Free Grizzly Love by Eve Langlais Page B

think this is part of some subtle plot to spy?”
    “Like I said, behind the boy’s playful nature hides a smart mind. He might not choose to show it to the world, but he grasps things. Perhaps if you weren’t so busy trying to ignore what’s in front of you, you’d see the truth.”
    With those enigmatic words, Gene slipped away, off to scare some other poor, unsuspecting soul while leaving her with food for thought.
    She’d never stopped to consider Travis’ actions as anything more than mischief and a tendency to blurt things he shouldn’t. She vowed to pay closer attention and see if Gene’s observation held any weight because she had her doubts.
    Doubts she needed to hold on to because a playful Travis always getting into trouble was easier to keep at bay than an intelligent one who did things to attain a certain result. Although I don’t know what’s smart about getting stung by a hundred bees just because he craved some fresh honey.
    Speaking of food, dinnertime arrived. While there was no bell to announce it, as they resided in a military installation, meals were at specified times.
    Joining Layla and Brody, Jess went with them to a tent that loomed larger than the rest. As they stepped through the flap, Jess took a peek around.
    The large canteen held many tables and benches, mostly empty. Given the number of barrack tents she’d seen, Jess couldn’t help but frown. “Where is everyone?”
    Had they arrived amidst a big operation?
    Brody, who apparently spent some of the time between their arrival and dinner elsewhere, had the answer. “Missing or dead. According to Sarge, their numbers started getting hammered hard in the last year and a half. At first they thought troops might be deserting as they vanished in single digits. The weak ones as Sarge called them.”
    “AWOL is the common consensus.” Boris, who’d arrived before them, didn’t peer back at them as he replied. He paid more attention to the ladled mashed potatoes and brown, gravy-soaked lump that passed as meat. The peas on the other hand were a bright green—too bright. But at least the pudding appeared normal.
    “That’s one possibility,” Brody conceded. “No one’s sure what happened to those fellows, only that they just never came back.”
    “You said at first. What about now?” Jess asked.
    “The siphon of troops stopped at one point, and that’s when the skirmishes began. As part of keeping the area clear of rebel forces, the camp began sending out groups of soldiers, half of them shifter, the other half human, to sweep the hills and nearby villages. Providing aid where needed, a visible presence to deter the enemy from encroaching and trying to terrorize folk into joining their cause. It used to be a pretty simple gig with only the occasional resistance. But all that changed about six months ago. Now Sarge says they can’t leave the base at all without some kind of incident. Sometimes it’s benign, like a broken-down engine or a flat tire. Other times it’s outright war where the soldiers get gunned down or hit a hidden landmine.”
    “Each time?”
    Brody nodded.
    “And yet, knowing this, they sent only three soldiers to meet us.”
    “Bingo.” Gene drawled. “And I might add, of those three soldiers, two were wet behind the ear while the other didn’t have any weapons to arm us.”
    “Something’s not right,” Boris grunted in between mouthfuls.
    “Why invite us in if they’re planning to sabotage? They could have just as easily refused us and let us stumble around getting equipped on our own,” Jess said, playing devil’s advocate.
    “According to Sarge, they hoped by keeping things low key, we’d attract no notice.”
    “I’d say that failed,” was Boris’ dry retort.
    “How many people knew we were even coming?” Jess asked.
    “Not many.”
    Brow furrowed, Jess tried to make sense of it and could only come up with one conclusion. “Someone in the camp is feeding the rebels