Free Full Moon Rising - 02 by Heath Stallcup Page A

looked more radiant if she wore an evening gown and was bedazzled with jewels. 
    “Colonel, so good to finally meet you.” She purred as she took his hand.  Jack swore he heard one of the squad members say something along the lines of, ‘does that make her a WILF?’
    Matt hated to admit that he enjoyed the way she said ‘colonel’, accentuating each letter, not saying it like the Americans do, like a kernel of corn. Very European of her.  “Nice to meet you as well, ma’am.”
    “Please, you may call me Tasha.” She purred.
    Tasha? Jack thought.  That’s a little weird.  “Sir, I didn’t tell them where we are.” Jack began.
    “He didn’t have to, colonel.” Nadia tried to explain.  “I could sense he was in danger.  Our bond directed me to him.”
    “Ma’am, Jack’s job always puts him in the path of danger, I don’t see why…”
    “No, this is larger than that.  Something dark and large looms.” She interrupted.  “This is extremely dangerous.”
    Mitchell sighed and shook his head.  “Considering the time of the month, there are possible threats all over our sectors, there’s simply no way we can tell which one is this ‘large’ threat.”
    “This isn’t tied to the moon or its pull, colonel.  This is…larger.  This is…’Apocalypto’!”
    “Apocalypse?” he asked.
    “Yes.  Very much so.  Or very like.”  She grunted in frustr ation.  “The correct words escape me.  I have no way to put into it what I am seeing.  What I feel is grander than the words I can find.”
    “Understood.” Matt studied her for a moment then motioned to Apollo.  “Let’s get them down below, secure the hangar and double the guards outside.” 
    “Yes, sir.”
    Next he turned to Laura.  “Notify the base commander that there may be an exterior threat, increase the guards at all the gates and let’s get security at unopened gates.  Activate canine units and set perimeter patrols, just in case.  We’ll want to go to the next threatcon.  If he asks, the code word is Lazarus.”
    “I’m on it, Colonel.”
    Mitchell next addressed Jack.  “Are all the teams geared up and ready for action?”
    “Affirmative, Skipper.”
    “Very well.  Come with me.  You can help fill in some gaps.” And the two men headed for the stairwell.  It was time to make arrangements for two more wolves for at least one night and see just how much information he could glean from this wolf with premonitions.  If a large threat was looming, especia lly one of Apocalyptic proportions, then he damn sure wanted to milk every drop of intel that he could from this girl.  As they exited the stairwell, Matt motioned for one of his young captains.  “Get Dr. Evans.  Have him meet us in the interrogation room.”
    “Yes, sir.”  The guard turned to leave when Matt yelled a warning.
    “Be careful when you wake him.  He can be a little grumpy without his beauty rest.”
    “Roger that, sir.” The captain said.
    “Now, about your…’wife’.  How do these premonitions of hers work?” Matt asked Thompson.
    “Honestly, Skipper, this is the first I’ve ever heard of them.”  Jack answered.  “I was as shocked as anybody else when she came running up the hangar deck.”
    So much for that idea.  Matt hated going in cold, with nothing to work with.  His head started to throb and his gut twisted a bit.  The wolf juice that Evan brewed up for him wasn’t lasting as long as he’d hoped, even with the concentrated version he had been slugging back.  He pulled the flask from his pocket and took a hit from it.  It still tasted like a turd filtered through dirty socks, but the relief was almost immediate.
    “Scotch?” Jack inquired.
    “I wish.  Some concoction that the doc cooked up for me to help take the edge off the full moon.”
    Jack hiked an eyebrow.  “Does it work?”
    “For very short periods at a time, yes.  It stinks to high heaven, tastes even worse, but the relief it gives me