inside and kicked off his shoes, preparing to rest for the remainder of the evening.
None of the shifters had shown any signs of familiarity with the place that he had picked up on. Besides, to their knowledge, none of the shifters who had attacked him and Kierra here had survived, so it seemed unlikely that they would recognize it.
That wasn’t what was bothering him though. Reaching into his back pocket he pulled out the piece of paper with Gabriel’s note on it. Spreading it out on the coffee table in front of him as he best he could with one hand, he re-read it. It didn’t make any sense. Why would Gabriel write the letter? Why wouldn’t he send him a text, e-mail, or phone call? All of those were faster and far easier options, and less likely that the Sentinel trainees would crack open the unsealed envelope and read it too.
Unless he’s trying to tell you that the unsealed envelope is more secure than your phones.
Holy shit.
That would be just like Gabriel too. He must have found something out today that indicated his phone was being tapped. Whatever it was, it must have happened recently.
Jared entered the front door and reported the area secure.
Uriel nodded. “Jared, when did Gabriel notify you of this excursion?” he asked far more calmly than he felt. He reached out and grabbed the note, focusing on his fingers as he folded it back up. It took longer than it should have, but as long as Jared didn’t see it, the time didn’t matter.
“Perhaps an hour before we found you. Why?”
“No matter,” he said with a wave of his hand. “See to your men,” he ordered as Connor came barging through the door with the last of the bags.
“What are we going to do up here boss?” Connor asked, sitting down in a chair across from Uriel as he waited for Jared to bring the rest of the shifters inside.
“Team building,” he said by way of explanation.
Connor waited patiently, but Uriel wasn’t going to reveal any more just yet.
“Okay,” Connor said, not quite succeeding in his attempt not to roll his eyes at the cryptic response.
Uriel smiled internally. If he was going to be forced out here for several days, he was going to make the most of it. Both for his sake, and theirs. Though they probably won’t think so at first, he thought to himself.
The four of them were going to hate him tomorrow. He smiled broadly and left the room.
***
He awoke early the next morning, his phone vibrating under his pillow to muffle the sound from the others. Getting up as stealthily as he could, he dressed and crept to the kitchen, feeding himself some of the dry trail bars they had brought with them. Packed full of calories, they were nutritious but less than delectable.
Satisfied, he grabbed the air horn he had stashed the night before and walked to the closest bedroom. Opening the door he slammed the button down, the loud noise filling the confined space. Immediately shifters began rolling from their beds. He kept hammering on the button and shouting at them to move faster. They traded insults with each other while he berated them for their inability to get ready in time. In reality it took them less than a minute, which was more than acceptable. Not that he could let them know it.
“Pathetic!” he raged as they presented themselves for inspection in the hallway. There was no uniform, though they tended to wear tactical clothing which counted as such. “My grandmother could be ready faster.”
“With all due respect, sir, your grandmother would have been awake for an hour by now!”
They weren’t in the military, and as long as they obeyed their superiors, the Stone Bears had allowed a more relaxed structure. Even he couldn’t help but smile.
“Well, Connor, I can see you’re awake and functioning enough yourself. Sounds like just the person to go for an exploratory ten laps around the cabin while we make some breakfast.”
There was a groan, accompanied by the laughs of the others. Connor fell out of
None of the shifters had shown any signs of familiarity with the place that he had picked up on. Besides, to their knowledge, none of the shifters who had attacked him and Kierra here had survived, so it seemed unlikely that they would recognize it.
That wasn’t what was bothering him though. Reaching into his back pocket he pulled out the piece of paper with Gabriel’s note on it. Spreading it out on the coffee table in front of him as he best he could with one hand, he re-read it. It didn’t make any sense. Why would Gabriel write the letter? Why wouldn’t he send him a text, e-mail, or phone call? All of those were faster and far easier options, and less likely that the Sentinel trainees would crack open the unsealed envelope and read it too.
Unless he’s trying to tell you that the unsealed envelope is more secure than your phones.
Holy shit.
That would be just like Gabriel too. He must have found something out today that indicated his phone was being tapped. Whatever it was, it must have happened recently.
Jared entered the front door and reported the area secure.
Uriel nodded. “Jared, when did Gabriel notify you of this excursion?” he asked far more calmly than he felt. He reached out and grabbed the note, focusing on his fingers as he folded it back up. It took longer than it should have, but as long as Jared didn’t see it, the time didn’t matter.
“Perhaps an hour before we found you. Why?”
“No matter,” he said with a wave of his hand. “See to your men,” he ordered as Connor came barging through the door with the last of the bags.
“What are we going to do up here boss?” Connor asked, sitting down in a chair across from Uriel as he waited for Jared to bring the rest of the shifters inside.
“Team building,” he said by way of explanation.
Connor waited patiently, but Uriel wasn’t going to reveal any more just yet.
“Okay,” Connor said, not quite succeeding in his attempt not to roll his eyes at the cryptic response.
Uriel smiled internally. If he was going to be forced out here for several days, he was going to make the most of it. Both for his sake, and theirs. Though they probably won’t think so at first, he thought to himself.
The four of them were going to hate him tomorrow. He smiled broadly and left the room.
***
He awoke early the next morning, his phone vibrating under his pillow to muffle the sound from the others. Getting up as stealthily as he could, he dressed and crept to the kitchen, feeding himself some of the dry trail bars they had brought with them. Packed full of calories, they were nutritious but less than delectable.
Satisfied, he grabbed the air horn he had stashed the night before and walked to the closest bedroom. Opening the door he slammed the button down, the loud noise filling the confined space. Immediately shifters began rolling from their beds. He kept hammering on the button and shouting at them to move faster. They traded insults with each other while he berated them for their inability to get ready in time. In reality it took them less than a minute, which was more than acceptable. Not that he could let them know it.
“Pathetic!” he raged as they presented themselves for inspection in the hallway. There was no uniform, though they tended to wear tactical clothing which counted as such. “My grandmother could be ready faster.”
“With all due respect, sir, your grandmother would have been awake for an hour by now!”
They weren’t in the military, and as long as they obeyed their superiors, the Stone Bears had allowed a more relaxed structure. Even he couldn’t help but smile.
“Well, Connor, I can see you’re awake and functioning enough yourself. Sounds like just the person to go for an exploratory ten laps around the cabin while we make some breakfast.”
There was a groan, accompanied by the laughs of the others. Connor fell out of
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