Loyal Wolf (23 page)

He hoped that the cameras on him and his packmates were working well. He intended to demonstrate to all members of Alpha Force who were watching now, or who later observed what was being recorded, what these anarchists were really about
.

There. He sensed a large contingent of humans near where he was going—that stable. He smelled a heavy scent of gunpowder and other explosives
.

He heard laughter and swearing and men discussing with one another in hushed yet ecstatic tones the idea of blowing up anyone trying to tell them what to do
.

Time to get closer. Allow the camera to take pictures and record voices
.

And ensure there was enough to bring in the rest of Alpha Force to handle this ugly but anticipated situation
.

* * *

Jock was gone. He had shifted in front of her eyes again, and she had watched, enthralled. Wanted to touch him, to understand better the change that had overtaken him.

Instead, Kathlene had done nothing.

And now Jock had left, stalking his way with the others like him onto the grounds of the ranch, to observe and, if necessary, to act. Perhaps to attack. To put himself in imminent danger.

Now it was her turn to feel protective without being able to do anything about it. She wanted to help him. To keep him from harm. To ensure that the bad guys were brought to justice, but not at Jock's expense.

Yet here she was. She couldn't help him...could she?

Wait. That wasn't true.

She was still with Noel inside the old house. “I gather that we're to lock the cover dogs inside here,” she said to him, “so anyone spotting Jock and the rest will assume they're real dogs who happen to have gotten loose—those belonging to Jock and the guys who've just arrived here, right?”

“That's right, although depending on the circumstances we might admit that they're K9s trained to move around an area for recon, taking pictures from their collars.” Noel seemed to study her with his deep brown eyes. He was a nice-enough-looking guy, young, serious, dark-toned skin and maybe even a little bit deferential to her. Because she was a civilian—or at least nonmilitary? Because she was a woman?

Because she was a deputy sheriff?

Heck, none of that mattered. The fact that he was at least listening to her was a good thing.

“Can we go to the area outside the ranch?” she asked. “We can stay beyond the fence but keep an eye on what's happening inside the best we can. Show me how to use the app you added to my phone to its best advantage. I want to see what Jock's looking at.”

“Sure.” He complied, and she got to see, as if through Jock's eyes, what the inner grounds of the ranch looked like at his level.

He appeared to have stopped near the stable, and she heard loud, boisterous, menacing voices without, at the moment, observing the speaker.

“Let's head toward the ranch to observe better,” she said to Noel.

“Okay. I was already about to do that. Ralf and I are in contact and he'll keep in touch with our shifters via their cameras, too, and with the rest of the Alpha Force team sent here to help. He's coordinating.”

“Then let him also coordinate with me.”

“Okay.”

“You can talk to them on the way. Let's start our walk toward the ranch.”

Phone to his ear, he followed her.

It didn't take them long to reach the outer area of the ranch. For now they remained in the seclusion of the surrounding woods.

“Here,” she whispered, handing Noel her phone. “I also want to see what the guys in Alpha One are up to.”

He tweaked her phone, and she then was able to look at the pictures on a split screen. Using her fingers, she was able to enlarge one picture, then the other. For now it appeared that Simon and Quinn were near the ranch's shooting range. They must have been hiding in the shadows near the old stable or maybe the ranch house itself, but they faced a whole bunch of men who looked high on alcohol or maybe testosterone. They were laughing, goading each other. Sounded as if they were telling each other that it was nearly time, and no one would ignore them ever again.

Jock appeared to have stopped to continue listening at the stable.

She decided to call Ralf. They were still a distance from the ranch so she didn't have to maintain total silence.

“Yes, I'm with the Alpha Zero guys now,” Jock's aide told her. “They're ready to move in whenever the order's given—and that'll be up to Jock or the other shifters.”

“How long will it take them to get here?” she asked.

“Not long. No more than ten minutes. We're close by.”

But ten minutes could be an eternity if Jock or the others got into trouble.

She didn't say anything to Ralf, though. He was military. He knew how critical even seconds could be if someone was in trouble.

Was
Jock in trouble? She enlarged his camera picture again, listening only to what he heard around the stable.

Men continued to rant and laugh there, too.

And then a voice could be heard that was distinguished from the rest. It sounded familiar. Tisal's?

It said, “Which of you wants to be the first one to detonate one of these babies near that county building where they thought they could ignore us?”

A lot more voices rang out, volunteering for the assignment. Kathlene froze. It was time for Ralf to call in the rest of his team.

It was also time for her to let her own team, the sheriff's department, in on what was happening, even if she couldn't explain how she knew.

But before she could, another voice yelled, “Hey, what's that? Is that the dog that was prowling here the other day? It looks like a wolf, and in my book wolves are fair game. Time to start our fun.”

The next thing Kathlene heard was a volley of gunshots. The picture she was viewing started bouncing. At least Jock must still be alive, but he was in trouble.

And she definitely had to help.

Immediately.

Chapter 23

“J
ock's in trouble!” Kathlene yelled to Noel as she started running. “Maybe Simon and Quinn, too.” Had they been spotted? She didn't know, but she felt sure they would also go to Jock's rescue and put themselves into this horrible situation. “Get the rest of your guys in there.” She knew it was time to call in her own reinforcements, as well. It might be too late. But she had to try.

She pressed the numbers into her phone to call Tommy X.

“I'm near the old ranch,” she said, keeping her voice somewhat low. They were almost there, and she didn't want to be heard in case any of the anarchists were out patrolling. “There's trouble brewing. They may be planning on using explosive devices on buildings downtown.” She'd heard that, and it was more likely to get the sheriff's department moving than mentioning that a wolf or three might be the sportsmen's current target.

“A bunch of us are already on our way,” Tommy X told her. “Sheriff Frawley got a call from some of the sportsmen and they've said something's wrong, like they're under some kind of attack.”

By wolves? Or did they somehow know more?

“I'll see you there, then,” Kathlene said. “And hurry.”

“Who'd you call?” Noel demanded as she pressed more buttons on her phone and concentrated fully on what Jock must be seeing. Trees and bushes and undergrowth along with edges of buildings, and the view was bouncing and veering first one way, then the other. He must be running sideways to evade the shooters. At least they weren't all shooting at once in his direction, but Kathlene did hear the sound of erratic gunshots.

Fortunately, Noel and she had nearly arrived at the fence. She started running toward the front gate.

“Where are you going?” Noel demanded from behind her.

“We need to get onto the ranch. I'm not sure they'll let either of us in. They won't like my badge, and I doubt they'll respect military ID any more than they do mine.”

“Then we've got to get in another way. Do you know how Jock got himself and the others inside? Are there vulnerable parts of the fence?”

“I'm sure there are, but he didn't tell me where they are. Look, let's head to the front gate first and see if we can bully our way in.”

“I don't like it, but—”

“Neither do I,” Kathlene snapped, “but there are already a bunch of mad terrorists inside shooting guns at what they think are wild wolves. Do you think they'll be nicer to a couple of humans if they catch us trying to sneak in?”

“No,” Noel admitted. “Let's give it a try.”

Hurrying through the woods toward the front gate, Kathlene kept watching the phone screen. The picture continued to move. That meant so did Jock.

She still heard gunfire in the background.

As they reached the front, she saw a couple of official sheriff's-department vehicles arriving at the same time.

Sheriff Frawley was in the first one. Good. Surely even he would have to respond to what she had to tell him.

“Sir,” she said as the tall man in his uniform with all its medals showing what a bigwig he was strode toward the front gate. She met him there. “I'm so glad to see you. There's a lot going on here. The men inside are not just sportsmen, they're terrorists. They plan to blow up the County Administration Building, and that may not be all.”

The sheriff stopped moving and stared down at her with cold eyes. “I got a call that something was going on here that shouldn't be. We're here to find out what and protect the citizens who've chosen to reside here for a while.”

“What!” Kathlene's mind fought for a way to try to give a better explanation without revealing the existence, nature or presence of Alpha Force. “They don't need protection. The rest of our citizens need protection from them.”

“Get out of the way, Deputy, or I'll have your badge for insubordination. You're not even on duty, are you?”

“Not right now, sir, but—”

The sheriff strode right by her. So did Undersheriff Kerringston and a couple of deputies.

Tommy X emerged from the second car and approached her. “I tried to get Sheriff Frawley to see reason about the sportsmen, told him there was good reason to arrest them, not defend them.” He paused, looking at Kathlene. “There is, isn't there?”

“Yes, absolutely.” She watched in horror as the sheriff high-fived the guard who opened the gate to let them in.

She'd known the sheriff was okay with having the sportsmen around, maybe even liked the idea, but had hoped he'd been wise enough to change his mind about them after they showed their true colors and spoke out at the last meeting against any kind of government control.

But he hadn't reacted at all to her report that they were intending to blow up public property—presumably with people inside.

Sheriff Frawley must not only accept them. He must be one of them.

What was she going to do?

And where was Jock? How was Jock? She looked frantically toward Tommy X. “We'll go inside, too. We need to help.” She didn't explain who she intended to help, but she figured Tommy X would know it wasn't the sheriff or the terrorists.

“Not a good idea, Deputy,” he said. “We don't have any evidence about what you're alleging, and—”

“But we do! Video recordings.” She couldn't tell him how they were being collected, although the cover dogs would come in handy for the explanation later.

And then she saw several large black vans barreling down the driveway from the main road.

“Reinforcements have arrived,” Noel Chuma told her. He was grinning. “I'll introduce you later, but right now they've work to do.”

Kathlene watched as humans in military fatigues, carrying weapons, poured out of the vehicles—along with half a dozen other wolves. They'd already done their shifting.

And now they were going to take over this terrorist installation.

Kathlene grinned briefly toward Tommy X, who looked confused.

“Military?” he asked.

Kathlene nodded. “I'll fill you in later.” But not about everything.

One guy with lots of stripes on his camo uniform confronted the guard, who quickly backed down.

Kathlene smiled. “We've got work to do, too,” she said to Sgt. Chuma. “Let's follow them inside.”

* * *

People who called themselves sportsmen...hunters. Those hunters seeing wolves—or what they believed were true wolves. Of course they chased the three canines, shot at them. Perhaps allowed them to be a distraction from their own intent to destroy property and kill more than wildlife, at least for a short while
.

Fortunately, there were a lot of shadows at this hour, thanks to buildings and trees. Places where Jock could veer in and out for protection. His shifted companions, Simon and Quinn, were equally adept at staying hidden or out of range, splitting up to make themselves more difficult targets
.

But it couldn't last much longer
.

Jock stopped behind a large vehicle in the ranch's main parking lot to catch his breath, and to use his senses to learn what was happening. Had Ralf and Noel and Kathlene sent for any reinforcements? If not, it was time
.

There were loud, continuous sounds behind him, those chasing him, those firing shots from automatic weapons each time they believed they saw a moving wolf
.

They were drunk. They were human and could not see well in the growing darkness
.

Eventually, though, they might get lucky
.

But then, he heard sounds before him, toward the main entrance to this encampment. Voices, raised and angry and menacing, and they included that sheriff's, but not only his. Kathlene's. And Major Drew Connell's. Yes! And there were also vehicles, large and military
.

His additional backup was here
.

That meant he could change things where he was. Fast. And relatively safely
.

His shifting companions would not be quite so aware, but he nevertheless lifted his muzzle in the air and howled. The sound was echoed by two more voices—and then several more toward the entry
.

Gunshots sounded. One bullet even hit the side of a vehicle near him
.

He bared his teeth, wishing he could bite the wrist of whoever dared to raise a weapon and aim it at him
.

Not now, though. Not yet
.

He carefully lowered himself to the ground, moved forward while crouched on his wolfen legs, veered around one vehicle, then another, using his nose to smell and identify those anarchists who were nearest him
.

As he had hoped, expected, one was the out-of-control human in charge who obviously wanted to make an example of what he deemed to be a stupid wolf creature who had dared to enter the property he controlled
.

The man named Tisal
.

Instead, Jock would make an example of him
.

He moved slowly, quietly, around the vehicles, on cooling, rough concrete that scratched at his stomach, smelled of oil and of vehicles and more, circling back in the direction from which he had come, all the while knowing the camera about his neck continued to record all that occurred
.

All the while hearing the noises of allies, both human and wolfen, as well as vehicles, drawing closer
.

Not all were allies, though. Yet he believed they, too, were under control since at the moment the voices he heard were curt, giving orders, but without arguing
.

And then—yes! He scented Tisal nearby, just beyond a large van. Not far from other human smells, yet not surrounded by them. Jock maneuvered around the vehicle
.

And saw Tisal. Alone
.

Jock prepared to leap, even as the large, rounded human in his hunting jacket raised his weapon and aimed it at him
.

“Don't you dare,” shouted an angry female human voice. Kathlene's voice. She was off to the side, and she aimed her own service weapon at the offending anarchist. “Drop it, Tisal. You're under arrest
.
”

The anarchist pivoted, aiming his gun toward Kathlene. She fired, even as Jock leaped onto the man, knocking him to the ground, planting his teeth around the beefy, vulnerable neck, growling, and forcing himself not to bite down and kill the creature who had dared to fire toward Kathlene
.

“It's okay, J—er, Click,” she said, as if talking to Jock's cover dog. Smart lady. “Good boy. You've done a good job, and I'll be glad to tell your trainer, Ralf. Not that you understand what I'm saying, but I'm fine, and I've got this jackass's weapon. I'll cuff him and then you can go help the others like you. There are a bunch, and with all the other military backup that's here I have a feeling we've got a really productive bust of these anarchists underway
.
”

Jock moved back, out of the way, his hackles still raised and his teeth still bared, ready to attack again. But the man remained docile as Kathlene rolled him onto his belly and cuffed him
.

“Where's your boss, bitch?” Tisal demanded. “The sheriff will fire you for this. Maybe even arrest you for interfering with citizens' rights. And
—
”

“That's enough, Mr. Tisal. I'm sorry to say that your friend and my boss, Sheriff Frawley, isn't going to be able to help you
.
”

That was when Jock scented the sheriff barreling in their direction. He stood up and barked
.

* * *

“What is it, Click?” Kathlene knew Jock was warning her about something but she didn't know what.

But she wasn't overly worried. The Alpha Force contingent who'd come here as backup was now fanning out all over the place. They looked damned official in their uniforms, accompanied by what appeared to be a whole group of trained attack dogs—probably all shifters who were apparently using their own special senses and abilities to help round up every one of the anarchists.

The recordings Jock and the other shifters had made would provide all the evidence necessary to convict every one of them for breaking all sorts of terrorism and conspiracy laws, at a minimum.

“I'm sure everything's okay,” she continued, addressing the wolf who clearly remained in protective mode. “Go ahead and look around. You'll see that your fellow—er, anyway, there are a lot of these guys being taken into custody now.”

“Who the hell you talking to?” Tisal demanded.

“Everyone watching the recording that's being made thanks to the camera around that dog's neck,” she said, tugging on the head anarchist, making him rise to his feet with his hands now cuffed behind his back. He leaned on the nearest car, and Kathlene assisted him a bit by manipulating his arms.

But Jock didn't move. Which worried Kathlene. She decided it was time to drag Tisal off to where the others were being taken into custody.

“Let him go, bitch.”

Kathlene turned in the direction of the voice. Nearly under the cover of growing darkness, Sheriff Frawley strode out from between two parked sedans. He held a gun, and it was pointed at her.

“No, sir,” she said. “We have evidence that this man intends to commit terrorist acts in Clifford County.” She gave Tisal a gentle nudge in the back with her elbow.

“So you brought in the military? Are you the reason those jerks confronted me at the gate? Well, I got away and I'm going to make sure that all of the law-abiding sportsmen who have been living here are released by the feds and allowed to go about their business. Right now you're going to come with me and tell them you made a mistake, that you recognize now that these gentlemen are just that—gentlemen. They're sportsmen and hunt legally within the laws, even if they don't want those damned laws made any more onerous.”