Fighting Instincts

Chapter Eight - Attack

One second Walker appeared to conflicted wanting to say something to the remark he didn't seem to like. The next he was stripping and I stared in surprise before turning away because I didn't want to see a naked Walker. He was Xena's father and I wanted to be able to face him again in the future without thinking about bare butts and hanging testicles. I wanted to stop thinking about them too.

“Inside Syl,” I heard as a hand grabbed my arm and tugged me away from the window.

“What's going on?” Xena began closing the window and guided me to the doors leading outside the room.

“Likely a scout thinking to get lucky. We have had a few this past month, but to be safe we should go and see if the alpha would like you downstairs.”

“What's downstairs?”

“The bunker,” Xena said nonchalantly. Because discussing bunkers was an everyday occurrence, I thought but didn't add a mental eye roll. I hoped I didn't outwardly make one either.

We were in a hall, tall, with a mosaic of stars and constellations splattered across the ceiling. A handful of doors littered the way before we reached another double door.

“These are den rooms,” Xena explained. "Women stay here with children and their mates until the children are walking. Naturally, families would stay there for years at times, because a woman would aim to have a few children in a row. However, sometimes families stay in their own family homes outside the pack house." I was next ushered into a living space. Chairs and tables were covered in sheets. “This is a community space, also used for eating sometimes, or so I am told. Over to the right is the library and to the left is the kitchens and dining hall.” Xena waved in each direction as she continued to walk along without glancing at where she was pointing to. We continued to a hall with closet cubbies and a staircase leading up. “The den and nest wing is located on the lower ground behind the hill. It would technically be underground if not for the hill. It is also well protected because of the mountains on the west and the main grounds to the east and south. Only the North is a direct attack, but you would have to go through miles of territory for a clean shot at it. Basically, you can't come at the house directly without being seen by someone.”

After the flight of stairs, we were in a large hall. A staircase spiraled up two floors with a landing in the middle for the balcony of rooms in the back of the house. This balcony moved along to another wing blocked off with a set of double doors. The male I associated as the alpha was snapping angrily at a man I didn't recognize. Something I was bound to get used to.

“I don't care if they are an alliance pack! I am PackMaster. I did not give approval for any pack to visit! They will vacate and give proper notice, or they will face consequences,” he roared angrily, his eyes then flitted to where we had just entered the room.

“Get her back to the nest or downstairs!”

Xena tipped her head in a bow, but it was an odd way to bow. She tilted her head ever so slightly off centered.

“Bunker it is,” she said, leading the way to behind the spiraling staircase. There was a pillar with a vase on it, and she kicked it over with an extravagant flourish for attention. For a heartbeat, I thought she was angry about the order. But the pillar had folded, the vase still attached, and the floor began to split. A staircase leading down was exposed. “ You can't knock it over easily," she said when she saw the ogling of my eyes. "Once we lock it from the inside, only those with the code can open it from the outside. Ladies first," she offered with a smile.

“You're a lady too,” I muttered. Xena chuckled and looped her arm in mine, “so let's go together.” And we descended into the darkness below.

It wasn't dark for long. Lights flickered to life with each of our steps. First, the lights along the base of each step and eventually lights along the hall. Xena pointed out storage, armory, weaponry, and war room as she pushed a button to seal the door. She acted the role of tour guide well but it felt like she was trying to sell me a piece of real estate. Yet I got the sense she was a lot like me. Walk and talk. Movement was a distraction, movement kept your mind from muddling. Occasionally she would stop talking, regain her line of thought and continue.

"The bunker only has 3 areas for sleep. One for non-warriors, one for ill and weak, and one for warriors. Those spaces are located in the back. You have to go through the warrior's bunks to access the other two spaces. A sort of worse case scenario. There is also an escape route through the back if needed."

Xena opened the door to the 'war room'. Whatever I was expecting was not the multitude of screens along the back wall. There was also a single male sitting at the desk, fingers clacking wildly on the screen.

“Go away!” he growled as the largest screen in front of him changed from nearly black to black with glowing green. It was night-vision. I had only seen it on the few cameras we had around the gardens to see what was eating mother's plants and create a natural repellent.

“No can do,” Xena said, crossing her arms. “Alpha's orders.”

He growled again, a little lower, and I watched as his head turned to a screen on his right. He flicked a switch next to his keyboard. “Delta you have two coming in on the right. Gamma stand by.” He pressed the button again and twisted to look behind me. “Find somewhere else. The bunker is big enough. I don't need you staring stupidly."

I rolled my eyes. I noted Xena was too. The male was brought back to his series of screens. He closed out another camera to watch a new scene before red outlines on a different screen began to flash. He flicked the button beside his keyboard. “Perimeter breech. Where's Beta team? Felton be on standby.”

There was a response I didn't hear, and I noted some movement on the flashing screen. “No, I don't have eyes on Beta Team or I wouldn't be tagging you onto this channel now would I?” Another pause, another response. “I am telling you it is not!! I am looking at...” A wolf jumped on screen and I knew for some reason, the eyes and the shape, size, and colour, even with the night vision, this wolf was Zen. “Nevermind, looks like he decided to join us after all.” He cut the comms so no one heard anything more than nevermind.

Xena leaned over, “don't worry, Gun is a grouch. He doesn't like anyone, he doesn't like anything and if he could, he would marry his computers.”

“If you can't be useful or quiet then get out!” he demanded.

“It's not like we chose to be useless,” I muttered.

Xena chuckled, “good girl. Don't take s**t from any guy. Otherwise, they will walk all over you.”

Yes, Xena was definitely a lot like me. Maybe a little more harsh around the edges, maybe.