Phantom Game (GhostWalkers 18)

I’m going to access Blue, Kyle said. We need to see what they’re doing.

She’s not happy and wants to join her mate. Camellia soothed the female owl. Let me talk to her first, Kyle. She knows Gray has helped you before. It took a moment to get the female’s cooperation.

Luckily, Gray had pinned the great horned owl down, and the two raptors were clicking beaks angrily, wings spread wide, Gray blanketing his opponent, making it nearly impossible to look away. That gave Camellia the necessary time to convince Blue to let Kyle use her vision to read the map and send the information to everyone.

She’ll do it, Kyle, but she’s reluctant. She wants to be watchful of Gray in case he needs aid. I promised her I would alert her if he does. If I indicate for you to remove yourself, do it fast.

I will. Kyle took over the female owl’s vision and hearing quickly, before she could change her mind.

“Lewis, you’re going to take your men straight up the trail and hit Team One’s compound. Word is, they haven’t had time to establish themselves there yet. Hit them hard and take out everyone. No prisoners. Kill them all,” Shaker directed. “You should have very little trouble. The men we sent ahead should soften them up, if not kill quite a few. There aren’t very many of them. Ten at most. Our numbers will overwhelm them. Some don’t operate well in chaotic conditions.”

I’d like to know where he heard that bullshit, Jeff said.

Apparently, we’re known far and wide the world over, Kyle replied.

Jonas was just leaving the second helicopter, boots back on the ground after being on top of it and applying the acid to the main rotor blade and swash plate. Camellia was just grateful he was on the ground, where she could better monitor him. If he was spotted, Red and the underground network would help her protect him, she counted on that. She told herself if she was looking for him and she couldn’t see him, neither could their enemies, but her anxiety was high.

The female owl flapped her wings, signaling her mood and drawing the attention of the seven men gathered around the table. Gorman removed the cold compress and peered into the dense blue-gray fog, spotting the female sitting atop the snag.

“That’s the reason the male got so upset. His mate is there. He’s not happy with another male anywhere close to her.”

Blue called to Camellia, shaking her head, trying to dislodge Kyle. She turned her head in Camellia’s direction, looking up toward the rocks and trees above them rather than at the fight the two male owls carried on.

Kyle, break off right now. She can’t handle the stress of so many things happening at once. Jonas is out of her sight. She believes I’m in danger. Her mate is fighting. Get out of there.

Kyle did as she said, retreating. Camellia assessed his condition. He hadn’t been utilizing the raptor’s vision and hearing long enough to have damaged anything. She could turn her attention to Blue. The owl called to her repeatedly as she would to an owlet in danger. That only increased Gray’s ferocity.

Camellia sent soothing messages to Blue, trying to connect to her without giving a verbal call that a young owlet might make. To her dismay, Blue’s head continued to go down and she spread her wings wide in the classic threat/aggression manner, clacking her beak. Her eyes were definitely searching the fog to find Camellia, as she turned her head this way and that.

Camellia, Shaker and his men are picking up that something’s wrong, Jonas warned.

Camellia turned her attention back to the clearing. Shaker and the others were showing the same signs of uneasiness that Gorman had displayed earlier. His radar may have gone off first, but now all of them were looking around, casting wary, prolonged looks into the forest and then up toward Camellia’s vantage point.

The two owls continued to circle each other on the ground only a few yards from them. Most people would have been fascinated with witnessing actual combat between two male owls, but the seven men stepped away from the table, even Gorman with his cold pack, and, facing outward, began to actively search for anyone that might be watching them.

The sudden surge of psychic energy was extremely strong, so much so that Gray, who had pinned the other owl and was using his wicked beak mercilessly, broke away. The moment Gray gave way, the losing owl took to the air to retreat. Gray shook himself, spread his wings and let out his challenge for any other intruder.

Blue left her position on the snag and flew low along the ground over the victor and then rose up just a few feet, climbing to avoid the men and table, although she flew directly above them. The men did turn their heads to follow her progress as she made her way into the blue-gray fog with her slow, easy flight. Her mate followed her until both disappeared.