Alpha Squad: Boot Camp

Chapter Five

Chapter FiveThe whole squad was up bright and early.

Adam didn't know about the others, especially the humans, but the weeks of intense training had at least changed him and his brother forever. Bear shifters weren't known to be early risers. It generally took them a while—and a whole lot of very sweet coffee—to get going.

Nowadays though, Adam found that getting up early had become somewhat of a habit. He almost didn't mind it anymore.

Having to get up and get ready to leave the inn by eight was almost a luxury.

The entire team stood by and listened as Major Williams made her first phone call of the day; she called Chief Inspector Huddersfield in order to get access to the body that had been recovered from the woods the other day.

From the major's expressions throughout the conversation, it was obvious that the local police was still being a stick in the mud.

"I understand it's early, but the sooner we inspect the body, the sooner we can start making inquiries," the major said. "And we do still need some space to work out of, if it's not too much to ask."

Adam couldn't hear what was being said on the other end. For a moment he envied Eric, who was probably participating in the entire conversation non-verbally himself. There was obviously more to the squad and its leadership than they had been led to believe. The remark Eric let slip about General Stone was proof of the same.

"Very well, we will be at the mortuary at ten," Major Williams conceded. She was still frowning when she hung up the phone and turned to face the squad.

Adam checked his watch, they'd better not be hanging around here for two hours. They had important work to do.

"The local police are going to take some time arranging our visit with the medical examiner. We will follow other lines of inquiry in the meantime." Major Williams signaled Private Callahan, who climbed into the cab of the Land Rover and started the engine.

"We're heading to the refugee camp to question some people there. Perhaps we'll get lucky and find someone who’s willing to talk," the major said.

Adam was strangely relieved that their encounter with the murder victim had been postponed, but he also felt a little awkward about heading to the shifter camp. He hadn't specifically followed the shifter refugee crisis in the news, but the coverage was so intense lately it was impossible not to be aware of it.

Shifters, sometimes entire families of them, displaced from their homes and forced to find a safe haven elsewhere… It wasn't all that easy uprooting yourself and adjusting to a new place; he'd done it once himself when he was little and his parents had moved Eric and him to East London. It wasn't easy adjusting to a different school and making new friends, when you felt like an outsider.

And these people weren't just moving to a new city within the same country; they had moved across borders. Did they even speak English?

And if they did have a killer in their midst, that made things infinitely more complicated.

As their vehicle passed through the small town center of Sevenoaks to get to the shifter camp, which was located on the same side of town as yesterday's crime scene, it was obvious that the protests they had witnessed the day before had left their mark.

The only people about this time of day were commuters heading to work, but banners left behind by the protesters lined High Street. Posters calling for the closure of the camp could be found hanging in almost every shop window.

Sevenoaks was close to hitting breaking point.

The team did not speak much throughout the drive; each of the guys in the back just quietly observed what they could from whichever window they had access to.

When they pulled into an overgrown drive on the outskirts of town, Adam felt a change come over him. He'd been apprehensive about coming here before, worried that it would be uncomfortable seeing his people struggle. But now something, some presence, seemed to be pulling him in closer.

Resistance was futile.

He grew impatient watching as Major Williams negotiated with the guard at the gate. The urge to get out of the vehicle and proceed on foot came over him again, just like it had done the night before. But this time, he managed to control himself.

Adam breathed a sigh of relief when Major Williams had seemingly come to some understanding with the guard and gotten back into the cab.

Soon, the gate was opened for them and their vehicle started to move again.

The surroundings of the camp were nice enough: quaint countryside as far as the eye could see.

Of course, from the back of the Land Rover, Adam could not see what lay ahead.

It was only when they got off that Adam got a proper view of what the shifter refugee camp actually looked like. It wasn't as bad as he'd thought. It wasn't even that big. Makeshift houses made out of shipping containers were positioned in a circular layout around a central square. At the most, there were about two dozen of these temporary living quarters, along with a bigger structure that looked like some kind of administrative building.

There was quite a bit of activity going on. People going about their morning routine, kids playing in the grass.

"Let's split up," Major Williams said, then she signaled Private Callahan. "Collect your official ID badges and form two groups. Half of you will join me as I talk to whoever is in charge here, half of you canvass the camp and talk to the residents. Eric will take the lead on that."

Adam glanced over at his brother. He knew whose team he wanted to be on.

It didn't take long for the group to split up. As expected, the divide was clean; humans in one group, shifters in the other. It was the shifters who were better equipped to talk to the residents of the camp anyway, and that was exactly what they were going to do.

"Right. Blackwood," Eric started. "You talk to any wolves you encounter. These houses to the left seem like a good start."

Adam suppressed a smile. Eric had attempted to be tactful, but Adam could clearly catch the smell of wet dog in the air. The houses Eric had pointed out were definitely inhabited by wolves, there was no doubt about it.

Blackwood nodded and did as he was told without comment.

"Now, Adam, we'll divide the remaining houses among the two of us. Let's see how we get on, what do you say?"

Adam rested his hands on his hips and surveyed the camp. That pull he’d felt the moment they'd neared the camp was stronger now. And it was calling him off to the wooded area behind the houses. Should he risk it?

"Sure, bro. I'll take the row at the back," Adam said.

Eric nodded. "We'll reconvene here once we're done."

Whew, it seemed Eric hadn’t suspected anything.

Adam returned the gesture and marched off resolutely in the direction the strange sensation he was feeling seemed to be originating from. Before skipping past the houses he was meant to canvass, he checked over his shoulder once more, but Eric was nowhere to be seen. This was his chance.

They stood face-to-face and just stared at each other. Adam had nothing to say. Apparently, neither did the female. Still, the silence did not feel awkward; it was as though they were getting to know each other, just by observing.

He watched her as she pushed a lock of her brown wavy hair behind her ear and continued to look up at him. A glow appeared in her eyes that seemed perfectly matched with the warmth that seemed to fill his chest. This pull he felt, this connection, it was mutual.

This was what Eric had been talking about.

Still, there was a lot of distance between them, at least figuratively. Adam could not hear her thoughts. Did that mean they weren't truly mates? His heart insisted on the opposite.

She was the one, he would bet his life on it.

He cleared his throat, but she spoke up before he had the chance.

"It was you in the woods last night," she said. Her voice had a warmth, as well as a rawness, that tugged at his emotions. So this was what his woman sounded like.

Adam nodded. "I'm sorry if I spooked you. Something came over me and I just had to chase you." He pressed his lips together. It sounded so silly now that he'd said it out loud.

The woman smiled briefly and averted her gaze. "It was a bit unnerving, I must admit."

"Adam? Where are you?" Eric's voice called out for him from the other side of the woods. He was quite far away still, but it made him nervous nonetheless. The last thing he needed right now was to be found by the rest of the team.

"Your colleagues?" the woman asked.

"Yeah. We're meant to be canvassing the camp, questioning people about those attacks," Adam responded without much consideration. It didn't even occur to him to keep the woman in the dark about their purpose here.

She frowned. "You think it's one of the residents? One of our own?"

Adam paused. He wasn't quite sure what to think. "I have to tell you, some of the team were suspicious about your presence at the crime scene. You left behind a scrap of fabric right next to it when you ran. I'm so sorry."

"Great." The woman folded her arms and shook her head in dismay.

This was his fault. His decision to run after her had caused her to leave behind evidence of her presence at the crime scene. Somehow, he had to fix it, but how?

Adam glanced backward, looking for any indication that Eric was close to catching up with him, but there was no sign of movement in the trees and shrubs surrounding them.

"I'm going to talk to them. I'll straighten things out," he said, but his voice didn't sound convincing.

The woman c****d her head to the side. "Well, if you're here to figure out what really happened, that would sort things out anyway. I had nothing to do with the attacks."

"Of course not. I didn't mean to suggest—"

"I'm just trying to do the same thing. Find out what really happened."

Adam nodded. There was nothing left to be said. He believed her, obviously. For better or for worse. Hopefully she could see that his intentions were pure as well.

A rustling sound set off his protective instincts. It would only be a matter of time before Eric found him. And when he did, he'd have a lot of explaining to do as it was.

"You'd better go before my team gets here," Adam whispered. "It's best if they don't catch you. Just until I can sort things out."

The woman nodded. "I understand."

She stared into his eyes one more time, then turned away, readying herself for a sprint.

"Wait," Adam said.

The woman froze.

"What's your name?" he asked.

She glanced back at him with that same subtle smile playing on her lips that he'd seen earlier. "Felicity."

"I'm Adam," he said.

"Yeah, I figured."

She nodded at him once, then broke into a sprint. It was mesmerizing to look at. She was almost soundless as she darted away, zig-zagging through the trees.

Adam wasn't sure how long he'd stood there, gazing longingly in the direction where Felicity had fled to, when a heavy hand rested on his shoulder.

"Adam. What the hell?" Eric demanded.

Adam turned and averted his gaze. He'd ignored direct orders. Although his training had gone well, the ground reality of being part of this task force was a lot more difficult than he'd foreseen. Especially now that there were these complications to deal with.

Felicity. What a name. What a woman.

"Uh, I thought I heard something, so I came here to investigate."

Eric frowned, then his eyes narrowed. "That scent. The female from the crime scene!"

Adam shook his head and raised his hands in a calming motion. "Relax, bro. Let me explain!"

Eric folded his arms. "Fine. Explain!"

"She had nothing to do with it. She was investigating the crime scene just like we were."

"And you know this how?" Eric asked.

Adam pressed his lips together. All or nothing. Eric would know immediately if he was lying.

"I talked to her."

"You, what? After Janine—Major Williams ordered all of us not to approach this woman alone?" Eric exclaimed.

"It's okay. As I said, she had nothing to do with those crimes. Felicity's harmless."

"Felicity, huh?"

"Uh, yeah. Just—" Adam took a deep breath. "Just keep this to yourself for now, please, bro? I'll tell you everything when the time is right."

Eric frowned again. "I won't say anything to the team, for now. But you know there are no secrets between Janine and I."

Adam sighed. Of course. Perhaps soon there wouldn't be any secrets between Felicity and him either. But it was too early to say that out loud.

"Let's just continue canvassing the camp, what do you say?" Adam suggested.

"That's what you were meant to be doing in the first place."

"I know. I'm sorry, okay? Trust me, I have my reasons."

Eric stared at Adam for a few seconds; Adam stood his ground and stared back.

"Very well. I'll back off for now."

Adam nodded, relieved to have won this round. "Thanks, bro."