Breathe Deep Fear Vol. 1 Page 9

  Fighting boredom and negative thoughts, his days had been spent exercising, eating, exercising, targeting practice with handguns, exercising, and sniffing out as much information as he could about what was going on. The last one was proving to be the most difficult obstacle since he was, ashamedly, a little on the surly side. It was something he was slowly working on.

  What was a bigger concern was getting in better shape.

  While not unfit by any means, after spending a day getting acclimated with the ship, he realized that everyone, down to the old guy cooking meals, was in combat shape. Muscle structure varied from toned, to ripped, to massive as was Bear’s case. It wasn’t just the muscles. Wolf and Hawk had covered an insane amount of ground in his town and were fine.

  He had gotten fatigued just running from Mike’s to the barn. That had to change if he wanted to live long enough to get home.

  The rest of the group, and most of the crew at large, had given him his space and allowed him to work out in silence.

  Except Hawk.

  She claimed it was under Wolf’s orders that she had to check up on him several times a day. He was surprised she offered to help several times, particularly with target practice. Give him a rifle or shotgun, hell a bow, and he could nail the intended target eight times out of ten. But with a handgun well, they weren’t going to have to restock targets any time soon.

  Attempting to make up for his awful behavior earlier, he had accepted her help.

  They started arguing two minutes in and he left a minute later.

  He kept his distance completely after that, going just shy of leaving a room when she walked in. What confused him was that she seemed bothered by it, not really insulted, but kind of solemn. Considering her patience for him was about as short as his for hers, it was odd. They argued and annoyed each other, but she kept coming back.

  It was worse than that relationship his cousin had had with that grad student.

  He rose to his full height as Wolf walked in. The man’s normal ferocity had been replaced with a more contemplative look. He’d said he had wanted to talk today. Cale was hoping to have a real discussion with him. It could maybe get his mind off of his homesickness and onto what he was supposed to do.

  “I know you have a lot of questions, Kid. Unfortunately, I don’t have the time to answer all of them right now, so you get two.”

  “What is all this? The monsters and your little group, what is it all about?”

  Wolf folded his arms across his chest.

  “Our government messed up by going into business with a private company. The government provided the technology, while this company provided the funds and minds. The U.S. was promised super soldiers and massive leaps in their medical fields. The company did well with the medical; the bio gel is an example of it. However, the super soldiers were a front for the company to experiment. They made a mess, took the data, and ran. That data is what creates those monsters. We were formed as a black ops division with the sole purpose of containing outbreaks and hunting down the sick bastards.”

  “Who is this company?”

  “Irrelevant, they disappeared off the map and we don’t have any idea who’s involved. We don’t know their motives. We just know that they are increasing the amount of attacks and collecting the data for further experiments. The world is their guinea pig. In short, America jumped into bed with a shadow and caught something that’s rotting off its testicles.”

  “Does every example you give have to be insulting or an innuendo?”

  “Sorry Kid, you were only allowed two questions. Now, I have one for you. What do you want for this?”

  “What?”

  Cale blinked in surprise. A reward wasn’t exactly something he had expected, since he was mostly here against his will. Asking for his freedom wouldn’t work, and honestly, he was slowly adapting to this new setting. Even if he still was waking up when almost everyone else was going to bed.

  Farming hours were going to take a while to get out of his system.

  “We all get something from this. You’ve noticed the Beetle has a lot of luxuries not given to other military branches. We’re facing something inhuman with possibly genocidal capabilities, a term I don’t use lightly. The government wants to keep us happy.”

  “Is that why all of you are here? For the reward?”

  “Actually, most of them are here through blackmail by either Uncle Sam or me personally.” Wolf ignored the disbelieving look creeping across Cale’s face. “The rewards are just to help us cope, something you aren’t doing well.”

  “I’m fine.”

  “I’ve watched you. You’re barely sleeping and were borderline hostile earlier this week. I don’t care if you’re miserable, but I won’t risk you jeopardizing the other members of this team.” Wolf cracked his neck to the side. “I’m not the sentimental kind, but we are a strange family here. You would do well to remember that.”

  Cale shook his head.

  “How am I supposed to cope?”

  “Don’t know. Bear and Lamb play their little games and exaggerate their personalities. Hawk does everything by the book and shuts everything out. The guy in here with the ponytail, Ape, he tinkers around with various things.”

  “And you?”

  There was a moment of silence as Wolf’s eyes softened, as if memories were playing before them. Then, he smiled through his mask. It wasn’t the normal grin. No, Cale realized it was a true smile.

  “Hell kid, killing the damn things is what gets me through the day.”

  Cale stared in shock as Wolf cackled loudly.

  “That’s … really terrifying.”

  “Kid, I’m terrifying.”

  Suppressing a shiver, Cale looked down through the floor window. Coping had been exactly what he had been doing, or trying to do. There hadn’t been a second where he had let his guard down, always feeling like someone was going to get the jump on him. Even in the shower, he was always expecting someone else to come in.

  An issue Lamb continued to exploit. She’d shout in from the locker room, scaring the crap out of him, then run away giggling while Bear would stick his head in, glare, and then chase off after her. He’d gotten so used to showering in his boxers it was second nature.

  Momentarily, the thought of asking for Sam and Dean materialized. Having them around would make things a lot more bearable. But, pets probably weren’t allowed and taking them from an open farm to a closed airship would be cruel.

  His attention was drawn to the others as they came through the door.

  “We’ve got orders.” Wolf’s tone shifted to serious. “More importantly, we’ve got problems.”

  Cale focused all his attention on Wolf. This was why he stayed. So as his Mom and Aunt would say, he should do his best.

  “A building in Seattle has been hit. It’s locked up right now, but given what we learned at the Kid’s town. They will continue to change until they get out, and then we’re looking at a city-wide outbreak. We’re down three members for this one. Tiger is still on the injury list. Hawk and the Kid are not coming with us.”

  “I’m your partner, Wolf.”

  Cale didn’t miss the slight hint of desperation in her voice. It was well covered, but still there.

  “I don’t have a partner, Hawk. We pair up because, aside from me, no one is good enough to go it alone.”

  “So I have to stay here with the civilian?”

  “I have to agree with her. Quite frankly, we hate each other.” Cale ignored her taken aback look. “And sitting here would be a waste of time.”

  “Who said you were staying here?”

  “What?”

  Wolf grinned sadistically.

  “You both are headed to Raging Brook, Montana. The specs of the mission will be given to you shortly, but it is an investigative mission. The Kid isn’t ready for something as intense as an enclosed building.”

  “But-” Hawk tried to argue.

  “You two complement each other. You are
strictly by the book, while the Kid can think on his feet when he’s not getting blown off them. Also, you get edgy Hawk, hence what brought him into our little group. The kid is pretty calm, but inexperienced, and he keeps trying to kill himself.”

  The meeting over, everyone left the room. Except for Hawk, who kept staring at Cale like she was either examining him or hoping he would die. He forced himself to smile.

  Did they have a spare set of bulletproof vests lying around?

  Chapter

  18

  Driving the jeep up the winding roads of the Rocky Mountains was considered a harrowing experience for some, being able to look out and see forever as your car hovered a few feet from a shoulder-less road. To Cale, it was reinvigorating. He was an outside type of guy, and seeing the leaf covered ground and bare trees was like being whole again. His excitement built up as he anticipated getting out in the fresh air and exploring the area.

  It would have been great if Hawk could stop parroting the mission specs for the hundredth time.

  “Cale, are you listening?”

  “Yes.” He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. “We pose as the backup the town requested to help out and try to find whatever this thing is. We stay until we find out what it is or are called back. I’m assuming we have to try and kill this thing to prevent an event like what happened in my town?”

  Reciting the outline made his palms sweat. As excited as he was to be off the ship, the fact that they were on a job did not escape him, nor the possible danger. Stressing about it, and the fact they had no idea what it was, would only tire him out. He needed to be calm and clear headed, and hopefully by expecting bad things, he could do that this time.

  He rolled his shoulders to alleviate the stiffness. His shotgun was supposedly in for repairs, but his Bowie was freshly sharpened and he had his coat. They weren’t going to help against another mutated grizzly, but at least he had familiar things he could depend on.

  “The other parameter is we must pretend that we are married.”

  “We’ll say we’re having marital issues and that our captain got sick of listening to us bicker. We should have no problem with that.”

  “That was not what Wolf specified.”

  “Yeah, and Lamb said Wolf was a fan of movies and did it for laughs. Besides, trying to fake it will be more likely to raise curiosity.”

  It was true. His cousin had been having a tough time with his spouse, the grad student, but they pretended to be the happy couple. Everyone knew it was an act. You can’t fake real emotion … good or bad.

  “Very well, but you should at least know my name. It’s Julia.”

  “Okay.”

  She sighed irritably and looked out her window. The sky was darkening on the horizon, and they were still an hour away from the town.

  He prayed that it wouldn’t be foggy this time.

  “Can I trust you?” She asked.

  “What?”

  “You make it clear you dislike me. Should I be concerned for my safety?”

  “You really don’t think much of me do you?” She turned back to him but said nothing. “Yes, I will watch your back.”

  Were it anyone else, he’d joke about how it was safer than being in front of the barrel of her gun. She probably wouldn’t get the humor though.

  “You really hate me?”

  “Only because you’ve made it clear you feel the same. I always give someone a chance and try to help them out. But, I won’t deal with someone who constantly belittles me.”

  “I am trying to make you aware of your weaknesses, not belittle.”

  “No, you aren’t.”

  “You overestimate your skill set.”

  “Believe it or not, I know I’m not on the same level as any of you. There was a lot of luck in how I survived. But I still lasted for almost six hours without anyone or any special gear, and I did kill the bear monster. I’m not asking for a bunch of praise, but I would like it if you would finally realize that I am capable of pulling my own weight.”

  “If I thought so little of you, why have I spent the past week checking up on you?”

  “Because that’s your job isn’t it?”

  Her expression was unreadable as silence fell between them.

  Wolf was going to get slugged when they got back.

  * * *

  They walked up the steps to the sheriff’s station and entered. The wooden cabin style gave it a look more akin to a forest rescue headquarters; from what the debriefing stated, that actually was its secondary purpose. A long counter ran adjacent to the entrance towards the back, and three desks pushed together took up the center of the room.

  A guy of average height came out from the back, munching on a burger. His peppered gray hair spread out at odd angles like he’d slept funny with too much product in it.

  “You the new guys?”

  “Yep.” Cale gave a firm handshake. “I’ve been told things are getting a little rough around here.”

  “Like you wouldn’t believe. I’m Chief Deputy Tony; that’s what everyone calls me, and the bald one you’ll see running around here is Deputy Tim. He shaves his head that way. Thinks it makes him look tough.”

  Cale chuckled and glanced back at Julia.

  “I’m Cale and this is my … wife, Julia.”

  “You’re a lucky bastard, Cale.”

  “Yeah.”

  He hoped the chuckle didn’t sound forced.

  “Enough chit-chat, we’ve got another one.” Lyons marched out from the back. “You two couldn’t get here fast enough. I’ll give you the run down in the car.”

  Lyons went past and Julia grabbed his arm, slipping a handgun to him. He nodded and tucked it in his belt, then followed the group out. Piling into the car, Lyons adjusted her brown rimmed hat over short dirty-blonde hair and flipped the siren on.

  “They found this one out behind the general store. In the two days since the first body, the daily number has increased. Whatever is doing it, is doing it more frequently, at all hours, and is getting closer to the main part of town. We’ve got people starting to get really nervous and trigger happy.” Lyons swerved around a corner, the back end barely staying on the road. “The mayor is considering evacuating the town, or at least a lockdown.”

  “What do you know about the attacker?” Julia asked.

  “Not a damn thing, except that it’s strong, vicious, and has something razorblade sharp on it – that’s it.”

  Cale’s lips dipped into a frown. This town, while a lot smaller than his, had a similar feel to it. Not only because of its more timeless qualities, but more because the feeling in the air was the same. That unsettled atmosphere generated from something you couldn’t see, but every innate sense screamed was out there. The fact that the things habits were changing, and changing rapidly, only added to the uneasiness sitting in his gut.

  Chapter

  19

  It was like a human knot drenched in red paint.

  Lyons pulled out a cigarette and lit it with shaky hands as Julia bent down closer to the body and Cale glanced into the woods for the fifth time that minute. Whatever did this was far beyond what he had experienced or expected. Maybe it was another grizzly. He had never actually seen a kill the bear made, and it was certainly strong enough.

  This looked more unnatural than what an animal could do though.

  “So you two are the backup? Jesus.”

  “Sorry.”

  Cale gave a sheepish grin. Seeing the remains made him kind of agree with her.

  “Not your fault, I tell the higher ups we have an unknown assailant that skins people alive and can rip them in half, and they send two kids on a vacation to the mountains.”

  “We should be sufficient for the time being.” Julia scooped up some tissue into a vial and twisted the top on. “Have you done any blood work on the victims?”

  “No, Doc didn’t see any need to do anything extensive.” Lyons took a long drag. “You think it was some type of virus tha
t did this?”

  “I won’t know until I check every possible answer.”

  Lyons looked like she was going to object when Cale stepped between them.

  “Sheriff, do you have a map of the town? I would like a better understanding of the area. It might help in tracking whatever or whoever this is.”

  Cale shot Julia a warning look. She really didn’t need to go pissing off everyone she came across. Although, it was nice to know she wasn’t actually singling him out. It just meant she had zero people skills.

  “We do back at the station.” Lyons turned over her shoulder. “Tony, take Red to Hyde’s so she can check for her answers. Tim and I will head back to the station with the new guy.”

  “Actually if you don’t mind, I would like to search the area a little more thoroughly. The station is only a seven minute walk from here right?”

  They all looked at him like he had grown a second and third head.

  “You’re going to wander around the woods in the dark?”

  “Wouldn’t be the first time.”

  Not giving anyone time to object, he pulled out a pocket flashlight and made a beeline for the woods. The way the remains were bleeding meant it was fresh, and any tracks would be the same. Sam would be able to pick up the thing’s scent easily, but he could probably do it by himself. Lacking fog and being close to town calmed his nerves greatly.

  He was barely trembling.

  The blue tinted beam stretched out across the dry ground, illuminating long, jagged tracks. The sheer amount of them meant the thing probably walked on four legs. And they sunk into the ground deep, so it was definitely heavy. What worried him most was how the tracks fell. They weren’t clean and neat like when an animal walked. This thing was running at full speed and moved fast.

  He heard a brief noise and immediately went for his gun. Why, he wasn’t sure. A handgun would be like a rubber band to whatever could make those tracks. At least it would make noise, maybe Hawk had something with more oomph in the jeep. Slowly turning toward the sound, the tree in front of him shook and something blasted past him.