Kaylid Chronicles Novellas

By Mel Todd

Want to learn more about JD, Perc, Charley, and Cass? Curious as to how they got in this mess or what happened with the kids during Commander? Dive into this set of four novellas to see their stories. 

 

New Games

Shifters have to stick together if they want to survive.

Perc Alexander is one of the rare humans who can shift into an animal, in his case the form of an extinct cat. As a professional athlete who trained his body for years before the shifter revelation, he doesn't think much about this new ability. Not until the NFL suspends him for being a shifter.

 

Perc knew arguing the suspension would make him a target. He didn't expect being knocked out and abducted by an outfit running an illegal operation involving shifters. He finds out just how far his animal instincts will go to save himself and others from their brutal abductors. Reeling from survivor's guilt, Percival is determined to fight for his career and shifter rights. He knows for certain he is more than a football player and cat shifter. It's time the rest of the world learned that as well, no matter what it costs him.

 

Home Alone

When you don't trust adults, all you can do is run.

When his foster mom is captured, along with the mom of his best friends, Charley Davis finds himself responsible for them.  Trusting adults is hard, but he makes the choice to do just that and calls McKenna's police officer friends.  When CPS gets involved, Charley knows adults can't be trusted. Jessi and Jamie, won't let him run away by himself, which means they all go on the lam together.  Living on your own, hiding from adults - both the good and bad ones - is harder than he thought.  When everything goes wrong, they run again, leaving Jamie behind.

 

Scared, wanting their parents back, Jessi and Charley try to be strong. But even when you can shift into an animal, being the responsible one might be more than he can take.

 

Decisions

A wolverine had not been in her plans.

Turning into a wolverine was fascinating. Affected by the strange event sweeping the Earth, Cassandra Borden decides to keep her ability secret.  None of her family changed, and it isn't relevant to her life. Though her sister would call her dull, Cass loved what she discovered in her job as a scientist. Stymied by political maneuvering she throws herself into making sure her discoveries are published and patented.

 

Being kidnapped in her parking lot and then waking up in a jungle with four other naked people is not what she had planned.  Discovering what they need to do and the cost to her loved ones if she doesn't?  Cass will have to decide exactly what she can handle, otherwise her death might be the first.

 

Trust

Trusting others is the hardest thing you ever do.

When McKenna turned into a cougar, JD Davidson rolled with it. After all, he turned into a bear. But standing on the sidelines with Toni Diaz as McKenna was kidnapped as well as Toni's kids? That proved harder than he expected.

 

Falling love with a beautiful woman should have been easy, but why would she love him? Not to mention aliens, government, and an impending invasion. Anyone smart would have turned and run. He just had to trust that maybe they would have something to live for on the other side. Alien's can't kill everyone, right?

Caught in the middle of an invasion all he can do is guard McKenna's back, trust in his friends, and kill as many enemies as possible. But when their hopes are answered, will his trust be rewarded or shattered?

 

Bonus: A short story about the origin of Ash. Enjoy this bundled group of novellas and short story and dive into the world of Kaylid.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bad Ash Publishing
• Release date: Jan 23, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215627655

Mel Todd

Chasing her dream of being a full-time writer, Mel Todd has 17 stories out, her Kaylid Chronicles, the Blood War series, and more to come.  Owner of Bad Ash Publishing she is creating a book empire full of good stories and good authors.   With over a million words published, she is aiming for another million in the next two years.  All stories that will grab you and make you hunger for more.  With one co-author and more books in the work, her stories can be found on Amazon and other retailers.  You can follow her on Facebook at - https://www.facebook.com/badashbooks/

Book preview

Kaylid Novellas Set

Kaylid Novellas Set

MEL TODD

Bad Ash Publishing

Copyright © 2019 by Melisa Todd

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior written permission.

Bad Ash Publishing

Powder Springs, GA 30127

www.badashpublishing.com

Publisher's Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author's imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.

Cover by http://www.ampersandbookcovers.com/

Trust/ Mel Todd -- 1st ed.

Vellum flower icon Created with Vellum

Contents

New Games

Introduction

1. Suspended

2. Enemy Action

3. Your Ride

4. Waking Up

5. First Responders

6. Details

7. Honor

8. Complications

9. Dominos

10. Showdown

11. New Options

12. Sideways

13. Snowballing

Epilogue

Home Alone

1. Day in the Sun

2. Run

3. Dealing with Reality

4. Adults Take Over

5. Squad Tactics

6. Incoming

7. Crossroads

8. Day in the Park

9. Day Alone

10. Running from Yourself

11. Running for Safety

12. Cooking with Movies

13. Fire

14. Hiding

15. Killing Time

16. All Fall Down

Decisions

1. Surprise!

2. Aftermath

3. Secrets

4. Lichen

5. Experimentation

6. Deadlines

7. All or Nothing

8. Dreams

9. Threats

10. Refuse to Give In

11. Nature Calls

12. No More

13. In an Instant

14. String Pulling

15. The Places You Go

16. Welcome to the Jungle

17. Adaptability

18. Food Options

19. Decision Time

20. Past the Brink

21. Path Home

Epilogue

Trust

Introduction

1. Amor Fati

2. Limbo

3. Purgatory

4. Salvation

5. Ashes

6. Favors

7. Chances

8. A Good Day

9. Heart of a Child

10. Whirlwind

11. Politics in Action

12. Information

13. Puzzle Pieces

14. One More Piece

15. Urban Warfare

Story of Ash

1. Zigles

2. Slave

3. Rebel

Afterword

About the Author

New Games

To my family and friends who always thought I could pull this off.

Make sure when you think a line is drawn in the sand, it is actually in the sand, not poured in concrete.

―- Percival Alexander

Introduction

New Games occurs during the events of No Choice. Characters overlap and some events will be mentioned in both books, but this story focuses on Percival Alexander who enters the main story line in Commander.

I hope you enjoy getting to meet Perc.

Mel

Chapter 1

Suspended

Suspended

With a month to the start of the football season, everyone is watching to see who is going to take the preseason lead in the chase for the Superbowl. Most people have their money on the Lions with the emergence of some star power from their draft picks. Either way, there is some young talent to watch, but don't forget the old guys. Perc Alexander at twenty-nine is getting up there but his game and form have only been getting better on the practice field. ~ TNN Sports Doug B

Percival Alexander looked at the manager of the NFL Hawks, Sacramento's first NFL team, with his mouth open and blinked again as he tried to process what the man said.

I'm suspended? Indefinitely?

You heard me, Perc. Yes, you're suspended. As are Orlan, Rubiad, and Mannet. Per the NFL new ruling policy.

Perc's mouth opened and closed, as he tried to figure out how to respond. His mind just kept rebooting as he processed the information.

I'm one of the top three running backs in the NFL. I'm on track to be the NFL's top rusher this year. I don't do drugs, I have no criminal record. I actually manage my money. I don't act like an idiot. Why in the hell would the other guys and I be suspended? Even as he said it, his mind put together the pieces and cold claws sank into his gut.

Because you are all shifters and the NFL has suspended all shifters until tests have proved there are no health risks to shifter players and non-shifters. It falls under the potential for injury clause. Now get out of my office. I've already talked to Orlan and Mannet, I still have Rubiad left and I need to report that I've followed orders, George Rimero growled.

In a state of shock, Perc walked out, not seeing anything as he walked to his car, his mind spinning even as anger and frustration grew in his mind.

Suspended? Why? They were some of the top players, but we had been even before all this stupid shifter stuff had come about.

He drove home on automatic in his practical Lexus, trying to not think about the suspension. If he did, he'd get mad and he had a small issue with driving too fast when mad. Needing to distract himself he flipped on the radio.

Breaking news, the police officer McKenna Largo, famous for being the first shifter caught on film, has landed in the news again, the full story after this message from our sponsors.

That caught his attention. And he focused on the radio story.

I saw that video. She was damn impressive, keeping calm, and reacting to save the kid even as her body shifted. Hell, I freaked out and backed into a corner when it happened to me. I think the only reason the guys in the locker room didn't go completely ape shit was they saw it happen and were shocked into immobility.

The commercial ended, and he listened to the news story, suddenly curious.

Earlier today, in a PR stunt to make sure shifter kids stay integrated, McKenna Largo and six kids were kidnapped at gun point. One officer, also a shifter, was killed by the assailants. At this time there are no suspects and the entire area is on alert. Footage is being obtained from the bus and pictures will be dispersed to identify the suspects as soon as possible. The name of the female officer that was killed is being withheld until her family can be notified.

Fuck. Nothing like hearing about a shifter being killed to put this in perspective. I hope she's okay. She looked and acted like someone I might like.

The odd wistful thought faded even as it formed, his attention pulled back into his suspension and the general oddness of it. He resided in Rancho Cordova, with a nice house that didn't approach multi-million-dollar mansions some players owned. If he just lost his income that might be his saving grace.

Perc had grown up, while not poor, solidly lower middle class. Dad had been an accountant, good at his job but not rich. Football had been his chance at college and Perc had followed that with dedication. His dedication had been enough that he'd been picked for the draft and kept playing. Now at thirty, he knew he only had another good year or two but he felt stronger and faster than he had in the last five.

Walking into the house Perc stripped and jumped into the pool. The repetitive laps let him burn off his frustration and give him clarity and time to think. As he swam with mindless intensity, he thought about the situation.

I don't think it gives us much of an advantage. How many shifters are there? I didn't pay much attention to statistics about shifters. Damn that video getting out.

He'd shifted without warning in the locker room after practice. Some idiot playing with his cellphone camera had caught it all and uploaded the whole damn thing. His form of a huge extinct cat visible on the video. They also caught his face proving it was him.

I would have never told anyone, not their business, if not for that damn video. I swear I'm so going to kick the ass of whoever it was, if I ever find out.

The repetitive laps helped drown out that anger.

I need more info; how many players are involved? Maybe this is just me feeling paranoid, but I can't know until I get some information.

He started making plans regarding the information he needed. And by the time he couldn't swim any longer the plan in his head had grown intricate.

Climbing out of the pool he dried off and headed inside the house to dress.

In his office, he took a few minutes to verify he would be fine even if he never received another paycheck from the league. He handled his own finances and invested to make sure he would be taken care of even after football. When he'd reassured himself, Perc hit dial on his phone.

His agent Alicia Young answered on the first ring.

All-Star Agents, this is Alicia. What's up, Perc?

Did you know? His voice came across blunt and hard, but he tried to tamp it down. A short fuse might work on the field, not so much in other places.

Silence on the other end, then her voice. Know what?

That I just got suspended?

You what! The outrage in her voice pushed back some of his own anger and frustration and he leaned back in his chair.

Yes! Me, Orlan, Rubiad, and Mannet also, apparently. I've only talked to Orlan.

I, Perc, I swear, I knew nothing about this. Why? You weren't caught using performance enhancers, were you? The worry in her voice would have been comforting if he wasn't clenching his teeth trying not to scream.

Did you seriously just ask me that? Dammit, Alicia, you know my feeling on it. No, I haven't dosed. I won't. Per Rimero, we're being suspended because we are shifters.

Wait, what? They can't do that, she spluttered on the other end of the line. Perc, give me a day, I need to make some calls. I need to figure out what is going on.

Sure. He hung up and looked at the phone, frowning.

That was not what I expected. I figured she'd have heard rumors, had some idea this was coming down.

With another glare at the phone, he pulled up a number and hit dial. It rang twice, picked up, and an angry voice snapped out.

What the fuck do you want?

Jer, it's Perc. I want to talk to you.

Oh, Jermaine Orlan responded, the anger leaking out of his voice. I take it ya heard?

Perc snorted. Only because I got suspended also.

Wait, you got suspended too? You mean it wasn't cause I was black and turn into a non-sexy animal? I mean really, a wolf? How boring can you get? But you, man? You turn into some wild ass, extinct, big cat shit and have the all American white boy looks.

Perc rolled his eyes and counted to ten before he responded; a really fast ten.

Jer, contrary to the crap you keep getting fed, not everything has to do with your coal black ass. Your coal black heart, well that I won't contest. No, it's a side effect of us being shifters. I think. What did he tell you?

Umm, well to be honest past the suspended part I really didn't listen. What the fuck am I going to do if they ain't paying me? His voice cracked a bit and Perc had to count to ten again.

Quit throwing parties and maybe invest your money? Jermaine, look, Rimero didn't give you any paperwork or expenses, something to explain this?

Naw, just suspended pending final review. Man, I swear I've been good, showing up to practices and not doing any shit, not even booze. I, well I mean the hard stuff. Beer of course.

Jer, just sit down, call your accountant and don't spend any more money. Call your agent and let them know.

Perc hung up with a sigh and resisted the urge to beat his head on the wall.

Something smells here, I need to know who all has been suspended. It’s probably not on the major channels yet. Who would know?

He drew a blank. His social circles weren't the movers and shakers of the sports world. Heck, his social stuff tended to not exist. The women who chased him could rarely talk about anything outside of football or sex.

Perc snarled, rising up and pacing in the room like a caged animal. He wanted to hit something, but that would be counterproductive, and probably break something he needed or didn't want to replace.

The ring of his phone startled him and grabbed it without checking the caller ID.

This is Perc.

It's Alicia. Okay, I don't know what they are thinking, and the rumors are still conflicting, but from what I've been able to find out, any player that came out as a shifter has been suspended. This isn't just in the NFL. The NBA, MLB, hell even the NHL has suspended theirs, and no one has any info as to why. This is unprecedented. At this point, there are some teams who are stuck with the third string and are activating players from the practice squads just to get the team to full roster. I'm keeping my eyes open, but at the moment it looks like serious pressure from somewhere. Oops, other line ringing, got to go. She hung up before he had a chance to even say anything.

Perc looked at the wall, frowning softly. After a few minutes, he pulled up email, added every contact that he thought might be interested and started writing, pulling every oration skill he possessed into it.

Chapter 2

Enemy Action

Search efforts are still ongoing for Officer McKenna Largo and the missing children. The bus was recovered about thirty miles from where the children were taken. At this point, if there were any witness, there is a five-thousand-dollar reward for information leading to their location. We urge anyone with information to come forward. - KWAK News station

Perc flipped off the radio, casting a thought to the cop and her plight as he pulled his headphones out of his ears.

I hope you get out of there, where ever you are, and you and the kids are safe.

Then he shifted his focus to the here and now as the rideshare driver pulled into the hotel entrance.

Here you go, remember to rate me, the driver said as they pulled up.

Will do, thanks for the quick ride, Perc said pulling up the app and adding a tip as he stepped out. Taking a second to grab his messenger bag, he walked into the hotel and to the front desk.

Hi, how may I help you today? The perky front desk girl said. She couldn't be older than sixteen, at least to his ancient eyes.

Perc Alexander. I have a room reserved for this afternoon with a full bar and discussion area?

Ah, yes, Mr. Alexander. Right this way, please.

Her smile never dimmed as she led him deeper into the hotel. A large area was set up with at least twenty bottles of higher end whiskey, scotch, rum, with a few mixers and ice. There were tables, couches, and some club chairs. The bathrooms were down the hall and the area was big enough to not feel crowded with thirty people, but yet not so big they wouldn't be able to talk easily.

This is excellent. Anyone asking for me or about the sports things, please direct them here.

Of course, with another smile, she left, and Perc walked over to drop his briefcase on the small table and pull out the notes of what he'd found out so far to discuss.

Hey, Perc, a voice rang out in the room and Perc looked up to see Joe Masters, winner of the Stanley Cup last year with the Sacramento Edges.

Joe, thanks for coming, Perc said, as he walked over to shake Joe's hand.

Are you kidding? My agent is livid, and they are screaming bloody murder if this disqualifies me. Any idea what the issue is?

Ideas, yes. But right now, I think we're chess pieces, but let's wait until most of the players are here to talk.

Joe nodded. Over the next twenty minutes more people showed up and Perc introduced himself, meeting some of the athletes for the first time. A few had even flown across the country to be here, more than one said he was here to represent three or four others.

When everyone he could realistically expect to be here had shown up, most looking troubled, angry, or exhausted, Perc stood.

Even among a room of professional athletes, Perc drew the eye. At six feet, ten inches and almost three hundred pounds of pure muscle, muscle that had become even more defined of late since the shift. His sandy blond hair, storm cloud blue eyes, and a smile he'd paid good money to make perfect, made an impression. If he could have withstood vapid minds, he would have been a chick magnet for the team, but mostly he'd rather go read or study for the Bar Exam. He had his test scheduled after the regular season.

Everyone, he called out, his voice cutting through the babble. It died down as people turned to look at him. Thank you for coming. Here is what I know. All of us have been suspended for an unspecified amount of time, pending review of our shifter status. As you can see this is across most sports. USSF is waiting for a response from FIFA which is European regulated, and I haven't heard of any decisions from them yet. At this time, they are saying it is under review as a player safety issue. I think they are using the concussion protocol to help strong arm this through, but it doesn't make sense. Heck, even the Players Unions aren't fighting it.

The room erupted in grumbling. Perc waved his hand and after a minute they settled back down.

There is pressure coming from somewhere about this. A huge amount and I don't know why. It seems like they want shifters out of the public eye. I have some suspicions, but even I think they sound a bit conspiracy-ish for my comfort. Has anyone heard anything else?

A man, Perc recognized from pictures as Lark Olins from some baseball team, rose and spoke up.

I have heard the Olympic board is also placing a suspension on all athletes who have shifted at this time, but since the next Olympics isn't for two years, they have a bit more time. I'm in the middle of my season, and yours is about to start in a month or two. Means both of us are about to be royally screwed. My agent says he can't get anyone to talk to him due to HIPPA so we can't even find out what is going on.

HIPPA? Why would they be using health privacy information laws as a way to block this? Has anyone had blood drawn or given any permissions for tests? Perc asked. There was a general shaking of heads and murmurs of refusals through the room, and Perc frowned even more.

At this rate, I'm going to get permanent frown lines.

Brian Sharter rose, and he made Perc at least feel normal. Standing at seven feet, two inches, but all lanky lean build, he played for a basketball team, the LA Clippers. Recently voted MVP, lots of players looked up to him. His neat braids were bound by a colorful strip of leather, and his skin always reminded Perc of good rum, the dark rich brown making him want a drink. His career was the one Perc longed to emulate.

All of you know me. And this is my last year before I retire, so I've got a lot less on the line. But I spoke to my mother about this last night, his voice a soft drawl from his southern roots, but the entire room clicked on the comment about his mother. Brian came from money, but more important, he came from a line of lawyers who all put in time in with the ACLU as a family tradition. Brian planned on following them, but as a researcher. He hated arguing and refused to take the Bar to be able to practice. In fact, reporters hated interviewing him as he usually stuck to one-word answers. His mother had twice been a candidate for the Supreme Court and currently sat on the Eleventh Circuit Court as one of the judges.

She thinks this is a foothold attempt to set up shifters as dangerous. Outside of the video of the female cop, we are the most prominent and recognizable, and some of us flaunt it more than others. Right now, she is advising a wait and see approach. Granted that might blow up in our faces also. They can legally refuse to allow us to play if we put ourselves or other players at risk, at least in my contract. Since some of the videos are of people getting scared and shifting in surprise, they might have enough evidence to justify that.

Perc frowned at that, something clicking in his mind, but before he could follow up on up on it, the muttering in the room pulled his attention away. There were quite a few players in the room that ducked their heads, sheepish looks on their faces as they had starred in multiple YouTube videos displaying animal antics.

Thank god that was the only vid of me, and it was damn obvious it took me by surprise.

If they can pressure us, make it seem that something is risky about shifting, it creates a power imbalance. She thinks it might fall under racism, but if they can prove it is a risk, they'll be lauded as heroes for protecting us from the evil shifters. Her big fear is, if we sit quietly and wait they will win because they'll have time to spread the message that shifters as players are both at risk and risky. She did suggest we check and see if any of the actors that have come out have lost contracts. That might give us another angle. Basically, this is the 'coming out of the closet' for our generation.

Brian sat back down as the room erupted into discussions and Perc poured himself a very stiff drink. This would be a long day.

Chapter 3

Your Ride

Scientists are classifying the aspect to Shifters blood as a virus. While not one they have seen before, and they admit the structure is unusually exact, it still has the same characteristics though they are not sure why some people have the virus and others don't. But to date, all shifters who agreed to blood testing have the virus but interestingly if you take it out of the body it does not attack any cells from other subjects. Instead, it remains quiet and doesn't interact at all. ~TNN Science Adviser

Hey, can I share your ride with you, my house ain't too far away. The slurred voice of Rick Shatton, a second-string quarterback for the San Francisco team though he lived in Sacramento, came from his right.

Perc turned and tried to focus on the quarterback. He'd had more alcohol than he should have, but right now they didn't know what else to do. Drinking had seemed like a valid option. Talks had gone until the wee hours of the morning. Everyone agreed they needed to file injunctions. Needed to let people know it wasn't their choice. They would refuse to go quietly. Ideas and arguments abounded, and by the end, they agreed they needed to do something but the 'what' was unknown. No one had any idea who was driving this forward and all the people on their side were just as in the dark as they were. At this point, they didn't have anyone to rally around. To most people, this would look like rich guys whining about not getting money. So, they were suspended for a few days, who cares, would be the public opinion.

By the time he'd called it quits, most of the alcohol had disappeared and everyone had been exhausted and frustrated. Some people were crashing at the hotel, and he remained grateful he'd decided not to drive, just because of this situation. He'd paid, wincing at the bill, but in the long run, it would be worth it, if they kept their careers.

Ride-sharing apps were his saving grace some days. Not that he made a habit of this but going out with other athletes always seemed to end up with them drinking. Perc refused to drink and drive.

Sure. The car would be pulling up any minute. A beep from his phone caused him to glance down, and he frowned. He swore a minute ago it had said Shirley in a white Lexus, now it said John in a blue Honda who was five minutes out. He shrugged and struggled to focus on Rick.

You make any plans as to what to do?

Rick snorted. Drink more and beat my head against the wall? Hell if I know, man. How do I fight something when even my agents aren't getting anywhere with why or how to fight it? I mean I thought our contracts were supposed to protect us from stuff like this.

That idea niggled something in Perc's brain. What did his contract say about suspension and medical testing?

And Linda is just going to be pissed. She likes a quiet life. All of this is just going to add more pressure.

Perc had to think a minute, then it snapped into place. Rick had gotten married about a year ago. He couldn't remember much more besides that. He knew Rick but that about covered it.

How's that going? The marriage thing I mean.

A smile lit up the man's face and Perc blinked as he all but radiated happiness.

It's awesome. She makes me look forward to going home, and waking up next to her each morning is the best thing in the world. I think she's more worried at how upset I'll be if this stands and my contract gets pulled. But she's already started making contingency plans. His smile held a level of dopey happiness that Perc envied.

A car pulled up before Perc could respond or get anything about the contract to finish solidifying. He'd have to pull out his contract when he got home and look at it.

He slid into the car, nodding at the driver, a nondescript young man.

Hey, ready to go?

Perc nodded and closed his eyes.

Yeah, drop off Rick here first. Rick, you'll have to give him the address, I've got no idea.

Rick rattled off the address, yawning as he did so.

Damn, I might have drank more than I should. I'm exhausted. But I still don't know the right thing to do. Surprises me they're stonewalling the agents.

Yeah, but Alicia said she's heard of this before, just not in this century. Perc's voice was dry, as the closest example, they discovered harkened back to the 1950's. Then accusing someone of being a commie would ruin a career. Surely that couldn't be what the goal of this was.

He yawned, glaring at Rick, then closed his eyes.

Stop it, I really need to do some more stuff when I get home.

Don't blame me for yawning, it's not like I can stop it, Rick muttered.

Perc forced his eyes open looking down at his phone, it had been a long stressful day. Dealing with that many egos, mixed with booze and money stress, had pushed his temper to the limit. He'd finally started counting to ten in Chinese, and he didn't know Chinese, so he had to look up each of the numbers.

You look hot, let me turn on the AC.

It took a minute to register the drivers' words. Perc's attention on typing up an email to Alicia when the words kept misspelling themselves.

Why does his voice sound so funny, it didn't sound like that when we got in, did it?

After another frustrated snarl at his phone, Perc looked up to glance at the driver who had stopped for a red light. Their driver had placed something over his face and pointed a canister towards them.

Huh? What? Do we stink that badly?

White mist hissed out of the canister.

What the hell? Perc jerked upright, heart kicking into overtime, the terror pulling at the animal in him. He fought it back down, trying to figure out what the mist was. It trickled down into his throat then his lungs before he could think to hold his breath.

Whaz wrong? Rick slurred sitting up a bit, his eyes glassy as he looked around.

Perc tried to talk, but the spurt of adrenaline slowed, and he fought to lunge forward and grab the canister, even as he felt Rick slumping back against him, body slack.

No, stop… this… he trailed off as his head nodded, and eyes started to close, the movement of the car adding extra bobbling, and his eyes closed all the way down.

He couldn't get them back open, and everything went away.

Chapter 4

Waking Up

It has been seven days since the kids and cop were taken right under the noses of the police. How can we lose so many children in this country? Why hasn't the FBI been brought in? Surely when we are being watched always by big brother, they should know where these kids are. Maybe that is the answer, they are watching and have their own plans for these innocent children. ~ Harvey Klein Talk Show Host

Cold seeped into his bones and his head pounded like someone played the bongo drums on his skull. Aching in his shoulders and wrists seeped into his awareness but the smell of blood and antiseptic reached the furthest, pulling him to consciousness. Perc cracked his eyes open, trying to figure out where he'd ended up. He only saw dark shapes that didn't make sense.

Squeezing his eyes shut, he inhaled slowly through his nose, and then quietly out through his mouth. His head hurt so bad that getting mad might kill him. He controlled his breathing for another few minutes then looked again, his eyes pulling in more light this time as he paid attention to his situation.

A double shot of shock and fear kicked his heart rate up and increased the pounding in his brain as what he felt actively registered. His arms were above him, chained with handcuffs to a pipe. The cold concrete wall leeched all the heat from his naked body.

At least I'm standing. Better than my shoulders and wrists bearing all my weight.

Perc had never served in the military, or even been into war games or gaming but he had no doubt he was in danger. But why?

Ransom? That makes no sense. I'm not big enough of a star.

A moan pulled his attention away from himself and he squinted. The room lay shrouded in darkness with a thin light shining in a rectangle around what he assumed must be a door.

There are other people in here with me. What the hell is going on?

A rattle came from the area of the light and his attention snapped to it. The door swung open and light flooded the room with a click of a switch.

Perc squeezed his eyes shut in reaction but also with a deep feeling that anyone he could trust wouldn't be walking into that room.

It would help if I could think clearly.

Every thought seemed to take forever, his mind fuzzy and undirected. Alcohol had never affected him like this, it must be something else.

That strange spray. Knockout gas I guess. Odd, always thought it was a movie creation.

Keeping his eyes mostly shut, he took in what the light revealed. Three other people were chained against the wall, a woman, and two men. On what looked like a stainless-steel table in the middle of the room lay Rick, unbound, but not moving.

Motion pulled his eyes back to the door and he tried to focus on the person standing there. He didn't recognize him, not even as the driver. Middle-aged, going bald on top, and an odd expression on his face.

He went to one of the cabinets against the wall and pulled out a vial and a big syringe. Filling the syringe, he walked over to Rick and began slapping his face. Not light slaps but hard ones that made cracking sounds in the otherwise silent room.

What is he doing? Maybe he needs us awake?

Even to himself, it didn't make sense. He couldn't imagine what all of this meant. Why were they here? Chained up? His stomach twisted into a tight little ball as he froze, not wanting to draw any attention to himself.

Wake up, wake up. I need you to change. Shift into animal form. His voice was low—cajoling, hypnotic, oddly matching the pattern of the slaps.

Huh, wha? Rick muttered trying to move away from the slaps, but his arms didn't move right.

Change for me, go into your animal.

Kay, Rick muttered and Perc found himself frozen and mute, like he watched a horror movie but couldn't move or make a sound. It all seemed so unreal.

With an odd ripple Rick shifted and where a naked man had lain a moment ago, a large wolf now lay there, his eyes snapped open. Perc swore he could see comprehension and rage. Other than the videos, Perc had never seen anyone change. The act in person had a visceral quality that movies or documentaries didn't convey. He rooted for the wolf but still couldn't move, trapped in his own body and mind.

In a smooth move, the bald man shoved the large syringe into the wolf's neck and depressed the plunger. The wolf arched up as if trying to attack, but legs floundered, scraping against metal and it slumped back down, body going slack.

Damn, another wolf. I hope one of these others is an exotic. Wolf pelts are cheap.

Perc's mind tried to make sense of the comment as the man walked back over to the cabinets. His mind pulling up odd trivia at the remark.

Wait didn't a report say that wolves make up at least 25% of all reported shifters, and that cats were the most represented at 50%, but with a variety of types?

His mind chased the minutiae even as he fought to get his body to do anything. Not sure what to do. With confusion he watched the man come back over to Rick, something silver in his hand.

Oh well, at least they are easy to skin. With a motion that looked practiced, he slit the neck, angling the body, so the blood flowed down the drain at the end of the table.

Perc's body locked up, frozen in horror. His eyes were wide as he focused on the blood running out of the man he had known, an almost friend. His lungs wouldn't inhale, and his heart double thumped in his chest as everything in him shivered in reaction.

He felt trapped in a dream as the man slit Rick open from neck to anus and removed his pelt without a single hesitation. Then he grabbed the pelt and headed out the door, leaving the dead wolf laying on the table.

The sound of the door clanging snapped him out of the fugue state of shock and fear and rage blossomed. He didn't care about the headache anymore and welcomed his anger.

Oh hell no. The words echoed in the room, and the hairs on the back of his neck rose. Struggling to focus he called his beast to him. While feline, cat didn't cover what he turned into. He would qualify as an exotic and had no intention of following Rick down that path.

He called the beast, at least that is how he thought of it and it flowed up changing him into something he wasn't. His first instinct was to resist but the image of Rick overrode his reluctance. Even before he finished, the flexible paws slipped out of the handcuffs and he landed with a thud on the floor.

This isn't as bad as I thought. It's almost neat, if not for why.

The shift chased away the last remnants of the drugs and his mind started to put everything together. Turning his head, he inhaled but all he could smell was fear and blood and the faint scent of sharp things he identified as drugs.

He stalked around the room, sniffing the other three occupants. They were all alive but smelled funny, drugged. When he reached the door, his head reached the level of the handle. As an experiment he lifted his dinner plate sized paw and pulled on it but it didn't move, locked from the other side.

I'll need to be human to get them down and wait for someone to come back in. I can't let anyone else die.

The image of Rick's blood flowing down the table etched on his brain in bright bold colors and scents to the point he knew he'd have nightmares about them. The desire to do anything to prevent that from ever