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  Breathe.

  I exhaled and squeezed the trigger a second time.

  The crack! was immediately followed by a metallic ping! and I knew that I had at least hit “flesh.”

  “Better,” Devlin grunted at the same time Holden's “Well done” resounded in my mind.

  “Set up and keep going. Empty the clip. Then, we'll see what we need to adjust.”

  “Aye-aye, Captain!” I smartassed in return. My somewhat success had put a bit of pep in my step. I was smiling like a fool and, apparently, goading the guys.

  No, my love. You are the captain, remember? Holden jested in return. They loved to give me a hard time since I'd put the team in their place that first day we'd all gotten together. That was the day we acknowledged that we were all a part of the same team, working toward the same goal: the freedom and protection of Minefield's people.

  Masculine chuckles filled my head when I stuck out my tongue at my too-handsome-for-his-own-good boyfriend in response to the moniker. “Whatever. Let's do this thing,” I sniped, my cheeks flaming at the reminder. Man, I could definitely put my foot in it sometimes, I thought ruefully.

  Getting himself back into the game, Devlin wiped the mirth from his visage in one smooth moment, and like every other time I'd seen him do it, I was ridiculously impressed. One moment, there were white teeth, upturned lips, and twinkling blue eyes. The next, there was the stone-faced mentor I'd come to know, and, reluctantly, love.

  Totally different kind of love, though. It was brotherly. Dev was like the overbearing, pretentious, condescending big brother I'd never had and never knew I wanted. His gruffness had definitely grown on me. Not sure I could tell him that, though. I'd never hear the end of it, and he just might revert to the giant asshat he'd been at the beginning of this venture. We couldn't have that.

  My self-reflection was broken up when the tell-tale wave tone emanated faintly through my muffling ear-wear. Like a pro, I made sure I kept my finger from the trigger and eye from the sights while I waited to hear what the commander had to say. Holstering my weapon, which was almost second nature as opposed to actually shooting the thing, I removed my “ears” and unashamedly pointed myself at Devlin.

  “He wants us to meet him at the CP. The Sage recruits are there. Get your weapon back in lockup and your stuff back in your locker, and meet at my truck in five.”

  CHAPTER 8

  I sat staring at two opposing Sages across the conference table that dominated the center of the command post. One was a man of about thirty, who, like most Sages, was of slight stature, probably tipping the scales at a whopping one hundred and fifty pounds, max. Soaking wet. He exuded the self-superior attitude Enhanced seemed to cling to. I rolled my eyes.

  I didn't like him. There were only so many asshats we could handle in one place at one time. Though these guys most likely would get put on the “new” team shaping up, I wasn't sure he was a good fit. He reminded me of Steve and his superiority complex. The name even had me wrinkling my nose: Gordon. He was the type who was always “on”. Twenty-four-seven, three-six-five. I wasn't sure I could handle another one. I was reminded of our hardships with Steve, though they were hopefully on the decline now that I'd decided we were all going to get along. Hell, I'd thrown caution to the wind and exposed my secret second enhancement.

  I began sweating just thinking about it.

  The other Sage was a man who looked to be in his early twenties and was a redhead, complete with freckles that reminded me of the kindergarten art of “splatter painting”.

  He'd been introduced as Tanner, which I thought had to be his parents’ version of humor, and was a much more receptive agent for the goals of the EEA. To boot, his ability was one I'd not encountered to date, as far as I knew.

  “You can astral-project?” I knew some awe had leaked into my query, but seriously, who could blame me? Everyone in the room thought it was cool, even if they didn't say.

  “Actually, I am capable of etheric travel,” Tanner said, managing to sound matter-of-fact without being pompous. “It's a distinction that means, quite literally, the world.” A charmingly-timid smile crossed his face before he continued. “Astral-projection moves the spiritual body through different realms and dimensions. Well, in theory. I don't think astral has been proven as of yet. Etheric travel refers to out-of-body experiences on the physical plane where we exist,” Tanner rambled endearingly.

  I'm not sure I can handle another couple of know-it-alls around all the time. Everything will end up being a debate about whose knowledge is correct and unrivaled by any other mere mortal, Holden griped mentally. He sat next to me in our customary positions at the table, his arms across his chest and eyes moving back and forth as he watched every move the newcomers made.

  “I think you've gotten a bad taste in your mouth because of Boat— Steve.”

  Holden shrugged off my assessment and continued his outwardly-silent one. He may not have telepathy, but he was a master of discerning body language. Though he was most likely right about Gordon, I didn't think that Tanner would be a bad addition. At least, not based on what I'd seen so far.

  “What are you talking about, girlie?” Gordon scoffed at my response to Holden's unheard mental speech.

  I rolled my eyes at the offense in his tone and in his mind. “I was talking to him.” I tipped my head toward Holden.

  “Why the Hell do we need you? What will you be able to do for the team, for Minefield?” Devlin cut off any further response I could have made, which was good. We didn't need any of us getting pissed and starting a fight. Not this time. I couldn't even remember if Gordon had bragged about his ability or not. I'd totally not been listening to his verbal words.

  Devlin was scrutinizing these guys just as heavily as Holden. Luckily, so far, he wasn't being outwardly hostile, which was a huge step in the right direction, considering the attack he mounted on me all those months ago. Either he was coming around… or these guys offended him much less than I had.

  That thought had me casting a narrow-eyed glance down the length of the table to where Dev was parked next to Commander James at its head. Looking at both men, I noted they were remarkably similar, especially in attire. Our whole squad liked to rock the dark-colored tactical clothes. Didn't matter if we needed to be “tactical” or not, the stuff was just useful. They may be the main cause of having to pull random items out of the bottom of the washing machine, but that never stopped us from wearing them. It definitely didn't stop us from putting a little something in all those pockets just begging to be filled.

  What? Devlin shot at me when he noticed my perplexed look.

  “Nothing, just getting off on tangents in here.” I waved a hand to encircle my head.

  “Yeah, that beehive goes astray often,” Devlin mocked.

  “Har har har.”

  “Excuse me, but why are we talking about you right now?”

  All eyes zeroed in on Gordon. One didn’t need to be telepathic to home in on the disdain in his voice. I liked the commander’s forming idea, so I decided to keep my mouth shut and see where his path led.

  With the calmness he was so good at wielding, Commander James leaned forward. His hands clasped together in front of him on the wooden table, and his intense whiskey-colored eyes stared intently at Gordon, whose response was to bristle. Just like Steve. Just like a Sage being scrutinized, especially by a Primal. It didn’t matter that Commander Travis James was intelligent and well-respected. No, Gordon had learned to think himself above others, especially Primals and Non-Enhanced.

  “I want to help.”

  “Help who?” the commander pressed.

  “The Enhanced.”

  “What about Non-Enhanced?” Devlin chimed in.

  That seemed to stymie Gordon. A look of confusion spread across his already pinched features. “What about them?”

  “Do you want to help them?” Commander James pressed again, still the picture of calm, his posture and tone unchanged.

  “Why woul
d I need to help them?” Gordon was good and confused now. He truly could not comprehend a situation where he would be called upon to aid a Non-Enhanced.

  He is not for real, is he? Holden asked.

  Sadly, Gordon really was that daft, at least in this instance. I was quite sure that he was a regular Einstein where scholarly ventures were concerned. For all of Sage brilliance, they were certainly lacking in social aspects. Logic and callousness went hand in hand, it seemed.

  “Gordon, there will be plenty of instances where we will be called upon to assist a Non-Enhanced member of this town.” Seeing where his mind was going, I pushed on. “You will need to be open and professional toward everyone we are in contact with on an investigation. Bad things happen to Non-Enhanced and Enhanced alike, sir.” His mind balked at the idea. There was something personal behind his reticence… but we couldn’t give in to past grudges. Not if we wanted to be effective. “You cannot pick and choose who you help when you are an enforcer, and if you don’t like someone, you need to suck it up and do your job in a courteous and professional manner.” Maybe I’d said that a tad too bluntly...

  “Because you always do that?” Gordon fired back heatedly. I was definitely riling him up. Oh, well.

  “I try.”

  “What about Steve Davidson?” Did the damn douches broadcast our issues? He wanted to make me look bad by citing my long-running friction with the younger Davidson, huh? Fine.

  I picked up the gauntlet good ol’ Gordon was throwing down. “While Steve and I have had our differences, we work together. And, well, we’ve each helped out the other when needed and have actually come to being friends… kind of. That something you think you can do?”

  “I know I can,” Tanner interjected in earnest answer to my inquisition of Gordon. There was a fire not only in his head but in his green eyes. Conviction and righteousness burned brightly through him. That was one recruit that I could get behind. Plus, I really wanted to see astral-travel or whatever he’d called it.

  I acknowledged his statement with a nod, as did the other enforcers around the table. We all appreciated the sentiment, knew the value of that conviction. I raised my eyebrows in question at Gordon. His mind was once again balking. Would his voice? Would he try to tell us what we wanted to hear? Would he admit that he didn’t care two figs about helping anyone he didn’t deem worthy?

  That was a slippery slope, a hill that those in the line of public service couldn’t—well, shouldn’t—start down. It was our duty to protect with impartiality. Maybe impartiality was a stretch, but we still had to strive for it.

  After a moment of thought, Gordon hesitantly answered, choosing his words carefully. “I… will help those in need.”

  His thoughts weren’t dark, but they weren’t gung-ho like our other prospect. “Can I ask a question?” At my commander’s nod, I asked one thing that may give us the right insight. “Why do you want to be an enforcer?”

  “I, uh, want to be useful.”

  “How so?”

  “I want to be there for the Enhanced. To keep people from getting hurt.”

  He’d been hurt, somehow. I wasn’t sure exactly what his grievance was—he wasn’t thinking of the specifics, only the hurt he’d suffered. While I felt for him, that could breed resentment. The question was, would it?

  “Gordon, believe me, I understand being hurt and angry. Our specific experiences are not the same, I’m sure, but I know what it’s like to be looked down upon. There are three paths you can take in response. You can become angry, bitter, and resentful.” One finger up. “You can ignore it.” Two fingers up, “Or, you can overcome. Prove your worth to you and maybe impress a person or two on your way.” With three fingers up, I stared across the table at Gordon while he digested my words.

  Breaking our mind meld with a heavy nod, Gordon let go of his worry just a little. It was enough for me. He might choose the right path, but only time and experience would tell us. It was a chance I was willing to take, a stance which I would relay to our Commander in our after-meeting pow-wow—and I sat back in my chair, my arms across my chest as the tension I’d carried since we’d walked through the CP doors lifted just a bit. I was still nervous about new members, people who I didn’t trust just yet, but maybe those guys could make me proud.

  My team had been battle-forged in blood, sweat, and tears. This new team would need to do the same. Then, they’d have the family that I now did. That trust? That security? That was earned. Only time would tell if this new team would measure up.

  CHAPTER 9

  The guys and I were again gracing The Corner Bean with our delightful presence. We’d all been dismissed when the commander’s secure satellite line began flashing an angry red from the far end of the desk that housed Trent’s computer bank.

  “What did you think of the newbies?” Devlin asked as he brought his cup to his lips and took a swig of the still-piping-hot beverage, wincing slightly at the resulting burn, though he tried to pull it off.

  Holden shrugged as he inconspicuously did his usual recon of the coffee shop, moving his eyes to take in every person and the overall presence of the place.

  “What about you, Hybrid? What did you get out of them?”

  “Hard to say for sure. Didn’t see or hear anything that is a major red flag. I definitely think that Gordon has the typical superiority complex fueled by past hurt, though I don’t know what that was or what effect it will have on him. His motives are a bit murky, but as long as he doesn’t get us or others hurt…” I trailed off with a shrug. We all hoped that anyone we added to our teams would be an asset, but we all feared that any addition would get someone else hurt. Prayers would abound while we figured it all out. In truth, I prayed often since joining the enforcers. There was plenty cause for assurance and protection on my new path.

  Before we could really settle in, screaming erupted from outside the shop. With only a look between the three of us, we were up and out of our seats, plowing toward the exit. Well, they were. I seemed to have a bit more trouble escaping my spot against the wall, knocking into the table and falling back into the seat. Trying again with a little more care, I managed to extricate myself from the booth and make it out the door.

  I found myself amidst another round of Minefield chaos that had frequented of late, coming to a halt between Holden and Dev out on the sidewalk. “What’s going on?” I was poised to fight but couldn’t see a threat, only people running past me from a couple of businesses down. The screaming was compounded by the mental voices that were terrified and blubbering as they approached or blew past where the three of us stood like idiots.

  There was obviously something freaking people out, but we had yet to get eyes on it. One girl stumbled past, a hand to her forehead as red seeped through her fingers and down her nose. I grabbed hold of her shoulders. We needed to figure out what we would be walking into.

  “What happened?” I yelled at the girl secured in my hands, needing to break through her hysteria. I tried not to shake her when she didn’t respond. Finally, after another forceful inquiry, scared brown eyes met mine. I tried to convey urgency but care. I probably came across as a totally crazy person, eyebrows raised and smile on my lips. Whatever.

  “I-I don’t know what happened. I was walking home from the Gardens, and then someone cried out and…and crashed into me. She was bleeding, and then I felt something sharp hit my forehead and knock me down!”

  Just then, as if to punctuate her statement, something whizzed past my ear, barely missing both me and the girl. “Go! Get into The Corner Bean, and make sure that Rolph has contacted both the enforcers and medics. Stay in there!”

  “I’ve contacted the commander. He’s sending uniforms and an ambulance. Do we know what’s going on?” Devlin reported from my right.

  “No. But something made her bleed, and something just flew past my head. Seemed like it was aimed. Not sure who, what, or where.” I dodged a second projectile only to be struck by a third in the shoulder. Looking down, I
saw an object lying at my feet on the tattered concrete. A rock. It was a reddish stone with sharp edges which would fit nicely in the palm of someone's hand. It reminded me of something, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. The air whooshed from my lungs as I was pulled back against the building and scuttled around the nearest corner.

  I don’t see anyone. I have no idea where it’s coming from. Looks like the street is clear for the moment, but we need to clear the threat before we just bail.

  “Agreed.” He was right. The street was completely dead now, the panicking people either having run away or were now cloistered into the surrounding buildings to await aid.

  “Agreed what, Hybrid?” Devlin grumbled as he searched surrounding windows for signs of our assailant. “Wish I hadn’t left my gun at the farmhouse,” he lamented roughly.

  “You don’t have your gun? Why not?”

  “Couldn’t go around scaring possible Sage recruits now, could I?” Dev quirked an eyebrow at me for a moment before resuming his search.

  Could you imagine Tanner’s reaction to seeing weapons on us? Holden chuckled.

  A swift elbow from me cut that short. “We need to figure out what’s going on. Has it stopped?” I leaned forward and was promptly rewarded with a sharp sting to my left cheek. I fell back against the building with a gasp, a hand flying to where I could feel blood flowing down my face.

  Nat! Are you okay? Let me see. Holden pulled my hand from the wound, and I grounded myself by staring at him. My cheek burned as air touched it, and I hissed out a breath.

  “How is she?” Devlin asked, still looking for leads, but all was quiet now. We hadn’t heard any more indications that things were still striking people. Other than me, anyway.

  Fine. You’re fine. A little blood but… Worried silver eyes roamed my person.