Chapter 801 Chapter 801
Calla wasn’t sure where Illias was currently, but out of all of the tech team, she’d dealt with him the most. She brought up his number and hit send.
“Go for Illias.” He answered.
“Hi. It’s Calla.”
“Is everything all right? I was listening through that whole situation.”
She hadn’t known that, but the details were a little fuzzy. “I’m okay. I get to try shifting later.”
“Damn. That’s excellent.”
“I was calling because I wanted to get in touch with the rest of my team, to let them know I’m okay.”
“I can do that. Uh-I have to track them down, but give me a few and I’ll call you back with everyone on the call.”
“Thanks, Illias.”
“Hey, you just take it easy.”
“I will.”
“Okay, give me a few.”
She nodded and looked at the phone when he hung up. She hadn’t even asked how he was. She needed to start doing that. It had been one of the things her mind had gone to while she lay on that door looking at the tree branches above her. She talked to and saw so many people working for the Alliance and she never asked them how they were going. The things they’d seen and gone through were a lot. They all needed to take a minute here and there and just do something simple and normal, like talk to someone about how life was going for each other.
Bear came in. He rubbed his hand over his stomach. “I think we should keep Edda with us.’ He grinned. “Her cooking tastes like home.”
Calla nodded. “I think somewhere along the way, she figured out how to stay out of the way by being in the kitchen and feeding everyone.”
“She does it very well.” He assessed her from head to toe and then sat on the bed.
“Illias is getting my team on a call for me.”
“Oh, good. Amari has already asked me twice how you are.”
Calla shook her head. “She’s only been gone since last night.”
“She was pretty freaked out when they got to the accident site.”
Calla remembered bits and pieces of it. “Those men were lucky they were already dead.” She looked at the cast and held it up. “Can you get this off?”
Bear looked at it and then the door. “Fionna just got back.”
“Bear.” His eyes flicked back to her. “I’m going to shift and go for a run shortly.” She lifted her arm again. “It is so itchy under this thing I’m ready to chew it off.”
He sighed. “If I get in trouble, I’m saying you made me do it.”
Calla smiled. “Deal.”
He moved back and turned so he was facing her. “This is going to make a mess.”
“We’ll clean it up.”
He moved her arm, so it rested on his knee and studied both ends of the cast. “I’ll start at the wrist.” He worked his fingers beneath the edge. It pinched, but she wasn’t going to complain.
Her phone rang, and he stopped.
“Keep going, I’ll put it on speaker.” She answered the call and tapped the speaker symbol. “Hello.”
“There she is,” Webb said. “Our brave double o seven gal.”
“Hey, Webb, how are you?”
“Happy that you’re in one piece.”
“Me too.”
“You scared the hell out of us,” Asher grumbled.
“I had to stop. I held my breath until Jesse called and said you were okay.” Foster sighed.
“Did you take the picture?” It was Amari.
“I will before I shift.”
“What picture?” Deva asked. “Deacon says hi.”
“Tell him hi back. Amari thinks I should take a picture of my damaged legs before I shift.”
“Eww.” Foster snorted. “I can live without seeing that.”
“I’m with him there.” Asher agreed.
“I’m happy you are all right, Calla.” She recognized Journee’s voice. “At least you were injured in two-leg form.”
Calla had forgotten Journee had been hurt in cat form. “Thanks, Journee.”
“Listen, Calla—” Asher’s tone was dead serious now. “—knowing they got that last traitorous wolf means so much to Journee and I—”
The plaster finally cracked with Bear’s gentle persuasion.
“I’m glad we got him, too, Asher.”
“I hope they roast him on a spit,” Amari said.
Bear paused, looked at the phone, and shook his head before he started applying pressure to the cast again.
“He probably has information they need, Amari.” It was Zain. Calla was surprised he wasn’t saying thank you to her also. Leon and his father had all but destroyed Zain’s family and childhood.
“Fine. After they get the information.” Amari sighed loudly.
“Did you say you’re going to shift?” Deva asked.
“I’m going to try it in a bit. Bear is just breaking the cast off my arm right now.”
“Should he be?” Jesse asked.
“Yes.” Calla noticed Bear was taking it very, very slowly, cracking less than an inch at a time toward her elbow. “Fionna needs to check the arm before I try shifting and I don’t think you can ultrasound through a cast.”
“You broke your arm too?” Webb’s concern rang out in his voice.
“No. Not really. Just dislocated my elbow. I think is how to explain it.”
“Geeze.” Webb groaned. “I’m so glad Bear was there. I don’t know how long you would have had to wait to get out otherwise.”
Someone scoffed.
“If I had to use a car to pull them apart, I would have,” Amari said.
The cast was almost to her elbow now.
“I’m just glad you’re all right.” Gia sounded like she was walking quickly.
“So—” Calla watched the cast crack a little more. “I guess we’re all going in different directions for a while.”
“That is not new.” Foster snorted. “We’re rarely even in the same area as each other.”
Bear gave her a look that she interpreted as ‘don’t move yet. Then the cast cracked over her elbow and up her arm.
“True, Foster. Listen, Zain and Jesse, while I have you. Bear and I were thinking we’d like to come down there and give you and the teams a hand.”
Bear pried the entire thing open and moved it away from her arm.
“Once I’m able to travel.”
“We would love to have you,” Zain said.
“That’s a good idea,” Jesse agreed. “I’ll tell Devin to mark off your names.” He laughed. “He says he’s going to need a marker board that covers a whole wall to keep track of where everyone is soon.”
“Not a bad idea.” Calla recognized Oaklyn’s voice.
“It’s not, actually.” Zain agreed.
Calla looked at her arm. It was a little puffy with indents and creases from the cast, but it wasn’t throbbing.
“How is Bear?” Gia asked with a note of amusement.
Bear set the cast aside and raised an eyebrow as he looked at the phone. Calla held it toward him. He leaned closer, almost with his mouth against it. “Bear is fine,” he said in a very low voice.
Several of them laughed.
“It will be good to see you, Timothy,” Oaklyn said with her southern accent more pronounced.
“You too, Mrs. Jeggins,” Bear said with a smile.
“I need to get this loaded,” Jesse said. “Call again soon. The next few months are going to be hectic.”
“We got this boss,” Foster said.
“We’re shutting it all down,” Gia said. “It’s a good hectic.”
“I’m looking forward to leaving North America once we’re done here,” Deva said.
“For good?” Webb asked.
“No, silly, to go help Taggart’s people.”
“Oh, right. That’s going to be something.” Webb sighed. “I have to go. I promised Mom I’d help clear out the garage.” He didn’t sound very enthusiastic about it.
Calla moved her arm very slowly. “I’ll talk to everyone soon.”
There were a few goodbyes.
“Thank you, Illias.” She smiled, knowing he’d have to be on the call.
“Anytime you need. You’re my favorite heroine right now.” His words were playful, but his tone wasn’t.
Calla smiled.
“I agree with that,” Zain said. “Now, I have to go find out what walls Oaklyn is turning into giant whiteboards.” He laughed.
“Bye.” Calla set the phone on the bed and ended the call. She looked at Bear. “Timothy?”
He snorted. “My undercover name when Zain and Oaklyn were trying to get into the right crowd before the Christmas party.”
“I forgot you guys did that.”
He nodded. “It wasn’t very exciting at times.”
Calla moved her arm in slow motion. “I think once was enough for me.” She moved it again. “I’m going to find Fionna.”
Bear sighed. “I guess I’ll clean up this mess.”
She looked at the plaster dust all over the bed. “Take it outside and shake it out.” She got up carefully. “I’m shifting a.s.a.p.”