Skin Walkers: Leto Read online

  SKIN WALKERS:

  LETO

  By

  Susan A. Bliler

  Copyright © 2013 by Susan A. Bliler

  www.susanbliler.com

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Cover Artwork done by:

  Cindy Hubbard

  Cover fonts, spine, and back cover done by:

  Cindy Hubbard

  This story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidences are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from Susan A. Bliler.

  DEDICATION

  DJ

  Thank you for always being there brother

  Illegitimi non carborundum

  Chapter 1

  Shy swallowed hard. Her wet fingers trembled as they reached up for the doorknob. A second loud explosion rocked the lab and had her fearful hands latching onto the doorknob and turning frantically.

  She’d been held captive at Megalya Labs for what she guessed had been about five months. A former intern, she’d been sickened when she discovered that the so-called scientists were experimenting on live human specimens.

  Confronting Dr. Chambers had been the biggest mistake of her life. When she’d threatened to call the authorities and have the lab shut down, he’d had her hauled from the lab. At first she thought she was being escorted from the building. She’d fought and cursed the other technicians for allowing Dr. Chambers to abuse the handsome man she’d seen strapped to the table in the glass partitioned exam room. She wasn’t so lucky. Instead of being ejected from the lab, she was dragged to her own exam room where she’d been beaten, stripped, and examined against her will, and that had only been the beginning of her hell.

  At twenty-six, she was just finishing her final semester of college. As part of the requirement to earn her degree in Cellular Biology, it was mandatory to complete a ten-week internship with one of the dozen or so medical facilities and labs that existed in the North West region. Foolishly, she’d chosen the Megalya facility because it boasted some of the most renowned Biomedical Scientists of the generation. She knew from research that their work was far more advanced than that of the other labs…if she’d only known then just exactly how advanced! Her intention was to use the internship experience to help get her into graduate school. Now, she didn’t want to ever see another fucking lab for as long as she lived, even if it was only a few more moments!

  A loud crash sounded overhead. The cement walls of the small exam room she was kept in fractured. Huge cracks opened up on two of the walls and zigzagged up and across the ceiling. She blinked and sputtered as debris rained down on her upturned face. God, please don’t cave in, please don’t cave in, please don’t cave in!

  Her eyes darted to the sink in the corner that had been shooting water into the air since the initial explosion had shaken her from her sleep. The water on the ground was slowly rising and she wasn’t sure if she was more terrified of drowning or of being crushed by the thick concrete ceiling.

  Turning she gripped the doorknob with both hands and attempted to open it. Five months of being underfed, abused, kept in the dark, and experimented on had left her weak. Too weak! A whimper escaped her lips as the overhead lighting blinked out for a few fleeting seconds. The alarms that had been screeching for the past ten minutes ceased momentarily then shrieked back to life when the lights flashed back on.

  “HELP!” Shy screamed as she banged on the door. She didn’t want to die here away from her family. Her thoughts flashed to her sister and a dull ache settled in her chest.

  She’d wondered over the past five months that she’d been held captive what her family had been told. Had they even been told anything? If left to her imagination, her poor mother probably thought she’d been murdered and buried in the woods. Now knowing what she did of the Megalya technicians, Shy was certain they’d formulated some elaborate lie and fed it to her family. Her parents would take it at face value, but her sister would be an entirely different story.

  Just as Shy would if the situation were reversed, she knew her sister would search to the ends of the earth to uncover the truth. The two talked daily…hell almost hourly and there was no way Shy would disappear without first talking to her sister. It had been so long though that Shy wondered if they all thought she was dead.

  The thought of her sister mourning her death sparked Shy to scream louder and bang harder on the door. “HELP! LET ME OUT! I’M IN HERE! SOMEBODYYYY!

  The sound of gunfire had her clamping her mouth shut. She pressed her ear to the thick iron door and strained to listen harder. Just on the other side of the door she could hear muffled voices. With her ear still to the door, she was thrown back with the wind whooshing out of her lungs as the door was kicked in.

  Pain throbbed in her chest and jaw but were a secondary concern as her lungs struggled to take in air. Her eyes took in the dark clad form that filled the doorway as she used her arms and legs to scramble away from the menacing figure. As the large man entered, black smoke billowed around him and poured into the room. Shy moved faster to get away. When her back hit the wall, she could only watch as a second person appeared. Both wore full black fatigues and had their faces covered with dark masks. Dark glasses hid any view of their eyes. They looked like some military Special Forces team, and the automatic weapons each man held left Shy wondering if she should be relieved or terrified.

  “Walker?” One of the men asked in a gruff tone. She couldn’t tell which one spoke though because the masks covered their mouths.

  How do they know about Walkers?

  “Can’t scent her. Too much smoke.” The man closest to her bent and grabbed her wrists, hauling a startled Shy to her feet before lifting her into his arms. “Better safe than sorry.” He motioned toward the other man with his head, “Find Conn. Let him know we have a female prisoner. Tell him to send Aries.”

  Terror was instant. Prisoner? Unsure whether they meant that they knew she was being held against her will or whether they meant she was now their prisoner Shy screeched, “Wait!” She tried to push out of the man’s hold, but had little strength to do more than place her hands on his chest. “Wh-where are you taking me?”

  He turned his face towards hers, but his covered features gave no hint at emotion. “Stay calm. We’re getting you out of here.”

  Still unsure of whether he was a “good guy” or a “bad guy”, Shy stammered, “Wh-who are you?”

  He was already carrying her effortlessly out the door when he responded simply by saying, “Walker.”

  “Walker? Is that your name?”

  The man stalled and turned to stare at her. Shy only saw her own reflection in his dark glasses and cringed at the sight of herself. Her cell hadn’t had a mirror, only a metal frame cot with a flimsy wanna-be mattress, one small sink and metal toilette.

  Shy couldn’t take her eyes off her reflection, she looked different. Too thin, too pale, too haggard. Her once glossy, fiery, red hair was now dull and lifeless. Even her once vibrant blue eyes now seemed dull and flat. Her self assessment quickly ended when the stranger leaned forward and sniffed at her loudly for several minutes before finally pulling back. He began walking again, this time much faster.

  “Wait!” Too much excitement and adrenaline left her wiped. She rested her head against the guy's chest. “Th-there’s another prisoner.” She didn’t want to forget about the captive that had caused her own incarceration.

  “Don’t worry; my Commander’s got your mate.”

&nb
sp; Shy tried to lift her head and failed, able only to gape at the man. “My what?”

  “Mate. My Commander has freed him. He’s safe, you don’t need to worry.”

  “He’s not…” she didn’t get to finish the sentence. Another loud explosion rocked the facility. The man holding her crushed her head into his chest and took off at a dead run. She couldn’t see anything but heard a loud crash just behind them.

  The man holding her yelled, “Shit! It’s coming down!”

  Shy kept her eyes tightly closed and curled one fist into the man’s thick military-style vest as she silently prayed, Please not like this! I don’t want it to end like this!

  Breathing became difficult and she realized that dust and smoke filled the air. The man holding her continued to run with her as if she weighed nothing. The loud moan of metal twisting could be heard and everything was silent for one eerie moment before the ground shook and an ear shattering crash rattled her teeth. Shy held her breath and knew she was dead. A few heart pounding moments later she felt the blistering cold of a Canadian winter’s night freeze her still wet skin. Her eyes flew open and the first thing she saw was the breath she held escape her lips on a cloudy sob of relief.

  It was dark, and more fatigue-clad figures raced toward them.

  “She’s unharmed,” the man holding her spoke. “She’s the other one’s angel. Where’s Aries?”

  Someone approached. “They have the male captive in the chopper, he put up a fight.” The other man who spoke laughed, “He thought Conn was Megalya. Aries is tending to Conn.”

  Conn? Shy remembered the name, it was rare. The logs at the Megalya facility had detailed records on an individual named Conn whom they believed was one of the elusive Skin Walkers.

  The man holding Shy growled.

  “It’s alright York. Conn’s fine, it’s just a bloody nose, but you know how Aries overreacts whenever he gets even a scratch.”

  York? Shy lifted her head to stare at the young man standing in front of them. Her gaze met that of a young man with soft brown eyes. She stared at him as the adrenaline wore off and she began shaking uncontrollably.

  “Shit bro, she’s soaked. You better get her onboard before she freezes to death.”

  She was pulled tighter into York’s chest as he stalked toward a waiting helicopter. “James, tell Conn we’ll follow in the BlackBird.”

  The young man smiled over at them, “Okay. I’m riding with Conn and Aries in the Raven.” His smiled broadened, “I wanna be there when her mate wakes up.” He beamed at Shy, “Your Walker’s a bad ass. I haven’t seen anyone give Conn such a run for his money since the time Aries called him on.”

  These people thought the male she’d attempted to rescue was a Walker! She hadn’t believed that anyone outside of the Megalya was aware of the supposed existence of Walkers. She wanted to ask the young man how he knew what a Walker was but he sprinted into the darkness; besides her teeth were chattering so badly she doubted she’d be able to formulate a coherent sentence.

  York tucked her head closer to his chest and took off at a run. She felt him lunge and she could feel the weightlessness of being airborne before the sound of feet slamming on metal registered. He released the hold on her head and she looked up to discover they were in the cabin of a military-style helicopter.

  “Aries coming?”

  Shy scanned the cabin and was unsettled to discover three other soldiers crammed along the bench opposite them.

  “No,” York responded loudly over the sound of the blades as they whipped to life. “Let’s move!”

  “Yes Sir!”

  Even though she couldn’t see their eyes, Shy could feel the men assessing her. When one leaned forward she couldn’t help but flinch as she clung to York. Seeming to notice, the man backed up a fraction. “Sir.” He held a blanket out and York quickly unfolded it and draped it over her.

  “I need more.”

  Three more blankets were thrust toward them and York used them all to cover her up, even lifting her slightly to tuck part underneath her. Wearing only a flimsy hospital gown, the garment was soaked and afforded little protection against the chilly night.

  Freezing and terrified, Shy still didn’t know whether or not these were the good guys or the bad guys. She did know, all too well, the type of treatment she endured at the hands of the Megalya technicians, and one thing was for certain, they wouldn’t give a damn if she was comfortable let alone froze her ass off. Still, she had to know. “Wh-where are you taking me?”

  The chopper was so loud she didn’t think York heard her, but after a few moments he dropped his head and removed his glasses before pulling down the black mask that covered the lower portion of his face. He had sea green eyes set in a pale face with a striking red goatee covering his upper lip and chin. He was handsome. “We’re taking you to safety. You’ll be with your mate. The Megalya won’t hurt you again.”

  Relief washed over her and she couldn’t help the tears that flooded her eyes and spilled onto her cheeks. Their confusion over her relationship with the other prisoner would need to be addressed, but right now she didn’t care what they thought as long as York spoke the truth. Her fingers ached from being fisted in his protective vest, but for some reason she refused to let go, too afraid it was a dream and she’d wake up back in her cell.

  York pulled her closer and rubbed her back in a gesture of comfort.

  “Son of a bitch!”

  She peeked up and realized the words were spoken to York through a headset he had covering one ear.

  “What is it?” he growled.

  “We’re leaking fuel York. Took a hit coming in.” There was a pause, “We won’t make it to Montana.”

  “FUCK!” York slammed his head back against the metal of the helicopter’s cabin.

  The voice in his ear piece spoke again, “Conn said he’d circle back.”

  York’s tone was clipped, “How far ahead is he?”

  The pilot responded after another brief minute of silence, “Far enough that if he comes back they’ll need to refuel.”

  York dropped his eyes to Shy and his gaze narrowed on her. She simply blinked back up at him wondering what this meant for her safety. “Tell him to stay his course. We’ll find shelter, repair the BlackBird, refuel, and depart ASAP.”

  The helicopter banked sharply to the right and Shy squeaked in fear as she clamped her eyes closed and lifted her arm higher to wrap around the back of York’s neck.

  “EASY!” he barked and Shy’s eyes slammed open as she released her hold afraid she had upset the large man.

  “Sorry Sir,” the pilot spoke then continued in a regretful tone, “York? The Raven’s turned and is circling back. Conn refuses to arrive with the Walker and not his angel. I’ve got orders to set down within a mile of the nearest town. Looks like we’re headed to Lethbridge.”

  Shy felt a rumble deep in the man’s chest then he was barking orders. “Get out of uniform boys. Marko, get to town and secure us six rooms. The rest of you secure the perimeter. Contact me through the mist if there are problems.”

  Peeking over her shoulder Shy caught a glimpse of the three men stripping out of their military gear. Quickly she buried her face back in York’s chest and kept it there until she was blasted with cold air when the door to the helicopter slid open. Looking up, she saw a dark haired man move to the ledge of the helicopter and her heart skipped a beat. He wasn’t wearing a parachute and was too close to the edge for her comfort. When he jumped from the still moving chopper Shy sat up and screamed.

  Chapter 2

  “Jesus Christ!” York grabbed her shoulders and spun her to face him, “What’s wrong?”

  Shy was hysterical. “H-he jumped without a chute!”

  The other two men who’d stilled at Shy’s scream looked from her to York with worried gazes. York’s frown deepened and he motioned with his head for the two men to exit the cabin. Both jumped without chutes and York cursed under his breath as Shy paled visibly. He placed
her on the bench beside him and stood to close the cabin door before reclaiming his seat. When he reached for Shy she recoiled further into the corner and dropped her gaze.

  “What’s your name?” he asked loudly. When she didn’t answer he shouted, “WHAT. IS. YOUR. NAME?”

  “Sh-Shy.”

  “Listen Shy, my men had military chutes that are designed to not be noticed,” he lied. “We’re Special Ops. We’re trained to go places and do things that appear to be impossible. My men are safe.” She looked at him with uncertainty but he noticed her deep frown seemed to ease by a fraction. He reached toward her again but ignored her flinch as he clicked a seat belt around her waist.

  “ETA Tito?”

  “Soon’s your men give you the all-clear you can relay to me and I’ll find us a spot.”

  Shy heard York cursing under his breath and could’ve sworn she heard him say, “Damn humans. We need a Walker pilot.”

  York frowned at her, “How long have you been mated to the other captive?”

  Shy shook her head. She was about to tell him that she was mated to no one, but a rapid beeping blared to life and a red light attached to the ceiling of the helicopters cabin began blinking wildly.

  “Goddamn it!” York growled. “Put her down Tito!”

  “I’m trying!” The words were shouted.

  York buckled a seat belt around his lean hips then reached for Shy. He unfastened her belt and yanked her into the wall of his chest, his arms wrapping around her like two steel bands to lock her in place.

  “This might get bumpy,” he whispered at her ear.

  From the ear piece she heard Tito’s shouted, “HANG ON!”

  The rear end of the helicopter whipped around and the chopper banked sharply one direction before jerking violently in the opposite. Shy squealed and latched on to York’s vest, burying her face against his chest.

  “I’ve got it, I’ve got, I’ve…” there was a hard bump that jarred Shy’s bones and a loud slow whirr sounded before Tito finished, “GOT IT!”