Lord of the Grrr's (9 page)

“I need some time to think,” she said quietly, turning to go.

“Wait, Kailee.”

She stopped but didn’t turn around, her eyes closed in resignation. Everything was crashing down around her for the second time in her life. What was it with her and men who weren’t what they seemed to be? She couldn’t get away from the liars, those who hid their true personas. It was tiring, to have to deal with this again, so very tiring.

“I’m not that person anymore. Think about the man you worked next to for this past week. That’s who I am. People
can
change, it’s not impossible.”

She simply shook her head, not willing to tell him how wrong he was. It was pointless, she knew from past experience. With another sigh of disappointment, she left the office and shortly thereafter the bar, behind. It was over, she was through with this chapter of her life. It had barely started, but she needed to have it done.

“I should never have taken that stupid job in the first place,” she muttered to herself as her truck pulled around the corner to her house. She would tell Jet in the morning over the phone that she was done working there. That way he wouldn't be able to convince her to stay.

What the hell?

There were several cars parked outside of her house. She recognized her father’s sports car, but the blue jeep and sleek grey SUV were both unknown to her. She wondered who they might be. Nobody was outside, so her father must have invited them in, which ticked her off to no end. She already had plenty of questions about what he had done earlier and putting up with his uninvited guests was not what she wanted to do now.

Kailee rolled her shoulders to force herself to relax, putting on the false happiness of her good-hostess face. Whoever they were, they were in her house and she intended to be polite to them. After she got rid of them, that was when she would try to get to the bottom of everything.

***

Jet

Jet wasn’t sure what to do. He had closed the Quencher the day before because of everything that had happened. Never before had he done so, and there were very few occurrences where he could see himself doing so again.  Perhaps he would close down for his honeymoon, or for the birth of his kids. Most other events could be planned around the Quencher’s schedule, and he intended to do just that.

So, the very next day, Jet had gotten up and begun his daily ritual. Exactly on time, he had flipped the open sign to the on position and unlocked the front door. He had moved all the chairs back to the floor from the tabletops, he had turned on the cooktop and even begun to prepare several batches of cutlery.

Alone.

Kailee didn’t show up, nor did she call. He knew she was mad at him, but at no point had she ever formally quit work. She was the consummate professional and Jet knew that if she no longer wanted the job, she would have told him and handed in her uniform.

There was nobody waiting for him outside when he unlocked the door, so with the moment of quiet, he pulled out his phone and hit her speed dial button. The phone rang a number of times before going to her voicemail. He found that strange, because she was so obsessed with the thing, that unless she was working, she always picked up.

He tried her house phone as well, but that one wouldn’t ring at all, almost like it had been disconnected. Frowning, Jet hung up again, putting his phone back into the pocket of his jeans. This was very unlike Kailee, to the point that his stomach twisted into knots, telling him that something was wrong.

Jet didn't know what to do. The sinking sensation told him something was wrong with Kailee, but he had no evidence to base that off of. Just because she wasn't answering her phone, did not mean she was in trouble. It could just be that she wasn't ready to face him yet.

So do I go running off after her, closing the Quencher again, just because I
think
something is wrong?

Just then the door slammed open, startling him out of his reverie as the three power line boys walked in. He barely heard the words they said he was so absorbed in his thoughts. Whatever he was going to do, a decision would have to be made soon, or else he would back himself into a corner with indecision.

"Jet, what's wrong?" Tanner asked, the defacto leader of the group turning away from their customary table to walk up to Jet. The other two followed with looks of concern on their faces. He had to focus on them now as they stood in front of him.

"I think something is wrong with Kailee," he said, making the decision in his head.

Something in Jet's tone of voice must have set them off, for immediately the look and stance of the three changed. Whereas before they had concern in their eyes and ease in their steps, now he could tell they were on the lookout for trouble. The outside pair of the trio stepped back slightly, to give themselves more room as they glanced around the room. Fists tightened and muscles flexed as they prepared themselves for a fight.

"What makes you say that?" Tanner was paying far more attention now, focusing in on every detail.

"She didn't show up for work and she didn't call to let me know either. Then when I called her, she didn't pick up either her cell or the house phone. It's completely unlike her, she is professional to the core. If she had quit, she would have told me."

"Do you think her dad has anything to do with it?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if her
father
has everything to do with it," he said with a growl, emphasizing the word.

It had been fairly easy to pick up that the relationship between the two wasn't great. She had never referred to him as her dad, only as her father and he intended to do so as well. If Jack had been involved, it would be easier for Jet to do what had to be done if he didn't picture him as close with Kailee. At least, that's what he told himself, trying to push that line out thought out of his head.

"I'm sorry guys, but I need to close down again. I have to go after her, to find out what's going on. If something were to happen because I did nothing, or because of how I left things with her yesterday, I couldn't bear it."

"We'll follow you," Dylan said, already in mid-stride towards the door.

"What?" Jet said, blinking in confusion.

"You didn't think we were going to sit by and let something happen to you, did you? Who else would serve us with such dainty flair?" The joke was forced, but Jet appreciated the effort anyway, forcing a small smile onto his face.

"Let's go," he said, not bothering to protest anymore, knowing that it would be useless once the others had decided to help.

The shifter community was a tight one and often bonded together when help was needed and the law couldn't be trusted. Too many humans still looked down upon the shifters as freaks and mutants, creatures that shouldn't exist. So they tended to drag their feet when an issue was brought up. Although the community surrounding Bear Bluff's was predominantly shifters it was no guarantee that humans wouldn't find a way to slow down the search for Kailee.

As much as Jet wished that he had been taking everyone on a wild goose chase, as soon as he turned onto her street, his gut tightened. Something was very, very wrong here. The two trucks pulled up in front of her house, the four men piling out, two from each. Dylan had ridden with Jet just in case something happened to one of the trucks. It was paranoia at its utmost, but crazier things had happened.

"I don't like the smell of it," Devon said as they fanned out, approaching the house slowly.

"I can smell him," Jet said, referring to Jack.

"That's not all I smell," said Tanner, taking a moment to sniff the air deeper, his eyes glossing over as he let his bear come closer to the surface to help analyze the scent.

"I also smell Kailee, another female, and another male. They both are familiar, tantalizingly so. I just can't remember."

Jet was on the main path to the house, but Tanner was on the driveway and making his way around the back of the house. Jet moved over that way to test the air.

"That sonofabitch," he roared abruptly, moving towards the house at a much faster clip. The door shattered under his shoulder as he bulldozed his way inside, his rage climbing to another level within him.

"Jet, who is it? Who do you smell?" The three others rushed in after him, spreading out inside to cover all the angles.

"Tom," he said, his voice as cold as ice and filled with venom.

"As in, Mayor Tom?" Devon asked incredulously, but his voice trailed off as he tested the air again and came to the same conclusion now that Jet had supplied the name.

"The very one, and Sandra was with him."

They quickly searched the house, but it was very evident that nobody was home. Dylan, Devon, and Jet reconvened in the front foyer, but Tanner didn't move from the coffee table he was standing over.

"What is it, Tanner?" Jet asked, a sensation of dread settling over him as Tanner turned slowly to face him. There was a piece of paper in his hand, but he didn't say a word, simply handing it to Jet for him to read.

I have her. I'm going to tern her over to Tom unles you bring all the money you stole down to the old mill. Tom says you no where.

Jet had to reread it a second time, not believing at first that Jack had written it. He had always seemed intelligent enough to write though looking back Jet wasn't sure he had ever witnessed him writing. It seemed to leave more credence to the fact that something was wrong in Jack's head.

That scared Jet, for the mentally unstable could do unpredictable and dangerous things if they were pushed. Jack was still strong for his age, but Jet wouldn't have any issues taking him down, and that went doubly so if he let his bear out.

"Get in the trucks boys, we're going to the old mill north of town," Tanner said before Jet could open his mouth.

He made to protest, to tell them that this was his fight, but the moment he saw the steely determination within their eyes he let it drop. Instead, he simply nodded his head in thanks before they sprinted for the trucks. Rubber burned as they slammed the pedals to the floor, safety thrown to the wind as they raced out of town to rescue Kailee.

"There's someone else here as well," Jet spoke softly as they exited the vehicles and approached the mill. There was Tom's grey SUV, Jack's sportscar, and then another black SUV was also parked out front, decorated with a number of skulls and crossbones on it.

"I've seen that before. We all have," said Dylan. "There were three or four, I didn't care at the time to get an exact count, but they were big guys, all tattooed up with a big city look to them. They were camping outside of town near where we had to take a tree down the other day."

"Jack's hired guns I'd say. We're going to have a fight on our hands boys. If any of you want to back out now, feel free. I won't hold it against you."

There was only silence as the three other men continued to stride towards the building, ignoring his words. The massive receiving doors were open, but no lights were on. Jet was unsure if there was still any power to the building. They might be fighting in the dark though Jack had to know that the shifters would have a massive advantage if that were the case.

"This doesn't make any sense," he muttered as they walked through the doors.

There, arrayed before them, was a scene that made his blood boil. There was still power in the building, for at the very back of the large open area, was a group of people standing in an area of light. As he approached, they stepped back to reveal Kailee, strapped to a metal chair. Her head lolled to one side as she appeared unresponsive. Jack stood behind her, a knife in his hand.

"That's close enough, thief," he called out when the quartet entered the ring of light.

Jet tried to speak, but his bear was in a full blown battle rage already and it took all of his mental strength to keep it contained. His lips pulled back into a snarl as he recognized Tom and Sandra mixed in with the large goons that Jack had brought.

"Did you bring it all? I know you mutant freak types are always lying, so I want to see it!"

The crazed pitch to the voice caused Jet to wince. It was clear now that Kailee was in a lot of danger from the man that used to be her father. Jet looked around, noting the shifting of stances from the other men when he didn't reply. They were ready for a fight.

"What did you do to her?" he called out, desperate to know if Kailee was okay.

"The money, freak."

"Tell me what you did to her, and then you'll have the money."

It was a terrible bluff, but Jet didn't think that Jack would be able to see through it in his current state. If he could, then it would give an insight as to just how competent he was. After a long moment of hesitation, Jack spoke again.

"You don't know?" he laughed maniacally, "oh this is too rich. You'll like this, abomination, because it suits you so perfectly! It's bear tranquilizer!" Jack broke down into a laughing fit at that, finding it all too funny.

Jet's blood went cold, for bear tranquilizer could do permanent brain damage to shifters if they were overexposed to it. If he had had Kailee since the night before, he would have had to give her two or three shots of it to keep her under this long. At that point, it was up in the air. Kailee would either wake up and be fine within moments as her system finished burning it off, or she might wake up and be unable to control both herself and her bear. That would be a disaster he knew, so Jet tried not to think about it, instead focusing in on Jack, Tom and the rest.

"I'm not giving you any money until I have verification that she's okay," Jet said, standing his ground. It terrified him to gamble with her life, but he needed to get closer to the group if they were to have a chance at pulling this off unharmed.

"Well, come over here and see for yourself," Jack giggled, pulling out a tranq-gun from his pocket. "If you make a wrong move, I'll take you down myself."

Jet nodded, approaching Kailee. He stood close to her, feeling the heat from her body. He reached out with a leg and prodded her somewhat roughly. There was a low groan, which he took as a good sign, for the effects must be wearing off.

"Well, go on and see," Jack said, waving the gun in Kailee's direction.

For a split moment, it wasn't pointed at either party, but directly between them, at nobody. Without a word, trusting that the other shifters would know what to do, he made his move. Lunging forward, he grabbed Jack's wrist, twisting it painfully until he dropped the gun. He kicked it behind him, hoping it would end up away from anyone.

Stars exploded in his eyes as a line of pain erupted across his chest. Jet had forgotten about the knife in his other hand, barely twisting his body out of the way to avoid being impaled on it. The wound was bad, but not deep enough to be fatal, thankfully. With his overwhelming strength advantage, Jet disarmed Jack and tossed him across the room.

The goons had rushed the trio of bear shifters, who were making short work of them. It appeared that thankfully it was going to be a quick and one-sided affair. Before he could turn to deal with Tom, however, Jet was startled to hear loud peals of laughter from Jack.

He turned around to witness the change, his jaw dropping as the truth dawned on him. Jack was a shifter too! That explained the crazed behavior as well, for Jet knew from experience if a shifter didn't let his bear out often enough, the bear went crazy and eventually drove the human crazy as well.