Living the Dream: TDU Series, #7

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.

Join us in Book 7 ~ Living the Dream where we meet two new potential TDU Recruits.  Sami and Kyle are human with skills, or are they? 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jyn West
• Release date: Oct 11, 2019
• ISBN: 9781393215929

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.

The TDU has their work cut out for them, including seeking out more candidates to recruit. The books in the series that follow Book Six – Anticipation, will introduce some of those already on a path to meet Jeri and the others. We hope you will join us and welcome them as they are brought into the fold. Join us now for Book 7 – Living the Dream and welcome Sami and Kyle to the series. As we get to know them one of Sami’s special talents will finally tell us what exactly Jeri is.

Table of Contents

Contents

Copyright Page

Dedication & Acknowledgements

About: TDU - The Series

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 – Sami

Chapter 2 – Sunday

Chapter 3 - Finals Week 1

Chapter 4 - Revelation Week

Chapter 5 – Sharing

Chapter 6 – Graduation

Chapter 7 – Pack and Move

Chapter 8 – Sharing Wind

Chapter 9 – Experiments

Chapter 10 – Healing

Chapter 11 – Weaponry

About the Author

Chapter 1 – Sami

Prologue:

We have all had it, that one event that changed the course of our life for better or worse. For me that event fell on the night of my 16th birthday. My name is Charity Samir Dailey, everyone calls me Sami, and this is my story.

There was nothing remarkable about the day of my birthday that year. As an orphan living in a remote area of the Wyoming prairies with a confirmed bachelor Uncle and attending high school via satellite internet, there were no best friends bringing me flowers or cards to school, no family members surprising me with a party or special breakfast, no calls from beloved grandparents.

It was just a day like any other day. There are a lot of people just like me living in remote areas of our country. Wake up at the butt crack of dawn, milk our cow and collect the eggs, feed the dogs and a stray cat, who adopted our barn for her new home and keeps it mouse free in return for her lodging and some occasional table scraps. Make Uncle Dan two pots of strong coffee and fill his thermoses to last the day. School work until lunchtime, weed the garden after lunch, start a slow cooked supper on the stove and sign in to my remote desk for the part-time job I had tutoring several other home schooled kids by video on a tutoring website. Two of my three students remembered my birthday and sang to me which was pretty fun and funny.

Uncle Dan found an old arrowhead while he was out mending fences and gave me that and some other cool rocks he had been collecting for me, to use in my jewelry making and crafts, at supper when he finally told me Happy Birthday.

He never planned on having kids, but my parents hit some black ice and died in the car crash that followed that. I was an 8 year old girl with reddish brown hair and emerald green eyes. I was at the age where I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be a girly girl or a tomboy and split the difference to make the most of both. He stepped in with no hesitation and took care of me. He had to fight the state and social workers to prove he could handle the job. As a single male over 40, they were of the opinion that he had no business raising a girl, but they found out just how stubborn and determined he could be when he is of a mind to.

We figured out together how to be a family to each other, and we have our own ways of showing our love for each other. Uncle Dan is 48 now and says he has never regretted taking me in. He says I am keeping him young and happy. I never doubted his love for me and that is a blessing I will always treasure. My Grandma, my Mom and my Dad all died too young. Grandma died at 62 just 2 years before my Mom at age 36 and Dad at 38.

Anyway, that night after evening chores and watching the late news together I was working up to a bit of a headache. I joked with Uncle that news will do that to you. I was asleep almost before I got covered up. I woke a couple times through the night feeling like my eyeballs were going to jump right out of my head, the pounding in my head was so bad. My muscles were cramping like crazy. Not that time of the month kind of cramping, more like full body charley horse cramping. It was a heck of a thing. Then it felt like the whole world was spinning on a fast carnival ride. I started to feel a little green around the gills. About the time I was sure I would vomit; the whole world stilled and went black as a night without stars. Not so much as a cricket sound or wind through the fields could be heard.

Then I heard it, a small little whimper from . . . a crib under the window? There is no crib in our house. With the moon showing through the window I realize; this doesn’t look a bit like any room in our house. I get up from the rocker I found myself sitting in and went over to the crib. There lay a tiny baby girl no more than a few months old. She whimpered again and I reached over to comfort her, she is burning up with fever. Where are her Mom and Dad? I don’t have experience with babies, but I figure I can go find the parents to help.

The door is open and as I wander the house I find the mother of the baby. She is laying on the floor of the living room with the phone dropped beside her. She’s breathing, but when I touch her, she is as hot as the baby with fever. I try to move her or wake her, but I can’t seem to move even a hair on her head. I keep looking to see if the dad is nearby. The rest of the house is empty. Some mail on the kitchen counter has their name and address on it. They live just a few miles between us and the town. I’ve heard the name before; I think they’re the new family just moved here from the city.

I look out the window and don’t see their car or a truck. I try to open the door and it won’t budge like I have no strength to grip the knob. Now I’m getting pretty scared, the baby is wailing from the other room and the Mom is not even stirring with that racket.

I start screaming as loud as I can for help. The next thing I know, I hear Uncle Dan, and he is shaking my shoulder telling me to wake up it’s just a dream. I startle awake and bolt right up into Uncle Dan’s arms, shaking with fear. He calms me with his quiet talk and holding me safe, then I remember the Mom and the baby. I tell him about the dream and the name on the mail that was on the kitchen counter. He recognized the name, said it was the new family that moved in just one ranch over.

The husband is out of town moving the rest of their furniture from the city and asked if I would check on his family once or twice the week he is gone. Sam, he said, your Grandma had a gift of dreams from the time she was about your age. If you have it too then I’m thinking we best get dressed and go check on that Mom and baby right this minute. I’ll meet you at the car as quick as you can.

Well, you didn’t have to tell me twice. I hopped out of bed, threw on some jeans and a t-shirt and slid into my boots on the way to the front door. Uncle had the car going by the time I got there, and we were on our way. When we arrived at their ranch the house was dark but the minute we opened the door of the car we could hear the baby crying. We rushed to the door and thankfully it wasn’t locked, there’s no need this far out, and we entered the house and found the Missus right where I dreamed she was.

Uncle told me to get the baby and bring her in here while he calls the county hospital to see what to do. The triage nurse at the hospital helped us figure out the temperature, heart rate and breathing rate for both the Mom and the baby. They dispatched an ambulance and talked us through how to help bring their temperatures down until the ambulance arrived. Once it arrived and was on its way with the two sick patients the nurse told us it is going around the whole county right now and what we should watch for on ourselves. She said if we show any of the signs she told us to call our doctor immediately and don’t try to wait through it. She made us promise, especially since we were exposed to two who may have it.

Uncle Dan checked the barn to see if they had any animals that needed tending and I checked the house for pets the same way. None of either yet, so we just closed up the house leaving a note for the Mister when he arrives home about where his family was and then headed back to our place.

Morning had arrived and tired or not we had work and schoolwork to get done. Uncle told me to go through the attic this afternoon because somewhere up there is a box of his Mom’s journals. Your grandma kept journals of her experiences with the dream walking as she called it and they might help you out along the way since it looks like you got her gift as well.

I wasn’t sure whether to be scared or excited, but I promised to seek out the journals after my tutoring sessions. After I got Uncle off with his coffee I took care of the morning chores and then took a hot shower to settle my sore muscles from the full body charley horse last night. Then I grabbed a bagel and some sweet tea and got busy on my school work. I had checked the garden on the way in from the barn and was thankful to not see any weeding for today so I can have a relaxed lunch. I imagine I’ll be wanting a nap by supper time, sigh.

The morning flew by and it was lunch time before I knew it. I made some egg salad to make lettuce wraps, with salsa made from a ripe tomato, fresh from the garden. Uncle has had me helping grow our own food since I moved in with him 8 years ago. The few times we traveled to the city and ate at restaurants, the difference between home grown and store bought produce was incredible. I feel bad for all those who will never experience that remarkable difference.

After my tutoring sessions were done, I went up into the attic to look for Grandma’s journals. Had to put in a new light bulb but the lamp worked after that so at least I had enough light. The dust was pretty thick, and I probably brought half of it out on the backside of my jeans. *laugh* Finally found six boxes labeled journals and was pleased to see not only Grandma’s when I opened them up but also my Mom’s and there were a half dozen blank ones. So of course I put my name on one of those and decided to carry on the family tradition of journaling. Grandma filled up 3-4 per year, Mom only filled about 1 per year. I wanted to read all of them instantly and it was hard to choose where to begin. I arranged them in date order regardless of who authored them and decided to read them all in chronological order. I moved most of the bric a brac from the bookshelf in the living room to the china cabinet and curio cabinet. Then filled the bookshelf with the journals.

Grandma’s first journal started after she turned 16, just like me, so that will be a good place to start. Fifty-six years ago the first journal of our 3 generations began. A total of over 200 journals. Wow guess I know what I am using my free time for over the next few years.

two years later . . .

I pray this is not the last entry in my journal, but I fear that it may well be. Sam, if you are reading this and there are no entries after this one, I’m sorry my darling girl. Please know that your Daddy and I love you so very much, we would never leave you to grow up without us if there was any possible way to avoid it. We have tried to always be extra careful. When we suspected it would be dangerous, we tried to bring in help to minimize the danger, but this time I saw our death and no hint of what caused it. All we could do to protect you was make sure you were not with us, just in case. I hope your life has been a good one and that you can someday forgive us for not being there to see you through it. If you have received this gift like all the other females in our lineage, I encourage you to embrace it as a gift and not a burden. Always try to see the flowers, in spite of the thorns. ~ Love, Momma

I close the last book and wait for the tears to finish falling. They knew, Momma and Daddy knew that they might not ever see me again, and they went anyway. This is the last of the 232 journals I found in the attic after my 16th birthday. Between Grandma and Mom’s journals, I understand the gift better now. They were both so strong, so full of love and caring for others. There were many before them too, in our family. What if I am not as strong as them, what if my fear is greater and I am not enough to carry on our family legacy, our duty?

Grandma called what we do, dream walking. Mom called it having visions or premonitions. From some of the stories Grandma related about our ancestors, I suspect it is a little different for each of us who inherit it. She told one story about her mother, my great grandmother, who could travel into the dreams of others and pull others into her own dream and interact in them. She also related stories where her mother got hurt in those dreams and woke with wounds.

So far, in the past two years since I turned 16, I have had only dreams along the lines of visions or premonitions like Mom’s. I wasn’t able to interact in them but only observe and then react to them in the real world. Reuniting lost pets with their owners, alerting the local Sheriff about some minor crimes about to happen, tips to people that should see their doctor for cancer screening, things like that.

In Grandma’s journals though, she mentions that she gained additional abilities after she felt comfortable in the current one. It sounds like the visions and premonitions are the first ability, Mom only had that one. Grandma next mentioned, at age 18, actively entering others dreams and drawing others into hers and interacting with them verbally. She never progressed to the next one her own mother experienced about being able to interact not just verbally but physically. Those were the only 3 stages she gave examples of but hinted that there were other abilities too, for some of our ancestors prior to that, but no details.

I wonder if Mom ever read Grandma’s journals. She didn’t mention doing so in her own journals. Maybe she never got past the first ability because she didn’t understand that there were others available? Maybe the possibility has to be entertained in order to accept the ability to do it. Maybe you are only given what you have the strength to handle. Two hundred and thirty two journals and I have more questions not less.

Tomorrow is Sunday, so I will have most of the day to research dreams, visions and such, to see what variation of abilities others may have claimed over the years. I will be 18 in a few days; I would rather not be surprised like when I turned 16.

Uncle Dan walks up behind me and puts his arms around me and kisses my head. Looks like the tears are dry and maybe you could use a hug now?

You know, for a single man, you are very good at all this emotional need stuff. I grin and hug him close. Thanks, Uncle Dan, for loving me through the last ten years and being so patient these last two. That was the last journal, so I think I will be more present from here forward.

I will always be here for you, Sam. The late news has been over for 30 minutes now though, so we better get some sleep. I still have you for chores detail a few more weeks, he laughs. Can’t believe you will be off to college soon. I am so proud of you. I love you, Sam. Sweet dreams.

I love you too, Uncle. I couldn’t have done it without you. Good night.

I put the last journal back on the bookshelf and went to my room. I wrote my thoughts, about the final journal reading, in my own journal and my plan for tomorrow’s research. I think I will also check for synonyms of each of my search words. Maybe that will get even more hits on my internet search and leads of who to contact for instruction on any abilities I may gain. My 18th birthday is just days away and then high school graduation less than a month after that, though I have already completed all my course work. I am just studying for finals