Gatherer: TDU Series, #4

By Jyn West

The number of paranormal entities in the world are increasing and intermarrying with humans. Those humans and their friends and families are now aware of them and word is spreading. Who will help with peacekeeping and law enforcement as knowledge of their existence spreads. Who will help train local law enforcement agencies how to deal with these groups, who have until now been self-policed. With the increased numbers and expansion beyond the voluntary group boundaries of the past, an integrated human and paranormal force will be needed for the future. The Tactical Development Unit (TDU) is that force.

Book Four of the TDU Series continues, and fulfillment of the prophecy is under way. Two lost ones have been gathered, a third un-named lost one is within reach and a fourth lost one is in imminent danger at an unknown location. Please join us in Gatherer as the search continues and the TDU is preparing for the future.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jyn West
• Release date: Oct 1, 2019
• ISBN: 9781393591856

Book preview

Copyright Page

Copyright ©2019 Jyn West All Rights Reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the Author. You must not circulate the book in any format. Thank you for respecting the rights of the Author. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.

Dedication & Acknowledgements

Thank you to my family and friends who continue to encourage me and hold me accountable. For believing that I could do this and succeed. I could not have done it without you. Your patience and love carried me through the rough spots, and you rejoiced with me as hurdles were cleared. Thanks to Mom and Dad who were even willing to read outside their normal genre to support me, you are the best.

A special thanks to all my beta readers and their willingness to take me on as a new author and to share your views while the work was in progress. For helping me identify slang terms that not all regions would interpret the same. LOL Thanks for seeing it through. Georgianna Jonson and Dee B. you guys are the best interactive sounding boards ever. I am honored to have had you with me through the process. Justin, thanks so much for the books you were able to read for me before your move. Maureen and Gloria I hope you are enjoying the beginning of the series as much as you did the later books you read for me.

My family, friends and beta readers have heard this disclaimer many times but here it is for all you new readers too.

This series is a work of fiction. If details about locations are accurate, I may have passed through or I may have gotten lucky with my description. No need to correct perceived errors in the description, this is fiction. Some facts or observations are woven through the stories but for the majority of the series, this is fiction. *laugh* I hope you enjoy the books. I hope they do inspire you to explore places you have not been, but please don’t try to find places described except just for fun, because its fiction. May the wanderlust take you to places unknown by road or by reading. Encourage our youth to learn the joy and fun of reading, a vacation for our mind that can last minutes or hours as time allows. Thanks for checking us out. The TDU Series currently has 12 books with a 13th in progress and each will be released as it goes through final editing and touchups.

About: TDU - The Series

Tactical (strategic, planned, psychological, calculated, intentional)

Development (expansion, progress, advancement, training, education)

Unit (entity, division, group, company, organization)

The number of paranormal entities in the world are increasing and intermarrying with humans. Those humans and their friends and families are now aware of them and word is spreading. Who will help with peacekeeping and law enforcement as knowledge of their existence spreads. Who will help train local law enforcement agencies how to deal with these groups, who have until now been self-policed. With the increased numbers and expansion beyond the voluntary group boundaries of the past, an integrated human and paranormal force will be needed for the future. The Tactical Development Unit (TDU) is that force.

Book Four of the TDU Series continues, and fulfillment of the prophecy is under way. Two lost ones have been gathered, a third un-named lost one is within reach and a fourth lost one is in imminent danger at an unknown location. Please join us in Gatherer as the search continues and the TDU is preparing for the future.

Table of Contents

Contents

Copyright Page

Dedication & Acknowledgements

About: TDU - The Series

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 – Getting to know you.

Chapter 2 – Bears

Chapter 3 – Presentation of Cadence

Chapter 4 – TDU Creation

Chapter 5 – Guard Dog Training

Chapter 6 – BBQ and Visions

Chapter 7 – International Rescue

Chapter 8 – Home Again

Chapter 9 – Presentation of Bastian

Chapter 10 – Historian Found

Chapter 11 – Seeking Justice

Chapter 12 – Approaching Justice

Chapter 13 – Danger

Chapter 14 – Progress and Joy

About the Author

Chapter 1 – Getting to know you.

Fulfillment of the prophecy is under way. Danny and Cadence have both been gathered, an un-named lost one is within reach and another lost one is in imminent danger at an unknown location. Please join us in reading Gatherer as the search continues and the TDU is preparing for the future.

.  .  .  .  .  .  .

Monday 0645

We stop in the cafeteria for our morning coffees. His hot, mine iced. We run into Robert there too. Thank God you’re both home Robert says as he pulls us both into a hug. We both look at each other like a whole new level of crazy got released on us and Robert starts laughing. The team in the Comm Center has been driving me nuts. Every day last week calling to see if I heard from either of you and are you coming back for sure. Good grief, you would think someone stole their brand new Christmas toy or something. Did you guys have a good vacation?

Zachary answered first, we had a great time. Toured wine country, San Francisco, The Grand Canyon, Flagstaff, Tennessee Greyhound Rescue.

Zachary and I also found another lost one like Danny, her name is Cadence, can’t wait for you to meet her and hear her play the handrum. Actually, that got videotaped and went viral, so you can see it online.

Anders, Zachary said, you were in on the hiring end of bringing Jeri onboard here. Did you get to see her resume? In full or redacted?

I did, Robert admitted, so I take it the stop in Flagstaff was enlightening?

To say the least. Do Dr. K and Daniel know?

I would think Dr. K probably does but maybe not. He was only in on testing with no input for hiring, so maybe not, and I don’t believe Daniel knows either. Williams is the only one with the list of who knows. HR probably knows but they are nearly as tight lipped as seals with all the paperwork they agree to before working in that department, he laughed. I wouldn’t be saying it out loud until you clear it with Williams just to be safe.

Okay, good idea, I think I’ll go make an appointment with him. Wouldn’t want to ruin anything just from not knowing. Babe, he didn’t tell you not to tell people though right?

No he didn’t say not to. I just told him it is something I generally don’t share. Easier to fit in with others if they don’t know. The title tends to shut some people down.

Maybe he just went along with it because of your preference then. I will double check to be sure.  You better get moving or they’ll send out a search party, he said as he kissed my cheek. Anders see you later.

Monday 0705

As I come around the corner, Kurtz is rushing out the door and stops dead in his tracks when he sees me and lets out a huge breath and smiles from ear to ear.

Thank God you’re back Agent Logan. Some of the guys have been driving me nuts wanting you to consult on some tough ones that came in last week. We sent two out as best guess with final to follow so those two are the only thing on your list for today. One of them is Davis’ and he is the one who had me coming to hunt you down already this morning. Do you want some more iced coffee? I’ll make it happen just don’t leave to get it yourself, please, I’m begging you.

Another iced coffee would be great. I picked up the two packets and logged in. I’ll get right on these. *wink*

I make it all the way to my cubicle undetected in the bullpen and take out Davis’ first. It’s an audio segment. The notes they transcribed are there too, but I listen without comparing them first and then review it a second time with the prior notes. The notes are transcribed fine but with my enhanced hearing I pick up a secondary conversation in the background of part of the segment, I transcribe it and mark the beginning and ending so they can try to pull it out and enhance it. Not anything dramatically important but no mention in the notes of anyone picking it up. I put the hard copies in my out box and email a copy to Davis and notify Kurtz that it’s in the out. Kurtz drops off my iced coffee refill when he stops to pick it up.

I move on to the 2nd one which is a bit longer and worry if I will have time to get through it before I need to leave. This one isn’t questioning the transcription; it seems pretty cut and dried but they have two parties not identified on the tape so they are having every agent listen to them to see if anyone recognizes either voice. Since they know I have some UN ties and have been overseas several times both for language skills and animal training, they want me to listen anyway and also if I don’t recognize the voices I may be able to pick up on region of affiliation to search for them. They have the pertinent segments marked so I do have enough time to listen to each of the segments the two people are in. Though I do not recognize the voices I am able to list some identifiers in their speech patterns for possible locations to search and get the file closed and results sent out just in time to leave for the fitness/training center.

Monday 0800

I jog over to the training center so that I won’t hold up any classes. Change into some workout gear and join the class in progress. It is a new class on their first day based on the lecture Anders is giving. As he finishes up he asks each new recruit to stand up and introduce themselves and give a brief description of their skills level from a physical combat perspective. They give their name, prior profession, and belt levels or other designations that would give meaning to overall bad ass levels attained from a combat perspective. Seals, Rangers, Black belts, NFL, MMA, Berets, etc.

Then Anders invites me to come into the circle of agents both male and female. He gives them my age, height, weight, then informs them that I am a college grad and joined the agency approximately one year ago.

Let’s say you infiltrate a building known to house several high level hostages. You have taken out all external threats and internal. You are now at the entry to the wing the hostages are in and the only person standing between you and them is Agent Logan here.

From your observations of her and knowing the small amount of information given about her, what can you point out as pros and cons in a combat situation. Give your recommendation on how to handle this last line of defense.

Write this information on the paper provided to you just now and put your name and skill level on it. Fold it one time and place in the basket she is holding, return to your position in the circle and sit down. Each person watches, writes, folds, approaches, deposits and returns to sit down.

I smile. I love these first classes.

You find something funny, Agent Logan?

Yes, Sir.

Of the twelve recruits in the circle, Agent Logan, how many need threat assessment training? Tell us the number and then congratulate the ones who would have passed that test.

Seven need threat assessment training, Sir. Five would have passed. I walk to each who passed, and they stand to shake my hand. I place a gold star on their badge. He tells them to remain standing until they fail a test.

Why did the seven still sitting fail, Agent Logan?

They turned their back on their enemy, underestimating me, Sir.

Of the twelve recruits in the circle, Agent Logan, how many need situational awareness training?

Nine need situational awareness training, Sir. Three would have passed. I walk to the five standing and reseat three of them giving gold stars to two of them, I move to one other who is sitting and wait for them to stand and shake my hand and place a gold star on their badge.

Why did the nine fail, Agent Logan?

They entered within the enemies’ personal space after I set for a leg sweep, underestimating me, Sir.

Of the twelve recruits in the circle, Agent Logan, how many need non-verbal communication training?

Ten need non-verbal communication training, Sir. Two would have passed. I walked to the three standing and reseat two, placing a gold star on the one remaining and stepped to one of the original five to regain the standing position to receive their gold star and hand shake.

Why did the ten fail, Agent Logan?

They neglected to maintain eye contact, thereby missing tells and underestimating me, Sir.

How many received three of three stars, Agent Logan?

One, Sir.

Will the recruit with three stars please step to the center of the circle next to Agent Logan?

Recruit, you have won the honor of trying to defeat Agent Logan in our demonstration today. The demonstration is to make the point that you must never underestimate your enemy. The rest of you will observe Agent Logan further and will be given an opportunity to redeem yourselves if you choose to.

Recruit choose the style of fighting for this demonstration.

Mixed Martial Arts, Sir.

I like this guy and the huge smile that spreads across my face elicited a blink and a pupil dilation from him. I pull myself up to my full height, draw my shoulders back into a strong firm stance. A second blink, he is worried, someone in a previous class has warned him. His thoughts were blocked until that second blink when he thought, shit!!

Anders has the remaining class members back up to the edge of the wrestling mat and tells us to begin. I give a formal bow without taking my eyes from his and he returns the bow. The competition begins. He is good, his thoughts are actually blocked pretty well most of the time. When he focuses on his plan he blocks all other thoughts. When his patterns are interrupted by a surprise move it opens them briefly. He is more difficult to read, mind wise, but does still have some physical tells. They are small. He is very well trained and focused.

After 50 minutes, Anders calls the competition as a draw and congratulates the recruit as the first to last that long with me and still be going strong.

We bow and then I walk over and hand him a water and praise his incredible focus. We talk for a few minutes so that I can point out the few tells that slipped out during the competition. He thanked me for being willing to share that information and said he still underestimated me even having been given a heads up by a buddy of his in the previous class.

Once we are sufficiently cooled down, Anders addresses the rest of the class to see if anyone else wants to challenge either competitor? After a unified inhalation of breath, he laughs and says he’ll take that as a hell no. Class dismissed.

Anders tells me to hit the showers and then meet him in the lab today. I raise my eyebrows and he winks and walks into his office to enter his notes from the class observations.

I am actually quite happy to be heading to the lab today. After two weeks off, to just jump into a long competition like that against a strong opponent just about kicked my butt. I shower long and hot, change and grab another bottle of water on my way to the lab.

I turn the corner into the lab and Anders is kicked back in a desk chair and both Daniel and Dr. K are waiting leaning back on the desk with their arms crossed, looking absolutely pissed at me. I hit the brakes and reach for their thoughts automatically. They are both thinking, Dr. Logan? You have been here a year and never bothered to share that information with us? Uh oh. Word is out. Darn! I drop my head and took in a breath. Robert starts laughing, the brat. I hold up both hands.

First of all, stop yelling at me, even non-verbally it is still loud. It was on my resume, whether or not that information was shared was not my decision to make.

Second, nothing about ME is different. I am the same person I have always been.

Third, no one asked me about my background unless it directly related to the special abilities I possess, and I answered those questions truthfully.

And fourth and finally, I don’t advertise my education because it will guarantee my future chained to a desk or, no offense, a lab. Neither of which is what I want.

I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. Over ten years of studying, with only one friend to show for it, left me poorly prepared to share and get to know people unless it is necessary for a specific reason. I am new to this aspect of my life. Please forgive me.

Daniel walks up and pulls me into a hug as a few tears leak out, Dr. K walks up and engulfs both of us in another hug layer with back pats added in. Of course we do, he adds. We didn’t mean to make you cry. We feel bad that we didn’t make a stronger effort to get to know all of you, so that you would feel okay to share such a big part of your life with us. We should be asking you to forgive us. We’re sorry Jeri. Okay, enough mush. Let’s go to the conference room and discuss this new ability with altering heart and respiration rates and how to practice those safely. Also, Daniel has your most recent DNA test results.

Thanks, guys. As long as we are going forward on full disclosure, I paid for my college in cash before I graduated with the money I made in my two companies. No student loans and didn’t touch my trusts.

Daniel looks back at me, trusts – plural? Like from each parent?

And each grandparent too.

FOUR? Holy shit, Jeri. No offense but you dress like you shop at the discount stores most of the time.

I do, why should I pay a thousand times more money for clothes than I need to?

Lassiter told us you have a nickname of legs from the first mission, so I take it you were not wearing discount store clothes for that?, Dr. K asked.

No she wasn’t, Anders finally contributed to my embarrassment. She was wearing a hot little number that fit in perfectly with the luxury hotel the conference was held in, and the other days a very nice, very expensive suit.

Now I was really blushing. I admitted I do have some nice things that I wear when appropriate for the occasion. I also have a charter plane on retainer if it is needed, which my clients pay through the nose for when I have to use it, I rolled my eyes.

All three of them stopped with their mouths hanging open on that one, oops, Robert didn’t know that one yet either and he knows me better than any of the rest so far. You will keep that to yourselves, right? Guys? Please?

They all nodded and started toward the conference room again. Daniel sighed; we are in the wrong business. How much money do you make on animal training?

My work with the rescue is donated time and resources. Private clients, the largest single animal contract I had was over 40,000, the least expensive was 500. Depends on the type of animal, what extent of training they want, if there are travel expenses and if there are any follow ups. Oh, and how many are being trained. Plus there is a training for the human security team that handles the animals as well if it is guard dogs. The Sheikh’s horses, camels and guard dogs and handlers was the highest I have ever charged. It came in just under one million, encompassed three months with quarterly follow ups for one year.

One Million Dollars? Dr. K said.

Just under. It would have been over except I was already in the area on a yearlong archeological dig, so he saved on the travel and housing expenses.

Daniel asked then, what about that mission you went on with the tiger people. What did that quote end up being?

$30,000 for the one tiger and any staff members that would have to deal with it. Covered a 3-6 month time span. They decided it was too much and paid me 1,500 for the dietary and mating advice. If they change their mind after three months it will cost them 10% more per month past the deadline.

So what are the chances that they would call you back?

About 50/50. Quotes that large to the uneducated sends them out to get other quotes and when they find out how reasonable it was they will either call back and pay the penalty fees or they will abandon the project for something more the norm. Then they will likely call back for the less expensive canine training.

Most of my animal training clients are referred by other clients so they are well aware of the cost and the results that can be expected. Most of them have already had less expensive trainers with poor results so they are willing and able to pay the fees.

Dr. K says, so to cover 6 years through college you must have had several of the larger contracts?

I take on 1-2 large ones per year and the rest are smaller that can be more easily assimilated into a study schedule, but I also had the language services spread in there too.

As we sit down at the conference table he asks how much do you make doing that.

For simple correspondence I charge 100.00 per hour with a one hour minimum handled digitally, so they have to print and sign it. If they want me to provide the paper document it’s 150.00 per hour plus expenses. In person locally or video conferencing is 250.00 per hour plus expenses with a two hour minimum. If it is multiple days I give them a flat rate quote based on a twelve hour day. For out of town contracts those days include travel time, so a three day minimum.

Anders comments, based on the results you are having in the Comm Center, you must be able to squeeze in a lot of short correspondence jobs. I’ve watched you complete several during a lunch while we were chatting.

Yes, if I have 4-6 letters I can complete them in an hour and bill for four to six hours. So up to 600.00 per hour.

WOW, and that is the kind of work you have Andy coming to town to manage for you? So you will have employees doing that at a lower rate than what you currently take home I assume?

Right, but I provide the clients and am the one taking the risk and being insured and bonded against claims for mistakes. My clients stay with me at my rates because there aren’t mistakes. That business I also do on a referral basis. Though with Andy managing we will probably market a lower end product as well.

So you were able to put yourself through college, for multiple degrees, doing part time or summer work. And provided your other expenses as well. Very impressive.

I made enough to do that and keep up with some favorite charitable commitments too, and I have a few investment properties here and there.

Okay, enough about me, I am seriously on overwhelm with sharing it right now.

Fair enough, sorry Jeri. Guess we were trying too hard to make up for all the time we wasted. Daniel, why don’t we start with your latest update on the DNA studies?

Excellent, one of my favorite subjects. As you two know, each time I have taken a sample it has shown an increase in the assimilation of the DNA on the species you were transforming into the most frequently prior to that. I can tell you now that you are at 100% assimilation on Wolf, Grey and Falcon now, about 75% on Cheetah, a 25% increase just since the last test. Varying percentages on a number of others, can you check this list and tell me what commonalities some of them may have? Several are pretty close to each other and the rest are barely registering but are still there and not declining.

Robert and I both review the list. The higher percentage ones are those we play & train with the most. All of the ones on the list have one thing in common though, they are all contained in the ink of the tattoo. The few with the tiniest percent are the ones still being accessed with the pendant/talisman. So not very often. Since we have a Cheetah in house now at the pack, I would expect that to reach 100% soon. You will also start seeing an increase in Bear DNA too. I have been having intermittent dreams/visions about a bear cub, so we will be pushing on the bear changes starting this week, right? I directed that to Robert. He agreed. Up until now we haven’t pushed the bear much, other than its wow factor for size and strength in demonstrations. It is one of the slowest moving, but with the potential to encounter bears at some point in this probable cub rescue, we will be stepping that up.

Dr. Kleing interrupted here, I have heard several indications lately that there is more going on with you two than just agency training. Is it something you would feel comfortable sharing with us