Panther Dawn (working title)
Snippet 5
(Sorry for the delay. See yesterday’s post for an explanation of sorts. This snippet picks up immediately where we left off in snippet 4.—ASG)
I checked my watch and sighed. The five minutes General Flynn requested were up. Time to make my call. Understanding, Mike gave my hand a squeeze before returning to his chair to make a call of his own.
“It’s about time you got back to me, Gunnery Sergeant.” Mateo’s normally deep voice grated, and I gritted my teeth. “I ought to bring you up on charges of insubordination and dereliction of duty.”
I counted to ten before responding.
“I apologize, sir, but I needed to find out what was going on, make sure my parents knew the current situation, and learn what they, as my Alphas and my mother as a member of the Tribunal, wanted me to do.” My response might not have been as politic as it could have been, but it was accurate. More importantly, it served as a reminder that I had more responsibilities than just those to the Corps.
“All of which could have been done after you reported in to me.”
He ground out the words and I shook my head. Whether he was pissed by the situation, by Mom’s “discussion” with him, or by whatever Flynn said, I didn’t know and didn’t care. He didn’t get to talk to me this way, not when those with more authority had already given me my marching orders.
“Sir, I respectfully remind you that, while you may be a senior officer, you are not my commanding officer. Nor are you in my chain of command. Beyond that, both of my pride’s Alphas are in Chicago, meeting with the Tribunal. That makes me the closest alpha to home. They instructed me to return and take over until they can relieve me. Then there’s the little fact that I was on vacation and out of the country when the shit hit the fan. I’m still trying to find out what happened and learn if there is any evidence linking the attacks to known enemies of the pride, of our kind or of either of my parents. Sorry if that doesn’t fit in with what you wanted at the exact moment you wanted it, but you simply were not at the top of my priority list.
“And, before you decide to rip me a new one, my first call after finding out about the attacks was to General Flynn. As the division’s commanding officer, not to mention my direct CO, he issued orders for me to report home and coordinate with the Ghostwalkers as the pride’s acting Alpha. It is my understanding he was going to inform you of those orders.”
Again, not—quite—insolent enough to be considered insubordinate.
I hoped.
“Camryn,” he growled.
“Look, Mateo, I get it.” I softened my tone, hoping he picked up on it. “Mom probably jumped you about contacting me. But look at it from her point of view. She’s a thousand miles away, give or take. Like me, she was awakened with a series of 9-1-1 texts this morning and could do nothing to help. People she cares deeply about have been hurt. Then she finds out you were one of the 9-1-1 calls I received and she knew why you were calling. So, she probably jumped you instead of listening. But then, you probably punched back instead of keeping your head.” I let myself chuckle softly. “You two do tend to forget you’re adults when you start butting heads.”
“Don’t push it, Cam.”
“If I was going to push it, I’d have already pulled Gran into this, Mateo.” A low blow, but one I wanted him to consider. “But I won’t—yet. I will remind you that I’m not like the Marines you’re used to commanding. I’m not on active-duty nor am I a cop like Mom or Lolo or others in the Ghostwalkers. I’m an attorney, assuming I passed the Bar. That doesn’t keep me from serving, but it isn’t what is needed right now.
“What is needed is for me to act as the local alpha until either Mom or Dad get home. Unless, of course, you want to come deal with the politics of the situation.” Not that I planned to play politician. I’d leave that to Aunt Pat and some of the others who already enjoyed an established rapport with the powers-that-be.
“You’re just like your mother, Camryn.”
“Thanks.”
I grinned again, knowing I’d won. Mom and Mateo might bump heads, but they loved and respected another. They would go to bat for the other if needed. Mateo just needed to be hit up the side of the head sometimes to remind him the family wasn’t his personal Marine Corps division.
“All right. We’ll play it your way—for now. But you’re to let me know if you need anything. Please keep me in the loop. I know Murray and Norwood will but, as Alpha, you will have a certain perspective they lack. That might come in handy before we get to the bottom of this.”
“I will.” I stopped myself before I rang off. “Mateo, you can do me one favor.”
“Oh?”
I pictured him sitting there, one brow raised in speculation as he tried to figure out what I had in mind.
“Keep an eye on my folks. Keep them safe for me.”
“You watch yourself, kid, and don’t worry about your folks. I’ve already put eyes on them as well as the rest of the Tribunal and their families.”
Feeling better about that much at least, I rang off. One more call to make, more to reassure myself than anything else. Then, maybe, I’d be able to get a little rest before arriving in Dallas.
Ten minutes later, I slid the cellphone into my pocket and leaned back, closing my eyes. My conversation with Gran went easier than expected. It didn’t surprise me to learn Mom already called her. Gran might not sit on the Tribunal any longer, but she was still a valued “friend” of it, almost like a professor emeritus was at a university. As such, the Tribunal kept her up-to-date with what was going on in the paranormal community, often seeking her advice and guidance.
Nor did it surprise me when she told me not to worry about Mateo. Leave that headache to General Flynn. That simple statement told me she’d already discussed the matter with her old friend. No doubt she’d let him know her view on things. Gran was anything but shy, especially when it came to family.
Her parting comment before ringing off was to tell me to trust myself. This was what I’d trained for. All I needed to do was remember I was an alpha, a strong one, and that I had good people around me. Rely on them to do what they did best and trust them to tell me what I needed to know. And remember she was as close as the nearest phone.
“Are she and your grandmother okay?” Mike asked as I dropped onto a chair next to him.
“They are. Worried about what’s going on.” Well, that made three of us. “Gran said they’ll come home if I need them.”
“And you told them to stay where you know they’re safe.”
I nodded.
“She promised they’d stay unless Mom or I asked them to come back.”
“Then don’t worry about them. You know your family in Spain will keep them safe.”
I nodded again and rested my head against his shoulder. “Sorry.” I looked up at him and smiled apologetically.
“For what?”
“For everything.”
“What are you talking about, love?”
“You’ve got to admit, our vacation’s been shot to hell in more ways than one.”
It certainly wasn’t how I envisioned it going. Not only because it outed our relationship before we were ready, but also because we’d had only one night together instead of the week we’d planned. Worse, my mother knew what we’d been up to so it was only a matter of time before his mother did and I knew that meant not only teasing but speculation about whether or not the families would finally be joined.
Talk about pressure.
“Cam, it’s okay. We’ve both been raised to know the pride and those who look to it are more important than the individual. That’s part of being an alpha or part of the alpha’s inner circle. It’s why your folks trained you the way they have. It is also why Mom trained me to be your second if that day comes. So, we do our duty to the pride and to the Tribunal. Then we’ll slip away and finish our vacation.”
“That sounds very good, Mike.”
So very good
“Why don’t you try to grab a quick nap? We’ve got maybe an hour before we land?”
That sounded even better. I had a feeling it would be a long time before I found my bed again.
This is a rough draft. There will be misspellings, grammar and punctuation errors. If this is ever published, those will be correct. Copyright 2024 by Amanda S. Green