Chapter 5
Love is in the Air
Herk was excited about the way things were working out with him and Pru. Did he love her? He wasn’t claiming that yet. Recognizing she was the one for him was something he accepted. Knowing the goddess would only choose a female perfect for him was a given. Still he wanted to get to know her so he could learn what she liked and what she hated.
Being able to watch her as she accomplished what she desired or lost against tough odds would help him feel closer to her. Her face and form attracted him and he found himself liking her so far. More was needed for them to grow into a unit that would stand together against all adversaries and work together to accomplish all their goals.
He was glad she hadn’t asked if he already love her. That was expecting too much. Herk knew she didn’t love him yet either and that was okay. The seeds had been planted but had to be tended to grow into what they both wanted. Eventually, he knew he’d love this female more than anything.
Driving her to her office was a short and easy drive. They both felt better now that they’d had the time to discuss where they were headed. Lighthearted chatter was all either of them felt like making. As he pulled into the parking lot, she pointed to a spot near the door.
“You can park here while I get out. Position has its privileges.”
“So they say.” Herk replied before leaning over to give her a small kiss. The feeling of her lips under his sent electricity shooting through him. He pulled back to see it affected her the same way. “I can’t wait until tonight.” His smile told her how true that was, or at least he figured it would.
“See you then.” Pru said as she got out of the SUV. He watched as she walked away noting the sensuous sway of her hips and her firm ass. Staying there until she was out of sight, he sped away once she was.
Now he headed back to Ram’s place. His intentions were to ask Ram where he should take Pru and if there was anything he should do to win her affections. Normally, he never asked for advice where females were concerned, but this was too important. If he messed up now, she would never give him another chance.
He pulled in the parking lot and entered the door whistling a happy tune. “Is Ram around?” He asked the receptionist.
“No, he went on a trip and no one knows when he’ll be back.” She replied.
Herk walked on going toward his room. This trip must have come up suddenly since he’d not mentioned it. Before he got to his room Annie caught him. “I hoped to see you when you got back. Let’s go to my office. This is something you need to hear.”
A bad feeling hit him in the gut. He followed Annie to the office. She closed the door after she motioned him inside. “Ram and Knossos are on a mission. Something is up and you’re needed along with your beta Julio. They went to California, but we need a team to head to New York.” Annie explained.
“Do you have any idea what will happen to my being mated if I leave now?” He asked.
“Pru will understand. She is a soldier too.” Annie pointed out.
“Then why can’t she go with me?” He asked.
“She is going to Southern Florida with Janel, her partner. It’s hitting the fan and everyone has to do their part.”
“What is happening exactly?”
“It’s like an invasion. They are moving in groups on the periphery and taking over. Those that fight them, die. These people aren’t active among their kind, but neither are they rebels or rogues. None of them care to fight, they are peace lovers. Had anyone realized they were on the list to be attacked, we would have taken action sooner. The losses in their groups have been heavy with those left being enslaved.”
“How do we know what is happening?” Herk asked.
“They have relatives and friends among our soldiers. Those that went in, discovered what had happened. No one knew they figured it out and they got away. Now we need to take action.”
“What is the plan?”
“You’ll go in quietly then begin to take out the enemy. Anyone in immediate danger should be sent to safety. You and Julio will have to make decisions as things come. You probably won’t be able to contact us directly. Outfit yourself tonight, you’ll leave at dawn. Julio is here, he just arrived. He’s in room three just down from you. I wish you both luck. Be careful and come back healthy and whole.” Annie declared. She opened the door and herded him out.
To be completely honest, he felt overwhelmed. He’d never thought Annie would be the one giving him his orders. Not that she wasn’t capable, he just thought in her condition she’d be kept out of the fight entirely. Now it worried him that they were already needing her help as the war had barely begun. It also worried him they were already playing catch up.
Working his way down the hall, Herk stopped at room three and pounded on the door. It opened and Julio stood there looking disgruntled. “Couldn’t this wait until the morning? We need to rest, it’s going to be a long day tomorrow.”
“So I was just told. When were you called in?”
“Hmpf, right after you left.” Julio said after he snorted. It was a sure sign he was disagreeable.
Herk chuckled. “Didn’t you want to come along? Now you’re here.”
“I don’t remember wanting to come along. Even now I wish I was back home.”
“Don’t be a cry baby. You’re here, live with it.”
“Yeah, you’re a good one to be talking. How’d it go with Pru?”
“I thought things were going well until I got here and Annie caught me. She says Pru has a mission too.”
“I’ve heard ten teams are being sent to various points across the country. Other countries are dealing with their own problems. No one was left untouched.” Julio explained.
“That’s just great. How do they infiltrate these groups?”
“They walk in and take over. These aren’t military installations. These are small and poor communities of civilians. Most are unarmed with no military training. They can’t fight back. Many are females with small children or older retired folks. The few that are in good shape have family members they love held at gunpoint. They’ve found a weak area and are exploiting it.”
“Most of the armies we’ve fought with hit the other armies head on. Sure, they looted and abused civilians if they weren’t caught, but this is just wrong.”
“Then you should feel lucky you’re going in to straighten things out.” Julio said pointedly. “We should get to sleep. We’ll be woke early to eat, get our supplies and information, then head out.”
“You’re right. We can talk on the mission. There will be plenty of traveling to do.” Herk left and went to his own room. After a hot shower, he dried and felt sleepy enough to drop in bed practically passed out.
The pounding on the door would allow no one to continue to sleep. Herk dressed in some work clothes that had been left on a chair in his room. Going out into the hall, he headed toward the dining area. His stomach growled like a beast in need of sustenance. The aroma of food lured him in and he followed the people in line to the buffet.
Filling his plate with a bit of everything, he saw Julio and Annie at a table so he joined them. “Hungry?” Annie asked with a grin.
“Just a little bit.” Herk smiled back.
“Hurry and eat, we need to hit it quick. Most of the others left yesterday. The people here are employees, not soldiers.” Julio explained when he noticed the question in Herk’s eyes.
Eating quickly, Herk listened as Annie spoke. “Your packet has the addresses of the groups in the area we think are effected. There are also some names, but no guarantees they are right. You need to get in, bring order, catch the enemy, and get back. Their strategy seems to be to sow discord and discontent. Even small groups like these can cause chaos in larger communities. We believe that is their goal. Our enemies are also recruiting for their army. We can’t allow them to make headway. If they do now, we’ll have no chance to defeat them later.”
“Basically, they are sowing their evil in the underbelly of our society and hoping to spread out from there?” Julio asked.
“That’s what it looks like. Many ignore the power of small communities and how easily things are hidden there.” Annie explained.
“Okay, so in and fix things, then out?” Julio asked.
“Exactly. Try not to damage too many things and watch out for our people.”
“We can handle this.” Herk replied.
They finished eating and Annie led them to a supply closet. The two of them grabbed a pair of radios, some weapons and each of them put on a vest. “This should take care of things. We’ll be back soon, I hope.” Julio said.
Now they walked out together. The parking lot was clear and in seconds they both flashed to their beasts and took off in the skies. While unicorns had no wings, they could fly with their magic. New York was below them in minutes. This place was fascinating in many ways, but neither male liked the crowded sidewalks and roads. It was a case of enjoying a visit but never wanting to live here.
This place held an amazing history but the fast pace made Herk dizzy. He was an old fashioned guy. They had landed on the outskirts of NYC and they looked around at the sad condition of this area. It looked like an old industrial area, but it was falling apart. Not far away were houses, old and in disrepair. Truly, the residential area had been what he expected.
He and Julio approached slowly uncertain how they would be greeted. A shot rang out hitting Herk solidly in his chest. Thank the goddess for the vests they wore. This made him worry about how his mate was being received on her mission.
“Look at this guy who repels bullets, Cad. What do you think of him?” A young male asked. He wore holey jeans worn in many places. His sneakers were rough and his T-shirt had holes and tears in it. “Maybe he’ll pay for us to guide him through our neighborhood?”
“Did you hear that, Julio? This child thinks we need a body guard.”
“I heard, but I can’t believe my ears.” Julio admitted.
“I’m no child. I’ve got a gun.” The teenager said.
“A real man don’t need a gun.” Herk said. “He can fight with his hands and feet.” The grin he shot the boy made him mad.
“I can fight that way too.” He said.
“Show me young one.” Julio teased.
The boy tried to hit Julio, but he moved too fast. Finally he tripped him and the boy laid on the ground. His buddy slipped away not willing to be involved with a guy who moved so fast.
“Who are you? No one normal moves that fast.” The boy said.
“Who are you?”
“I’m Tommy. Now who are you?”
“I’m Julio. We’re not from around here. You could say we’re tourists.”
“You don’t look like no tourists I’ve ever seen.” Tommy said.
“So we’re unusual tourists. We’re looking for anything odd and out of the ordinary.”
“That describes everything around here lately. Are you gonna help the people here or cause more trouble?” Tommy wondered.
“We’re the good guys. Can’t you tell?” Herk asked.
Tommy looked at them with uncertainty in his eyes. He wasn’t the best to judge character since he wasn’t all that good himself. “If you say so. Where do you want to go?”
“Wolfton first.” Julio mentioned.
“That place is strange. You’re lucky it’s morning and not night. Weird things happen there after dark.” Tommy admitted.
“Let’s go now then.” Herk replied. Tommy led the way looking around nervously.
“It’s not far. You’ll see what I mean about the place being odd.” Tommy whispered as if someone was nearby that might hear.
After they walked about ten minutes a place appeared ahead with some terrible looking houses. There were sheds all over as well that appeared lived in. People came out as they neared probably scenting them. Who knew what they thought of two horses and a human wandering around their neighborhood. It was almost funny if the situation wasn’t so serious.
“Whatcha think Julio?” Herk asked.
“These people scent of fear. I’m not sure if they are scared of us or someone else.”
“It’s probably the gang that moved in on them.” Tommy noted.
Herk realized they’d found their first troubled neighborhood. It was his hope the new people would stick out, but as they walked through they couldn’t tell who the enemy was. “Do you know how to tell who the gang is?”
“Yeah, they wear a tattoo on their neck. It looks like a snake. The thing is scary. We should go back and leave this place.” Tommy suggested.
“Here.” Herk said as he handed the boy a twenty. “Leave before the trouble starts.”
Tommy grabbed the twenty pocketing it. He hesitated looking around. “You guys should leave too.”
It was fair warning. The boy was trying to help them. “We came to deal with this. Go on and live for another day.” Julio advised.
Herk kind of liked the kid and was glad when he left. It was time to get this party started. He wanted to get home to his female and it couldn’t happen soon enough. While the snakes didn’t jump out at them, the enemy didn’t cover them either. Their leader probably didn’t allow them to be covered. That made it easier to identify the adversaries.
A few looked like they could fight and he and Julio would have their hands full. These guys were mostly supes so they would have strength. It was his hope they wouldn’t have skill, at least not the kind that he and Julio had. They stepped into a bar where several of these guys hung out.
“What do you guys want?” A big guy with a snake up one side of his neck asked.
“What’s it to you? Isn’t this a place of business?” Julio wondered.
“It’s a private club and not open to the public.” He replied.
“That’s not posted anywhere. Who is the club for?” Herk asked.
“We’re the Snakes. This is our club.” The man said. “And we’re recruiting.”
Herk noticed the males playing pool were slapping their hands hard with the pool sticks as they watched him speak to their leader. Julio leaned back on the wall taking in everything. Sure, the males were supe, but they weren’t top dogs. They were more like the fleabags at the bottom of the pile. Even without shifting he and Julio would wipe the floor with them. Tommy had been nervous of them, but he was human and didn’t sense the dynamics at work here.
Only the leader was smart enough to know they were out gunned. He knew they were recruiting for the war ahead. Herk wondered if they knew war was coming and they were cannon fodder? They would be at the front of the army and there, most if not all would die. No doubt they’d been made promises and they believed them. By the time they saw the truth for themselves, it would be too late.
Their leaders would lead from behind in the most protected position. These males and tens if not hundreds of thousands just like them would fall to help their leader meet his goals. “I’ve heard about what’s coming and only a fool would be on your side.” Herk admitted.
“What have you heard?”
“Why should I tell you?”
“Why not? What would it hurt if you can help a guy out?”
“You won’t believe, they never do until it’s too late.” Herk observed.
“I might. Things have been going on here, weird stuff. “
“You’re just at the beginning. The leader of your side is trapped in another dimension. He needs to take cities to use the power of his followers to move into this world. The front lines of his army will be destroyed and he’ll make his advances on that. Think about it. The early followers are the front lines and they usually fall.”
The leader paled. He wasn’t brave and he’d already seen a few things he didn’t like. That male walked out and Herk didn’t think anything would bring him back. “So who is the leader now?”
“What do you mean? Lead is coming back.” Another guy said.
“No, he’s not. Were you the second?” Julio questioned.
The guy looked confused as he nodded. The guy’s around him looked shook up too. One of the slimier looking guys stepped up. “What did you do to Lead?” He hit his hand with his pool stick hard leaving it red. “I’m gonna tear you up.” He rushed Herk who stepped aside with blinding speed. The guy hit the wall hard and was dazed for a moment.
He reminded Herk of an angry bull. The male rushed again but this time Herk stepped aside and tripped him sending him flying into the wall. “Who is this guy?”
“That’s Bull. We all go by nicknames.” The second said.
“I can see where his name came from.” Herk said with a grin. Julio chuckled as they watched Bull get up slowly.
“Who is next?” Julio asked.
“Why does anyone have to be next?” The second asked.
“It’s like this, fight or leave for good. We’re here to clean out those who don’t belong here.” Herk explained.
One of the other guys tried to jump Julio. He hit the guy in the gut and slammed his face on his knee. Julio looked unbothered as the male stood with blood spraying out of his nose. Being a supe, the bleeding stopped before long, but he still looked rough.
“Anyone else or are you prepared to go? Be aware if you leave and we see you here again we’ll have to kill you.” Herk said pleasantly. He saw Tommy was staring with his mouth open in shock. When had the kid snuck back in?
The snakes began to file out. “They’ll be back or at least some of them will be.” Julio observed.
“I expect that. For now, let’s move on. There’ll be several communities like this that have snakes among them.” Herk declared.
“You just loved getting the snakes comment in, didn’t you?” Julio asked.
“I did and I beat you to it. Now we need to go to the next place. Since you’re still here and know what we’re looking for, any suggestions on where to go next?” Herk asked. He asked Tommy who’d come back at some point during the fight. Maybe the kid was getting attached to them.
Tommy looked thoughtful. “There’s a community about a mile from here. Shacks mostly and not even as nice as this place. It’s gotten worse lately and no one wants to go there.”
“You can give us directions if you don’t want to lead us there.” Herk allowed.
“I’m cool. If you two can’t protect me, no one can.” Tommy said.
Herk hoped they hadn’t messed up letting the boy see what they could do. He hoped if Tommy informed on them, no one would believe it. It wasn’t in him to hurt the boy just to make sure he wouldn’t talk.
“Lead on then.” Julio directed.
Once the place came in sight, it stood out in the worst way possible. That it hadn’t attracted the attention of the government in some form or another was amazing. The foul odor of raw sewage hit their noses and the shacks looked like they should be condemned. No one seemed to be about, but there were signs the places were lived in.
As soon as they stepped foot within the borders of the community, something launched out of the shadows hitting Julio dead on. Julio and whatever hit him rolled on the ground and Herk could hear loud smacks but was unsure who hit what. It looked like a dust devil moving over the ground, but they were slowing down. Finally he saw a wolf in that form and Julio was beating him senseless.
The advantage of surprise had only helped so much and given time, Julio was able to overwhelm the creature. “Holy hell! What is that? Someone’s guard dog?” Tommy asked.
“Looks like it. They must have mixed it with wolf.” Herk admitted.
“Damn, I’ve never seen anything like it.” Tommy declared. Herk was sure he hadn’t either. This was something supernatural and few humans would have any experience with it.
“I have this doggy restrained so he won’t go after us again. Let’s see what pops up at us next.” Julio suggested.
Herk nodded and he walked first now. It was only fair they take turns. Moments later another jumped out at them, but this one wasn’t as big or as strong as the first one. Herk hit it under its chin knocking it out instantly.
“Show off.” Julio teased as he restrained this one too.
“How many of these do they have?” Tommy asked nervously.
“If they had one litter, they might have six. If they’ve been breeding them for years, they could have a lot.” Herk answered.
“These things look wild and out of control. Why hasn’t someone reported them to animal control?” Tommy wondered.
“I’d say people stay away from here. The smell is enough to keep people away.” Julio observed.
“That’s true, but why isn’t anyone investigating this horrible smell?” Tommy asked.
Herk shot him a look. “As long as they stay here, no one cares. These people have no one worrying about them. Cleaning this up will cost a fortune. Who is going to pay?”
“I never thought about it that way.” Tommy admitted.
People in human form begin to come out of the buildings. An old female approached them. “How did you take the wolves out?” She asked.
“It wasn’t hard. Were they keeping you under control?” Herk asked.
“Those two and a couple more. They killed a dozen of our males. I don’t know what we’ll do now.” She replied.
More people came out and everyone was talking at once. “Be quiet. This is my human guide Tommy. Julio and I are here to help run off your enemies. My name is Herk. Who is your leader?”
“I’m the elder. My name is Sondra. We are simple people and were not prepared for this attack.”
“That was why they chose you. Now with your males gone, it will be harder to keep your people safe.” Herk explained.
“What will we do?” A female carrying a baby with a small child clinging to her legs asked.
“I wish I had an easy solution. For now, we will deal with those who are attacking you. There must be a way to keep you safe and we will find it. What did they do to cause this place to smell so bad?” Herk wondered. The smell made his eyes water and burned his nose.
“The sewer pipe broke. We are at the edge of the system and got free water and septic. If we report the break, they will fix it and shut our services off.” Sondra explained.
It was sad they couldn’t live a better life. They had no electric or gas services and lived primitively. “Show me and Julio the leak. While your people show Tommy around.” Herk directed.
“Come on, Herk. I don’t like being around sewage.”
“I know, but you have abilities you can use to help these people out. Shouldn’t you?”
“I suppose. Let’s go.”
Herk was glad Julio was willing to give these people a gift from a unicorn. Had they realized what Julio was, they would have all tried to catch him. Everyone knew if you could get a unicorn, they could grant you a wish. That’s what Julio was about to do. Probably not the wish they would choose if they knew.
Sondra led them to the broken pipe herself. “Tell me Sondra, exactly what do you want us to do with this problem?” Herk asked.
“I’d like the pipe to be repaired and the odor to clear out.” Sondra said.
“Well we have some magic between us. My mate is a witch so the pipe should be fixed now and the smell is already gone.” Herk pointed out.
“Thank you. No one ever helps us.” Sondra said with tears of gratitude in her eyes.
“Maybe you never gave them a chance?” Herk asked.
“We do stay isolated, but you know why.” Sondra explained.
“You don’t have to stay isolated from others of your kind. That’s what allowed these others to come in and take over.” Herk pointed out.
“I don’t know how we got separated from them all. Now no one ever comes here, but we don’t feel welcome in the other communities.” Sondra explained.
“Try to pull some defenses together. We need to check on other communities to see if they are also being attacked.” Herk noted.
Hoping Sondra could come up with some defense for the community, he and Julio needed to move on. Maybe tackling the communities near them would help remove some of the danger. As they moved on, two communities didn’t seem to be affected. They were slightly wealthier so maybe that helped them. The last community they intended to stop at for the day looked like a huge warehouse full of people.
It turned out to be the hardest place to bring under order too. As soon as they stepped inside, they were attacked and not just by a single adversary. Each of them found themselves on the bottom of a dog pile. Wolves didn’t like to be called dogs, but even other supes used the terms to describe them. Dogs were a domesticated version of wolves. Most wolves liked dogs, but as far as anyone knew, dogs didn’t have a shifter version.
That made shifters feel they weren’t on the same level as dogs. The wolf shifters felt they shouldn’t be compared to a group that was strictly animal. Herk thought dogs were superior to some werewolves he knew, some humans too.
As soon as they jumped him, Herk began to fight throwing wolves in all directions. He needed to free himself so he could save Tommy who was only human. Maybe he shouldn’t have, but he morphed to his horse form and ran in a circle so fast, no one could see him. Faster and faster, kicking high sending wolves scattering in every direction, he morphed back quick so no one would see his other form.
Now he went to work on those piled on Tommy. The boy would suffocate if he didn’t get him out from under the wolves. Julio joined him and they soon had Tommy free. He gasped for breath, struggling at first before he stabilized.
Herk looked around inside the massive building. Most families used card board to separate their living space from those others had. There were group bathrooms where the bathrooms had been originally when the building was a warehouse. These people lived poorly and needed more. The little children were skinny, dirty, and wore thread bare clothing, at least those with clothing did.
This war was bringing some terrible conditions to light. He’d seen conditions like these in some of the third world countries, but never here. There was no reason for anyone to live like this is the land of the free and a country that had help for the poor. Herk watched some young children who looked miserable fighting over an apple. The fighting was vicious; the only thing making it tolerable was the older child that won gave the apple to a little child. A sibling?
This place was steeped in pain. Something had to be done to get these people some help. “Who leads here?” Herk demanded answers.
The problem was snakes were everywhere. Maybe this was where they’d begun. “I’m the leader and you’re not welcome here.” A big and tall guy with a snake tattoo said.
“I don’t care. Your people have attacked me everywhere I’ve gone and declared war on me and mine.”
“You are not a local. Why are you here?” He asked.
“I’m a citizen of this country and allowed to travel wherever I choose without being attacked. As soon as you did that, you declared war on me and those I represent. The one who recruited you wasn’t honest. All of you are fools to follow him. You’ll learn this the hard way.” Herk explained.
“Let’s call in our forces and destroy them.” Julio suggested.
“I don’t want to hurt the children and noncombatants.” Herk explained.
“We can send the children away, kill the rest.” Julio said.
“No, most of our people are peaceful.” The leader said.
“Your name?” Herk asked.
“Dyar, I am just trying to help my people.”
“Dyar, you are taking them down the wrong road. They will all be destroyed if they keep following you.” Herk pointed out.
“Many are starving and dying from illness. I do what has to be done. Who are you and what are you?” Dyar asked.
“I am just a poor soldier. My mom named me Herk with high hopes.”
“All parents have those hopes, but few see fruition. I don’t know what to do. The unnamed one will kill me if I turn from him.” Dyar declared.
“We’ll kill you if you don’t.” Julio replied.
“That helps clear things up. Since you are here now, I guess my choice is made. Will you help us defend ourselves against this enemy we both have?” Dyar wondered.
“We will do what we can. Our leaders will contact you with more information. Now can you help us find others that support the unnamed one?” Herk asked.
“Come with me and I’ll see what I can do for you.” Dyar offered.
They followed him to the edge of town where a building sat. It resembled a plastic igloo so they entered the low doorway leading to the center of the building. As they entered, Herk noticed a fire pit in the center with smoldering wood. A bench curved around the pit, it was large enough to seat twenty people.
“Sit please.” Dyar gestured to a spot on the bench.
A male had followed him in and he added wood to the fire. Dyar went to a chest on the floor behind the bench, unlocked then opened it. He pulled out a bong, the type that could be used for incense but normally was used for marijuana or other drugs that were smoked and inhaled. Herk and Julio exchanged looks.
“This is the way we cement our treaties and agreements. It is safe and I’ll take a turn too.” Dyar explained.
It made Herk think of movies he’d seen about the Native Americans doing something similar. If a wolf could handle this drug, so could he and Julio. At least that’s what he thought. After he poured some water in the bottom of the bong, Dyar placed what looked like chopped weed in the funnel shaped part. Now that he’d sat down Herk noticed the hole in the ceiling. Once he lit the cut weed, he took a hit and passed it to Herk.
Herk had done some similar things as a youth, it was common at the time among his people and not illegal or even frowned upon but it had been a long time. He took it and breathed in deep and had a coughing fit. Julio hit him on the back but it took a while to catch his breath. Now he handed it to Julio who inhaled without a problem then grinned at Herk.
It was embarrassing not to appear as manly to their host, but since he’d kicked the shit out of their forces, he’d live with it. No one could do everything perfect and fighting was more important than smoking. Besides, Herk was feeling pretty damn mellow right now. He didn’t know exactly what this was they’d smoked, but it was good shit.
“Got anything good to eat?” Julio asked Dyar.
“Yes, let’s finish this smoke and we’ll see what the females have made for us.” Dyar replied before he took a long and deep breath on the bong.
There was smoke in the building too that was increasing Herk’s good feelings, but he was ready to get his second shot at that bong. Grabbing it, he inhaled deeply. This time he didn’t cough and he breathed in again.
“Give me that. It’s my turn.” Julio said as Herk allowed him to grab the bong. That was alright because Herk felt great!