Tank
I arrive at the roadside motel around midnight. The pack's already here, as well as the little VW bus, hidden behind the place.
Sam lets me down before fleeing in the helicopter to lie low. Good call. I'll bet neither Jackson or my alpha will be happy with the little bomb stunt he pulled.
The first one to greet me is Garrett. The alpha pulls me into a hug, and we pound each other's backs.
"I oughta beat you," Garrett growls. "I don't care what plan the hackers cook up, next time you wait for your pack."
"I had to go in. Foxfire was going to do it."
Garrett grunts.
"Where is she?"
"Holed up in a room with Amber and her mom. Girl's night, or something. With all the adrenaline they had going on an hour ago, I bet they've crashed now."
"I was hoping to talk to her." If she'll see me.
"In the morning. We've got news." Garrett leads me to another motel room.
"Hey man." Jared and Trey greet me with hugs of their own. Human males might not touch each other this much, but shifters do. "Where's Sam?"
"Going to stash the helicopter somewhere. Apparently it's not quite legal."
"Neither is setting off fireworks in Utah outside of July," Trey says. "I don't even know where you'd buy them."
I keep silent. I wouldn't underestimate Foxfire when it comes to digging up contraband. Or her mother. I picture the two of them flirting with some hapless shop owner, convincing him to sell them, and I want to bash the imaginary guy's teeth in.
"The cops are all over the compound now. I wouldn't be surprised if it's put under investigation."
"Are we in trouble?" There are enough shifters in the government to help with coverup.
"I think Sam blew up all the evidence. Kylie got most of the data out before then. She and Jackson are going through it now. We'll know more in the morning." Garrett sits on the bed. Trey and Jared toss me a bag of fast food, but I'm too wired to eat, so I grab a drink and down that instead.
"Kylie wants you to know she took down the bounty on Foxfire. She hacked the user account. There were a few older bounties in there, for people all across the US and Canada. We think they were all shifters."
I debrief the room on what I saw in the compound, including a description of the lion shifter. "Someone's snatching shifters and experimenting on them. But why?" I ask.
"We don't know. But we're going to find out," Garrett says. "Jackson called us after I told you Amber's vision. That's when I rallied the pack, and asked if Kylie could hack their systems somehow." Garrett explains. "We needed data. We think this operation is connected to the one in Mexico that took my sister."
"What'd you find out in Mexico?" I ask.
"Nothing," Jared cuts in. "We couldn't question anyone because Garrett ate them all."
"They held us captive. And my mate was left unprotected," Garrett says. He doesn't look at all repentant.
"Well, this time we did it right. Or half right, if we got the data out before the place blew," Trey says.
I shake my head. "Sam is fucking crazy."
Trey and Jared look curious, but I don't elaborate. Sam may have disobeyed orders, but it worked out in the end. I'm not sorry that place is torched. Even if it almost cost me my life. It would've if we hadn't had the fireworks as a distraction.
I rise from where I was leaning against the dresser and start toward the door. I want to see Foxfire. No, I need it.
"Tank," my alpha calls.
Trey and Jared rise and, with a knowing look at each other, they leave the room.
"Who is Foxfire to you?"
"She's my mate."
"You sure?" He folds his arms across his chest. He's probably protective because Foxfire is his mate's friend, but I still tense.
"I marked her," I half growl. "She's mine." My wolf has his hackles up.
Garrett studies me then nods. "Get some sleep. We'll talk more in the morning."
"Where's Foxfire?" My wolf won't rest until he knows she's safe.
Garrett's shoulders soften a little.
"I already told you. Girl's night. They're under guard."
"I'll take a shift."
"No, you'll get some sleep," Garrett says with an alpha's command. "By morning, we should know more about this shifter-snatching black market. I'll need my beta at his best. So will Foxfire."
Despite my alpha's orders, I pace in front of Foxfire's room for a few minutes. I can smell her through the door, beyond the two wolves Garrett posted as guards.
"She's all right." Trey lays a hand on my shoulder.
I'm so wired, I'm about to snap.
"She and Amber debriefed, but there have been no sounds for a while. I think they crashed."
"I should let them sleep," I say mostly to myself. One part of me knows this, but the other part won't be happy until my mate is in my arms.
If she'll let me hold her.
"It'll be the best for her," Trey agrees, and that decides it. I head to my room and crash.
~.~
Tank
"I've got good news and bad news," Kylie says through the speaker on Garrett's phone.
"All right, hit us." Garrett leans forward on the bed, propping his elbows on his knees. Jared, Trey, and I stand around the phone, braced for Jackson and Kylie's findings. I checked on Foxfire's hotel room before coming here, but the women are all still asleep. I'm still itching to see Foxfire.
"The good news is, as of this morning, the entire compound is shut down. Human law enforcement is swarming over it because of the bombs and gunfire. They found evidence of prisoner torture, as well the crematorium where the lab destroyed the evidence. No one is getting back in there to do anything any time soon."
"That's good news," Garrett says. "What about the files?"