Obsessions: A Monster Squad Novel 7 (8 page)

Kalen waved off their comments. “It is of no concern. I was only curious.” He picked through the fruits and vegetables on his plate. Their lack of venison or fish had caught him off guard. The beef and pork they served had little flavor.

Gnat shoved a handful of bacon into his mouth. “I tell you, the humans have discovered the greatest way to cure pork. This bake-in is one of the best foods I’ve ever eaten.” He grabbed a large handful and tossed it onto Kalen’s plate. “You must try it.”

Kalen watched as the gnome licked the grease from his fingers then blanched. He flicked the pieces of meat from his plate and onto his platter. “Perhaps another time.”

“There you are.” Lamb sat down at the table and smiled at the crew. “Looks like I get to be your weapons instructor.”

“We know how to use our weapons, thank you.” Azrael turned from him and back to his two friends.

“True enough, my large, winged friend.” Jacobs patted the gargoyle on the shoulder and settled in on the other side of him. “But we’re going to teach you fellas how to use human weapons.”

Gnat’s face fell. “If I wanted to learn human weapons, I would have been born one.”

“I thought Chief Jack would be teaching us these things.” Kalen leaned away from the pair and studied them carefully.

“Normally, he might,” Lamb answered. “But he wanted you boys to learn from the best.”

“So he sent us.” Jacobs smiled at the trio. “As soon as you’re through eating, how about you muster at the training center.”

Kalen gave them a curious stare and opened his mouth to question when Lamb stood up and hooked a thumb over his shoulder, “Big double doors one floor up and down the hall. Opens to a large two story room with mock buildings inside.”

Kalen nodded. “I am familiar with it.”

“Excellent.” Lamb turned to leave. “Don’t forget to grab your girlfriend before you show up.”

“She’s not my girlfriend!” Kalen replied a little too enthusiastically.

Lamb and Jacobs both paused and turned on him simultaneously. “It was just a figure of speech, pal.”

Jacobs nodded. “No need to get worked up.”

Kalen sat back and nodded. “Very well. We will be there shortly.” He watched the two humans leave then he turned back to his friends. Azrael stared at him and Gnat forgot to close his mouth.

Azrael nodded knowingly. “I think I know what your ‘dreams’ were of now.”

*****

Little John fought the urge to put his fist through a wall. He turned to Spalding and pleaded with his eyes. Spalding threw his hands up. “It’s not up to me, John.”

“Surely he must know that I need to talk with her.” John paced back and forth through the lounge, his jaw ticking as he walked. “Why would he ask those two frogmen to help train them? That makes no sense.”

“Jack was a SEAL, both Jacobs and Lamb were SEALs. It makes perfect sense. He trusts them because he understands what they’ve been through.”

“But she’s
my
sister!”

“I understand that, but John, she’s his operator now.”

“Yeah, how the hell does that even happen?” Little John stopped pacing long enough to stifle a scream. “We finally get her back and not only do I not get a chance to talk to her, this guy just waltzes in and says, ‘I need her, she’s mine’ and everybody’s okay with that? Really?”

“Look, John, you don’t really know this guy, but I do. He was with the squads for a long, long time.”

“Yeah, I know. You told me. He went native, got married, blah, blah, blah. But where does that give him the right to just step back into the scene and then pick my sister to be his new attack dog?”

Spalding hung his head and exhaled hard. “Have a seat, John.”

“No, I’ve taken a knee enough in this. All I want is a chance to talk with her. Find out what happened. Try to…I dunno, connect with her somehow.”

Spalding nodded, his desire to be sympathetic diminished by the loss of Apollo. “I wish I knew what to tell you. Really, I do. All I can say is for you to be patient. She’ll come to you when she’s ready.”

“That’s horse shit and you know it.” He began pacing again. “She’s wrapped up in this Jack guy now, and he’s got every moment of her time claimed.”

“She hasn’t been here long enough for you to say that.”

“Long enough.” John stopped and clenched his teeth. “All I’m saying is that it isn’t right that he monopolizes her time like this.”

“And I’m trying to tell you that he isn’t. He just has a lot of work to do and little time to get it done.” Spalding stood and stepped in front of John’s pacing. “Are you listening?”

“Of course I am. I just don’t accept it.”

“Well you better.” Spalding pointed toward the door. “Because if you push too hard on this, you’re likely to push her away and never get her back.”

John stared at Spalding, his mind racing, but the words sinking in. He fell onto the couch and held his head in his hands. “I feel responsible.”

“Don’t.” Spalding clapped him on the back. “Dude, you were what, ten years old when she disappeared? Try to accept the fact that she’s back and she’s alive and well and you
will
get the chance to catch up, but not until she’s ready.”

John looked up at him and smirked. “Alive and well? Bad choice of words there, boss man.”

Spalding smirked. “You know what I mean. At least she’s back, bud. That’s a whole lot more than most of us get.”

John had to agree. “So…patience?”

“Patience.”

“Can I get a double order of it? Yesterday?”

Spalding shook his head. “Doesn’t work that way, buddy.”

*****

“So this is my room? Hmm.” Jenny looked around the small quarters and wrinkled her nose.

“I’m sorry. It’s the best we can do on short notice. And trust me, it’s a lot nicer than most of the other quarters. This is officer quarters. You should see what the enlisted men get.” He offered a wan smile and shrugged.

Jenny turned and gave him her best sultry smile. “And where is
yours
?”

“Mine? Oh, you mean…uh, my quarters?” Mitchell suddenly felt as though the ventilation system had failed and the hallway had gotten hotter. “I, uh…I mostly stay in my office, but I do have a room similar to this. It’s just a bed and wardrobe where I keep spare uniforms.”

Jenny withdrew and gave him a curious look. “Really? You’re like…the boss here…and you don’t live in the lap of luxury?”

Mitchell snorted a laugh and shook his head. “No, no luxury.” He ushered her inside and pushed the door shut behind him. She sat on the bed and he pulled up a chair. “We live pretty basic here. Our quarters are really just places to sleep and keep clothes. We’re usually too busy to…well…I mean, there is married housing on the base, but…”

He stumbled as he tried to find some redeeming quality to the life he led. He sighed heavily and leaned back in the chair. “Up until you, I never had a need for any of that. My job was my life and as long as I had a roof over my head, food on the table, and a clean uniform to put on, I had my needs met.”

“That sounds like a bleak existence.” She reached a tentative hand out and rubbed at his arm. “It sounds lonely.”

Mitchell shook his head. “No, not really. My men were my family. All of my people are. We’re a small enough outfit here that I know them all by name. All the way down to the cooks in the kitchen.”

Jenny smiled. “You should definitely make a point of getting to know them.” She winked at him.

“Yeah, well, to somebody on the outside looking in, it might seem lonely, but we stay pretty busy. And when I’m worried about my guys out in the field, it just didn’t leave time for…well…you know.”

“Dating?”

“Yeah. I mean, I guess I could have, but how do you tell a prospective date that once a month you turn into a wolf and bark at the moon?”

“True.” She patted his arm. “But the thing is, you don’t have to do this alone anymore. Not if you don’t want to.”

“What are you saying, Jenny?” Mitchell eyed her cautiously.

“I’m saying, my wolf accepted you. The more time I spend with you, the less apprehension I feel…”

“And that means…what?”

“That means I don’t need to be on the outside looking in.” She met his eyes and he felt that familiar flutter in his guts again. “If you’d let me, I could be on the inside. With you. Making things less lonely.”

Matt felt the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “I think I’d like that very much.”

Jenny leaned in and kissed him. Softly at first, then more deeply as she allowed herself to drop her guard. In the echoes of his mind, Matt could hear a wolf howling…he just didn’t know if it was his or hers.

*****

“What do we do?” Lilith paced as Samael considered their options. “You heard Azazel’s warning. If we continue on this path, we’re both doomed.”

“Bah! Foolishness.” Samael crossed his arms and tapped at his chin as he continued to think. “Michael sent him here to throw us off. There is no way we could lose and they know it. They just want to try to save ‘innocent’ blood. I have no care for innocent blood.”

“Nor do I, my love, but I do care about saving my own skin. I just got it back and I’d really like to keep it a little longer.” She continued to pace, pausing only a moment to notice her demons had finally gathered into ranks and waited for her command. “And what do we do about them?”

“Huh?” Samael turned and noted the demon legion standing at attention, their commanders standing at the front of each troop. “I am thinking. Give me a moment.”

“But what do we do about them?”

“They’ve waited this long, let them continue to wait.” Samael’s brow knitted as he continued to consider the possibilities. “If we had an inkling where Gabriel hid the weapons, we could send them after the cache. If we could gain control of the angelic weapons before the humans do…” His voice trailed. He turned to Lilith, “Tell me you know who this ‘non-human’ is that Azazel spoke of.”

Lilith shook her head. “What makes you think I would know that?”

“You cavorted with vampires. They’re non-human,” Samael snorted in derision. “It’s not too far of a stretch.”

“If I didn’t love you dearly, I would tell you to kiss my ass.”

“I already have. Numerous times. It was fun, but this is not the time for sex.” Samael continued to ponder the possibilities. “If not vampire, then who?”

“Oh, it could still be a vampire. It’s not like I know them all personally. I just used them to my advantage.” She gave him a knowing smirk then went back to her pacing.

“Who would the on high trust with angelic weapons?” He tapped a tooth nervously with an extended claw. “It would have to be one of pure heart. The temptation that the cache would bring would simply be too much for any less.”

“What are you saying?” Lilith paused her pacing and studied him.

“I am saying that a collection of angelic weapons would tempt even the purest of human hearts.”

“So that’s why they revealed it to a non-human.” She pointed to him as though an idea had come to her. “And vampires were once human. Whatever traits they had in life, they’re amplified in death. If they are greedy in life, they are overwhelmed with greed as a vampire. If a glutton, then a glutton too shall they be. If a liar—”

“Your point is made,” he interrupted. “Which explains your appetites.”

“I wasn’t a vampire, I was…” She turned and glared at him. “You helped create me.”

Samael gave her a sideways glance. “A decision I have never regretted.”

Lilith narrowed her eyes at him and raised a brow. “Your voice says one thing but your tongue another. I think—”

“And therein lies your problem,” he interrupted again. “Allow me to figure out angelic issues.”

“Why you self-righteous—”

“Which led to my fall. We already know this, my love. Now stop so that I may think.” Samael paced slowly, his wings opening and closing as he marched. “Who would the angels have entrusted a secret like this to?”

Lilith stood and watched him, deciding to keep her opinions to herself for the moment. She watched as his mind raced. She swore she could almost see the gears turning within his skull. When he stopped he turned to her. “Somebody
pure
of heart. Who on this planet is still pure of heart?”

“Certainly not a human.” She stared at her nails as though there was suddenly something quite interesting to be found there. “In fact, I would have to say,
none
.”

“Normally, I would as well.” Samael gave her a wicked smile. “Are there still elves or fairy folk?”

Her eyes widened and she turned to him. “There most certainly are. But…I don’t think they live
here
any longer.”

“Do not speak in riddles, woman. Spill it.”

She gave him a wicked smile. “They live in a different place. A place that neither we, nor humans can reach unless they want you to be there.”