Abandoned Treasure

Alpha Rori Nygaard’s POV

Arrowhead Pack Grounds, Old Pack House Area

Thursday, July 23, 2020

I felt like a truck had run me over.

I never knew my parents. I was eighteen before I learned anything about them; the pictures and stories helped, but I hadn’t experienced their loss like this before. Nathan was the last person to see her alive, and his words wrecked me.

Chase moved me into his lap, and I melted into his arms. He was so good to me, and our mate bond practically glowed with his love and support for me. I closed my eyes as he held me, letting my head rest on his shoulder.

“Is there anything else you need to say,” Frank asked from over by the ATVs.

“When the fire consumed the house, I rejoined the Alpha’s group. They gathered outside the locked safe room. The other groups had collapsed in. Only the Beta’s group was still gone. They were chasing down a female who made it through the lines.”

That would have been Cheryl, the eighteen-year-old wolf who carried me to safety that night. She left me by the side of the road, running back the trail to protect me from discovery. The group raped and killed her, leaving her body to the elements. Tears ran down my face as I listened, unable to look anymore.

“The Alpha thought Rori was in the safe room with the others. They promised freedom for the others if they’d open the door, but the women inside knew better than to trust him. I stood by the trucks while men cut through the locks with blowtorches. When they were through, everyone inside was already dead.”

“What happened next?”

“Alpha Todd was furious he didn’t have Rori, but there wasn’t time for a search. The house fire would draw the attention of the humans, and we had to go. He ordered us to torch the place to destroy the evidence. I boarded our bus, and we got away before the police arrived.”

No one said anything. I kept my eyes closed, listening to the birds in the trees, the wind through the pines, and my mate’s heartbeat. Then I heard a buzzing. “Drone,” I told them as I sat up and looked around.

“Yeah, over there,” Frank said.

Chase lifted me off his lap before standing next to me. “Third one this week,” he said. “I talked to the Sheriff last week; he said there’s nothing we can do about it. No state laws prevent them from flying over private lands.”

“Technically, this is equivalent to tribal lands, but the FAA won’t make it restricted airspace.”

The drone was in plain view with a high-resolution camera looking at us. I flipped off the bird as Chase linked with our security center. Frank pointed his Glock at it. He’d have to be lucky to hit it at this range, but I knew he wouldn’t shoot. It was basic firearms safety; the bullet could travel for a mile and land anywhere. You don’t shoot unless you know your target and what is behind it.

The drone turned and sped off towards the highway. “Anyone have any questions for Nathan while the cameras are rolling?”

I’d heard everything I needed to hear. “No,” Chase answered, along with Betas James and Beta Lana. Our remaining Pack Warrior, Chris P. Bacon, adjusted the AR-15 sling as he shook his head. Luna Rebecca was already back at the Pack House with the warrior and two Enforcers, so she missed her chance.

“We’re done. Enforcer Sterling, you can stop filming.Let’s go home.”

“Yes, sir,” Scott said. He turned it off and stowed the equipment in a bag.

With one ATV gone, I had Scott Sterling drive the lead vehicle with Frank and our Betas. Chris P. Bacon got behind the wheel the second with Nathan in the front, while Chase and I took the back seat. We drove away from the old Pack House site, each of us processing the massacre two decades earlier. I leaned into Chase’s side as we approached the highway.

BANG! BANG!

The crack of the bullets and the spray of blood onto my face happened before I knew what was happening. The ATV turned hard, driving into the ditch and rolling onto its side. Only the seatbelts kept us from flying out. “RED ALERT, ARMED ATTACKERS AT THE OLD PACK SITE ROAD ENTRANCE,” Chase broadcasted. I popped my seatbelt, bouncing off Chase before getting to the ground. Nathan dropped out of the passenger seat as we drew our pistols and took cover behind the overturned vehicle.

“Chris is dead,” he told us.

I knew that already; his brains were in my hair. I took a peek around the tires I hid behind. About twenty yards further up, our first ATV had crashed into a tree. I could see James, Lana, and Frank taking cover. They were firing, but I couldn’t see the threat. I could hear the three-round bursts, though. A short rise was giving us scant cover. “What do you have,” I sent to the entire Pack.

“At least eight hostiles with automatic rifles and hard body armor,” Lana replied. “Maybe two snipers farther back. Advancing towards us in loose formation. They aren’t amateurs.”

Fuck. “How long for backup?”

“Four minutes for our people,” came the response. “We’re on the line with the Sheriff; our help is ten minutes out.”

“We haven’t got four minutes,” James sent back. “They will flank our position in a minute. We’re pinned down, outgunned, and low on ammo.”

Nathan had unclipped Bacon’s AR-15 and popped off a few shots at the attackers. “We need to retreat,” Nathan said. “There’s too many of them.”

“I can’t leave my people behind,” I objected.

“You’re the valuable one here. We have to keep you safe.” He pointed to a narrow draw behind us; that and the hill would give some cover. “Chase, you shift and carry Rori out of here. I’ll hold them off.”

The squad of mercenaries was getting closer. “Get out of here, Alphas. They’ll overrun us soon.”

Chase set down his Glock and shifted, tearing his clothes to shreds. I holstered my pistol and climbed on his back. “Good luck.”

“Covering fire,” he said. I held tight as Chase ran for the draw. I could hear Nathan’s rapid gunfire as we thundered through the woods. We only had partial cover in the woods, and rifles could still hit us. I looked back at the battle, knowing the others might die to buy time for our escape.

I expected to hear bullets whizzing by and hitting trees, yet I didn’t. I could see the attackers through the trees, and they had to see me.

Then, the shooting stopped. Chase didn’t slow down, turning on one of the trails and heading full speed for the safety of the Pack House.

“They’re withdrawing,” Lana sent.

“Let them go,” I replied. “Wait for reinforcements.”

A dozen wolves met us on the trail. Four stayed with us while the others headed for the battleground. A dozen more in ATVs and trucks raced to the old Pack House road.

They didn’t get there in time. The attackers were gone, heading south along the road to points unknown.

We entered through the back entrance, and my feet barely touched the ground as warriors escorted me toward the safe room. Chase turned to head to the security room. “I should be with you,” I objected.

“No. You’re the target, and I’m barely holding back my wolf,” he replied.

“What do you mean?”

“This was a kidnapping attempt, love. The drone verified the target before they sent the attackers in. If they wanted us dead, they had time to shoot us as we ran. They didn’t, and as soon as we were out of reach? They stopped the attack and retreated. Now get your cute, pregnant ass into that safe room and be with our babies.”

Damn overprotective males! “Fine, but keep me in the link.” I wiped the blood off my face and hair, then went inside. Our children were safe but scared. They weren’t the only ones who needed their Alpha’s presence to calm them down after another attack.

Frank Grimes took charge at the scene despite the gunshot wound to his right forearm. He had the wolves set a perimeter and verify no other threats. No one else was allowed at the crime scene except law enforcement and paramedics to treat the wounded.

James took a round to the upper chest and another to his right bicep, while Lana’s left calf took a ricochet. Both were in ambulances heading for the hospital. Frank said the attackers were about to flank them when the shooting stopped. Only our escape allowed them to live.

Nathan had some cuts on his face and arm, but they weren’t serious. He caught shrapnel from rounds hitting the ATV. He got lucky, and so did Mykayla. If he’d been killed or injured, Mykayla’s treatment would be in jeopardy.

The dead remained where they fell. Enforcer Scott Sterling never had a chance, taking a sniper’s bullet to the face. Warrior Bacon died instantly as well, the high-powered round entering just above his left eye and blowing the back of his head out.

We killed one attacker and seriously wounded a second. He got airlifted to a hospital in Duluth and was under the FBI’s control. “What do we know about the attackers, Frank?”

“Sicarios working for the Tijuana cartel based on the tattoos. They’ve had serious training in the Mexican military or after joining up based on how they moved as a unit and their fire discipline. Their equipment was top-of-the-line.Hard armor, M-4 rifles with reflex sights, Bluetooth earpieces, and encrypted communications. Silver-plated handcuffs and black hoods confirm they wanted prisoners.”

“Tijuana? What the hell did we do to them?” We’d worked with the US government to take out the Sinaloa cartel after the attempts on the President’s life and the death of her husband. The only way their name came up was that when Sinaloa wiped out the Sons of Tezcatlipoca leadership, they hung their heads on the border fence in Tijuana cartel territory.

“That’s what we need to find out. I’ll work my contacts in the DEA as soon as things calm down.”

I snorted as I looked over at Colletta on one of the beds. She had Nancy asleep on her chest while stroking Mykayla’s hair as she napped at her side. She was furious about the attack and worried about her mate, but her Enforcers needed her safe. We weren’t above using children to keep her in the safe room. “You better get that wound tended to before Colletta gets clearance to leave here. She’s not happy with you right now.”

“Tell her I’ve had worse cuts shaving.”

I chuckled. “You’re not the only one your mate talks to. Your bandage has soaked through. Get your ass to the hospital before I send Chase to do field surgery without anesthetic.”

“Fine.”

We stood down from the red alert an hour later but stayed at condition yellow. That kept everyone in or near the Pack House instead of the beach. Lunch was sandwiches and chips since we didn’t have time to get the kitchen rolling. We returned to a normal security posture by mid-afternoon, allowing us to have dinner at the beach.

I was sitting on a beach blanket with my babies, enjoying an ice cream cone, when I got notified Frank was back with a half-dozen guests. I didn’t want to ruin the mood with a group of Feds, so I handed the babies off to the nannies. Colletta and I headed for my office with an eight-person security escort. My overprotective mate was waiting for me, and Colletta’s overprotective mate walked in shortly after. The meeting wouldn’t start until Colletta was satisfied Frank was all right, so I sat on Chase’s lap at the desk while she looked over his arm in its sling. “It was a through-and-through, no big deal,” he told her.

Everyone rolled their eyes, and I let out a huff. Getting shot was never a minor thing, even for a werewolf. “How about some introductions?”

We had a mix of local, state, and Federal law enforcement. I knew Lake County Sheriff John Carter and Special Agent Allison Cook from the Duluth FBI office. They’d kept her around specifically because of her relationship with my Pack. I greeted the group with a smile and a handshake, thanking John and Allison for their help. The Minnesota contingent was Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Senior Agent Justin Case and Minnesota US Attorney Emerson Biggins.

Frank’s former deputy, now Los Angeles DEA Director Terry Jimenez, had flown here due to the Tijuana Cartel involvement. I wasn’t a fan of FBI Commander Irene Lindstrom. She’d helped us take down the Sinaloa Cartel but wasn’t happy after our deal with the Attorney General that stopped her investigation into me and Arrowhead. We had immunity, but not for future acts. We’d have to watch her. The last member was Assistant Director of Homeland Security Paige Turner.

“How can I help you?”

“You can tell us where Fukoyo Ashol, also known as Spider Monkey, is hiding,” Paige Turner replied.

“She’s hiding from the Cartels, and for good reason,” I replied. “What does that have to do with today’s attack on Arrowhead?”

“We found a ransom note on the dead attacker,” Irene Lindstrom replied. She showed me a photograph of it on her phone.

“Deliver the hacker known as ‘Spider Monkey’ to us, or we will kill your Alpha. We will contact you at sundown tomorrow with the exchange point. If we see law enforcement, she dies.”

Fuck. “The Cartel was after me to get to Spider Monkey?”

Frank nodded. “She was able to steal almost a billion dollars from a Mexican bank. How much would that be worth to a Cartel?”

“Enough to risk a war with the werewolves,” Colletta said. “Either you give up her location, or they force Chase to tell them. It’s smart.”

“We have to warn her,” I replied. “She needs to move to somewhere I don’t know.”

“NO,” Frank said. “We don’t know how good their surveillance is or how many assets they have. We have to assume they are monitoring our phone calls and people. We don’t want to do anything to lead them to her.”

“We can place her in Witness Protection,” Irene said.

“Forgive us if we don’t trust that program as far as we can throw it,” Frank replied. “Other Packs are out as well. They’ll just kidnap someone else.”

“Then how do we do this?”

We all looked at each other. Finally, Chase spoke. “We’ll take care of it.”

“How?”

“We’ve got a person here with contacts outside the Packs and is an expert at keeping people hidden.”

Of course. Jade was here, and she was Spider Monkey’s friend.