She had followed the guard outside, noting to herself to remember to ask what his name was so she could come back and kick his ass later. Laugh at her will he? Well he’d think again when she kicked his balls into space.
She climbed into the army jeep that looked like it came straight out of a movie. She frowned climbing in thou. Why was she just thinking about kicking some poor guy’s balls into space? She hadn’t felt this aggressive and angry in a while. She learned to control these feelings and urges a long time ago. What was it now that had her fighting to rein them in?
She sat next to Jared silently looking out the side of the jeep. It was warm still. There was a slight chill to the air but it wasn’t too bad.
He wondered what was going on in her mind. He felt some conflict going on inside her. Smelled her fear, anger, confusion. He was watching her out of the corner of his eye. She was frowning. She was a stubborn little thing.
Driving around the military barracks where soldiers bunked was second hand. He knew this base well. It had been his home for the last twenty years. Well if you could call it home. He supposed because he had spent more time here than anywhere else.
“Where are we going?” She asked through gritted teeth. She was becoming increasingly agitated and she didn’t know why. Everything was pissing her off. Driving in this jeep, this base, the man beside her, the damn baggy clothes making her look like some little kid. And why was she in some military base? Was that customary for someone being hunted by supposed terrorists?
Calm down, she told herself mentally. Calm, peace, breathe in and out slowly. Control, keep your control, it will pass just like every other time.
She was starting to sweat, he didn’t think it would happen so fast. He had to get her to the lab before the shift happened. He wasn’t sure what would happen to an adult that had no idea what she was. Shifters were taught at an early age what they were and what abilities they possessed. They were taught how to control and how to use their abilities.
He pulled up to a big brick building. She looked up, it was a massive sight. There were no signs to indicate what it was. He was at her door waiting for her to step out. Suddenly she was frightened. What was going on? What were they going to do to her? She didn’t want to get out of the jeep.
He knew she was fighting. Once this little bout of fear was gone she would feel the fury again. He had to admire her for the control she had.
“Are you ready?” he asked softly. He knew she was just barely keeping control.
“What is this? Why are we here? What is going on I am not moving until you tell me now,” she said angrily.
“Look I am trying to tell you what is going on, but in order for me to do that we have to do it in a secure and controlled environment,” he was trying to stay calm, getting angry now isn’t going to do either of them any good. He understood her hesitancy. But they just could not wait any longer. “Please you can feel I am telling the truth. Please, trust me.”
She knew he was, she didn’t know how but she knew. Maybe she was losing her mind. A few days ago she was listening to her favorite music and doing laundry. Today she was dressed in oversized army clothing, sitting in a camouflaged jeep, outside of a massive plain looking brick building. She suddenly found it all comical. She started giggling.
Jared looked at her wondering if she had cracked. She was giggling. Sitting there in those oversized army clothes giggling.
“Whatever, how much more bizarre can this day get.” She climbed out of the jeep and followed Jared. He stopped at the doors. They looked normal. Just a couple of glass doors with some kind of silver looking cover over them. Like mirrors they were, she thought as she looked into them. She chuckled as she looked at her self. God what a mess she was.
He swiped some card he had in his front pocket over the little pad next to the door. A little panel underneath it popped open. Curiously she peered over as he placed his hand on the pad. It looked like a scanner she used on her printer at home. It beeped twice and another panel on top of where he swiped the card popped open. Jared removed his hand and as he did that panel closed. He leaned in close and spoke clearly.
“Jared Logan Montgomery”
“Voice recognition accepted, authorization code”
“Alpha, one, one, three, eight delta”
“Authorization code accepted”
She heard a click and then something scrapping as she watched the silvery glass doors disappear into the brick walls as they slid apart. As they passed through the doors she noticed that those silvery little glass doors were fake. It looked like at least three foot thick metal doors were behind those. Well that did a lot to make her feel better. What kind of building was this that they had to have three foot think walls? What were they trying to keep out? Or more importantly, what were they trying to keep inside? What secrets was this building holding?
She stopped all of a sudden. She didn’t know why. Something stopped her dead in her tracks. A feeling of apprehension crept up the back of her neck. It made her hair stand on end. Everything in her body felt like it was electrified. Something was in here. Something dark. She could feel it. But no, she was being silly. Wasn’t she? Then why couldn’t she move?
Jared sensed Lydia has stopped. He turned and watched her. Her eyes had dilated and he noticed she wasn’t really focusing on anything. He prayed she could hold out just a bit longer. He knew she was sensing things she had no idea existed.
“Lydia,” he said firmly, “ Lydia, we are almost there come on.” He put his hand on the small of her back and felt like he was touching electric. He pushed her softly and she blinked a few times. She looked up at him not knowing what to do.
“Walk forward, we are almost there. I promise nothing will harm you.”
She looked at him again then shook her head. Wow today was just one weird event after another.
He took the lead again and she followed him down brightly lit hallways. They were also very plain looking. White hallways with a yellow stripe about 3 feet up going down either side. The doorways lining the halls were grey. She should probably feel alarm, or fear or something like that but she didn’t. She believed Jared, believed she wasn’t going to be harmed. She wasn’t sure why or how but she knew. Thou she suspected she may be going crazy. No one just blindly trusted someone like that. It was insane.
They reached the end of the hall and turned left. More of the same looking hallways. After several turns, of which she lost track, they reached what looked like an elevator.
She was getting frustrated again. Why was this taking so long? And why couldn’t they just use one of the rooms towards the front of the building? And was did he walk so fast? God this was ridiculous. Totally and completely ridiculous. How much longer is he going to have me walking around?
The elevators opened and she walked inside with Jared. The doors closed and he pulled his card out again, swiped it and punched in a few numbers. The elevator jerked and felt like it was falling way too fast. She clutched the sides and looked at Jared with concern.
He chuckled, “That takes a bit getting used.”
Her anger flared. Finds it funny does he? She was sick of people laughing at her. She was sick of feeling like they were holding something over her head, dangling it like a piece of candy. What was she some kind of rat to jump at a bit of cheese??
She let go of the railing and turned on him. Her fists were clenched and her breathing was ragged. She could feel herself heating up. Her skin felt like it was on fire. Her chest felt like there was a vise in it. Like someone was squeezing it. Her muscles shook with the fury that was starting to consume her. Her mind was clouding over with a haze.
Aww shit, he thought, he didn’t know what set her off but he didn’t think she was going to make it to the control room. He clicked his comm on.
“Doc have the doors open and be ready she isn’t going to make it. Clear the hall,” he said clearly.
“You make me wait, walk around this fucking place like I have nothing better to do, sit here while people laugh at me… I …. have… had… it,” she rasped out. But it didn’t quite sound like her voice.
“Honey, try to control yourself just a bit longer. Please, just a little longer. I promise. Just control it for a minute longer and then you can rip into me,” he was whispering softly. Trying his best to use a soothing voice. He didn’t want to sound like he was coddling her. He had a feeling that would just send her into an even worse rage.
God why was this god damn elevator taking so long.
He finally heard the scraping as the doors slid open. Finally!! That was the longest ride he had ever endured. He slowly backed out into the medical room that was designed to run test on the Shifters they found. In the middle was a big caged looking area called the Control Room. It was lined with reinforced steel bars with cores of silver. Along the outside ran a material he didn’t even try to understand. It was completely see through but, as of so far, totally unbreakable. Just to be safe another row of bars ran along the outside of that. It was a circular in shape and about as large as half a football field.
He was still backing into the room towards the open door of the cage, while she followed him. She was sweating now, it was dripping down her face, soaking her clothes. He could hear her breathing fast and hard. God just a little longer. She stopped suddenly.
“Come on honey just a little further, just control it a little longer,” he was talking louder trying to get her attention. Her primal instincts were starting to kick in already. Usually those came after the shifting was mastered, but he knew she felt the enclosed area. If he didn’t get her in that damn room he might have to do something he didn’t want to. He didn’t want her or anyone else to get hurt. He knew there were soldiers with tranq guns all around the room. Aimed waiting. God he didn’t want to do that to her.
“What’s the matter honey,” he drawled out in his best sarcastic voice,” too scared to listen to me now.” He laughed at her hoping he could lure her back into focusing on him.
It worked. She growled low in her chest, the sound echoed throughout the room. He felt the tension in the scientists, he knew it made them uncomfortable.
God but she was a sight to behold. He knew her body was fighting to shift. He could see it, hell he could smell it. How was she able to control this so well?
Just a few more feet.
“Lydia have you ever felt different? Felt like some part of you didn’t belong?” He wasn’t sure she was comprehending what he was saying but at least he had her attention. “Did you ever feel like you’ve had to fight harder than others just to feel normal?”
She was breathing so heavily it was a wonder her lungs didn’t burst. Ha! How dare he try to talk to her now. He had plenty of time before. Plenty. Why should she give him the chance now?
“All my life I’ve had to control everything about myself. I knew I was different, destined to be alone, destined to fight to control everything about me,” she was fighting to keep conscious. She felt like a blackout was coming. Like she was going to faint, but … not. She just had that feeling and she knew she had to control herself.
She heard loud click, thou it wasn’t a clicking sound it was louder. She whirled behind her and came face to face with steel bars and a glass door. She whirled around and was furious.
“YOU TRICKED ME!!” She screamed in pure rage.
“Listen to me you are a Shifter, like me,” he was speaking clearly now. Relieved to be inside the safe room. “I’m not sure why you haven’t taken form before. But we are Shifters. We take the form of large canine creatures. Like wolves only larger. We have a different anatomy as well. Similar to the canine breeds thou.”
She stared at him wondering if he was delusional or crazy like she was. What the hell was wrong with her? She felt like she was burning up. Every pore on her body felt like it was oozing liquid molten sweat. She was soaked, her bones ached fiercely but it wasn’t anything she couldn’t control. She had to control this.
But whatever was going on… she was sure it was his fault.