Page 32 of Were-Geeks Save a Kitten

Wild Thing. You Make Me Sing

The sun was trying to burn away the lake ice when Kit finally opened his eyes. The bed was in shambles, but someone—Yordan—had thrown a blanket over him.

He stretched out stiff muscles, felt aches that made him smile, and searched for Yordan all in one long dance of muscles. Lord, he felt so good. Or he did until he found Yordan sitting across the room and frowning at the laptop in the corner.

That couldn’t be good.

“What’re ya doing over there?” he asked, too lazy to soften his brogue.

“Reading your email.”

Kit sat up fast enough that his head swam a bit. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing. You said I was your understudy. I’m studying.”

True. “Okay. What’s the word in my email?”

“You’re in deep shit for wrecking the helo.”

He sighed as he fell back onto the bed. Yeah, he’d already guessed that.

“But they’re glad you’re alive. They already have another one on order.”

“Aye, but that was to replace the one that got trashed a month ago in Hawaii.”

Yordan frowned at him. “Was that from Godzilla’s baby?”

Kit stretched his neck and shoulders as he answered. “That was in Japan.”

“Kracken?”

Again, Yordan surprised him by being so well-informed. But he was still wrong. “That was near Guatemala.”

“Oh. So what did this?”

Honestly, it took a moment for Kit to remember. Oh yeah. “Hawaiian fever dream made manifest. Think spider monkey that burps acid.”

Yordan grunted. “What is it with the acid monsters lately? They’re ripping the hell out of our machines.”

Didn’t he know it. Kit stood up and headed for the bathroom while Yordan kept talking.

“Anyway, you’re forgiven and all that. So long as you find a way to cut costs somewhere else to cover the price of a new helicopter.”

“Not going to happen.”

“I told them that.”

Oh shit. Kit poked his head out of the bathroom. “Um, I was going to ease the brass over to that conclusion. Sweet-talk them with delays and pretend cuts—”

Yordan cut him off. “I said, ‘No fucking way.’ Signed it as Acting Commander me, so it’ll blow my way, not yours.”

Not part of the plan. Kit wanted Yordan in management, not getting bounced out early because he had no tolerance for bullshit. His next question came out tentative.

“So...is there blowback?”

“Nothing so far.” Yordan looked back at Kit. “Apparently they’re all jonesing for you to get more help. They seem thrilled that you’ve roped me into it.”

He nodded. “Everyone likes and respects you. They want you at the home office with more responsibilities.”