October 2016
Camilla Berry looked up at the class before her and smiled. Kindergarten. She loved teaching these kids. Their minds just starting to open, their little beings just starting to shape. She loved being part of that shaping, being part of something so epic it would help mold the children into productive and responsible adults. She loved being a stepping stone in creating these young and impressionable little beings into something more.
“Yes, Sam?”
Sam was six with flame-red hair, pale skin, and more freckles than Carter had peanuts. Utterly adorable. “Ms. Berry, can I go to the bathroom? One,” he said before she could ask.
Camilla retrieved the little wooden pass and held it out with a grin. “And how are you doing on your worksheet?” she asked as he walked toward her.
“I’m almost done,” he stated proudly.
“Really? That’s wonderful. Bring it up so that I can look at it while you go?”
The child grabbed his work and brought it up to her, placing it in her hand while taking the key from her desk. Once he left the classroom, she began to look over his homework.
Camilla wasn’t surprised the work appeared off: the kid was at a high school level in math and science, but when it came to his English assignments, he had the worst time. Right now, he had all of his Es backwards and his Ss were written as 5s instead of the letter. She was positive Sam had a form of dyslexia. However, his parents refused to have him tested. It was so frustrating to her, as a teacher, to be hitting the wall she was.
When he came back in, Camilla watched him slip into his seat after collecting his paper from her. She saw from the look on his face that he knew the paper wasn’t correct but didn’t know how to fix it; Camilla knew that she would have to speak to his parents about getting him the help that he needed—again.
****
The day went on just as a typical day at school should. Working late, Camilla had everything set up and ready for the return to school after the Christmas break.
Smiling as she looked at the little presents from her to the kids that had been left on all the tables, she finally ensured that the windows were secure before walking out of the room, locking the door behind her. Looking at her watch, she sighed. She’d stayed too late again, which meant she would be driving at night. Which she hated.
After unlocking the door to her car, she settled into the seat and leaned back, if only for a moment. Closing her eyes, she breathed in and out of her nose, simply enjoying the peace, the quiet, and the scent of jasmine that filled her car. Thank you, air fresheners.
When she opened her eyes once more, however, it was to a shocking scene before her. She was certain she didn’t see that right. She didn’t see a hairy manbeast. No, that wasn’t possible. What she saw before her couldn’t possibly be there.
Like an idiot, she opened her car door, grabbed her mini-LED flashlight, and shone it around after flipping on the brights of her car. “Hello?” Camilla called in confusion. “Come on guys, this isn’t funny. It’s nowhere near Halloween,” she muttered.
****
“Civilian in play,” Mikhail said over the mic from his perch where he watched everyone and everything.
“Damn it, why do they always do the stupid thing?” Nolan grumbled. “Fury, who do we have on the playing field?”
“I have two—no, make that three—furry tangos. The one in front of her and two others coming up fast from the south. They look like they mean business,” James reported.
“Wolf, you’d better have those new bullets loaded,” Nolan said to Mikhail.
“Locked and loaded, Sphinx. Give me the go, no go here,” Mikhail said quietly.
Gareth shared a look with Nolan. It was a call they’d have to make. The area, heavily populated with civilians, meant they couldn’t allow the weres to get away. And they definitely couldn’t let them harm, or make off, with the civilian.
Ares had been damned specific about that. Camilla Berry, grade school teacher, had to be saved and protected at all costs. No matter what those costs were.
Gareth nodded and turned back to the woman, who was just standing there. “I’ve got the woman.”
“Wolf, take the shots as soon as Gunner gives the go. Boys, watch the wings for any stragglers we don’t see. There are only three of them.”
Something they’d learned the hard way over the last four years was the weres, especially the wolves, preferred to hunt in packs. They never went out to play with fewer than a dozen, but usually many more. Gareth gave Nolan a thumbs-up and began to work his way into a better position.
Gareth knew he would have to go barreling straight through, scoop her up, and just keep on going. His alignment had to be perfect, while allowing for any moves she might make, would make. He knew civilians, they always moved at the wrong fucking time, and always in the wrong fucking way. “Positions?” he asked into the mic.
“Furry in front of civvie and furries two and three about thirty yards out from the south and closing in. They have slowed down and are looking around,” Victor reported. “They may know we’re here. I repeat, they may know we’re here.”
“Wolf, do you have eyes on all three furry targets?” Nolan asked.
“Got them all,” Mikhail reported. “Give me the go, and they’ll all be dead before Gunner even gets to her.”
Gareth snickered and shot a look up toward Mikhail, his best friend. “Cocky much?”
“Nope, that good.” He could practically hear Mikhail smirking over the line.
Mikhail had been lethally phenomenal before their training with the gods. After … well, after, he was a force to be reckoned with.
Gareth grabbed hold of the low wall he had to launch up and over, using it for additional forward momentum, and took a breath. “On my count, Wolf. Ready. Ready. Ready. Three, two, one.” He pushed off with his feet, yanked with his arm, and was over the wall just as the head of the were in front of the school teacher exploded.
As Gareth had known she would, she screamed and jerked back, right to where he wanted her. He heard a second body hit the ground as he got closer. And, just as he scooped her up and over his shoulder, he heard the roar of an angered beast as the third body hit the pavement.
Gareth just kept running. Fortunately, shock held the teacher still, but that would only last so long. “Coming your way, Dragon,” he called to Wyatt. “Is the doorway clear?”
“Copy that, Gunner. I have you in sight and the doorway is clear. Book it,” Wyatt replied.
Gareth gave a thumbs-up when close enough, and Wyatt turned on the engine. He dove through the back of the SUV, protecting the woman’s head as they landed.
And then they were off.
The others of the team would clean up the scene and then filter out of the area to their rendezvous point. Once there, they would hop a plane, do their debriefing, and deal with the civilian.
Lifting his head once the back of the armored vehicle had clicked shut, he stared down into the pale face. “Ms. Berry, I’m Gareth Gruffyd with the United States military. Are you all right, ma’am?”