Free KnightForce Deuces by Sydney Addae

Angus’
gaze.
    “ Yeah but I didn’t finish what I
needed to do. When I come back, we can crack open that bottle of
Irish whiskey I gave you for Christmas,” Angus said. When he first
arrived at the compound, Froggy had been the first person he
befriended outside of family. They discovered a shared love for the
British Isles and talked of taking a trip to see some of their
favorite spots one day soon.
    Froggy laughed. His reddish-brown hair glowed
beneath the light. “I’m saving that bottle for a special date,
someone who looks nothing like either of you.”
    Angus chuckled. “Be selfish then.” He looked at
Damian who sat on the stool smiling. “See you later scamp ,
don’t give my buddy here a hard time. Tell Hawke I’ll see him when
I return.”
    “Yes, Sir,” Damian said.

Chapter 9
     
    An hour after Angus’s departure, Hawke and
Silas were going over last minute details for his trip to Maryland
the next day when Hawke stiffened, his eyes widened and he jumped
up from the chair and headed toward the door.
    “What happened?” Silas asked
following.
    Without breaking stride Hawke glanced over his
shoulder. “Damian said Froggy fell over his desk. He can’t get him
to respond.”
    “Is he breathing?” Silas asked as they keyed
the security code to open the stairwell and ran down toward the
gym.
    “Yes, barely. Damian doesn’t know what to do,”
Hawke said running faster, slowing down for two security
checkpoints before the gym came into view.
    When they entered, the scent of vomit hit
Silas’ nostrils. He moved toward the office. Froggy lay on the
floor. Silas immediately pulled the older man’s wolf. The shift
went smoothly but Froggy’s wolf didn’t move. Instead it whined once
while struggling to breathe.
    Baffled, Silas looked around the room wondering
what happened to the older man who’d been with him for decades.
Kneeling, he placed his palm on Froggy’s head and sent healing
energy through his wolf to revive him.
    The beast shuddered and whined once again, only
softer this time. Silas sent more energy but could tell it wasn’t
helping. Seconds later, Froggy’s life force slipped away beneath
Silas’ palm.
    “What happened?” Silas asked Damian after
Froggy breathed his last breath.
    Damian stared at Froggy and swallowed hard
before backing away. “I returned after dinner like he asked. He
wanted to inventory equipment. When I walked in he started talking
about the gym and how we needed to have it available for the
KnightForce recruits. Everything was fine for about ten minutes.
Then he started coughing, his eyes watered and he couldn’t catch
his breath. I asked if he wanted something to drink. He didn’t
answer but kept coughing, then he grabbed his throat and fell to
the ground. I…I… called Dad. I didn’t know what to do,” Damian
moved next to Hawke and stared at Froggy. He pointed at the man.
“Is he…how? We were just talking. He seemed fine when I walked in
and then…” Damian looked at Hawke. “What happened to him? Was he
sick? Is that it?”
    Hawke placed his hand on Damian’s shoulder. “I
don’t know yet, pup. We’ll run some tests and figure out what
happened. You did good, calling for help as soon as you realized
something was wrong. Proud of your quick thinking.”
    “Yes, thanks Damian.” Silas bent low over
Froggy and inhaled. He breathed in his scent again. “Hawke, smell
him. Take it slow and filter through everything then tell me what’s
off about his scent.”
    Hawke knelt next to Froggy, placed his nose
next to his opened mouth and inhaled. He frowned and inhaled
again.
    Silas looked at Hawke and placed a protective
shield over the compound. He contacted Hank, his security chief,
with instructions to lock everything down. No one in or
out.
    “Small traces of something that shouldn’t be
there. I’ll take him to the lab –”
    “No, not the lab. Too many people. Have a team
in full gear go through this room, bag and tag everything. Take