It's the Weekend! Recharge and Read!

8/8/2025

Porter glanced at his watch. “We should review our tactical approach. It won’t be long before we’re there.” He motioned to Forge.

“Our first task is getting inside.” When Forge began to talk, Blair switched the image on the large monitor from the surveillance feeds to the facility schematics.

“I’ll go in first, alone, and disarm the security and get the door open,” Declan said.

“Alone?” Lucas’s voice hitched ever so slightly.

Declan nodded. “I can’t work in a hazmat suit and if I fail, the section floods. No use endangering everyone.” Lucas opened his mouth, but Declan cut him off in a soft voice. “It’s the best way, mon cher, and not open for debate.”

Lucas’s eyes glowed gold for a split second. Kai felt for him. What Declan said was true, but there was no reason Lucas—or any of them—had to like it. Kai knew if it were Ori speaking those words he’d be devastated.

Forge walked to the screen and used one finger to point out sections as he talked. “Once we’re inside, Sophia, Declan, and I will do a perimeter check. We three are capable of a full shift. Do you have any idea if that’ll protect us in anyway?” Forge asked Lucas.

“I’ve been thinking about that. When you fully shift there’s the wave of cold you can project and the screech. I think that’ll at least back the werewolves and the vampires off. Humans may still be mostly resistant to your…” Lucas pulled a face and shrugged. “Extra weaponry. If it’ll give you any immunity against the virus or carrier, that I won’t know until I can do some direct examinations.”

“Are those people still…I mean, do they know what’s going on?” Ori asked.

“I don’t know,” Lucas said. “I’ll have to examine one to know.”

Kai’s heart sank right along with Ori’s and no doubt everyone else’s. It would be much easier all around if the victims had no awareness of what was going on.

“Once we’ve got the route to the main shaft secure, Kai will go with Lucas and Blair to the server room, salvage what’s needed, and get those trapped men out of there,” Forge finished.

“The rest of us will check out the other parts of the facility, search for survivors, and hopefully contain any threats,” Ori added.

“Jack Rabbit.” Blair grinned and looked around at them. “Get in, do what we need to do and get out.”

Kai heard a change in the boat’s engines and the flow of water over the hull. A slight bump brought their conversation to a halt.

Blair grabbed the table’s edge. “What was that?”

Forge put both hands on Blair’s shoulders and rubbed them, saying kindly, “I think we’ve arrived.”

Sophia handed out small cases to each of them. Inside were the earbuds that would assist with communications between them. It was standard protocol to wear the earbuds during a mission. After they’d all put the earbuds in, the boxes were stored away in one of the equipment cases.

Blair pulled out a larger case and set it on the table, opening it. “Our new and improved wristbands. Hopefully we won’t have issues with signal interference. The tracking has been upgraded.” He pulled a gray wristband from the box and held it out to Lucas. “This one is calibrated specifically for you since your body gives off higher electrical impulses. That’s why your bands don’t always work as well as ours, which is unacceptable. They were created for vampires which is sort of the opposite of a werewolf when it comes to body temps and electric impulses. Since you don’t need adrenaline to be seen on camera, it doesn’t have any stored inside like ours do.”

The wristbands were designed to be low profile. They often resembled watches or more recently the fitness trackers that were so popular these days. Kai snapped his onto his wrist and checked to be sure it was working. He stood up. “That’s it then. We’re ready to transfer to the facility. Let’s bounce.”

Forge and Declan turned to Kai. “Let’s bounce?” Forge questioned.

“It’s a common term meaning to go,” Kai said. “I have always endeavored to keep pace with the vernacular of the times.”

Declan scratched his nose. “Because vernacular is such a widely used word.”

“Right up there with bereft,” Forge added.

Ori stood up and patted Kai’s back. “Ignore them. You’re very hipster.” Ori grinned.

Kai raised his eyebrows and tried to appear indignant, which only made Ori chuckle. He couldn’t fool Ori.