Pack Council

Kurt and Clint met up with Tony, Cain, Austin and another shifter, Gray Mason, at the airfield. The large hangers hid their presence until it was time to go.

It was convenient that the Council had their own private plane the men could use. As it landed, Kurt peered over at Clint, knowing how little he liked flying. Everyone seemed relaxed and ready, though. The five of them boarded the plane and took their seats. Clint was speaking with Gray, and Cain and Tony were huddled together. Kurt used the chance to watch the men.

Gray and Clint were talking about Gray's recent move to a town in New Mexico where the community was filled with several different shifter species. Kurt was shocked to learn that Gray was mated to a bobcat. He didn't think he'd ever met a wolf shifter mated to a completely different species. But the smile and love in Gray's eyes as he spoke about his mate showed that the man was extremely happy with his choice. Kurt was amazed. He listened a little longer, making a plan to talk to Gray about maybe taking Savannah there. He suspected Savannah would enjoy meeting new shifters. He gave his attention to Tony when he cleared his throat.

Cain had pulled out a map and spread it out on the table in front of them. Kurt moved over to see what they were looking at. It was a satellite map of a neighborhood.

"Is this the house?" Kurt asked, pointing at the circled building on the map.

"It's registered to a childhood friend of Dan Carter. It was the only connection we could find in Rolling Hills," Cain said.

"I wish we had someone close to watch it," Tony commented. "But it was quicker to just come out ourselves than try to locate someone. The closest Pack is in Vegas and we would have to request help and wait to see if their Alpha would provide it. There's a lion pride of shifters closer, but the Council doesn't have any contact with them. Calling the feline Prince would have taken too long."

"You'd think there would be an easier way to work with other shifters," Kurt mentioned.

"Yeah," Cain agreed. "Even with the word of the Council, it would still be up to the Alpha. And probably take a couple of days."

Kurt snorted. "There's no telling how asking for help from a feline would go. They might flat-out refuse."

"It pisses me off," Cain stated. "We should all just fucking work together."

Kurt nodded.

Tony laughed at their reactions. "That's politics for you."

Maybe, but Kurt would have to think about that. If there was a way to coordinate better, it would be something he'd definitely need to look into. His position with the Council would help with reaching the Alphas of different Packs. Maybe even other species. He had access to the information of every Pack under the Council in the United States. Tony could help with contacts from other countries. But that was something he could think about once he was back home. The announcement came through the speaker box that they were cleared for take-off and Kurt braced himself. He hated to fly, just not as much as his best friend. Clint had gone pale. Flying unsettled their wolves. Kurt gripped the arm of his chair tightly and closed his eyes.

When the plane leveled out, Kurt opened his eyes and looked around. It seemed the others were just as uncomfortable as he was.

Gray grinned over at him. "I hate that."

Kurt nodded back. "Yeah."

Gray and Clint moved closer and they went over the plan. "I say we head straight to the house. It will be light out, but we should still be able to get a feel for the area," Cain suggested.

"If they're holding Colt," Gray added, "they probably have some kind of security."

"I agree," Cain said. "There's no real good place to shift. I think we need to stay in human form for now."

"Here are two good exit plans." Kurt pointed to the map.

It took the entire short trip for them to formulate a decent plan. Once they had arrived in Nevada, they deplaned to the waiting SUV. Cain took the driver's seat, while Tony sat beside him, and Kurt, Clint and Gray climbed in the back. Luckily, the vehicle was spacious enough for the five large men.

Cain tapped the address of the house into the navigation system before heading out. Kurt took in the half-deserted airport. It didn't seem to get a lot of business.

"It'll take half an hour to get to Rolling Hills," Tony told them. "There's a small landing strip there, but we didn't want to take the chance that Dan Carter has someone watching it."

"That's good," Kurt agreed. He liked working with Cain. He seemed to have control of the situation. Kurt had gone into missions with a lot less information and was glad he didn't have to again.

As the scenery passed by, Kurt really couldn't see what anyone would enjoy in this part of the country. It was a desert. Even at the end of November, the early morning heat was uncomfortable.

Kurt much preferred his new home in the mountains of Northern California, where they actually had all four seasons. Even as cold as it was right now, there were good points to winter. He couldn't wait for a break so he could enjoy some time alone with Savannah. Soon it would be the season to decorate the house for Christmas. He hadn't had a home for such a long time it would be nice to put up lights and a tree. He would rope Clint into helping him with the lights outside and was sure Savannah wouldn't mind trimming the tree with him and sip on some eggnog with the fire roaring.

As a matter of fact, he could start planning that now. They could start a new tradition together. Dinner, decorating and making love in front of the fireplace.

Yeah, that will work.

"I'm going to park a couple of blocks away," Cain said, interrupting his thoughts.

Kurt shook himself back to the present. He needed to get Colt back and take care of the current problems first.

Cain pulled into a large grocery store lot and parked toward the edge of the street.

"Just in case they do have someone watching out for them, I think Gray and I should go first," Cain told them.

"Clint and I are pretty recognizable. Tony, too," Kurt agreed. "Sounds good to me."

"We'll walk over and get a feel for the neighborhood," Cain said, opening his door. "I'll try to get some up-close pictures on my phone camera, too." Cain and Gray slipped out of the car.

Kurt's phone rang and he pulled it out and looked at the caller ID. "Hey," he greeted Savannah.

"Just wanted to give you a heads up. We got the warrants. We'll be taking in Bruce Carter and several other men under arrest," she told him.

"When?" he asked. That could add a complication to their mission.

"In a few hours. We're waiting on backup from the State Police. The sheriff wants to offer again to call in the local authorities out where you are."

"No," Kurt said. "The Council doesn't want the humans to know yet. They want to keep this under wraps for now. Tell him I'll let him know if anything changes."

"I understand." She lowered her voice. "We'll try to put off allowing them to call their lawyers as long as we can. You know what a hassle paperwork is."

That would be great. Without a call, no one could warn Carter ahead of time. He chuckled. "Yeah, that damn paperwork sure is time-consuming."

Kurt knew that Tony and Clint could hear their conversation. Tony was looking even more worried.

"We can't stop anyone not under arrest from using the phone, though. They could tip off Dan Carter," she warned.

"I know," he replied. "We'll work it out. Thanks for calling."

"No problem," she told him. "Kurt, please be careful."

"I will," he promised. "I'll see you soon." He pressed the Off button and sighed. "We don't have much time," he told Clint and Tony.

Tony already had his phone out, typing a message. "I'll text Cain that we need to move up the timeline."

"So, I guess all we can do is wait for now."

"Yeah," Clint grumbled and sat back in his seat. They weren't good at sitting around. Both men were used to being in the thick of things. But they would have to trust Cain and Gray. They had to get in and out without being noticed by the human authorities.

****

Savannah marched with determination up the front steps of the Church, behind Sheriff Webb. It was three hours after she'd warned Kurt that they had gotten the warrants and finally they were ready to move.

Hopefully, Kurt had already taken care of what he'd needed to do. She couldn't think of that now, though. With the help of Rudy, they knew where to look for illegal guns and the stack of cash, and she had a job to do. They'd make damn sure that this branch of the Church would not hurt anyone else.

Sheriff Webb pounded on the door. Savannah rolled onto the balls of her feet, ready for trouble. A young blond man answered the door. He took one look at the sheriff and his deputies along with the several State Police officers and his eyes widened.

"Open the door, son," Sheriff Webb said in a firm voice. "We have a warrant."

The young man stepped back until his back was against the wall across from the door.

"Savannah," Sheriff Webb barked. "Take two of the officers and get to the office. I want everything secure in there. If you come across Bruce Carter, read him his rights."

"On it." She motioned two officers to go with her and they trooped down the hall. She was hoping that she did run into Bruce. Rudy's stories of how Bruce had been trying to cure him of being gay had disgusted her. Savannah had always thought of herself as a good person, but she was really hoping that Bruce found himself up against someone who wasn't weaker than him. Someone who fought back. Bruce had enjoyed torturing Rudy. The evidence was in the scars, and the acts Bruce had performed. Savannah might not be a physical threat but she'd make him pay in the ways she could, legally.

Several people stuck their heads out of rooms, but Savannah ignored them. Sheriff Webb would assign someone to get them out of the way. They had a warrant for all the electronics on the property and they needed to move fast. They couldn't let Bruce erase any data, and they knew the cash and weapons were located in the locked basement.

She turned down the hall that led to Bruce Carter's office as he stepped out.

Savannah held up her badge. "Bruce Carter, you are under arrest for the purchase and distribution of illegal firearms."

Bruce gasped and his face turned red with fury. "What is this?" he demanded. "Do you know who I am? Who my father is?"

"Yes, sir," she responded as she stepped in front of him. "Please turn around." She wanted him to fight, at least try to run. But he proved himself the coward he was and just stood there.

"This is outrageous!" he screamed. "I'll sue you! All of you! I'll own this town when I'm finished."

Savannah grabbed his shoulder and spun him around. "You can try." She might have used a little too much strength shoving him into the wall. Oops.

She read him his rights while she placed him in handcuffs. She resisted the urge to make them too tight. By the book, she told herself. Everything had to be by the book. If she screwed up this arrest, Sheriff Webb would be pissed and Rudy wouldn't get his retribution.

Bruce was still yelling, but he was also sobbing. With disgust, she handed him over to one of the State officers. "Please secure Mr. Carter," she requested formally. "Don't let him talk to anyone and don't leave him alone." The officer nodded and took Bruce's arm.

Savannah grinned at the other officer. "Let's get started." She led the way onto the office Bruce had just exited. Very neat. Orderly. It would be fun to tear the place apart. "We need to log everything, especially any electronics." The young officer lifted the camera around his neck and began to photograph every object in the room. That would help after she started to go through things. She itched to get on the computer. Savannah really wanted to see the communication from Dan Carter. The shifters had never had any direct evidence of Carter's involvement in illegal activities, but they'd also never had a computer from a Church member. Plus, Rudy made a great witness for them. It took way too long before the officer nodded at her that he was finished. She practically leaped toward the desk.

"Where would you like me to start?" the officer asked.

Savannah glanced around. Where would the best place be for him to find something they needed?

"Ma'am," the officer said. "You do realize I'm a shifter, don't you?"

She glanced back at him. "You are?"

He chuckled. "Sorry. I can smell your mate's scent all over you. I thought you might know from our introduction."

Savannah shrugged. "He's not my mate." Yet, she added, then had to think back to when she'd met the young officer. The State Police's Commander had stated that the officer had a stake in this investigation. "Oh." That's useful.

"What's your name again?"

"Joe, ma'am."

"Well, Joe, call me Savannah. Do you have an idea where you should start?" That was where this conversation had been going, right?

He pointed toward a closet. "There. I can smell that the man we just arrested spent a lot of time going to that closet."

"Yes," she said. "Great."

Joe strode over and she watched him move with grace. She really did need to learn more about the shifters. Especially with having Kurt as a partner and maybe one day a mate.

"You can ask," Joe said without looking back.

Savannah laughed. "Am I that obvious?"

"I can smell your curiosity."

That was interesting. She hadn't known that was possible. "Really?"

"Yes," Joe said.

"Huh." Savannah shook that new knowledge off for later. "So what kind of shifter are you?"

Joe stopped with his hand on the knob to the closet. He glanced over his shoulder and grinned. "Alligator."

"You can shift into a freaking alligator?" she almost shouted.

Joe winked. "Yep."

"Holy shit." Savannah was at a loss of words. She looked back at the laptop in front of her.

"Well, would you look at this," Joe said.

Savannah gasped. Inside the closet were several filing cabinets, monitors that showed the cameras around town and a couple of computers. "Jackpot," she murmured.

"I think it is." Joe lifted his camera again.

While he was busy, Savannah ran her fingers over the laptop keypad. The screen woke up, delighting her. Bruce hadn't had time to lock the computer. They would have been able to get inside eventually, but this sure saved time. Savannah dropped into the chair and brought up the email that had been minimized.

The very first message was from Dan Carter. She double clicked on it.

Package arrived.

Will unwrap and get everything we need before we dispose.

Will send instructions but be ready to exterminate.

Savannah sat back in her chair. Dan Carter might be using some kind of code, but it was obvious by the words that he was sending Bruce instructions. And if the package was Colt, Dan Carter planned to kill him. She was sure of it. She needed to get this information logged and call Kurt. And who was Bruce going to exterminate? Rudy? Someone in town? Kurt or Clint? There were so many questions, but she had Bruce in custody and would get the answers she needed. Savannah took out her phone and snapped a picture of the email before texting it to Kurt.

That was a breach of procedure but she didn't think that Joe would tell.

Joe was cataloging everything they found in the closet.

"Savannah?"

She jumped in guilt as the sheriff's voice came over her radio. She fumbled for the button on the side. "Yes, sir?"

"We found the weapons."

"Ten-four." Everything that Rudy had told them and more. This was going to not only close down the Church in town, but could be used against all of the others. Dan Carter was going to have a lot of explaining to do. Savannah rose from the desk then made her way over to where Joe was photographing all the evidence.

"Can you pull open the cabinets one by one?" Joe requested.

"Sure." She started with the first and was shocked by how full it was. As Joe clicked away picture after picture, she thumbed through the files. There were folders on each division of Carter's church, including names. That was going to come in handy.

It wasn't until she yanked open the fourth drawer and saw the pile of money that Savannah laughed. This is a freaking gold mine.

She looked at her phone. No response from Kurt yet.

He should already have landed in Nevada.

Savannah hadn't realized how hard it would be to not have a connection to Kurt while he was gone. Anything could happen and Savannah had no way of knowing. Sure, if things went real bad, Sara would get a call about Clint, but Savannah couldn't count on anyone contacting her. Clint would if he could, but what if something happened to both the shifters? She'd have to rely on the information Sara got. Damn it, she needed to hear from Kurt soon or she was going to go crazy.

****

Kurt crouched next to Cain from their vantage point across the street in the house where they were certain Colt was being held. Cain had been able to determine that the house directly across from the one that Carter was hiding out in was empty. They'd used that to their advantage and had broken in. The front window faced Carter's place, so they could see anyone coming and going.

He and Cain were watching the front, while Clint was keeping an eye out behind Carter's place, hidden in the alley between dumpsters. Gray and Tony were at the sides of the house. They had all four corners covered as long as they weren't spotted.

Gray had brought along a bag of goodies for the five men to use. They had headsets so they could talk to one another, along with flak jackets they hopefully wouldn't have to test out.

Cain had been right about the security. Cameras were mounted on all sides of the high fence. But it was a chain-link fence, so they could still see through it to the house.

It was a large structure located on the corner of the street and, since they had to stay out of camera view, it would be a challenge to figure out how to get in. But the position of the house on the street was in their favor. There were no guards- human or canine. That boded well for their mission.

"If we wait for dark to shift, we'll have the advantage," Kurt said to the team. Their wolves would give them the speed and strength they would need. But they really needed to know how many were inside first. Maybe the wait would allow them to spot who might be involved.

"We don't know what's happening to Colt," Tony said. "We need to go now."

Kurt glanced at Cain. Cain was shaking his head.

"If we go in without being prepared, they could kill Colt before we reach him," Cain said.

There were several long minutes of silence before Tony spoke again. "I know. We're just so close. It's like I can almost feel him."

"Stay strong, brother," Cain said before removing his hand from the speaker. He punched the wall. "I hate that this is happening."

It couldn't be easy watching his brother suffer and Kurt felt for Cain. Cain was obviously a man of action, so it wouldn't be easy for him to sit back, either. Not when every instinct screamed for him to protect his brother from pain. "Unfortunately, you're right, though," Kurt said. "If anyone sees us, it'll be worse for Colt."

"Yeah." Cain dropped down and sat with his back to the window.

Kurt took over watching out of the front window. They'd unlocked the door earlier, so if they needed to get out and across the street quickly, they would be able to.

Cain leaned his head against the glass. "Do you think we're ever going to get ahead of the humans that hate us so much?"

Kurt cut his gaze to Cain. He'd not been prepared for such a tough question from the quiet shifter. "I do," Kurt told him. "I have to. We came out for a reason. Everything that we've been through has to lead us to a better life. Or losing fewer lives."

"We were one of the first packs that asked to come out," Cain said. "From the beginning, Tony was on board. Even when I had my reservations, Tony was certain this was best for our people. Now look at everything he's been through. People have tried to kill him multiple times, and Colt has been taken."

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"But Tony told me he might not have ever met Colt if it hadn't been for everything he'd been through. I think if you ask your brother, that makes this all worth it." Cain laughed. "Yeah, he would see it like that. I didn't even know my brother liked guys until he met Colt."

"I think it's more about Colt than what sex he is," Kurt pointed out. "I've seen them together. It's pretty obvious they just fit."

"Yeah," Cain agreed. "When he gets Colt back, they're going to have to have to make some big decisions, though. Both of them hold high positions in their Packs."

"That sucks," Kurt commented. It was a good thing that Savannah was happy to be back in town. Kurt couldn't see himself leaving his job for the Council.

"Yeah, Colt's Alpha already lost Gray when Gray found his mate. Losing Colt would put the Pack in a real bind."

Kurt nodded. "If Colt decides to leave, maybe I can talk to the Council about some strong shifters who might like to join a new Pack."

"That's a good idea," Cain said. "It gives them options."

Kurt liked the fact that he could offer advice and assistance to his fellow wolf shifters. He did want to figure out a way to work with all shifter species as well. Maybe Gray could help, since he was mated to a bobcat and lived with a mixture of species. It was something he really wanted to research.

He opened his mouth to ask Cain his opinion when the quiet of the late day was interrupted.

"What the...?" Kurt exclaimed as Cain scrambled back up to the window. None of their men should have been close enough to set off any alarms.

Cain tapped the communicator in his ear. "Report!"

"Who did that?" Tony demanded.

"Wasn't me," Gray responded.

"Not me," Clint also replied.

Kurt glanced at Cain. Had the humans set off their own alarm? Why would they do that?

"Wait, I have movement back here. Holy shit! Get here now!" Clint yelled through the mike.

"Front door!" Kurt hopped up, and he and Cain raced out of the house. The adrenaline coursed through his body as he ran. He brought his wolf to the surface just in case he needed to shift quickly. It was still light outside so it wouldn't be smart of him to reveal his other form, but he'd do what he needed to protect his people.

"Hey!" Clint yelled. He hadn't turned off his communicator. Kurt put on a burst of speed to get to his friend. He heard more shouts and some arguing.

They raced around the house to meet up with Clint and almost ran into Tony coming from the other direction. Down the alley, he saw five men sprinting toward him. Gray was even farther behind, coming from the side of the house into the

alley.

"Go! Go, go, go!" Clint hollered, waving wildly at them. "Back to the car!"

"Is that Colt?" Kurt squinted in the bright sunlight.

Cain grabbed his shoulder. "Back to the vehicle. Everyone split up!" he ordered through the communicator. "The alarms would have alerted everyone to our presence."

Kurt turned and took off. Cain and Tony left in opposite directions.

Colt had been running, without assistance, on his own two feet. That was good news. Kurt didn't know who else was with him, but obviously they all had the same goal. To get away.

Kurt darted down an alley that would take him close to their vehicle. He glanced over his shoulder but didn't see anyone following. He still kept up his steady pace, unsure what exactly was going on. Who were those other men? Why had Clint seemed so excited? He hated not having all the information on a mission. He could adapt. Hell, the military had taught him that, but intel was key when going up against an enemy.

When he reached the rented SUV, Cain, Tony and Gray were just arriving. Cain jumped in the driver's side and started the vehicle.

"Where are they? Where is Clint?" Kurt demanded.

"That was Colt," Tony said. "Did you see him? He was okay. God, he was okay."

"Get in," Cain ordered and they complied. Cain was right. They would have to make a fast getaway.

Kurt strained to catch a glimpse of Clint. There was still no one around. When his cell phone rang, it startled him enough that he jerked.

"It's Clint," he told the others. "Where are you?" he asked as he answered.

"Headed out," Clint answered. "Everything is fine. Head south, out of town, turn west at Junction 520-it's about forty-two miles from here. We'll be there waiting."

"We who?" Kurt insisted. Cain already had the vehicle moving.

Clint laughed. "Oh, you're gonna love this. See you soon."

Kurt cursed and slammed his hand down when Clint hung up on him. "I'll kill him," he promised. "I don't care if Sara comes after me. I'm going to beat his ass down."

Gray laughed next to him. "I'll hold him down."

"What is going on?" Cain asked with a growl.

"I don't know, but it can't be too bad if they rescued Colt, right?" Tony appeared to be filled with both hope and nervousness.

"But who were they?" Kurt demanded. His best friend was with an unknown group and Kurt didn't know where they were going. "Get your phone out and see if you can find where Clint wants us to meet him." "Good idea!" Gray dug in his pocket for his cell.

Kurt wasn't going to wait and follow anyone. He'd figure this shit out and be prepared when they finally caught up with Clint. Then he was kicking his best friend's ass. He was serious about that part of the plan.

"I think I've found it," Gray said. He handed the phone to Kurt.

"They're leading us to the middle of nowhere," Kurt commented.

"Away from Dan Carter and anyone who might work for him," Cain commented.

"They have Clint and Colt so it doesn't matter who these guys are," Tony said. "We're going to get to them."