Alpha Squad: Boot Camp

Chapter Four

Chapter FourFelicity was still on edge when she made it back home. Being chased halfway across Deer Park by a strange super-human was something she hadn't planned for when she'd headed out to see the crime scene.

Her private investigation was becoming a lot more intense and risky than she’d foreseen. But the refugees were counting on her. And the more bodies turned up, the worse the consequences for them would be.

She didn't have a choice but to soldier on; they had nobody else looking out for them.

Felicity changed out of her torn clothes and took a deep breath. Like most bears, she was a loner by nature and normally, she was content spending time on her own. But not tonight.

Ever since her big secret had come out, she had lost the one childhood friend who she'd still kept in touch with since growing up, a human named Joy. That meant that the only people she could reach out to were her parents, who still lived in the same house she'd grown up in. She couldn't tell them everything she was up to, obviously, as that would only worry them, but it was better than no company at all.

That was where she would go, before the walls of her small flat threatened to close in on her and the silence became deafening.

When she locked the front door again, she found that her hands were trembling slightly. It had been a very long, very trying day.

Just as she got into her car, she was interrupted by her phone. Anonymous, again.

Felicity frowned, then answered. It was highly unusual to get two tips in one day.

Sure enough, it was the same voice on the other end. Her mysterious tipster had called once more.

"The government has sent in a brand new task force to investigate the deaths. Alpha Squad."

Felicity rummaged in the glove box for a pen and paper and scribbled the particulars down. Alpha Squad. What a weird name. It sounded more like a fictional unit than a real one. If anyone other than this very serious caller had mentioned the name to her, she might have thought it was a joke.

"What are they? What's their purpose?" Felicity asked.

The caller did not respond immediately.

"They report to the Ministry of Shifter Affairs."

Oh God, that wasn't good, was it? That meant that even on the highest levels, the government felt that these deaths were linked to the shifter camp.

Felicity rested her head on her free hand on top of the steering wheel, but that did nothing to stop her heart from sinking.

"Have they taken over the investigation?" she asked, her voice flat and listless.

"It's a collaboration. Kent police are unhappy about the intrusion."

Felicity nodded. She wasn't happy either.

"Thank you," she said.

The line went dead.

So her instincts had been spot on. Something had changed today, and the odds were further stacked against her. Now she definitely needed a change of scenery.

Luckily, Felicity's childhood home was only a short drive away on the edge of town. As she pulled into the long driveway, the subtle glow of the lights filtering through the curtains in the kitchen filled her with a sense of nostalgia. No matter what she got up to all day, here she felt safe.

Felicity stuck her key in the lock and opened the front door, only to be greeted almost immediately by her mother, who came rushing into the entrance hall to see who it was.

"Sweetheart. What a pleasant surprise!" Felicity was immediately engulfed in a big hug. "Your father's inside watching the TV. Come in, make yourself comfortable!"

Felicity smiled and found that her eyes were starting to get a bit moist. It certainly was good to be home. Hopefully she could forget about everything, just for a little while.

"Thanks, Mom," she said as she removed her coat and hung it up on the rack. Then she followed her inside.

"Hi, Dad!" Felicity called out once she made it into the living room.

Her father turned his head briefly and grunted an acknowledgment before diverting his attention back at the flickering images on the screen in front of him.

"Can I get you something to eat? You look tired. Have you been sleeping enough?"

Felicity smiled again, but didn't respond. Of course she was tired, exhausted even.

"Oh dear, your hair! You look terrible!" her mom added.

Felicity stood by awkwardly while getting some dry leaves removed from her dark brown locks. This was how her home visits usually started. A whole lot of questions from her mom, a syllable or two from her dad, until things settled down and she could relax a bit.

"Sit down," her mom said. "I'll make you something."

Felicity did as she was told, as her mom continued to chatter away about this and that. This was why she was here. For the company. For a little slice of a simpler life, before people found out about shifters living in their midst.

Felicity watched from the small breakfast table as her mom flitted around the kitchen, heating up some leftover stew and pouring it into a big porcelain bowl. Nothing much had changed in this house. The kitchen still sported the green and brown retro tiles that had been so popular in the ‘70s. Even the pots and pans her mom was using were still the same.

The only change in this house over the four years since Felicity had moved out on her own were that its inhabitants had grown just a bit older and grayer than before.

Still, Felicity's parents weren't that old yet. Her dad still had a few years to go until retirement, and her mom was as energetic as she'd always been. In the summer, she would spend the entire day tending to the large garden that surrounded the house without ever growing tired.

Though the longer Felicity watched, the more she felt like something was different. Some vibe had crept into this house that hadn't been there before. Perhaps it was just that she herself felt different tonight. The dirty politics at the shifter camp, plus the murder investigation, were really getting to her.

"Here you go, darling."

Felicity watched her mom put down the bowl and a couple of toasted slices of bread in front of her, before taking a seat on the chair opposite.

"Thanks," she said, as she picked up a spoon and leaned across to inhale the various aromas of the rich lamb stew. Just like in the good old days.

She blew on the first bite, then closed her eyes when she tasted it. Her body had been craving proper food like this earlier. Not a sandwich or some other small snack. This was the real deal.

It wasn't long before she noticed her mother's eyes still boring into her.

"What is it, Mom?" she asked, putting the spoon down on the table.

"This work you do… it's taking its toll on you. I can see it."

"You know I’m just trying to help our people, right? I mean, someone's got to do it!" Felicity argued.

Her mother nodded. "It's a noble cause, darling. But you're putting yourself at risk out there. Your father agrees."

Felicity c****d her head to the side. She hadn't really talked about any of this stuff with her parents; she didn't want to worry them. But they had a way of noticing when she felt down.

"These people have nobody else," Felicity said.

"You can't carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. We were worried about you back when you joined the Alliance as well. And the truth is, the world is different now. More dangerous."

Felicity felt herself grow defensive. Things were plenty dangerous back when Adrian Blacke was in charge of the Alliance. Most humans might not have known about shifters yet, but their main enemy, the Sons of Domnall, did. And the Alliance itself wasn't so innocent either when they thought someone had broken the rules. Her parents had luckily been shielded from most of this stuff, so they had no way of knowing.

It was probably best to keep it that way, so she bit her lip instead of speaking out.

"Darling, we just want you to promise us that you'll be careful." Her mother placed her hand on top of Felicity's.

"Of course, Mom. I promise," Felicity mumbled. She would be careful, but she would still continue her work as well as her investigation. She simply didn't have any other choice.

"And perhaps you might want to think about the future as well. You're not getting any younger, you know," her mom added.

Felicity frowned. Not this again. Perhaps if she ignored it, they could move on to a less awkward topic.

A loud crashing sound interrupted the silence in the kitchen, causing Felicity to jump up. Broken glass covered the floor, and a brick lay in the center of it.

"What on earth?" Felicity called out and charged toward the windows to see who had thrown the brick.

Her mother gestured at her to come back. "Leave it. It's just some kids, probably."

"Kids? What kind of kids throw bricks into people's homes? It could have hit you or Dad, and then what? You could have got seriously hurt!" Felicity ranted.

She marched through the lobby and straight out the front door.

"Who's out there? Show yourselves!" she shouted.

There was no answer; in fact, there was no sound at all except a couple of pairs of distant footsteps, running away. Whoever the culprits were, they were long gone.

"I don't believe it," Felicity grumbled to herself as she went back inside the house.

"Someone threw a brick through the window," she complained to her dad, who was still sitting in his arm chair in front of the TV.

"You should see the filth they wrote on the garage door. Your mother spent all day cleaning it off yesterday," her dad remarked.

"What? Why didn't you tell me?" Felicity demanded.

She marched back into the kitchen, where her mother had begun collecting the broken glass.

"You didn't tell me people have been harassing you and vandalizing the house!" Felicity said.

No response.

"Leave it, I'll clear it up," Felicity insisted and got down on her knees to pick up some of the larger pieces of glass.

"We didn't want to worry you, darling. You have enough on your plate as it is."

Felicity was stunned. Whereas earlier she had found herself teary eyed with nostalgia, it was anger and guilt that tugged at her emotions now. This was her fault, wasn't it? As soon as the town had found out about her true nature, it wasn't enough that she'd been shunned. People had taken it upon themselves to terrorize her parents too.

It was so unfair. She was only trying to help people, not hurt them! And why her parents? They were innocent in all this. If anyone had a problem with what Felicity was up to, they ought to confront her directly, not take it out on a couple of near-retirees!

"Darling, don't worry about it. It's only a window," her mother said. "It was old anyway. The frame was starting to rot. We'll get some new double glazing fitted now. It's about time we made a few improvements to the house."

But no matter what her mother said, Felicity couldn't hold back the tears anymore. By the time she had finished brushing every last bit of glass into an old dustpan, she found that her face was completely wet. She was drained. This entire day had gotten the best of her, and the bricked window was just the last straw.

When she sat back down at the table, the kitchen was a good ten degrees colder. Gusts of wind were entering through the now non-existent window, causing the curtains to billow violently.

"I'll get someone to fix it tomorrow." Felicity sniffled and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

"It's fine. We'll handle it. You just take care of yourself," her mother said as she too sat back down. "It's a bit gusty, isn't it? Maybe we ought to head into the lounge, what do you say?"

Felicity nodded and pushed her chair back again.

"Remember that hat you used to love when you were little?” her mom said, with a little smile playing on her lips.

"The crocodile one?" Felicity asked.

Her mom nodded. "You wore it even in the spring, even when it was much too warm out and your hair would get sweaty underneath it."

"It was a cute hat," Felicity said.

"Yes, it was."

"What made you think of that?" Felicity asked.

"Oh, you know. Your cheeks were getting flushed from the cold wind coming in. I thought how funny it would be if you had your hat."

Felicity shook her head. Sometimes her mom came up with the weirdest things. Despite everything, a little smile crept over her lips too. It had been a good decision to drop by here tonight, after all.

At least now she knew about her parents' troubles. At least she could try to help somehow.