Page 4

Terrorists

Sally got up in the morning and fixed breakfast for everyone.

Then she loaded the crockpots that she had so they would have something for lunch and supper.

She made up the list, checked it twice, and pulled down a couple locations for herself as well since they were supposed to get two people today.

It was smart to be prepared for anything, as there was no telling what would happen on any given day.

Xantos made it downstairs and headed to the food.

He fixed himself a plate and then thanked her before he tore into the food.

Terri came in next and did the same to make Sally suspect she might be a wolf.

There was a knock on the door, and then it opened, and a couple came in.

She'd not expected that, but they hadn't been getting much information on their new people until they arrived.

That was unfortunate, but they could work with it.

The couple would be split up for their training.

She would go with the lady, while Xantos would take on the guy.

Terri would be working with Randy due to the increased terrorist activity.

The crew would be safer working in pairs.

That was something that had been proven true in the past.

The new couple accepted the offer of breakfast, and after they had eaten, everyone headed out, including her.

She locked up the office even though it was unlikely anyone would come out this far.

Once they headed to the truck, she was glad to see that Dolores, the new female, helped make sure that the truck was loaded correctly.

They hurried down the road, and she had taken two locations that were neither close nor far.

That would give them a little time together for her to learn more about their new girl and show her more about the area.

Since her nose was not sensitive enough, she had no idea if Dolores was paranormal and, if so, what kind.

"Some criminals are working in the area, so we need to take appropriate precautions," Sally explained.

Dolores didn't look worried or surprised. They may have already been filled in before they had headed this way.

“Here is our first location, and I will go in to check it out and come back for you if it is safe," Sally explained.

It turned out to be safe. She went back to get Dolores, and then they grabbed the necessary equipment and quickly finished the job.

Her new worker seemed to know what she was doing, and she would be working on her own after the next job, provided nothing went wrong.

Those were famous last words, and as soon as they got close to the location, she knew something was wrong.

Not because it was isolated but because the road had obviously not been driven down for a long time until recently.

It was evident with the tall weeds that had been crushed by the passage of a vehicle.

Additionally, the house did not appear to be livable.

The roof was holey and probably leaked like a sieve.

“I'll go first, so keep the radio close by because I believe there's going to be trouble here," Sally admitted.

Dolores nodded and watched her as she walked away.

Once she got close to the house, she tried to peek through the windows, but whoever was inside had covered them well.

She could hear hushed talking, but she couldn't make out a word.

There was little choice but to knock on the door and see what was going on.

That was what she did, and in seconds, someone answered.

This guy both looked and smelled bad. He was bald on top but had grown the rest of his hair long.

It was greasy, with chunks of something in it.

It was not a good look for anyone, and it was probably part of the reason he smelled so bad.

His shirt was dirty and unbuttoned down to his navel, revealing that he was in poor physical shape.

The man had a rounded belly that made him look as if he were expecting, even though it was apparent he was a male.

He grinned at her as he opened the door. “Come on in. We've been expecting you.”

She could see that there were other guys also waiting, and she wondered how much damage she could do with two Tasers.

Sally knew she was about to find out. There was no point in waiting for them to attack first, and she immediately began firing at them.

Four were down with two to go, but she thought she was out of power now.

Sally kicked one in the balls, and he fell to the ground, writhing and moaning.

That left one guy who had moved closer to her as if he were considering trying to take her down but was afraid to try.

“Boo!” Sally said as she acted as if she were going to run at him, and he turned and fled.

Maybe she should have tried to run him down and take him out, but she felt exhausted from what she had already gone through and was willing just to let him run.

She figured he would be in village history, making it sound like he had been attacked by a group or even a witch like Harry.

Sally headed back out to the truck where Dolores waited for her.

“No trouble?” She asked.

“Nothing but trouble. Five are down, and one escaped. We need to call the State Patrol so they can get these guys. We probably should restrain them, or they will escape too.”

Dolores agreed, and they headed inside, where one of the guys had already disappeared.

They restrained the rest of them and made the phone call, and they were told that a car was nearby due to another complaint and would arrive in half an hour if they could just wait.

It ended up being more like an hour, and once they were done, they headed back to the office.

This had not been a good day, and she suspected their days were going to get worse.

At least they were at the office where they could rest and recuperate.

As she had suspected, Dolores and Mike were mated and usually worked together as partners.

Sally took Dolores to the other suite so she could settle in.

It was now lunchtime, and when Dolores came back from settling in, they sat down and ate lunch together while Sally explained how things worked at the office to her.

They got along well. Sally thought that, given time, they could be friends.

There were a few calls, but the office was slow.

A few hours later, Xantos and Mike returned with their list completed.

At least someone had a fruitful day and took the time to explain the problems they had encountered.

It had slowed their progress, but there was nothing to do about it, and Mike and Dolores would go out tomorrow to work as a team.

Xantos had decided that Mike was an excellent worker, and since Dolores had been tested at one location, there was no reason not to put them together and let them work as trained security specialists.

There would be another arrival either tomorrow or the next day, and they were beginning to build a team that at least might have a chance of catching up on their list. They had no information on who the next new person would be or when they would arrive after this one.

Sally had to admit it was a little frustrating to have so little information when she and Xantos were supposed to be in charge.

Perhaps this was a test of some sort, although she couldn't imagine why they would be tested in this manner.

It is to ensure that they can do the job they were given.

Honestly, Sally wasn't sure that they could, but her partner seemed confident, so maybe he had enough confidence for both of them.

Everyone ate supper, and then they headed to their rooms. The rooms all had TVs, and Tyne had satellite TV because it was necessary for communication in any office setting.

She preferred to read, but she knew that Xantos watched TV and often until late at night.

Sally figured he had trouble sleeping, and that wasn't unusual.

She had to admit there were times that she had bad dreams and couldn't get back to sleep when she woke up.

Sometimes, she remembered the dreams, but other times, she didn't. When she remembered them, they were the things of nightmares, and she wished she couldn't remember them.

Sally dreamed of an abusive alpha wolf and the pleasure that he got when he took out his anger on females.

She was just an observer, and there was nothing she could do, but she wished she could take a gun and shoot the SOB.

These terrorists were similar to him, only they weren't as bad, and they didn't have the kind of control that he did.

Why was she having these dreams? Maybe so she would know where the bodies were buried if she ever came face to face with the evil one.

Sally didn't really understand, and she figured it must be one of those talents she had because she was a wolf, even though she didn't have enough blood to shift.

Her gifts included improved senses but not as well as paranormals had, and slightly enhanced speed and strength, but again not as good as paranormals had.

Since she couldn't shift, she didn't really understand why she still had some qualities, even if in lesser amounts, than a wolf would.

Breakfast was ready, and she had made a little more than what was required for those who were there.

No one had come out yet, but Sally's eyes turned to the door.

There was a knock just moments later, and then someone came in.

She tried not to show any emotions, but damn, the guy was gorgeous.

His hair was black as coal, and his eyes were too.

His complexion was swarthy, and the male was tall, almost seven feet tall, and well built.

“I think I'm at the right place. My name is Renard. Who might you be?”