Choices: Alpha City, Book 3 by Bryce Evans Read Free Book Online Page B

him.
    “I don’t like this at all. Command has never compromised a mission by sending this type of message,” Reece said.
    “I know that, but it has the code word, and I need to leave now. Just do this.” Knox shifted without looking back, leaving his clothes and equipment behind. The others would carry all of his belongings out. He knew Reece would make sure of it. He knew Reece was upset about this, as he should be, but they didn’t always get to know the reasons behind the orders they followed. Both of them were equally qualified, but Reece was happy being his second. Until today—now Reece was in charge and Knox had no doubt that Reece would complete the mission.
    Ransom and Knox both shifted into their animal forms. His panther was ready to get out as Ransom shifted into his jaguar, running beside him as they traveled through the forest. The area they were running through would have been every shifter’s paradise. Too bad it was filled with drug lords. They’d taken a village hostage and were forcing them to make cocaine. Even the children were forced to work in the fields. This mission had been planned for a couple of months. Bodies were piling up, and that was something the United States government couldn’t stand by and allow to happen. They made them work until they dropped, then worked them again a few hours later. Something had to be done, and he was glad at least the team would get to finish the mission.
    The lush landscape was perfect for his kind. Trees were everywhere for jumping and climbing, and he would never have to worry about something to eat. The land provided the food for them. Wild pigs ran free through the jungle, and fish were plentiful in the ponds.
    There were waterfalls everywhere he turned. He loved everything about it here. The smell of the jungle never changed. It always refreshed itself after every rain, washing away the bad as the jungle replenished itself.
    The reason his team was so successful was their ability to shift and never be seen. Climbing trees was one of his specialties, and tracking his prey was another. They’d already taken out half of the drug lords’ men, and they didn’t even know it. Yet.
    Knox was eager to kill them all for the inhuman things they were doing to these people. That was their mission: to free the hostages and kill the drug lords, and his conscience was fine with those orders. They’d tried to rehabilitate some of the soldiers before, but had no luck. Now they eliminated them and saved the civilians.
    His team was loyal and made up completely of shifters. They had bears, wolves, jaguars, tigers, and panthers like him. They mostly all got along, and when they didn’t they were allowed to settle it the old-fashioned way—shift and go at it. Never to the death, but it allowed them to let off a lot of steam. That’s why it worked out.
    After running for hours, they both shifted back and paused to drink from one the many running waterfalls. “Do you know why they sent for me, Ransom?” Knox asked, looking over at him, hoping the jaguar had overheard something.
    Ransom shook his head, but he looked away without making eye contact. “What aren’t you telling me? We go way back. Give me something, Ransom.”
    Bowing his head, he answered, “Your brother is dead.”
    “What?” Thorn couldn’t be dead. “You’re mistaken, my brother is safe in Alpha City. He’s not in this anymore.”
    “I wish I was. Something strange is going on in Alpha City, according to the lieutenant. He’s sending you and me back there to find out what, and for your brother’s funeral.”
    Knox shook his head in denial. How could his brother, his twin, be dead? He’d felt that something was wrong lately, but he thought it was the mission. He’d just spoken with Thorn a week ago; he’d seemed happy and had said something about a woman he’d met.
    His hand graced over his heart as he thought of Thorn. His twin was dead. Thorn had been all he had left, and now he