Page 55 of Mated to Team Shadow

"Yes. That's why I ordered that you four take mess together. Go ahead, talk over the situation. Either you cooperate or grow old here."

I found it hard to believe that the brass gave us up for Melkot's crazy project. And if Melkot thought that he'd wear us down, he was dead wrong. The doctor didn't know one thing. That afternoon in the cave bonded not just me but all of us to her. In no way could I share another woman's bed. And I'm sure Damon, Gunner, and Kane felt exactly the same.

Gunner

"He's a fucking idiot," said Kane.

I was glad to see my teammates. It felt like Melkot locked us up forever, though, in reality, it was a few days. Still, my inner cat coiled with nervousness. You can't keep a jungle cat locked up without serious consequences. Why do you think there are instances of zoo cats escaping and attacking people? They can't help it because their brains propel them to exercise their prey drive. And this plan of Melkot's was ridiculous.

"What made him think," I said, "that'd we'd go through with it? We couldn't—"

Ryker made a hand sign to tell me to shut it, and I got it. I wouldn't put it past Melkot to keep surveillance on us.

"I won't make soldiers for the military," Ryker said. "And I made it plain that none of us would."

"That's a given," said Damon.

"Damn straight," echoed Kane.

"Let's see if they'll let us out to play a game of basketball," said Ryker.

He wasn't talking about getting time in the yard. Over the years we developed a code. Coupled with different covert hand signs, we could develop a strategy without our opponent's knowledge.

The code ran like this. Basketball, because of the speed of the game meant looking for the quickest option. Football was about taking the enemy head on but also meant, because football strategy mixed long and short plays for territory, timing. Baseball was about "waiting for our pitch," waiting for the right opportunity. It also meant taking our time. Hockey meant a full-out assault, and golf signaled taking the mulligan and walking away.

"What about a game of football?" said Damon. He was best versed in tactical skills, so he was asking for Ryker's strategy.

"Nah," said Ryker. "I don't feel like twisting my knee again."

No go on "football." Ryker worried we'd get hurt or worse.

"I could go for a round of baseball," I said. "I love hitting balls out of the park."

That's me—always thinking ordinance. I told them I wanted to collect weapons first since "bat" was our code word for weapons.

"Nah," said Ryker. "I just want a quick game to work off this nervous energy."

"I don't think Dr. Meltdown will go for it," said Damon. "He's acting like a total dick toward us."

I had forgotten that Damon coined that moniker for Melkot. He did in the first few months we became a team under Melkot's supervision because Melkot would lose it when we disobeyed him. That's when we learned how sadistic the prick was. Damon winked at us to let us and Melkot know he purposefully poked him.

"Now who is into psy-ops?" I said under my breath.

Melkot would hear that because he documented our subvocalization abilities and made sure all surveillance could pick them up.

"I'm just saying that there is no way he'll let us play basketball because he is a prick. How does he expect that we'd cooperate when he treats us like prisoners? Our instructors trained us in all torture-resistance techniques. Is he a dumbass or what? Does he really think he can overcome all the training we went through since we left the facility?"

I wanted to laugh. Damon was purposefully goading Melkot into giving us access to the outside.

Shortly after, our guards showed up at the table. We ignored them because resistance was the first tactic of all prisoners. Melkot's voice came over the intercom.

"Nice try, Damon, but I'm not a dumbass, as you succinctly put it. Back to your rooms."

"You know what?" said Ryker. "I've changed my mind. A nice game of hockey seems like a great idea right now. Suit up and play this three on one."

The look of shock and horror on the guards' faces satisfied my cat as Damon, Kane, and I shifted to our jaguars. Ryker kept his human form to explain things to our guards.

"We're leaving. Melkot tried to issue illegal orders which we will not execute. Try to stop us, and we'll treat you like any hostile force. Toss your weapons now or my team will separate you from various body parts."

---