Commander Read online

  "Charley, I'm going to leave with you with Jessi and Jamie's mom. Okay?"

  He flashed her a smile and a quick nod.

  I'll have to get him some clothes, maybe later tonight.

  "Let me get changed and we can head out."

  "Yeah, I want to be very visible too, so give me a few," JD commented heading towards his duffle bag.

  Fifteen minutes later they looked at each other and burst out laughing as they both stood there in kilts, their boots, and department polos. The humor lasted through dropping off Charley, to the obvious delight of all children, arranging for dinner than evening.

  The crowd of reporters at the station killed the humor fast.

  Chapter 5 - Check in at work

  All attempts to get an interview with either McKenna Largo or the children she rescued have been meet with no response. Here is what we know, all but one person found at the scene had been killed by an animal. None of the children were hurt and they have video evidence of what happened while they were taken. We are hoping to have an official comment from the Sheriff of Nevada County shortly. ~ KWAK News

  "You ready for this?" JD's voice stayed calm as he slowly forced the Hummer through the throng of people that only grudgingly moved as he edged into the secured parking lot.

  "No. But I really want all this to go away and be a cop. I can handle being a shifter. It's pretty cool. But the alien thing, the drones, the promotion, I'm not ready to deal with. I want to get my job back and make sure I can keep Charley unless his parents can come up with a really good explanation as to why they disappeared." She flashed a quick smile at him. "Being kidnapped by aliens might be a valid explanation."

  JD grinned and ushered her into the building. The desk sergeant waved them over as they walked in.

  "Morning, Largo, nice to see you back."

  She flashed him a half smile, part of her still wanting to be hiding in her house but hiding never accomplished anything.

  "Hey, Kirk and a sheriff are waiting to talk to you in the small conference room."

  "Thanks." She shot a look at JD. "I'll ping you when I'm ready?"

  "Works. I've got stuff to do today anyhow." He winked at her. "You're fine."

  "Yes, yes, I know I am." She grinned back with the old joke and headed that way, trying to not think too much about what they had learned and what she would be asked.

  ~Hey, at least I don't need to tell them about the alien living in my head. JD still has the phone of the guy who recorded me shifting. I need to do something with it, but what? I’ll wait and see what they say or ask. Maybe they don’t know it exists. But the idea of the wolfman form becoming public terrifies me and I'm not sure why.~

  [Because that form means power, and right now anyone else knowing about it gives them power over you.]

  ~Hush, I don't need your distractions today.~

  A sense of amused disapproval flashed across her mind but disappeared as she went into the conference room.

  Captain Kirk and Michelle DeSoto, the Nevada County sheriff sat in the conference room talking, cups of coffee in their hands.

  They paused and looked up at her as she walked in, DeSoto flashing her a smile.

  "Officer Largo, please come in." She walked in taking a seat and Michelle hid a smile behind her coffee cup while Kirk arched a brow at her. "Starting a new clothing fad?"

  She glanced at her kilt and shrugged. "It has more advantages than you think, and after all the drama lately the idea of being able to shift and not have to struggle to get out of pants has a high level of attraction."

  "Point," his voice wry. "At this rate Davidson is going to corrupt everyone."

  "He wears them too?" asked Michelle. "I always thought they were a bit odd."

  "That was what I thought, but the being able to shift is nice, and it is amazing how many pockets some of them have, almost as good as cargo pants." McKenna shrugged. "I figured I needed to at least try them, and once I did I understood the attraction."

  "Huh," the sheriffs voice had a thoughtful tone, but she fell silent nodding to Kirk.

  He cleared his throat. "I wanted to express my appreciation for what you did, what you sacrificed to keep those children safe. I watched all the videos." He smiled wryly. "I stayed up until 3 this morning to watch the last ones. Granted while you slept a lot of it was fast forwarded, but the important parts, the part where you sacrificed, you made a choice, I watched."

  McKenna wanted to squirm. Knowing he'd seen her whipped, raped, and talk to the kids, spilling personal stuff about her, about JD, it hurt. But she refused. Nothing she did rated her embarrassment.

  "They shared with me the highlights of what you went through. After seeing that I'm impressed you left any of them alive."

  McKenna paled and both Kirk and DeSoto raised their hands. "No, no charges are being pressed. You were acting to protect children against men with guns, you'd already been abused, and my counties official report reflects that you showed great restraint in keeping one alive for us to question." Michelle DeSoto said, her face concerned. "We are still investigating, but we will not be putting any charges on the books against you."

  McKenna relaxed feeling like she'd missed a bullet.

  Kirk glanced at DeSoto and then spoke, his voice sincere. "You are an amazing person and an even more amazing officer. My question for you is, well our question, what can we do to help and what do you want to do?"

  "Help? Want to do?" She didn't know where this led, and while Kirk had redeemed himself a lot in her eyes, she still didn't trust him. At least not as much as she trusted Anne. And DeSoto qualified as an unknown entity. Granted she'd been calm and had a sense of humor, but still she didn't know the woman.

  "No one expects you to just be fine. Counseling has been extended to help deal with all of this, but professionally you have an unusual opportunity. Your scores on the detective's exam were nice and solid in the nineties, you have good yearly reviews, and right now you are the media darling. You can parlay that into anything you want. So, my question stands—what do you want?" Kirk watched her, but Michelle butted in.

  "I too was, am, damn impressed. I've got an opening in my department that I'd like to at least let you know about. Half of our conversation today has been who could offer the better job." Her smile had rueful humor to it. "Though I think the fact, you just bought a house and took in Charley is going to kick me out of the running."

  McKenna smiled at that. "Yeah. I still need to deal with CPS, but I'm not backing down. He's staying with me. Trust me at this point I know very well that my home is a thousand times better than where he was." She shook her head as it looked like they were about to ask questions. "Just believe me. And while I just want to be a police officer, a good one, right now he wins in my life, for multiple reasons."

  She knew the refrain seemed old and tired, but that was what she wanted at the end of the day. To be good at her job, to be trusted, to be someone that people turned to when they needed help. Help like Charley needed from her now.

  "That’s a valid desire." He leaned forward his eyes locking on hers. "The question is, how do you want to do that? Detective, vice, narcotics, or do you really want to stay on patrol which to be frank is where the city makes money to pay for police officers."

  The brutal honesty pulled her back a bit, and she thought about it.

  Can I really do more good in a different field? I don't think I'm ready for being a detective. And vice drives me crazy. If you are desperate enough to sell yourself I'm not going to harass you. But Narcotics, especially after all the stuff I just went through might be a good fit. And if I can help hurt the backer of that little experiment all the better.

  The idea had a level of attraction to it, now that she thought about.

  "Can I have a few days to think about it? I really need to get back into the field and get my head back in the game before I make any decision. Not to mention get through all the reviews of the last week."

  Kirk leaned back and nodded. "Unde
rstandable. And you do have a week off anyhow. But remember this, Officer Largo, fame is fleeting, and you should use the leverage and capital you have before it fades away."

  He’s right, if I don’t use this what was all this for, all the pain, the embarrassment?

  Morals warred with practicality.

  "Thank you, Captain, I’ll take it under advisement."

  "Good. You’ll be cleared by the next Monday. Enjoy your time off." He smiled, and she rose recognizing the dismissal for what it was. "Oh, Largo?"

  She turned and looked at him. "Good work with the kid. We follow the rules too much and don’t think about the kids enough."

  DeSoto smiled at her. "Agreed. Kids should be treated more carefully than our system allows. I’m glad you got him, and I’m sure you’ll be a great parent.

  The smile that split her face hurt, but she didn’t let it fade as she headed out to the pen. JD sat in the bull pen working on some paperwork. "What are you doing?"

  "Taking the next week off. Hated working without you, and right now doesn’t seem like you need to be abandoned."

  McKenna hadn’t thought her smile could get any bigger, but it did even as a huge weight faded off her shoulders.

  "I should say no, I should push you away and tell you not to waste your vacation on me, but, thank you. I have no idea what I’m doing and me with a child? I’m probably mentally damaged. But, JD, I just can’t. He helped the others, he knew what happened and comforted me, I can’t walk away from him."

  JD stood and pulled her into a hug. For a moment she stiffened, then relaxed as she drew in his scent. JD, her partner and her best friend.

  "I don’t expect you to. Now go get the review over with, you’ll knock them dead."

  "Damn right I will." McKenna took a deep breath and turned headed into the room with the board waiting for her. The review went about how she had figured. Interviews, questions, evidence review, the showing of the video tapes. She never glanced at the video as it showed TEC raping her, keeping her eyes straight ahead, and keeping her temper as some snooty man in a suit asked why she hadn't killed him then or fought back. Luckily a few other people on the review board tore the idiot a strip in his back when they pointed out all the reasons not to do anything but wait. Finally, they finished, stating they would take everything under consideration. For now, she would be placed on a one-week administrative leave while they reviewed the information.

  She left with the board promising to have their verdict to her by the end of week. Exhaustion lay across her, but it lifted as she walked out and saw JD and Anne waiting for her.

  "So, how about pizza and good conversation this evening?" JD asked.

  "We figured you could use some caloric and alcoholic soothing after that." Anne smiled as she said that.

  "You have no idea. Let’s go get Charley and go home."

  Walking out with her friends, headed to get her son, she felt right. Everything would be okay.

  Chapter 6 - Making the Offer

  The rate of new people shifting has declined sharply and the consistent percentage seems to stay at two percent. No new children have shifted so at this time we are assuming this is the new reality. There are questions about pregnancy and if it can be transmitted. So far it does not seem to be contagious, but it may be six years or more before we will know about any children and even then, the answers may not be conclusive. If any new information is discovered, we will pass it along. ~TNN Science Advisor

  McKenna paid attention to the trip to Toni’s this time. JD drove in the morning, and she’d been so stressed thinking about the upcoming review and mess that she’d barely paid any attention.

  "I never gave you her address this morning. How did she know where you lived?"

  "We spent a lot of time together while you were missing."

  She cast him an arch look and kept all innuendo out of her voice. "Anything there between you two?"

  JD shook his head, and she swore she saw a hint of disappointment there. "Nope. Just that we both were stressed over missing loved ones. She’s a nice lady, but not my type. Don’t get me wrong, we are becoming good friends, but nothing romantic there at all."

  She shrugged. "Okay. Didn’t want to stick my nose in and ruin anything."

  "Nothing to ruin. Nice woman, I like her. But I’m not interested in her, or she in me."

  "So noted." She fell silent thinking, then like poking at a sore, asked, ~Wefor?~

  [Yes?]

  JD started, and she closed her eyes noting both lights were lit. She clicked on the one that felt like Charley and it dimmed.

  ~Are you talking to both of us?~

  [Your channel is open, and he is within range, so at this point, yes.]

  "Thank god, cause I swear if I start going crazy in addition to this ugly mug, I’m becoming a monk."

  McKenna laughed but focused on the being in her body.

  "So, you really are of alien origin." She spoke out loud out of habit.

  [Yes.]

  She took a deep breath then the words burst out of her. "I don’t want to deal with aliens, or anything else. I can deal with shifting, I like shifting, it feels right. I’m not a commander, I don’t want to deal with aliens."

  [Understood.]

  McKenna heaved a sigh of relief and JD smiled at her.

  "Glad that is done with. Now let's go get the pizza and see if the kids have caused Toni to pull out all her hair yet."

  Pulling up at Toni’s house twenty minutes later, McKenna felt lighter. She didn’t need to deal with any aliens, or other weird things, maybe her life could get back to a new normal. As they pulled up into the driveway she actually looked at the house, thinking. A typical Northern California ranch house, it sat on a tiny lot, and she imagined a small back yard provided play area in the back. It looked cramped and overpriced for what you paid.

  They emerged from the Hummer, carrying pizza boxes, five each, and approached the door. It swung open before they reached it and Charley came bounding out, followed by the younger twins.

  "PIZZA!" they chorused as Jamie and Jessi slammed into McKenna almost knocking her over as they wrapped hugs around her waist.

  Her heart quivered a bit as she tried to balance the pizzas and hug them back.

  "We missed you." Jamie said as he looked up at her.

  "I missed you too," and the truth rang strange in her heart and mind, and that scared her more than anything. The weight of the pizzas disappeared from her arm, and she looked up to see Toni grinning at her, the pizzas in her hands.

  "I didn't want to risk you dropping the food because of the monsters." Toni's smile held warmth and welcome, and McKenna smiled back as she looked at JD talking to Charley as they walked in, Charley glancing back to check on her, and the twins refusing to let go.

  This place feels more like home than anything I can remember.

  The thought caused her heart to race and seize in her chest. McKenna pushed it away, adding it to the list of things she didn't want to think about, and instead ruffled the hair of both children.

  "Enjoying being home?"

  "Yes. And getting to use a toilet normally." Jessi's voice held darkness that no seven-year-old should hold and McKenna pulled her tighter for a minute. She let them go as she followed them into the house. It matched what she had seen of Toni so far. Practical, comfortable, without any need to show off. Solid furniture, muted paint on the walls, and bright colored hangings that hinted at Peru. She followed the kids as they tore into the kitchen where Toni stood there with JD putting the pizza on the table.

  A sliding glass door looked out on a small yard, with a slide in it, and not much else.

  The kids grabbed two boxes, looked at Toni, who nodded, and headed outside with the pizza in their hands. Charley glanced at her as they went out, but when she smiled and nodded he went outside too.

  As soon as the door closed Toni strode over to McKenna and pulled her into a bone creaking hug. McKenna stiffened for a second, then relaxed into it an
d hugged the smaller woman back, the human touch setting off a need she hadn't realized she had.

  "Thank you. Thank you for keeping my children safe, thank you for not letting those monsters touch them, thank you for everything." McKenna felt the tears from Toni soak into her shirt, but she just hugged back.

  "Always."

  After a minute of a painfully tight hug, Toni relaxed her grip and stepped back, dashing the tears away from her face with a sharp slash of her hand.

  "So, you went to work?" Obviously trying to steer the conversation to something less emotionally heavy. But McKenna had too many bombshells she needed to drop, and the need for the connection to Toni and the twins grew the longer she knew them.

  "Kinda, but let’s save that for later. Grab a seat, and maybe a drink. I've got some stuff to tell you that involves you and the kids. And didn't you say you had a nanny or something to help you? I don't see her."

  Toni paled, but grabbed a beer out the fridge handing one to JD. McKenna shook her head, beer never tasted good to her.

  "Carina, yeah. She and JD helped keep me sane, but since I took this week off, she wanted to go home and see her parents and brothers. She has her own rooms and bathroom in the back. She'll be sad at missing you, but she needed a break from the stress as much as I needed to be with the kids nonstop this week. So, spill, what do I need to know?"

  As they sat and ate pizza, McKenna, with insertions from JD, explained about the drones, commander modules, damage, aliens, and the connection.

  When they were done, four pizzas were gone, Toni had cycled through a series of emotions, but now she nursed her second beer, eyes distant.

  "Can I connect to my kids this way or do you always have to be present?"

  "Wefor?" A quick mental check insured the link to JD remained open, so he should hear any answer.

  [She will be able to connect if they merge blood though your commands would override.]

  JD shot her a look at that, and McKenna didn't bring up that part. She'd avoided the whole commander controlling the drones' thing, right now she wanted to keep that mostly between herself and JD. Who knew how much Anne remembered, but McKenna had little doubt she would talk to anyone about it.