8. Sawyer

8

Sawyer

S awyer thought about begging off of the meeting at Howlers’ that night. He was tired and overwhelmed. He hated delivering bad news and hated even more the idea that he couldn’t fix it and make it all better.

At least in the United States, he has a strong chance of recovery. Treatments have come a long way.

He drove home and stared longingly at his couch and television before jumping in the shower. Everyone was just gathering when he arrived.

Sean clapped him on the back. “You look exhausted, man.”

“I am. I thought about calling in sick to the meeting but figured it must be important, so I managed to haul my carcass over here.”

“I’m glad you did. It’s important. I’ll tell you what, a beer and dinner is on me.”

“No thanks to the beer. It would likely put me to sleep right here. Dinner, on the other hand, is accepted, although you’ll go broke if you keep comping my meals.”

Sean laughed. “Nah. I’ll just raise the prices for everyone else.”

Zac coughed. “I heard that. I don’t want to have to pay fifty cents more for my meals so Sawyer can eat free.”

Sean gestured toward Sawyer. “But look at that face. Doesn’t he look pathetic and in desperate need of food?”

“More like desperate need of bed,” Sebastian said.

Matthias, Lucious, Josiah, Rory, and a couple other shifters from the Nightshade Wolf Shifter Pack took a seat at the long table. Zac’s face dropped all hints of humor and became very serious.

“We have some news, none of it good. We’ve had two more younglings disappear. A wolf shifter pup and a dragon shifter whelp went missing this morning. It’s the same scenario as before. The kids went outside to play. Their scent suggests that they were lured away from their yard. Then, the chemical Anthera-X was used to mask the scent of the kidnappers,” Zac reported.

Matthias ran his fingers through his hair. “The fact that the kidnappers are using Anthera-X tells us that they are likely shifters. I hate to think that shifters would turn against their own kind, especially children, but we’ve seen it happen before.”

“I wonder if there have been other shifter younglings kidnapped in the area and we just don’t know about it because they aren’t a part of our clans or pack,” Rory said. “I’ll check out the police reports for missing kids in and around Angel’s Creek.”

Lucious nodded. “That’s a good idea. You might go as far as Raton and Las Vegas.”

Sebastian finished his soda and leaned back in his chair. “I’ve found some interesting information. I went to the lab where Dr. Rick Rogers used to work, and a couple of people were willing to talk to me as long as I didn’t narc on them.”

Everyone leaned forward, eagerly waiting to find out what interesting information Sebastian had to relate.

“He was fired because he was trying to create a super virus that would have the same effect as the bubonic plague or the Spanish flu. He claimed that it was important that they get ahead of such illnesses so they could combat them before they happened and that people had no idea what Mother Nature could unleash upon the world. He was just trying to get ahead of the game.”

“Wow,” Rory said. “That’s diabolical. Aren’t there enough diseases in the world that need a cure without trying to create one?”

“That’s what his supervisors told him. According to one source, he was given a couple of warnings but kept working on his pet projects on the sly. Part of his so-called research was finding a way to expose a lot of people at once,” Sebastian reported.

Lucious let out a low whistle. “That sounds a lot like biological warfare.”

“That’s the same conclusion that the people who ran the lab thought, which was why he was terminated. As often, in such cases, the powers that be gave him the option to resign. That way, he could leave with his reputation intact and the lab wouldn’t have to admit that there was any potential wrong-doing on their premises.”

Sawyer growled in the back of his throat. “He should have lost his medical license for that.”

Rory nodded in agreement. “He probably would have if the situation had been investigated. Perhaps a little birdie should whisper in the appropriate people’s ears.”

“Maybe so. The doctor’s wife is a woman named Dahlia Rogers nee Pharnell. She used to be a doctor but had her medical license stripped. I’m still doing research on her.”

A sense of sheer dread exploded inside Sawyer’s gut. “That’s not a good thing. Before I joined Doctors Without Borders, I worked for an organization called Physicians for Humanity. Dahlia was a part of that organization. She often stole medication and other supplies and sold them on the black market, giving patients placebos. I caught her and reported her. It turns out that she had been doing that for a while. Other doctors had suspicions, but no proof. She lost her license. She is not a good person. However, no one should underestimate her. She is very, very intelligent.”

“That makes Dr. Rick Rogers and the former Dr. Dahlia Rogers a very dangerous couple,” Zac said. “That just reinforces my fear that the facilities on that hill are up to no good.”

“Could they be responsible for the virus that is keeping Erin and Jarred from shifting?” Josiah asked.

Sawyer tilted his head to one side and steepled his fingers. “They could, especially if they are responsible for kidnapping the younglings. They would be able to analyze the DNA and other aspects of shifters that give them their abilities.”

“We have to find a way to stop them,” Lucious said, pounding his fist on the table. “Sooner rather than later.”

“I’m trying. I’ll let you know as soon as I can infiltrate the place,” Sebastian said.

Their food arrived and talk turned to other things. Sawyer mostly listened to the other men’s chatter. He really was tired. It had been an extremely long day, and the thought of Dahlia being in cahoots with someone intent on creating a super virus was terrifying. Sawyer excused himself as soon as dinner was over.

The next day went by quickly. He was thankful that no more drugs went missing and no one had anything more serious than the regular flu that was going around. It was just an average day like he had envisioned when he decided to stay in Angel’s Creek.

Like normal, he left the office long after everyone else had gone home. Dahlia was just outside the door, leaning against the building, waiting for him.

“Hello, Sawyer. Do you remember me?”

He groaned in the back of his throat. “Of course.”

“Good, because I’ve never forgotten you and what you did to me.”

“You did it to yourself, Dahlia. You were the one who made the choice to steal the drugs and sell them on the black market, giving the patients fake pills instead. You made a profit from other people’s misery and suffering. That’s on you, not me.”

“The patients did fine. I needed that money and you ruined everything for me. You made me lose my doctor’s license and you humiliated me.” She walked closer to him and gave him an evil smile. “I was so glad to find out that you were in the area. You know, revenge is a dish best served cold. It’s wonderful when you aren’t expecting it, but somehow, knowing that you are anticipating all the amazing things coming your way but not knowing when they’ll hit is delicious.” She rubbed her hands together and laughed maniacally as she walked away.

Sawyer’s heart dropped into his stomach as she walked away. He didn’t doubt that she would find a way to get back at him.

Her ominous words replayed constantly in his brain like a rolling marquis as he drove home. He didn’t doubt for a second that she was capable of extreme actions. The question was whether she was going to come after him alone or if she was going to harm a lot of other people in an effort to get back at him.

Do I keep this to myself for a while and see what happens or do I warn others and maybe create some kind of panic?

Finally, he decided to call Zac and tell him about the encounter.

“Do you think that her revenge has something to do with the lab and with the virus affecting the shifters?”

“I wouldn’t be surprised,” Sawyer said. “To be honest, I think they’re just getting started and I’m terrified.”

“We’ll keep our eyes and ears out,” Zac replied and ended the call.

A loud boom shook his house. Rain poured down. His phone buzzed. Abby.

“My electricity went off. Do you have electricity?”

“Yes.”

“Can I hang out with you? I’m happy to sleep on the couch.” Her voice sounded small.

“Sure, no problem. Do you want me to come get you?”

“No, thank you. Let me throw some things in a bag and I’ll be there shortly.”

He quickly tidied up his house and realized that he was a little nervous. Laughing at himself, he noticed that, for some reason, he wanted to impress her, even though she was only coming over to stay because of the power outage. They were supposed to be friends and colleagues, but there was an undeniable chemistry that exploded between them when they were near each other.

She knocked on his door ten minutes later. Shaking the rain from her hair, she smiled ruefully. “I might also be a little afraid of storms, especially loud storms with lots of thunder, lightning, and rain like this.”

“No worries. We all have our Achilles heel.”

“What’s yours?” she asked.

“I’ll never tell. Superman never divulges his kryptonite.”

She shed her jacket, and he took her bag into the spare bedroom. “How about a beer?”

“That sounds good,” she said.

They settled on the couch.

“I feel like a silly goose. I’m a grown woman who graduated near the top of her class in nursing school. I know that the big boom-boom isn’t going to hurt me, yet here I am.”

“It’s all good, like I said.”

They talked for a few minutes and then lapsed into a comfortable silence. She studied his face and pursed her lips. “Something’s bothering you. What’s up?”

He laughed without humor. “Am I that obvious?”

“No. I have come to know you and I read people really well. Care to talk about it?”

Sawyer sighed and told her what he knew about the lab, Dr. Rick Rogers, and Dahlia, as well as about the confrontation he had outside of the clinic.

“I can see why you are unnerved. It seems like we might be in for some rough times if that’s the case.”

“I wouldn’t blame you if you want to bail out. It could get hairy.”

She looked offended. “Why would you say that? Not on your life. I’ve never been one to turn tail and run when things get hard. I’ll see this thing through to the end. We’ll figure out a way to help the shifters and if the lab is up to no good, we’ll all work together and take them down.” Her voice told him that he had offended her with his suggestion.

Sawyer grinned at her. “My apologies for the offense. I like your grit.”

“My mother called it stubbornness.”

Sawyer laughed. “That, too. That’s actually another trait we have in common.”

She nodded and smiled at him.

It took his breath away. Her damp, blond hair curled around her beautiful face. He looked into her eyes and saw passion, caring, and want swimming around in her chocolatey brown orbs.

She caught her breath and bit her bottom lip. Sawyer reached up and touched her cheek gently with the palm of his hand. She leaned into it and closed her eyes.