Return of the Phoenix - 01 (24 page)

She had a PENIS?!
The piece fell into place and Franklin’s headache spiked once more. Each time it spiked, it took a little less time to drop down to a dull thud, but the spikes seemed to get worse. When he recovered, he replayed the memory in his head. Yes, she had a penis. But how? How could such a beautiful, enticing woman have a cock? He shuddered. He didn’t want to think about it anymore. He replayed the entire event and was assured that nobody knew of the indiscretion. She had called him Stewart and had no clue his real identity. Whatever had occurred the night he spent with her, nobody would ever know of it.

Senator Franklin sighed, replaced his washcloth, and lay back again. Let the memories continue. And continue, they did. One after another until all the pieces of the puzzle were replaced and Senator Leslie Franklin’s memory had been completely r
estored. When the last piece of the puzzle that had been his displaced memory was put back, the bathwater was cold, the headache mysteriously lifted and the fog that he had been living in was lifted.

Franklin stepped from the bath a new man. One might say he had been reborn of the water that day. He had a renewed pu
rpose and a restored vision.

He would stop at nothing to destroy Colonel Matt Mitchell and his damned Monster Squad. He had to for Damien’s s
ake…he was all he had left.

22

Rufus sat at a round table with delegates from the
Beastia Conventio
. Many had taken great risk to slip from their territories and attend this meeting. Their weariness showed in their collective faces. Many were more than nervous, and some appeared quite shaken at the numerous empty seats at the once full table. Murmurings of the missing and rumors of how they had fallen to the many human hunters and their military teams across the world were hard to miss.

Rufus allowed them to hold their casual conversations and delayed calling the meeting to order while the attendees gossiped among themselves.
Let them stew in their fear. It will only make selling Mr. Thompson to them easier once they’re worked up a bit more,
he thought.

Natashia appeared through a doorway and Rufus gave her a slight nod. She slipped back and went to Jack’s room where N
adia and he were speaking of the coming moon and their plan to test his theory. Natashia knocked lightly at the door and stepped inside. “Jack? Rufus requests a favor of you, if you can spare a few moments of your time, please,” she said softly.

Jack smiled at his new mother-in-law, “Sure,
mom
.” He once enjoyed grating her with the unaffectionate term, but now, it seemed to grow on her. She looked barely old enough to be Nadia’s older sister, yet… “What does Rufus need?”

She withdrew his uniform and tactical vest from a wicker basket. It had been cleaned and pressed. She held it out to him. “He has delegates from the other families here. Soon he will be telling them about you and your agreement to go back to your people,” she explained. “He feels that if you make your presence known, it will drive the importance of what you do home to them. It will make it more…’real’ to them.”

“He needs their permission?” Jack asked.

“No.” Natashia smiled. “Not at all. But many are planning on taking matters into their own hands. They are wanting to take the fight to your people on their own terms, and Rufus is hoping to stay their hands a little longer. By making your presence known, they will see that what he says is real and perhaps save many lives in the process. Both human and vampire.”

Jack realized then the true importance of what Rufus had requested. If the vampire families came together and staged an attack against the Monster Squad on their home turf, a lot of innocent civilians and military personnel at Tinker would be put at risk as they slaughtered their way onto the base to get to them. The squads could lock down underground and wait them out until dawn, but those trapped above…it would be a bloodbath.

“Yes, of course,” he said and removed his robe and began dressing. Natashia took his robe and Nadia folded it and laid it aside. Natashia then held open his underwear for him to step into and Jack paused. It took him a moment to gather himself. Nudity among the wolves was natural and it was taking him time to get used to it. Especially around the natural beauty of their women, but he hesitated only a moment before stepping into his boxers, and then his BDU pants. Nadia pulled his undershirt over his head, then he sat and Natashia helped him into his socks. “I’m not used to having help to get dressed,” he told them, blushing slightly.

“We don’t mind.” Nadia smiled at him, giving him a wink.

Natashia handed him his boots and stood. “I shall go to the chamber and wait for Rufus to signal for us. When he does, I shall open the side door and you may enter there. Please, go to the front of the room and simply stand there until you are a
ddressed.” She said. “Please, Jack…try to ignore the comments that any of them make, or any threats that are said so long as they are seated, okay?”

Jack’s face twisted in confusion. “Okay? But why?”

“One of their rules is that they may say anything while seated. But if they stand, that is considered taking action. Then, and only then, can the others
re
-act. Do you understand?”

“So they can say anything…call me names, threaten my family, et cetera, and it doesn’t count unless one of them stands and does it? Then all bets are off and I can beat his ass?”

“Again, no. Rufus is the host. He will handle all indiscretions,” she warned. “Agreed?”

“I’m not sure I can do that, mom,” Jack said with a soft smile.

“You must, my son.” She smiled back. “Do it for my Nadia.”

He turned and gazed at her for a moment and his heart mel
ted all over again. “Damn, but you drive a hard bargain,” he muttered. “Okay. Deal. I’m the puppet. Don’t speak unless spoken to.”

“Thank you, my dear.” She planted a less than chaste kiss on him and then walked from the room.

Jack followed her out with his eyes, wondering if her intentions toward him were motherly or not, then tossed the idea. It was ludicrous, right? She was Nadia’s mother…

“Let’s finish preparing you, Jack,” Nadia said, holding out his BDU blouse. He stepped over and she helped him slip it on, buttoning it up for him and then kissing him when she reached the top.

“Hey, what’s the deal with your mom?”

“What do you mean?”

“Did you not see the way she kissed me just then?”

“Yes, so?” Nadia replied. “I think she likes you, Jack. You showed real heroism when you stood your ground against her Halfling form.”

“So?”

“My mother also likes your sense of humor.”

“But the kiss…” Jack pleaded.

“Was just a kiss.”

“Well, it felt like more.”

“Only because you find her attractive, Jack,” Nadia stated.

“What? I do not. I love you!” Jack tried to defend himself.

“There is no harm in finding my mother attractive, Jack. She is a very attractive woman. I take after her in many ways. In fact, many have said that I get my form from her.” She ran her hands down her sides as if to indicate so. “Besides, my love, Mother is mated. You and I are mated. There is no harm.” She smiled.

Jack was befuddled. “No harm? She practically ran her tongue down my throat.” Nadia gave him a smirk. “Well, it wasn’t exactly a
friendly
kiss.”

“Jack, you were holding her by the breasts only a short time ago. Was it a caress?” Nadia smiled at him.

“It was in
self-defense!
” Jack yelled. Nadia laughed.

“You read too much into small things, Jack.” Then to a
ggravate him more she added, “Wait until she
really
gives you a kiss. You may well forget all about you and I being mated. My mother can be quite persuasive when she wants to be.” She wiggled her eyebrows at him and Jack paled. “I am teasing you, Jack!” she said, slapping at his chest. “Now relax and finish dressing! Rufus is waiting for you!”

Jack pushed his foot the rest of the way into his tactical boots and began lacing them. He pulled his BDU pants down over the tops of the boots and cinched them over the lace knots. Nadia handed him his vest and he began checking his pouches and satchels. All of his gear was still inside.

He thought surely that Rufus would have disarmed him…she handed him his duty belt with holster. His pistol was still in the holster. He pulled it and checked the magazine. It was still loaded. He slammed the magazine home and checked the chamber.

“Be careful in there, Jack. Those are silver bullets. The re
presentatives will all be allergic to silver,” she said, still adjusting his uniform for hm.

Jack simply nodded and replaced the weapon in its holster. He patted his BDU pants pockets where his P90 magazines would have been. Empty. He looked around and Nadia had her back to him. She turned and presented the basket. At the bottom sat his P90 carbine and the spare magazines. He took the P90 and attached it to the short sling on his vest, then stored the magazines in the mag pouch that was sewn into the side of his pants. He did a quick check of everything. Nadia handed him his sunglasses. He glanced outside and shook his head. 

“Take them. They won’t be able to see where you are looking,” she said. Jack slipped them on. His eyes quickly adjusted to the extra tint. She then placed the boonie cap on his head with a satisfying tug. “There. You look absolutely terrifying,” she said with a giggle.

“Yeah, that laugh really sells it, sweetheart.” He leaned down and kissed her again.

“Come, I’ll show you where mother wants you.”

“Ooh, mother
wants
me,” he teased.

She punched him in the arm. “Be careful or I’ll let her have you, mister.” He smiled down at her as she led him down to the great room where Rufus had convened the meeting. She found her mother listening to the representatives argue on the other side of the door.

Her mother held a finger up to her lips as they approached. Nadia held Jack back in the shadows and they waited. Natashia listened intently as Rufus spoke with the attendees.

“We have been too idle for too long and I know that many of you wish to combine your peoples and take the war to the humans. From what we have gathered, the
Lamia Humanus
have already done so and are laying the bread crumbs to make it look as if it were we who attacked their hunters.” A murmur rose from the group and Rufus allowed them to make their assumptions. “However, we had infiltrators in the
Humanus
group closest to us. It took us a long time, and unfortunately, it cost us the lives of too many wolves to accomplish this, but eventually, we were able to infiltrate their ranks.”

Rufus stepped away from his seat and slowly walked around the table, “During their attack of the American hunters, one of my wolves was able to
capture
a live hunter.” Gasps and more murmurs came from the assemblage. Rufus raised his hand to silence them and garner their attention once more. “He was badly injured during the attack, but we provided him with aid and succor.”

“Why?!” an attendee yelled. “The hunters would have gla
dly removed your head from your shoulders given the chance!”

“Or staked you in the sand and let the sun do their dirty work!” another yelled.

Jack started to enter, but Natashia held him back with her hand. She shook her head. “Not yet…wait for Rufus.” She whispered.

Rufus held his hands up again, “Please. Please. Hear me,” he said. The attendees calmed slowly and he continued. “The man was injured and needed our help.” He said softly. “And he needed to be informed of the
truth
.”

“The truth does not matter to a hunter!” a voice called out.

“Ah, but it does!” Rufus answered. “When the hunters are in fact,
wolves
themselves!”

The room exploded with arguments and exclamations and disagreements and vampires hissing in disbelief. Rufus allowed a moment for the noise to die down then continued. “They are, in fact, werewolves, however, they do not know it.” He turned to the doorway and motioned. Natashia waved at Jack who snapped to attention and marched into the room. He heard the vampires roar to life and for a moment, his desire to open fire was almost overwhelming, but he continued on and followed Natashia’s i
nstructions. He marched to the front of the room and stood at attention.

Rufus nodded a thanks to Jack then turned to the crowd. He waved them down then continued once more. “As you’ll notice, the American hunter did not enter with guns blazing. He did not toss in a phosphorus grenade and let us all burn in the sun’s light. He did not make any effort to attack.” Rufus paused to a
llow his words to sink in. He stood in front of his chair and placed his palms on the table and leaned in to his attendees and spoke softly. “He now knows what he is. He now knows the truth. He now knows of the war between ourselves and the
Lamia Humanus
and above all other things…he has agreed to assist us in taking the truth of our plight to his people.” Rufus allowed his words to reach his people, but some would have none of it.

“His people will never suffer a single vampire to live!” she shouted. “We’re all monsters to them!”

“If we are all just monsters, then why would they purposely inject their own warriors with the very same virus of the wolf?” Rufus asked.

“Only a means to an end!” another shouted. “There is no way that they can compete otherwise!”

“Untrue,” Rufus countered. “Our kind have been hunted for centuries by these
mere
humans, and many have come close to making us nearly extinct.” Rufus stood to his full height. “
Non
. If they truly believed that all of us were merely monsters, they would never have created their warriors with the very same curse that created the werewolf.”

“It is too risky, Thorn! Once they know where we are, they will surely—”

“They will never know where you are. They will only know where
I
am. Of that, you have my word,” he said. “And I will tell them all that I know of the
Lamia Humanus
. If we are to direct them to the true enemy, then we must try.”

“Why would this human help us?” another asked.

Rufus turned to Jack and nodded. Jack assumed a formal ‘at ease’ position. “To answer your question, sir,” Jack began, “Rufus already explained, I’m not human. I’m wolf. I just didn’t know it until they tested my blood.”