Hyenas were known far and wide for their selfishness and cruelty. Only in the last few decades had they organized themselves into the mob they had become. The hyena packs had instituted a new code of honor which meant they never turned on each other. But if the hyenas hadn't killed him, then who had? The townspeople of Fate Mountain, and the multitudes far and wide, had many reasons to resent the Updikes. But she knew of no one who would want to frame her. Unless someone in her fox pack had a grudge against her for something she didn't know about.
All these thoughts flashed through her mind as Rollo took her out to his police car and put her in the back seat. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Just at the height of her joy, she had come to her lowest point.
She could hear Jessie yelling behind her, begging Rollo to let her go. When that didn't work, he started shouting obscenities and Rollo threatened to take him in as well. His brothers came out of the barns and shops and houses and held him back. She could see it all from the back window as tears seeped out of her eyes. Questions rolled through her mind, over and over. She couldn't imagine what had happened and how someone had gotten her fingerprints on the gun.
None of it made any sense. But it did when it came to her bad luck. Ever since her parents had died, it had been the same story. She couldn't get a break then, and she couldn't get one now either. She sat in the back of the police car as Rollo climbed in the driver's seat. He pulled out of the parking lot of Timber Bear Ranch and headed down the road. She resolved herself to her fate. Maybe she would end up going to jail. Maybe she would never get to be with Jessie at all. She had to come to terms with it now or it would drive her crazy if things got worse.
"This is so typical," Dana muttered.
"Typical?" Commander Morris said.
"Typical of my luck. Somehow someone got my fingerprints and put them on the gun. And I somehow managed to take the car with Chuck's dead body in the trunk. Now it looks obvious that I was the murderer. It's just typical."
"I see," Rollo said. "You haven't had very good luck in your past have you?"
"No, and of course my past means that I have a motive, right? Like I said: typical."
"You haven't been sentenced yet," Rollo said.
"Yes I have. As soon as my parents died it all changed for me. This has been coming since the day they sent me to live with my uncle and his second wife."
"You think this is fate?" Rollo asked.
"Of course it is! My fate is for my life to suck!"
"Geez."
He went silent in the front seat and Dana looked out the side window. She hoped he felt guilty for ruining her life. He should. She'd been through enough and this just took the cake. She listened to the sound of the police radio as the tires crunched over gravel. They turned onto the highway and drove into Fate Mountain Village.
At the police station, a second officer came out and took her into the police station. She was quickly booked and photographed. It was the most humiliating experience of her life. Well, maybe the second. She had lived with the Updikes for two years while wearing a French maid uniform almost exclusively. Jail couldn't be worse than that. Could it?
They took her to a small cell in the police station and left her there. She lay down on the uncomfortable cot and waited for the inevitable.
Chapter 11
Jessie pushed Buck off him, angry as hell and ready to punch someone.
"Why didn't you stop him?" Jessie demanded.
"You think that I can stop the chief of police from making an arrest?" Buck asked.
"He's your friend," Jessie yelled.
"I'm afraid friendship doesn't have the power to prevent this. Rollo has a job to do. And you heard what he said, the DA wants the arrest. It was out of his hands."
"I know she could never do something like that. Chuck Updike was an asshole of the first degree. I should know better than anyone. But I know my mate didn't kill him. I can feel her in my bones."
"Jessie, the best thing you can do for Dana is to stay calm. You need to keep a level head so you can discover what really happened," Leland said.
"I know it was one of the hyenas. They say hyenas never turn on each other anymore but those beasts can only hold them for so long. Sooner or later somebody's going to get greedy and they're going to go back to their old ways," Jessie grumbled.
"You may be right. But the only way you're going to find out is by thinking straight," Leland said. "Don't you have a meet tonight?"
"How am I supposed to race when my mate is in jail?"
"We'll try to get her bailed out," Leland said. "You know the Updikes as well as anyone. You've raced them for years. Now is your opportunity to bring them down. Focus your anger. But be smart about it."
"Thank you, Leland," Jessie said, clapping his older brother on the shoulder. "I needed that."
Jessie crossed the yard and tore into the machine shop. He climbed on the back of his dirt bike and peeled out of the driveway while his brothers stood with blank expressions. Leland, wearing his cowboy hat, fisted his hips, slowly shaking his head.
Jessie grimaced as he sped up the road toward the forest. He spun onto a narrow gravel trail that led deep into the forest. His bear roared inside his mind. The grizzly clawed and growled, digging at the back of Jessie's eyes. His chest burned with anger and his stomach clenched. Buck's friend had taken Dana and put her into a cell.
Whoever was responsible was going to pay. Jessie intended to find out who it was. There were shop owners in town who had been systematically put out of business by Chuck and Brandon’s father. The sons continued with the same business tactics, only worse. Jessie’s own family had a long-standing beef with the Updikes.
When Leland's mate Sylvia had been kidnapped, two hyenas went to jail for it and never revealed who they took orders from. That was when Brandon and Chuck were pressuring Leland to sell the ranch.
The only way Jessie was going to find out was by getting up close and personal with the hyena pack. But he knew he couldn't go straight through the front door. He had to go around the back, and do a little secret feral snooping. He rode his bike through the forest for miles, intersecting with the backroads that crisscrossed most of Fate Mountain.
There was a section of forest between the nearest backroad and the Updikes’ property. He parked his bike behind a tree. He took off his clothes and tucked them under the seat of his bike and then covered everything with brush.
With a stifled roar, he shifted, his muscles bulging, breaking, and reforming into the massive shape of a grizzly bear. He growled in the heat of the summer morning. He could taste the pungent flavor of the evergreen forests and the many small animals that hid in the cool shade of the underbrush. The buzz of crickets hummed in his ears as he trotted into the forest.
Anger still pushed him on, as did the deep need to prove his mate innocent. He had known Dana for only a day, but in that time, he had gone from being a confirmed playboy bachelor to a loyal and committed mate.
Claiming Dana the night before had been the best experience of his life. All the girls he'd known in the past put together, times a million, couldn't compare to one night in his mate's arms. Their bond was forged in the fires that created the universe. He'd known it from the first time he'd seen her hazel eyes flash in that picture of her on the Internet. But when he met her in person, he'd really been done in. The smell of her skin and the sight of her curves in the morning sunlight, and that was it; it was over. When he saved the day by towing her car, he'd never felt like such a hero, and he’d served in the Great War.
He would give anything to taste her lips again. He would find her justice, and they would be together forever. He had watched each of his brothers find their mate, conceive children, and live happily ever after. Until now, Jessie had never believed he wanted that for himself. But with Dana, he wanted it all.
His grizzly contemplated life in a family as he barreled through the forest. Deep longing erupted from his chest. A flash of a memory of himself as a cub, standing o
ver his mother's broken body, washed through his mind. He growled as he barreled through the forest, the heat of the summer causing him to pant.
He could smell the stench of hyenas on the wind as it blew toward him. He tasted them on his lips. The rancid flavor of it turned his stomach. The hyenas had been a cancer on this town for too long and it was time that they were stopped. Jessie continued around the property, keeping himself downwind from the mansion. He didn't want the hyenas to pick up his grizzly scent. He stepped closer, thick bushes stood between him and a group of hyenas in a gazebo, a hundred yards from the main house. They huddled together, smoking cigarettes and drinking beer.
"Today it's Chuck, tomorrow it's one of us," one of them said.
"The fox went down for it," said another. “Not a hyena.”
"That doesn't matter. Chuck is dead. And we all know who did it."
"You better not let him hear you talking like that," another one said.
Jessie took a short step back and broke a branch under his foot. One of the hyenas jumped from his seat in the gazebo and looked around.
"Did you hear that?"
"It's nothing. You're getting paranoid."
"Whose car did the fox take?"
"All the normal vehicles are here."
"The vehicle that had Chuck’s body in it wasn't one of the normal cars?"
“It was a plant. Maybe he knew she’d try to leave.”
“Don’t be crazy. He can’t think that far ahead.”
The paranoid hyena walked away from the gazebo, throwing his cigarette onto the dried grass. Jessie turned into the forest. He’d stayed long enough. The hyenas suspected one of their own. The car that Dana had taken was new to the mansion. He wondered who it was registered to. Rollo had taken it the morning when they discovered Chuck's body. Jessie suspected that whoever owned that car knew something about the murder.
He hurried through the forest back to his dirt bike and started off down the gravel road. He had a race that night and he would bet anything that Brandon Updike would be there just to keep him from winning.
Jessie rode home quickly and began working on his racing bike. He wanted it in top condition for the meet. After a few minutes, his brother Buck drove up in a timber harvester and parked outside the machine shop. He got out of the tractor and strode toward Jessie where he was working on his bike in the shop. The summer sun fell on his brother’s shoulders and Jessie frowned.
"What do you want, Buck?" Jessie asked, tightening a nut in his bike.
"I wanted to talk to you about earlier," Buck said, showing his palms.
"There's nothing to talk about," Jessie said, dropping his wrench on the concrete with a bang.
"I've talked to Rollo several times today," Buck said. "The Bear Patrol are gathering further evidence. They've been waiting for a search warrant to search the rest of the Updike mansion. I suspect as soon as they're in, they will find enough evidence to set Dana free. If not, Leland is working on her bail.”
"This ends tonight," Jessie said, revving his bike's engine. "I have to change for the race."
He brushed past his brother, still angry that Dana had been taken. Even through the blinding rage of his grizzly, he knew his brother wasn't at fault for any of this. But he didn't have time to be a gentleman now. He and Buck were very different bears and Jessie wasn't the kind of guy who sat around and waited. If he had to, he would go down to the police station and break her out himself. They’d go on the run like Bonnie and Clyde. At least then they would be together.
He went into his house and changed into his racing gear, grabbing his helmet on the way out. He threw his helmet on the seat of his truck, pulled a ramp up to the tailgate, drove his bike into the bed, and hitched his bike to the truck.
"We’re all coming to the meet tonight," Leland said. Jessie looked up from his work to find his oldest brother standing next to his truck. "The whole gang. Cyrus and Daisy even. The girls all wanted a night out. We’re starting with the race and then going to the brewery."
"You guys are going to party while my girl is in jail?"
"I’ve found that times like these are the best time to party," Leland said, patting Jessie on the back. "I can tell you've already started working this out."
"I've worked out that I won't wait one more day for my mate to be out of jail," Jessie said.
"It's good for a man to know where he stands," Leland said.
Chapter 12
Jessie drove into the tournament grounds. He heard the buzz of racers already practicing on the track. He parked his truck near the starting gate where the other racers were preparing for their turn. He spotted Brandon Updike in his red uniform. Jessie wore yellow to match his bike.
He got out to unhitch his bike and backed it off the truck, down the ramp, and onto the ground. He rode to the starting gate and received his number for the race. Jessie had been riding motocross most of his life. But he had chosen to stay home on Fate Mountain rather than riding professionally like he had shortly before the war. The monthly motocross races at the track on Fate Mountain were his best outlet. The track had always been the place where he could be himself.
The Updikes had always been a thorn in his side. They ran disruptive and aggressive races, more interested in making other players lose than in winning themselves. He felt it ruined the sport. But sports weren't on his mind today as he pulled his helmet down over his head and gripped the handlebars of his Kawasaki FX. Blood pumped through his veins as he readied himself for a practice round.
He pulled up behind the next set of riders and waited his turn. The smell of gasoline and gravel filled his nose as the roar of the crowd filled his ears. He looked up at the bleachers around the track and spotted his brother Leland's cowboy hat. His family had come after all.
He gritted his teeth as he joined the next group of riders before the starting gate. The whistle blew and he drove out onto the track with the other riders, charging up steep inclines and jumping over ditches to land precariously in motion. Jessie’s mind moved in slow motion as he drove around the practice track, getting his bearings for the race. He didn't even know why he was racing today. He should be down at the police station forcing them to complete the investigation and exonerate Dana.
He finished the practice round and joined the riders for the first race. They were five meets and whoever won each meet raced in the final match. Each meet was a five-round pass on the track. Whoever had the best time won.
Jessie got into place, seeing that Brandon Updike was in a different meet than him. He wanted to have it out with him now. His grizzly agreed and it took a great deal of self-control to keep him from grabbing Brandon and demanding answers. He turned his attention to the race as he tore out onto the track. He drove like a madman, his mind almost not there, his sense of safety and security gone. All he felt was his bike under him and the track flying by.
Everything was for Dana. His heart, his mind, his soul, his body. Even his need for this rush. He had searched all this life for something that could make him feel half as good as when she was in his arms. The thought of Dana stirring in his mind, urged him forward. It wasn't recklessness; it was pure focus. He drove up and over hills and down into deep valleys, flying and hurtling himself onward. There was a moment of pure silence as he passed the finish line, nearly a lap ahead of the other riders.
He drove out of the gate and into the waiting pen, pulling off his helmet. He looked up and saw his brother Cyrus circling around to the orange plastic fence. Cyrus’s mate Daisy was holding his hand and bouncing along behind him. Her golden curls tumbled down around her frilly pink dress.
"What are you doing here?" Jessie asked, his mood no lighter than when he’d left the ranch.
"Leland told you we were coming," Cyrus said.
"We just wanted to congratulate you on your win and wish you good luck on your final meet," Daisy said cheerfully, between sips of milkshake from a straw.
"Thank you, Daisy," he said.
It was
hard to stay mad at Cyrus or his mate. Cyrus might have been gone for a long time, leaving Buck in charge while Leland was in Texas, but Jessie understood why Cyrus had taken to the woods. He was glad he found his mate, Daisy. They were perfect for each other, no matter how odd a couple they were. Cyrus still had a full beard and long hair, but he’d toned down the mountain man look and was integrating back into society, with Daisy's help.
"Leland's got the money for bail," Cyrus said.
"That's not enough for me," Jessie said. "Dana needs to be exonerated."
"One step at a time, brother," Cyrus said. "Be careful out there."
"Thanks," Jessie said.
Cyrus took Daisy's hand and walked away, leaving Jessie alone. Brandon Updike rode past and the hyena shifter turned to stare at Jessie. Brandon’s shifter sparked through his eyes and the look on his face sent a shiver down Jessie's spine.
Jessie could feel waves of dominance rolling off the hyena. Chuck was gone and now Brandon was the prime alpha of the hyena pack. Jessie gritted his teeth and snarled, revving his engine. He pulled his helmet down over his head and sped across the waiting pen. The final riders all took their positions, Brandon Updike at the other end of the line from Jessie. They looked at each other through the shields on their helmets.
Energy bristled through the riders as they waited for the starting gun. It blew and the riders zoomed out onto the track. Brandon immediately veered toward Jessie, who had taken an early lead. Jessie braked and pulled back, letting Brandon waste his energy going across the track. Jessie sped forward and veered around Brandon. These were Brandon and Chuck’s same old tactics. Except there used to be two of them; now there was only one. One was still too many.
Jessie hit the throttle and charged forward. Brandon was left in his wake but soon caught up. He looked Jessie straight in the eye and tilted his handlebars to smash into Jessie again. In that moment, Jessie decided to beat him at his own game. He pulled back just enough so that Brandon's back tire tipped off his front tire, sending the hyena into a tailspin. Jessie pulled himself from the momentum and continued riding, only missing a few beats with the rest of the riders.
Mechanic Bear (Bear Shifter Mystery Romance) (Timber Bear Ranch Book 4) Page 6
