, and he and Rebecca stepped inside, followed by their team.

Sure enough, the vehicles were there and the female hybrid waved before stepping back through into the cave system. Gracus looked around at his team.

“Do not shoot first. Understood?” he asked, locking eyes with each team member to make sure they heard him.

Rebecca turned to look at a silent and pouting Dog’ee.

“What’s wrong, honey?” she asked the forlorn cat.

Dog’ee looked up, his whiskers drooping.

“You don’t need me now,” he said before hanging his head again.

Rebecca laughed and cuddled the kitty close.

“Of course we still need you! You’re going to make sure that they weren’t lying to us about which way to go! We don’t want to walk into a trap, and you’re going to make sure that doesn’t happen,” Rebecca said with a bright smile.

Dog’ee picked his head up, and his spirits lifted immediately, his body bouncing with his happiness again. Rebecca watched as the cat ran ahead and dramatically sniffed the air.

“Yes, yes! This way!” he said as he took off down the tunnel.

Gracus grinned at Rebecca as he jumped on a vehicle and she climbed on behind him.

“Follow the cats!” Gracus called out as the others loaded up.

*****