Shifter Wars (Mind Sweeper Series Book 3) Read online

  He kissed the top of my head. “Sleep. We’ll talk in the morning.”

  Chapter 40

  I felt like a specimen under a microscope. Three anxious males watched me as I sat in bed and sipped my orange juice. On the tray in front of me were the remnants of an omelet and toast.

  Jason sat on the bed next to mine, drinking coffee. He pointed to the bit of egg on my plate. “Eat that last bite; you need protein.”

  “How do you feel, ma petite?” Jean Luc asked from his seat at the foot of my bed.

  “Good.” I was actually feeling much better. I’d slept the entire night for the first time in weeks, and the food did hit the spot.

  Griffin stood across the room. For some reason he was keeping his distance this morning. “Are you ready to tell us what happened?”

  I took a breath. How much to tell?

  Jean Luc clucked at me. “Tell us the complete truth, mon ami.”

  “Last summer, my powers began changing. When I erased Trina’s memories, I absorbed them somehow. And now I have flashbacks, too.”

  Jean Luc nodded. “When you were having those nosebleeds?”

  “Yes.” I paused to take another sip of juice.

  “Why did you not tell us what was happening?” Jean Luc prompted.

  “At first I thought I was going crazy. The memories were so vivid it was as if I had experienced them myself. It took a while before I realized I was reliving Trina’s abduction.”

  Jason protested, “You shouldn’t have gone through it alone.”

  “I didn’t.” I swallowed and looked at Griffin. “I told Dalton.”

  Griffin’s gaze tightened on my face.

  Jean Luc stood and walked around my bed. “That was months ago. Why have you not told us since then?”

  I hesitated as the internal war I had been fighting for months continued to rage in my brain. It was time to tell them the truth. “Because when I erased Dalton’s memory, I absorbed it as well.”

  Jason’s eyes widened. “Shit. The Key.”

  Griffin finally spoke. “What are you talking about?”

  And here’s where it got sticky. No one outside our group knew about the true nature of the Key.

  Jean Luc turned to Griffin. “There were a few important points Nicholas left out of his report to the Full Council last year. As you know, Sebastian was after the Key, and tortured Lieutenant Dalton for its whereabouts. But what you do not know is we believe the Key is not a physical thing. Instead it is absorbed into the person who can free it from its receptacle. Joe was the one to free it.”

  Griffin’s eyes widened. “Joe is the Key?”

  “Was,” I answered, “until I erased his memory. Since then I have been having flashes.”

  “Like what?” Jason asked.

  “I’ve experienced Sebastian torturing Dalton. I’ve also been seeing names in my head which I have no connection to, and I can read Latin and interpret other kinds of things.”

  Jean Luc nodded. “The symbol for the casino. You knew what it meant right away.”

  “Yes.”

  Jean Luc’s eyes filled with concern. “You said you were experiencing Dalton’s torture. Do you mean you can see it happening?”

  I looked down at the tray on my lap. “I can feel it, too.”

  Jason cursed next to me, and Jean Luc grasped my hand. “What happened last night?”

  “I’m not sure. Charles Hilliard is one of the names I’ve been seeing in my head. When Jason said it out loud, my brain went haywire. I felt like someone punched me in the chest.”

  “Has that ever happened before?” Jean Luc persisted.

  “Not exactly. I…have had some other episodes with names, but not this bad.” I looked up at Griffin. He was so still I wasn’t sure he was breathing.

  An uncomfortable silence invaded the room, and I set the tray aside and sat up further as if preparing for battle. None was forthcoming. I fidgeted for a moment, and then filled the void with words. “I’m sorry I didn’t say anything. But don’t you see? After Dalton almost died last year, I wouldn’t risk anyone else until I had a better idea of what was going on.”

  “And do you?” Griffin asked softly.

  “Do I what?”

  “Have a better idea of what’s going on?” He stepped closer to the bed. “Did keeping this to yourself really help you?”

  I didn’t answer him. “We’ve wasted enough time today. I’m going to go clean up and then we can talk to Hilliard.”

  “No,” Griffin answered.

  “Excuse me?”

  “You’re not going anywhere near Hilliard.”

  I opened my mouth to protest and he plowed on.

  “You had a seizure last night at the sound of just his name. We have no idea what could happen if you meet him face-to-face.”

  I looked to Jason. He nodded in agreement. My only chance was getting Jean Luc on my side. “I’m fine. I think I need to meet him. Why else would his name be in my head?”

  “Maybe as a warning?” Jason countered.

  “A warning of what? He’s a sociology professor, for God’s sake.” I watched their faces and could tell I hadn’t convinced them. “Maybe it’s fate? Why else would I already know his name and he is the exact person who might be able to help?”

  I stared into Jean Luc’s eyes. “What if I promise to stick close to Jean Luc? If it looks like something is going to go south, he’ll sense it and get me out of there. I’m okay now, honest.”

  Jean Luc studied me another moment before turning to the rest of them. “I don’t sense anything right now that might harm her. I can watch her while you and Jason lead the questioning of Hilliard.”

  Griffin’s jaw rippled before he replied. “She’s your responsibility.” He walked over to the door and left without looking back.

  Jean Luc pulled me into his arms gently and held me for a moment before letting go. “I’ll leave you to get ready.”

  Jason puffed out a breath and walked toward the door as well. “Misha’s going to kick your ass when he finds out about this, and I don’t even want to think about what Doc is going to do.”

  I was going to have to eat crow, but for the first time in months, I felt lighter. I walked into the bathroom and stripped. Once in the shower, the warm water sluicing over my body helped release the remaining tension about the meeting. The tightness in my chest was gone, and I took a deep, clean breath for the first time in what felt like months. I didn’t even mind the steam wafting through the bathroom as I stepped out of the tub.

  I turned and watched as words appeared on the steam-covered mirror, the slight smell of roses cluing me in to the identity behind the invisible finger leaving the message.

  Told you so.

  I sighed deeply. “And you were right, Marie.”

  * * *

  Jean Luc parked in front of Hilliard’s ranch house. He turned to me. “Are you certain about this?”

  “Yeah, let’s go.” I opened the door and stepped out. Griffin and Jason took the lead up the sidewalk, and I hung back, waiting for Jean Luc. His reassuring hand squeezed mine, and we stepped forward. Jason rang the doorbell, and within seconds, a man answered.

  I gasped in surprise. He was the face I had seen last night, except he was older. His bright red hair and beard was now interspersed with gray, toning it down substantially. Griffin whipped his head around to check on me, and I gave him a confirming nod.

  He turned back to face Hilliard. “Dr. Hilliard?”

  “Yes. Are you my ten o’clock appointment?”

  “Yes, we called you earlier about The Casino.”

  He opened the door further and stepped back. “Come in.”

  We entered and walked down a hall into the living room. The room was sparsely decorated with mission-style furniture, and a built-in bookcase covered the entire far wall of the room. Hilliard gestured to the couch and chairs, and we sat down while introductions were made.

  “How can I help you?” he asked.

 
Griffin led off. “We’re researching casinos for a series of online articles we may write, and were directed to you as a potential expert on The Casino. We’re fascinated that not much is mentioned about it. It doesn’t even have a website.”

  Hilliard sported a gap-toothed smile. “That is intentional. Exclusivity implies power and money. You have to know the right people to be invited there.”

  “You have to be invited?” Jason asked in a surprised voice. “How can they be successful using that strategy?”

  “They’re very successful. Look at it this way. When you’re told you can’t have something, what normally happens?”

  “You want it even more,” I answered.

  Hilliard beamed at me like I was a slacker student who’d somehow come up with the right answer. “Exactly. In five short years, this casino has become the most sought-after place in Vegas for those in the know. It has been an amazing study in group dynamics, which is why I wrote the articles I did. In some ways, it reminds me of cult mentality.”

  “How so?” Jason asked.

  “The Casino’s staff is rabidly loyal. Turnover is practically nonexistent, which for a casino is virtually unheard of. They almost appear to worship their leader.”

  “Lucas Chambers,” I prodded.

  “Yes, he’s reclusive. Very much a Hugh Hefner personality, although there are no pictures or descriptions of him. For all we know, he could be walking up and down the strip and no one would know it. He also has an extremely vigilant security force that protects him and the hotel. This, too, is reminiscent of a cult leader.”

  “Have you been able to talk to the staff?” Jean Luc asked.

  “Yes. I’ve been curious about their loyalty. But I’m also interested in the types of people The Casino recruits. Lucas has recruited several brilliant recent grads. You see this in other casinos. Management will hire math majors to make sure players aren’t trying to count cards. But Lucas has taken it one step further. He is hiring engineers and biologists as well.”

  “If we wanted to speak to the staff, where would be the best place to find them?” I asked.

  “Your best bet is at one of the local bars. Most of them congregate at the Stampede Bar. You can certainly try to get them to talk about work and their elusive boss.”

  Griffin spoke up. “And what do you think of this Lucas?”

  “My wife, who is a psychologist, often says the leader of a cult, or business for that matter, is a dynamic force of nature. They have to be in order to persuade people to become a member of their cult or organization. These leaders are sure of themselves and their abilities. In the extreme cases they can be sociopaths with a God complex. Which doesn’t mean they believe in a religious higher power, but rather believe they, more than anyone else, are in the right, and therefore should be followed. What I have observed is that Lucas has his staff eating out of the palm of his hand.”

  Jason cocked his head. “Why would someone join a cult?”

  Hilliard smiled. “I might ask you the same question about why you joined the military.” Jason tensed, and Hilliard held up his hands. “I apologize, but I have spent my life reading people, and it’s not hard to see you have a military background.”

  “I was an idealistic kid when I joined. I guess I was looking for a sense of belonging, of working toward a higher purpose.”

  “Exactly, which is ultimately what we all want. To fit in with someone. To be a part of something bigger and better than ourselves. No one wants to be alone.”

  After a few more minutes, we finished our conversation and walked out into the hall. Hilliard went to fetch the list of names he had promised, and I waited while the others walked to the car. I examined the pictures lining the hall. One caught my attention. It was a framed newspaper clipping of a young-looking Hilliard. It was identical to the vision I’d had when Jason had said his name the evening before, right down to the smudge on his cheek. When Hilliard came back, I pointed to it.

  “Do you mind me asking you what this is from?”

  Hilliard reddened a bit in the ears before answering. “My wife insisted on hanging that. She calls it my heroic moment and says it should be memorialized.”

  “What happened?”

  “Around forty years ago, our neighbor’s house caught fire. Everyone in the family had escaped but the son. I saved him by breaking a window, crawling in, and pulling him out. The sad thing is, it was discovered later he was the one who set the fire. The family moved away soon after. I’ve always hoped he received the help he needed.”

  “Did you ever follow up to learn what happened to him?”

  “No. Back then we didn’t have the Internet, so it wasn’t easy to find out that kind of thing.”

  I thanked him, accepted the file, and then left. For some reason, I had a strong urge to find out what happened to the boy.

  Chapter 41

  “You got nothing from him?” Jason asked.

  I poured cream into my coffee. “What was I supposed to get from him?”

  Jason leaned forward and lowered his voice. “I don’t know. A feeling, a vision, something?”

  “Nada. Although I did call Misha and ask him to do some research on a boy Hilliard rescued from a fire years ago. But it’s more out of curiosity than anything else.” I turned to Jean Luc. “Did you get any supe vibes from him?”

  “No, he felt human to me.”

  I looked around the motel diner. It was mid-afternoon, and the place was practically deserted, which gave us freedom to talk. “It’s interesting that the casino is recruiting biology majors and engineers.”

  Griffin spoke up. “Makes sense if they’re looking for the right people to help manufacture shifter weapons like the sound guns and drugs.”

  “Misha is running the list of names Hilliard gave us,” Jean Luc added. “He will supply background on as many as he can.”

  “Okay, what are our plans for tonight?” I asked.

  Griffin spoke first. “I’ll go into the bar and talk to some of the staff.”

  Jason sat bolt upright. “That’s not a good idea. I think Kyle, Jean Luc, and I should go into the bar to scope things out. If there are any shifters in there, we don’t want them recognizing you by sight or smell.”

  I didn’t know if Jason’s shifter side was vulnerable, but I definitely didn’t want Griffin going in there alone.

  Griffin looked like he was going to argue, but Jean Luc said, “I agree with Jason.”

  Griffin reluctantly conceded.

  I stirred my coffee. “And how should we get them to open up?”

  Jason shot me a “duh” look. “It’s a bar, Kyle. Jean Luc will have no trouble getting the females to talk to him. You and I will need to small-talk our targets.”

  I closed my eyes for strength. I wasn’t good at small talk. It always seemed pointless to me. I opened my eyes at the sound of Jason chuckling. “Don’t worry. I’ll do the talking for both of us.”

  I frowned at him. “Okay, Great Communicator, how are you going to approach them?”

  “We pose as a couple both looking for jobs, which is why we’re hanging out in a local bar. Once we zero in on The Casino staff, we ply them with questions related to working there. It should give us some legitimacy if we come across as nosy.”

  I accepted grudgingly. His idea made sense. “Fine, but at some point I would like an undercover gig where you aren’t my boyfriend.”

  “Ouch, you wound me.”

  “I’m going to go back to my room for awhile,” Griffin interrupted us. “Jean Luc, let me know when Misha gets back to us with the intel.” He stood and went out the door.

  I followed him outside, across the parking lot, and right up to his hotel room door. I called to him. “Hold up.”

  Griffin stopped.

  “You’re sure it’s okay for Jason to go into the bar?”

  “Yes, if there is a shifter there, they shouldn’t be able to smell him.” He opened his door and closed it. In. My. Face.

  I push
ed open his door and stalked into the room. “Rude, much? This ‘I am an island’ BS is getting old.” Griffin scowled at me in tight-jawed silence, but I wasn’t intimidated. “If you’ve got something to say, spit it out.”

  His eyes narrowed on mine. “I want to make sure I get this straight. You’re pissed at me because I wanted to do this on my own to protect anyone else from getting hurt.”

  “Yes.”

  “And yet, you have been keeping a secret for months because…?”

  I mumbled, “I didn’t want anyone else to get hurt.”

  “Speak up, I didn’t hear you.”

  “I said,” raising my voice, “you’re a self-righteous jackass.”

  He grabbed my arms. “And you’re a hypocrite. When I think about you going through this alone for months, not knowing what the hell these memories mean, what the hell the Key actually is, and whether it can hurt you, I want to scream.”

  “What about you? You’re so busy playing fearless leader, you won’t let anyone help you. We had to blackmail you in order to come along to Nevada. What are your people going to do if you get yourself killed?”

  “Tim will take my place and rule.”

  I clenched my fists. “How can you be so glib?”

  “I’m not being glib, Kyle. As leader of my pack, I deal with life and death decisions. Everything I do affects my people. How can I send someone into harm’s way if I won’t do it myself?”

  “Your people know you’re a good leader. That you’re willing to die for them if necessary. But only if necessary. In this case we’re here to help.” I tried to wrench out of his grip.

  He let go of my arms. “Did I hurt you?”

  “I’m not that fragile.”

  His eyes softened. “It’s okay to admit you’re not invincible.”

  I breathed in deeply and let it out slowly. This was getting us nowhere. “How about this? If you admit you can’t do this on your own, I’ll admit it too. Deal?”

  His eyes widened. “What’s the catch?”

  “No catch. We compromise.”

  He glanced around the room.

  “What are you looking for?”