Brody's Beast E-Book

Mayer Dale

• Herausgeber: Valley Publishing Ltd.
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

The journey back to consciousness hadn’t been fast or easy but, once awake, with weird images and voices in his head, Brody is all about getting back to the team and into the action. His senses are dulled, but, even then, he’s strong enough to know he has to leave the building where he’s been recuperating from the initial team accident. Not knowing any of the details doesn’t help, but it does mean trust is now the issue.

Clary came on board to help when Brody was lost on the ethers—and to help her sister, Cara, who had taken on more than she could handle with Rick’s care. And even though Clary had been forewarned as to how this type of connection could work, Clary didn’t expect it to work with her and her patient, Brody.

Having a healing pathway was one thing; … having a connection where you could hear thoughts, feel the same emotions, was quite another. And seeing how Brody fights to surmount the attacks on the team he loves so well only shows her how much more is possible—but not the event where she must test out her theory, … unless it’s to protect those she cares about.

Leseprobe

Books in This Series:

Damon’s Deal, Book 1

Wade’s War, Book 2

Gage’s Goal, Book 3

Calum’s Contact, Book 4

Rick’s Road, Book 5

Scott’s Summit, Book 6

Brody’s Beast, Book 7

Terkel’s Twist, Book 8

Terkel’s Triumph, Book 9

Table of Contents

Cover

Title Page

About This Book

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Epilogue

About Terkel’s Twist

Sneak Peek from Magnus: Shadow Recon

Author’s Note

Complimentary Download

About the Author

Copyright Page

About This Book

Welcome to a brand-new series from USA Today best-selling author Dale Mayer, where dark-ops SEALs have special senses and skills, needed to solve intrigue, betrayal, and … murder. A series with all the elements you’ve come to love, plus so much more, … including psychics!

The journey back to consciousness hadn’t been fast or easy but, once awake, with weird images and voices in his head, Brody is all about getting back to the team and into the action. His senses are dulled, but, even then, he’s strong enough to know he has to leave the building where he’s been recuperating from the initial team accident. Not knowing any of the details doesn’t help, but it does mean trust is now the issue.

Clary came on board to help when Brody was lost on the ethers—and to help her sister, Cara, who had taken on more than she could handle with Rick’s care. And even though Clary had been forewarned as to how this type of connection could work, Clary didn’t expect it to work with her and her patient, Brody.

Having a healing pathway was one thing; … having a connection where you could hear thoughts, feel the same emotions, was quite another. And seeing how Brody fights to surmount the attacks on the team he loves so well only shows her how much more is possible—but not the event where she must test out her theory, … unless it’s to protect those she cares about.

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Prologue

Brody?

He shuddered.

Brody came the insistent voice yet again.

He tried to block it out. It had been yelling and screaming at him for what seemed like forever. He’d done everything he could to make it go away, but still it was persistent. He tried once again to shut it down, but it came back once more.

No, not this time came the calm voice. We need you. Get up, get out, come back.

Brody thought it was Terk’s voice. He wasn’t sure, but maybe? It was hard to tell what Terk’s problem was.

But, if Terk called, it meant that he needed something. And, if Terk needed something, Brody would be there for him. Except how could he be sure it was Terk?

It didn’t really sound like him; it seemed a long distance away. And then he heard that woman’s voice again. “Who the hell was that?” Again came the softer voice.

Come on, Brody. Wake up. Come on. It’s time to wake up. You’ve had a nice nap, but that time is over.

He sighed and twisted. He wanted to sleep some more. He wanted to tell them that he was still too tired and that he still needed sleep, but he didn’t think they would care. He tried to block them out yet again, but the male voice returned, insistent and hard.

No, that’s enough now. Come out now, on your own, or come out with our help.

Brody slowly opened his eyes, only to see nothing. It was just black out there. He snapped his eyelids closed again. “See? I tried,” he muttered.

The female laughed. Oh no you don’t. You don’t get off so easy, she murmured. Try it again.

“No.”

Yes.

“No.”

Yes. And I’m glad to see you’ve got enough strength to argue, Terk said telepathically.

Brody froze. “Terk?”

Yeah, bud. We’d sure like to see you come back out of where you’ve been hiding.

“Hiding?” he snapped. Struggling higher and higher through the fog, he fought. How dare Terk say Brody was hiding? He’d never hidden in his life. He always took every fight head-on. There was no hiding in his life. Ever.

When he slowly drifted higher and higher, he looked around. “Where am I?” he cried out, feeling the first vestiges of fear. “It’s dark.”

And this time, the woman’s voice, with something almost recognizable about it, soothed him. We’re here, she stated. We’re waiting for you.

He felt relief at hearing her voice again, but it was couched in a near panic because he didn’t know who she was or where she was. “Where am I?” he asked, his voice almost strangled.

You’ve been in a coma, she stated calmly. And we need you to come back now.

“And if I don’t want to?” he asked almost bitterly.

Too bad, she murmured. You need to. Unless, of course, you continue to hide.

He twisted, surging higher and higher again. “I don’t hide,” he growled, a darkness in his soul overriding everything that they were doing. “I don’t know who you are or why you would say that to me,” he snapped, “but I don’t hide.”

Then suddenly it looked like he was … here. He opened his eyes and saw a room. Relief washed through him. It wasn’t just darkness. It wasn’t a never-ending unwavering blackness surrounding him. As he fully opened his eyes, he looked around. He was in a room, a small bedroom. And he was alone. “Where am I?” he whispered.

You’re safe, a woman said quietly. And I need you to stay safe. All your friends are about to be attacked, and so are you.

He struggled to toss off all the cloudiness and a bit of fog in his brain. “I don’t understand,” he muttered. “Where are you?”

I’m here, she stated calmly. You can talk to me anytime.

Just then a woman walked into his room. She stopped, looked at him, and smiled. “There you are,” she greeted him.

He frowned. The voice is different. “You sound surprised.”

“Sure,” she replied. “I wasn’t expecting to see you awake.”

He looked at her hard. “Who were you expecting to see?”

She shrugged. “Good question, but not you. I thought you were a goner.”

“Well, I’m not,” Brody snapped, his tone harsh. “Where are the rest of my friends?”

“They’re around,” she said. “I’ll call the doc.”

“No doctor,” Brody muttered. “I’m fine.” And he slowly sat up.

“No, no, no, you don’t,” she cried out in alarm.

He glared and ignored her. “I’m getting up,” he declared, “and I don’t think you are capable of stopping me.” Then that voice, the one from his psyche, the one that kept talking to him, the one that called him home, whispered to him.

What about me though? she asked. I am capable of stopping you.

He looked around in alarm. “Who said that?”

The nurse looked at him in surprise. “Nobody said anything,” she noted cautiously, frowning at him. “That’s just a sign that you’re not quite back with us yet,” she murmured. “Please relax.”

He shook his head. “That’s not happening,” he argued, as he managed to get his legs over the side of the bed. But he was weak; damn, he was weak. He glared as he looked around at the room. “Where am I?”

The nurse looked at him. “I’ll call Terk.”

“You do that. And tell him to bring me some damn clothes.”

And, with that, she took off.

The voice in his head laughed. Cute, she said. You’re worrying about your hairy butt after everything you’ve been through?

He frowned. “Who the hell are you, and how do you know I’ve got a hairy butt?”

Because I’ve seen it, she teased cheerfully. It’s kind of cute too. We’ll talk when I get there.

“No,” Brody argued. “I don’t know who you are or what you’re doing, but my team is in trouble. I have to go to them. So, if you want to talk, it’ll wait until afterward.”

Chapter 1

Something hit Brody and hit him hard. It was like an unseen force, sapping all the strength out of him. Brody collapsed back on the bed.

“I don’t know what the hell just happened,” he said out loud. He knew no one was in the room, but the question was more to himself than anyone else. He knew he was alone, yet …

“If somebody did this to me, … you’ll pay for it.” He tried to inject a serious threat into his tone. The conviction was evident, and, if anyone was out there at all, they had to know he wasn’t kidding. And he wasn’t.

He didn’t know what the hell was going on, but that voice in his head was beyond scary.

You shouldn’t ever be scared of the voices in your head, the woman stated calmly. I’m only here to help.

By knocking me out?

If you get up and run too quickly, she noted, you’ll knock yourself out.

I guess I’ll learn then, won’t I?

Ah! Stubborn, aren’t you?

Independent, he argued.

After a moment of silence, she continued. Fine, now try it again.

He groaned as he pushed himself up, but now it felt like he had weights around his ankles and his chest, all holding him down. I don’t understand. Why does everything feel like it’s so far away? So heavy?

Because you’ve been in a coma for a long time, she explained in exasperation. Do you remember me telling you that?

Sure, you might have told me, but that doesn’t mean I necessarily believed you.

She snorted. Of course not. I mean, why would you listen to anybody, especially anyone who is trying to help? Are you always this obnoxiously stubborn?

He almost smiled at that. Probably. After a moment of sitting upright, he said, There. See? I’m doing much better.

Sure you are, she quipped. You do realize you’re talking to yourself in your head, right?

He frowned at that. Aren’t you the one who just told me that I shouldn’t be afraid of the voices in my head?

Sure, she agreed, as long as you’re comfortable with it.

Well, I was comfortable, he noted in exasperation, until now. Sounds like you’re trying to put ideas in my head.

Nope. … I just want to make sure that you don’t do anything, too fast, and hurt yourself.

Now you sound like Terk and the rest of my team.

Good, she replied. I imagine those guys care about your condition and are just looking out for you.

Of course they are, but I also know that they need me. Something has gone wrong in our world, and I can’t count on anybody.

That’s sad, she murmured, but I do understand.

He frowned. How do you know what it’s like? he asked, a note of challenge in his voice.

I didn’t say I know what it’s like, she corrected him, but I do understand what it’s like to not trust anyone around you.

He nodded at that. That experience is not just unique to our team, I’m sure.

No, … and the minute you’re different, people are scared of you, she noted, with the same sadness.

You mean, like this ability to talk to people in their heads?

That and being able to knock you out, if I need to. A flat edge filled her voice.

He believed her. She was formidable. He frowned. I really would appreciate it if you didn’t do that anymore.

Don’t be an idiot, she snapped. And look after yourself, and I won’t have to. I’m only here to help you and to keep you safe.

He had to ponder that. And that would mean that you know Terk.

She laughed. Yeah, I do. Although it’s a bit more distant than that.

That’s confusing, he told her. What do you mean?

She hesitated. It’s really through my sister that I’m here.

Okay. … So Terk didn’t ask you to help me?

Terk asked my sister to help, she explained, but I’m here instead.

Your sister couldn’t help?

She could, but it was also taking a lot out of her. You have to know that she’s helping not just you. So I took over your care.

And the nurse out there?

It never hurts to have a physical representation of the medical profession, she noted, even if we don’t use them much.

Oh, wow. So are you not a medical professional?

I am, she stated. I’m a doctor but a fairly unusual one.

In what way?

Because I do this kind of energy work, she explained. My sister does it as well, but she’s not a doctor.

So, one trained and one not?

There’s no formal training for stuff like this, she added, with a note of humor. And you, of all people, should know that because you have very similar talents, if not necessarily in the same field.

He struggled with that for a moment. You know a lot about me, and that makes me uncomfortable.

Yeah, I understand that, she agreed, but really not a whole lot I can do to make you feel better about it. There are things that you need to do, things that you need to get a move on with, in order to keep everybody moving in your world.

He frowned at that. Are you deliberately trying to talk in circles?

She groaned. I don’t know the circumstances around your team. I was hoping that you did because you seem so adamant.

He was trying hard to follow her words. I just know that I went down in unusual circumstances, and, now that I’m awake, I suspect that there are way more problems than I even know about.

At that, another voice interrupted.

Clary, how is he doing?

He’s doing better. Clary addressed Brody. Meet Cara, my twin—well, triplet really, but our brother died. Clary shifted her attention to her sister. Cara, he’s awake, but almost combative.

Great. Cara gave a heavy sigh. That just means he matches up with the rest of this group.

Who’s Cara to my team? Brody asked.

Well, you could say, I’m Rick’s partner, she murmured gently. He was in the same kind of situation as you are. I went in deep to try and save him, and then, when I came out, well, let’s just say that we’d formed a bond that we hadn’t really expected.

It took a moment for Brody to digest it all. Wow, he murmured. Is he okay?

He’s recovering nicely, and hopefully you will too. Everybody has been worried sick about you.

You’ve been in and out, Clary noted, and, when Cara lost you in the ethers, it was pretty grim for a while.

Thanks for that, Cara said, with a gasp. Nothing like throwing me under the bus.

Hey, that’s what you told me, Clary stated. If you want to rephrase, go ahead.

Fine, Cara replied. Brody, when you came looking for help, I was busy with Rick at the time and wasn’t sure if you were a friend or foe. She paused. So I couldn’t give you much more attention, while I was trying to keep Rick alive. Then, when I found out who you were and went back for you, I couldn’t find you again.

That’s fine. Thanks for taking care of Rick. And I am here, aren’t I? His voice was warming. Rick and I are very good friends. I would never want you to prioritize me over him. Brody hoped he sounded sincere because he meant it.

After a moment of silence, Cara laughed. Well, he said something similar to me at one point as well, so apparently you guys are very much alike.

We are, and, as long as he’s doing okay, then I’m grateful, Brody stated, his tone more formal than he expected. But it was choking him up to think that Rick had been in the same kind of boat as he was. What about the rest of my team?

Well, you can talk to them yourself soon, Clary murmured. Terk is on his way to you.

He probably shouldn’t do that, Brody stated in alarm. I think our team is under attack.

It is, and it has been for days, Cara agreed, weeks, I guess. It’s ugly, but you’re the last one who needs to be brought back to full consciousness. You were lost for a while, which is one of the reasons I asked my sister to go fishing for you.

Fishing, Brody repeated, tasting the word. What an odd expression.

Maybe, but it’s what Clary does best, Cara added. She’s stronger than I am in some areas, particularly now that I’m much more connected to Rick.

Well, it’s a fascinating thing to talk about, and hopefully I’ll get a chance to see you face-to-face and to thank you. At that moment, Brody heard noises in the other room. At almost the same time moment, the voices in his head blinked out. He frowned at that, hating the sensation of potentially losing some grasp on what was going on.

*

When the door opened next, Terk strode toward him, a big grin on his face. “Now that’s a sight for sore eyes.” His arms outstretched, Terk came right next to Brody.

Brody gave him a weak smile but was eager to accept and to return the hug. “God, I feel like I’ve been run over by a full fleet of semis.”

“You almost were,” Terk admitted, “and, if it weren’t for the talented women who have joined our team”—he seemed out of it for a second, then continued—“I don’t think you would have survived.”

“Well, if I was lost forever in that cold darkness,” Brody stated, “I can tell you that’s not a place that anybody wants to stay.”

“Do you remember anything?”

“Not a whole lot.” He studied Terk. “You look like you haven’t been affected at all, and yet I feel like I’ve been gone for weeks, if not months.”

“You have been,” Terk agreed quietly. “I did get through the initial attack better than all of you,” he added. “And I’m not even sure why necessarily, but finally now everybody but you is back on their feet.”

“Everybody?” Brody needed to be sure, and, at his question, Terk hesitated.

“Well, almost everybody. Of our team, yes, all eight of us are back on our feet.”

“Well, thank God for that,” Brody murmured. And then he stopped. “So who didn’t make it?”

“They attacked all three admins. Tasha was minorly injured and was able to hide until we found her. Wilson is dead, and Mera? … Well, she survived the first attack, though she was shot twice, but didn’t know who could be trusted and so wouldn’t come in. She was taken out when they came back around, while most everyone on the team was still comatose, and we were still trying to figure out what had happened.”

“Good God,” Brody asked, struggling with the bad news, “why would they take her out?”

“And Bob at the defense department, our contact there?”

“You mean, our ex-contact,” Terk noted, his voice harsh.

It dawned on Brody. “He’s dead.”

Terk nodded. “Executed at the same time but claimed to be a heart attack. Even Lorelei was in a hit-and-run, but she survived.” Terk sighed. “Exactly, our ex-contact. As you know, we were done and supposedly finished and officially disbanded, but then this happened.”

“Did our government try to take us out and clean up permanently in the process?”

“It’s something we’ve been kicking around. It will take quite a bit to bring you back up to speed. A lot’s going on,” Terk stated, “and, I mean, a lot. One of the things you need to know is there have been follow-up attacks on multiple fronts. On nearly all of us and we have followed each attack back to one particular group. They’re constantly cleaning up, exterminating their own ground forces, and, every time we turn around, hiring new footmen,” he murmured. “It’s frustrating because we’re always one step behind. As soon as you’re up for it, I’ll give you a short synopsis.”

At that, Brody shuffled up against the headboard, his body breaking out in a sweat. “Jesus, just even that much movement and I’m already exhausted.”

“If you can let Cara give you a hand,” Terk suggested, “you might get on your feet faster.”

“Cara or Clary?” Brody asked.

Terk looked startled for a moment. “Is Clary here?”

“She’s been keeping me sane on the other side,” Brody murmured, “or as sane as it seems I can be.”

At that, Terk whistled. “I’ll have to ask Cara about that.”

“Yeah, you do that,” Brody noted. “I’m not exactly sure what’s going on, but I do owe her my thanks. She was a beacon among all this.”

“Yes, exactly,” Terk agreed, “and, for that, we are most grateful to the whole group.”

“I gather there are more involved than just our team?”

“Not just more, … a lot more,” Terk murmured. “Let’s start with Damon. He was up first.”

*

Brody sat here in shock, as Terk ran down the whole story. “Good God, you need to get me out of here now.”

At that, Terk smiled. “We’re working on it, but you’re not up to snuff, as you can tell.”

“I know,” he muttered, as he wiped the sweat off his face. “It’s pretty distressing to be this weak. But to think that you guys have gone through so much already and are so shorthanded, with a big finale of some kind to come, I don’t want to miss out.”

Terk chuckled. “Of course you don’t, as if you were likely to do that. The problem is, I can’t have you be a vulnerability.”

Terk was never one to pull his punches, and this was no different. But it really hurt when he said things like that to Brody. He stared at his old friend. “Well then, you need to find a way for me to get back on my feet and at your place, wherever the hell that is,” he murmured.

“And amid all the attacks, we have established a temporary compound.”

“Are we in England?” At Terk’s nod, Brody snickered. “I bet MI6 doesn’t appreciate that.”

Terk snorted. “They would like to see us gone, no doubt. However, at the same time, these guys after us are now on MI6’s turf and making a mess of their world. We’re doing something to help MI6, so they’re okay with that. But, yes, in the end, they want us gone.”

“Have you thought about afterward?”

“Oh, there’s lots of talk about afterward,” Terk noted, “just nothing solid yet.”

“Obviously, until this is done, there can’t be any solid planning.”

“Nope, there sure can’t. And it’s more complicated now that a lot of partners are involved and …” Terk hesitated.

“What?” Brody asked curiously. “Surely there can’t be more you haven’t told me.”

“Well, there is more,” he admitted. “It’s the first thing that I learned about after the accident that blew everybody up.”

“Accident?” Brody asked in a dry tone.

“Well, let’s just say, attack.” Then Terk proceeded to tell Brody about the woman named Celia back in Texas.

“So they’re attacking somebody in Texas, while we were all in France, getting attacked?” he cried out in astonishment. “And followed us here to England to continue to try to kill us?”

“Yes, but the real question is, how did they choose Celia? What do they know about Celia, and is she really carrying my child?”

“It’s not like you to be uncertain.”

“I’m not uncertain,” he replied, “but, since I don’t know this woman and obviously don’t recognize her, … it puts me in a tough spot.”

“Of course,” Brody agreed quietly. “Maybe she went to a bank?”

Terk raised an eyebrow. “I’ve never donated,” he said drily, “so that’s out.”

“Right, and when will you resolve all that?”

“When I’m sure that you guys are all safe and sound, without need for my support. At the moment, Celia is safe with Ice and Levi.”

“Where’s your brother in all this?”

“He’s been helping us out steadily on the ground,” Terk admitted. “We would have been lost without him. He’s flying solo, seeing what he can find and turning up when we need him, plus being our intermediary to MI6. As you can imagine, we can trust few people when the chips are down like this.” Terk shrugged. “It all comes down to family and close friends, anyone who is solid and has seen all the shit that can happen. They’re far more than just a necessity when it comes to chaos like this.”

“I understand,” Brody murmured.

“Exactly. So, with Ice and Levi handling as much as they can on their end, and giving us a hand with data searches and working with Tasha and Sophia and Lorelei,” he explained, “it’s pretty insane. Sophia had been doing the odd contract with them and had traveled over with Merk to help out. She’s paired with Wade now.”

“Which is also pretty un-fucking-believable.” Brody shook his head and smirked nonetheless.

“I know, but so much is unbelievable right now that it seems to be the name of the game. It’s all insane,” Terk muttered.

Brody shifted his body again, checking to see just how bad every movement was. “Did you bring me clothes?” he asked.

“I think you need to stay here for a couple more days, now that you’re awake,” Terk replied. “It’s too early for you to move much.”

“Because, if you didn’t bring me clothes”—he completely ignored everything Terk had just said—“it’ll be a little embarrassing for everybody else as I walk out to the vehicle, but have no doubt that I’m going.”

With that, another knock came at the door. The nurse stepped in, took one look at Brody, and sniffed. Turning to Terk, she stated, “Told you that he won’t be an easy patient.”

“No, he’s not,” Terk agreed, “and we really appreciate all that you’ve done for him so far.”

“Well, you might, but he certainly doesn’t.”

At that Terk’s lips twitched. “He isn’t necessarily the best of patients. He does come from the heart, and we do need his particular brand of expertise.”

“You can’t take him away,” she replied in alarm. “He’s only just gotten out of the woods, and it’ll take him weeks of therapy to get up and move.”

Terk shot Brody a look. “You heard that, right?”

“You talk to her,” Brody snapped, almost snarling at them. “You leave me to figure out what it’ll take.”

Terk shrugged. “You know you better than me. You can have a certain amount of assistance from me,” he added, “but that’s all I’ve got to give. I’ll need to recharge as it is.”

“Oh, you aren’t kidding,” Brody confirmed. “You’ve done nothing but give. You need all this to be over so you can get to Texas, before you’ll ever really get recharged.” Brody waved Terk and the nurse out of the room.

With them gone, he took a deep breath and tried to stand. Almost immediately his legs gave out, and he collapsed. Once again, back in his head, came that same voice.

I told you, she said cheerfully.

Well, instead of telling me, he growled, why don’t you help me?

What is it you want me to do? she asked, and there was such curiosity but no judgment.

She had no idea how to help apparently. What kind of doctor was she? I want to get up. I need to get dressed, and I want to get in the vehicle with Terk and go back to where my team is, he explained. Then I want to continuously heal going forward.

Hmm, she muttered. It might be possible, but it’ll take some assistance.

Yours to be exact, he demanded, sounding adamant.

Sure, she agreed. Not certain it’s in your best interests though.

Maybe you don’t get to make that decision, he growled.

Well, if you want my help, I should get some say in the matter, she stated matter-of-factly. I won’t return to back a losing horse.

He stopped at that. Do I look like a losing horse? he raged.

If I don’t assess this properly, it could go badly, and you’ll go back down again. It took an awful lot to bring you to this point. I get that you’re one of those big tough guys who figures, as soon as he’s awake, he’d better be back to normal. But the fact is, you’re not back to normal, she snapped and then continued. And no amount of your deciding that you should be back to work will help.

He growled in frustration.

She laughed. I’ll do an assessment, and, when I come back, we’ll talk. And, with that, she withdrew.

He cried out after her, I don’t know what kind of assessment you’ll do, but you better make sure it’s one that gives me the answers I want.

But only silence came on the other end.

*

Clary heard him and laughed.

Just something about these guys, who were so tough and so angry at their bodies for failing them, that she wanted to kick him in the shins to make him smarten up. But she’d also heard from her sister a lot about this team and about everything that was going wrong in their lives.

Clary genuinely wanted to help as much as she could, but, as her sister had said, Cara had made a lot of decisions to save Rick, and so she was worried about what would happen if she went so deep again with somebody else. Thus Cara declined to help Brody.

Not believing her, Clary dived in to help Brody, after she realized that he was out there lost and that her sister wasn’t capable of reconnecting on the same level. But now? … Clary absolutely had to wonder if her sister was right after all. Clary had never seen it like this before. She was willing to do what was needed, and always had been, but it was a little on the bizarre side to see it play out in front of her like this.